What is the Servicing Model? What s in it for Enterprise Organizations?

Change In a traditional development model it can take months of planning, development,

and testing before a large release is ready. Traditional deployments take
You want up-to-date features, but you also want the control and support you need to
run your business. With the variety of release programs for Windows 10 and Office 365,
you can evaluate new features, pilot them with specific groups in your organization,
enterprises years to plan, evaluate test, pilot, and deploy and then maintain the

Management entire environment. and then deploy them more broadly to your organization. You can also keep
specialized devices on a long-term build if you need to limit changes.

for Office 365

Traditional release model Use the update option that s right for your devices and your business needs. We
Plan Develop Test Release recommend:

Clients Multiple months cycle

Device
Type
Traditional deployment model
Phones and tablets Laptops and desktops Specialized devices
Evaluate
and Plan Pilot and Test Deploy Maintain
Update iOS or Android devices To get regular updates with the To limit changes, use

A Servicing Model option

receive regular updates from
their respective app stores.
latest features, use Semi-
Annual Channel for Windows
Long-Term Servicing
Channel for Windows
Devices running the Office 10 and Monthly Channel for 10. If Office is needed,
for Updates Multiple months cycle
Mobile apps automatically
receive regular updates from
Office 365. use Office Professional
Plus 2016 (using MSI
the Microsoft Store. Have custom add-ins? Choose files).
In a servicing model, new features and innovations can be developed and released Semi-Annual Channel for
Both Windows 10 and Office 365 have in a quicker cadence, so that customers are always seeing improvements. Because For Windows 10 devices, Office 365, so you have time to Examples of specialized
adopted the servicing model for client development has changed, so does the deployment process for an enterprise use Semi-Annual Channel test. For Windows 10, use Semi- devices: PCs that control
updates. This means that new features, non- organization. Quicker releases of features mean that you can evaluate, pilot, and to get regular updates with Annual Channel with a targeted medical equipment,
security updates, and security updates are deploy different sets of features at the same time.
the latest features. group of devices before point-of-sale systems, or
released regularly, so your users can have the deploying broadly. ATMs.
latest functionality and improvements. The
Releases in a servicing world Focus on your business, not managing the software.
servicing model also includes time for
enterprise organizations to test and validate
releases before adopting them. Plan, Develop, Test, Release - repeat Regular updates mean your users phones, tablets, and desktops stay up to
Stay up to date
date with the latest fixes.

Follow your business needs – not all systems need to follow the same
Mix and match
deployment model. You can even use different models for Windows and
programs
Office on the same devices.

Multiple cycles in a year Save on Allow automatic updates to Semi-Annual Channel, for Windows 10 and
management Office 365, instead of managing the software packages yourself.
Deployment in a servicing world
See what s coming in the next releases and find out what security updates
This topic is 1 of 6 in a series Evaluate, Pilot, Deploy - repeat
Stay in the loop
have been included by reviewing communications from Microsoft.

1 2 3 4 5 6 To test critical line-of-business applications, use Semi-Annual Channel or

Manage risk Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) for Office 365. For Windows 10, use Semi-
Annual Channel with a targeted group of devices before deploying broadly.

First, check the marketplace – others may have a solution that works. If you
Save on
Multiple cycles in a year need custom development, use best practices to ensure add-ins work after
development
updates.

Last updated: November 2017 © 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. To send feedback about this documentation, please write to us at [email protected].
 Summary of Release Options Which Release Option?

Change Choose the right release option for your business needs:
This chart shows all of the release options for Windows 10 and Office 365 clients.

Management
Office 365 client Windows 10

Windows Insider Preview

for Office 365

Lets you preview features and give
Have time to evaluate. feedback.
Up to date innovation. Security, always.

Freshness
Clients
Test with your existing Ideal for pilot deployments and testing of Semi-
Get the latest features You ll always get the Windows 10 feature updates and for users, such Annual
systems.
right away. latest security updates, as developers, who need to work with the latest Channel
Choose Semi-Annual no waiting, whichever features immediately.
Choose Semi-Annual channel you choose.
Channel or Semi-Annual
Channel for Windows 10
Channel (Targeted) for
and Monthly Channel for
Office 365. For Windows Best for users who don't have other apps, add-
Office 365. Monthly
Release Options 10, use Semi-Annual
Channel with a targeted Channel
ins, or macros that need to be extensively
tested with Office. Also useful for some test
group of devices before systems or pilot programs.
deploying broadly.
You need to understand the different release
options for Windows 10 and the Office 365
Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)
client applications so you can choose the right
options for your business. You decide what Default channels for client applications Gives you time to check out the
features and test your customizations
works and choose the combinations of
or processes.
releases to support for your organization. Office 365 ProPlus includes the following Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
Outlook, OneNote, Access, Skype for Business, and Publisher. Project Online Desktop
This model provides an overview and helps Client and Visio Pro for Office 365 also follow this release model.
you choose. Semi- Gives you several months lead-time before you
Annual get the latest features. It s usually best for users
Client applications included Additional Channel that have line-of-business applications, add-ins,
with Office 365 ProPlus Office 365 client or macros that are business critical.
applications
Long-Term Servicing Channel
Intended for specialized devices,

Control
where limiting changes to the
operating system is of prime
importance. For example, PCs that
Project Online Visio Pro for control medical equipment, point-of-
Desktop Client Office 365 sale systems, or ATMs.

This topic is 2 of 6 in a series By default, the client applications for Office 365 are set to these channels: Freshness indicates rapid access to new features and the ability to provide feedback
• Office 365 ProPlus is set to use Semi-Annual Channel to Microsoft.
1 2 3 4 5 6 • Project Online Desktop Client, and Visio Pro for Office 365 are set to use You ll sacrifice features for extra control – use the most controlled options for
Monthly Channel specialized devices, such as devices used on factory floors, for air traffic control, or in
But you can determine which channel is used for your client applications, according to emergency rooms.
your business needs.
Semi-Annual Channel for Office 365 offers a balance between new features and
For more information about the channels for Office 365 client applications, see control.
Overview of update channels for Office 365 ProPlus.
© 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. To send feedback about this documentation, please write to us at [email protected].
 Windows 10 Release Cadence Office 365 Client Release Cadence

Change
Windows 10 has three types of releases: Office 365 clients have the following types of releases:
• Windows Insider Preview Join the Windows Insider program to evaluate and
provide feedback on pre-release features, and perform application compatibility • Monthly Channel New features, security updates, and fixes can be released to the

Management
validation testing. New features are released frequently. Monthly Channel approximately every month.
• Semi-Annual Channel After new features have been tested through the Windows
Insider program, they are released along with bug fixes and security patches as the • Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) You can validate this release for four months
for Office 365 Semi-Annual Channel. A new Semi-Annual Channel is released twice a year,
around March and September, and is supported for 18 months. Start by deploying
to a targeted group of devices that represents the broader organization.
before it becomes a Semi-Annual Channel release. New features are included only at
the beginning of a release, in March and September. This channel is refreshed with
non-security updates and security updates every month.

Clients Approximately 4 months after a Semi-Annual Channel release, Microsoft will

announce broad deployment readiness, indicating that Microsoft, independent
• Semi-Annual Channel The Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) is rolled up and
software vendors (ISVs), partners, and customers believe that the release is ready
for broad deployment. But, organizations can begin broad deployment whenever released as the Semi-Annual Channel release every 6 months, in January and July.
they're ready. No new features are added until the next Semi-Annual Channel release, although
security updates will continue to be released. Each Semi-Annual Channel feature
• Long-Term Servicing Channel This channel provides a supported OS platform for release is supported for an additional 14 months. This is the default channel for
Release Cadences 10 years. Enterprises can choose to move to a new release or stay where they are
at and skip to the next one. The Long-Term Servicing Channel is intended for
Office 365 ProPlus clients.

specialized devices, such as PCs that control medical equipment, point-of-sale See Overview of update channels for Office 365 ProPlus for more information.
It is important to keep both Windows and systems, or ATMs. If Office is needed, use Office Professional Plus 2016 with these
your Office clients up to date. Office 365 and specialized devices.
Windows 10 have aligned release cadences to Releases for Office 365 ProPlus
make this easier. Both will have regular Releases for Windows 10
security updates and will have new features The following illustration shows the relationships between these releases for
Long-Term
releasing twice per year. For specialized Windows Semi-Annual
Servicing Office 365 ProPlus.
Insider Preview Channel
devices running Windows 10, there is a long- Channel
term servicing channel available which LTSC
provides regular security updates but only LTSC
provides new features every few years.

Semi-Annual Channel
Semi-Annual Channel
Semi-Annual Channel

Windows Insider Preview Multiple years. For illustrative purposes only.

Office Mobile Apps

Multiple years. For illustrative purposes only.
Office Mobile Apps for iOS and Android have regular releases available through their
See Overview of Windows as a service for more information. respective app stores. Office Mobile Apps for Windows have regular releases available
This topic is 3 of 6 in a series through the Microsoft Store.
Deployment tools Windows 10 and Office 365 clients
1 2 3 4 5 6
Windows 10
• System Center Configuration Office Professional Plus 2016 client installs
Manager
• Windows Update for Business • Microsoft Intune Security updates are made available for the Office clients that you install by using .MSI
files as part of the Office Volume Licensing program. New features are not delivered
• Windows Server Update Services • 3rd party software deployment tools outside of full product releases. Use, if Office is needed, for specialized devices on the
Long-Term Servicing Channel of Windows 10.

© 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. To send feedback about this documentation, please write to us at [email protected].
 Types of Changes for the Office 365 Service and Client Applications
Change Not all changes have the same impact on your users or require action. Some are planned and some unplanned by their nature (non-security
updates and security updates aren t usually planned in advance). Depending on the type of change, the communication channel also varies.

Management
Here are the types of changes you can expect for the Office 365 service and client applications:

for Office 365 Type of change Advance Communication Requires tenant What kind of Requires
notice? channel admin action? action? testing?
Clients Functionality 30 days notice • Message Center Sometimes • Change settings Rarely – check
• Feature updates for changes that • Office 365 Roadmap • Communicate business critical
require action changes to users Add-ins
• New features or applications • Office 365 Blog
• Deprecated features • Office 365 space on the • Validate
Microsoft Tech Community customizations
Types of Changes
Non-security updates No, these are • TechNet Office 365 client Sometimes • Change admin Sometimes –
There are several types of changes that are included in the update channel releases settings testing the fix
made to Office 365 on a regular basis. The • Client hotfixes for issues against processes
monthly build page
communication channels for those changes, for all channels or customizations
and the actions that you might have to take
for them will vary, depending on the type of
change.

This model explains the types of changes you Security No, these are • Security bulletin or CVE Rarely Rarely
can expect, when to expect changes, and what • Security patches included in the
you need to do to be prepared for changes in monthly build
Office 365. for all channels

Examples of changes Guidelines for managing change when using Office Add-ins:
• We recommend that customers use Monthly • If your developers built the Add-in, we
Functionality Channel to get the latest feature updates. If you suggest they update the code and redeploy
have Office customizations or Add-ins the custom Office Add-in.
• Feature updates: PowerPoint – simpler process for
deployed, you can use Semi-Annual Channel, • If you built your customization using VBA,
embedding videos
which allows you to wait for feature updates to VSTO, or COM, consider rebuilding your
• New features or applications: Skype for Business Office until you have had the chance to fix and
This topic is 4 of 6 in a series customization as an Office Add-in, or check
test your customizations. To fix and test your the Office Store to see if there is a 3rd-pary
Non-security updates customizations before updates are applied to Add-in that provides similar functionality.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Semi-Annual Channel, use Semi-Annual
Channel (Targeted). Use the Office Telemetry • Consider decommissioning Office Add-ins
• Hotfixes based on customer reported bugs that are no longer used or have low
Dashboard to check Add-ins for compatibility.
utilization.

© 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. To send feedback about this documentation, please write to us at [email protected].
 Balance of Responsibility Microsoft s Role and Your Role
Change In a service offering, the balance of responsibility for things such as hardware
maintenance and security updates shifts to the service provider (Microsoft) instead
of the customer (you). However, you still need to ensure that custom software
Microsoft and you both play a role in managing change for Office 365:

Before a change
Management continues to function as expected when updates are rolled out.

For on-premises products, your organization takes on most of the responsibility for Microsoft s role Customer s role

for Office 365

managing change.
• Set expectations for service changes • Understand what to expect for changes and
• Notify customers 30 days in advance for communications

Clients
Your responsibility for change management is based on the type of changes that require administrator action • Read Message Center, Office 365 Roadmap
service. The following chart summarizes the balance of responsibility for • Publish majority of new features and and Office Blog regularly
both Microsoft and the customer for online services and on-premises updates on the Office 365 Roadmap • Set up pilot teams to preview new
software. functionality using Monthly Channel
• Review and update internal change
Office 365 Office 365 On-premises management processes
Responsibility service clients clients and servers
• Understand the Office 365 system
Roles and Provide new functionality requirements and check compliance

Responsibilities Test new features for

quality assurance
During a change

Responsibility for managing change is shared Communicate about new Microsoft s role Customer s role
between Microsoft and you as the admin of features
your Office 365 tenancy. The balance of • Roll change out to customers • Check Message Center and review the
Integrate custom software additional information link
responsibility is different for an online service • Specifically for Office 365 clients: release a
than it is for an on-premises server or client. new Monthly Channel approximately each • Take any action required (if applicable) and
Apply security updates month and new security and non-security test any add-ins
Understand the roles both Microsoft and you updates, if needed, for Semi-Annual Channel • If using an internal share for updates,
need to play before, during, and after a Maintain system software • Monitor telemetry and support escalations download the latest builds and upload to
change occurs to the service. for any unexpected issues your share.
Maintain hardware
• If a break/fix scenario is experienced, create a
Review what s included in each release on the Support Request
Office 365 client update channel releases
page on TechNet. Microsoft Customer
After a change

Microsoft s role Customer s role

• Listen to customer feedback to improve • Work with people in your organization to
Tips for Testing rollout of future changes adopt the change (get help on Microsoft
• Listen to feedback on the Office 365 space FastTrack)
• Don t wait – have a pilot team use Monthly Channel to start evaluating new
This topic is 5 of 6 in a series on the Microsoft Tech Community and • Review change management processes and
features. Use Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) if you need a longer lead time for
admin feedback tool bottlenecks for opportunities to streamline,
testing. and use more Microsoft resources
1 2 3 4 5 6 • Update Office 365 Roadmap statuses and
• Use an Azure virtual environment to test against your customizations or add new features • Provide general feedback on the Office 365
processes. space on the Microsoft Tech Community and
• Align your work with the release schedule – schedule testing passes monthly. specific feedback in the admin feedback tool
• Train users to provide app specific feedback
using the Smile button in Office apps

© 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. To send feedback about this documentation, please write to us at [email protected].
 How to Apply Updates
Change You can decide how updates are deployed to your users computers. You can allow
the client computers to automatically receive updates over the Internet or from an
on-premises location. Alternatively, you might want to have more control by
Do you need to control the delivery of updates?
To decide which method to use, consider the following scenarios:

Management packaging the updates yourself and manually delivering them to client computers
over your network. Customizations
Methods for applying Office updates to client
for Office 365 computers
Allow automatic updates
for...
Use manual delivery of
updates for...

Clients Automatic Manual

Users or computers that are
primarily for productivity and don t
Users or computers that rely on
customizations or integrated
From an on- From an on-premises
From the Internet use customizations or integrated solutions that work with the Office
premises location location
solutions. 365 clients.
Microsoft makes an An administrator An administrator

Manage Update updated build

available on the
downloads the
updated build to an
downloads the updated
build to an on-premises

Deployments
Internet. on-premises location. location.

The client computers The client computers The administrator uses

automatically install automatically install scripts or software
You choose when and how updates are deployed the updates when the updates when distribution tools to Low customizations High customizations
to your organization by configuring: they are available. they are available. push the updated build
to the client computers.
Recommended Channel:
• Which channel to use. This controls how Recommended Channel: Semi-Annual Channel. Validate
often updates are available. Monthly Channel by using Semi-Annual Channel
• Which update method to use (automatic or (Targeted).
manual). This controls how your client
computers get the updates.
Managed or un-managed computers?
Allow automatic updates Deploy from an on-
from the Internet for... premises location when...

Consumers and small businesses You want to control when updates

without an IT department. are pushed out to your
organization s computers.

This topic is 6 of 6 in a series

How to configure channels and update methods
1 2 3 4 5 6 Use the following methods to configure which channels are used by which
client computers and how those clients computers are updated:
• Office Deployment Tool
• Group Policy – for centralized administration of domain-joined computers.

© 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. To send feedback about this documentation, please write to us at [email protected].