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Office 365 Commercial, First Release, Slow Ring, what version?
Our Office 365 E5 tenant is configured to receive First Release updates for all users. According to this text from support.microsoft.com, I would expect this to mean that I should have access to the Office desktop version that is currently in the Office Insider Slow Ring:
"First Release for Current Channel builds provide your selected users with preview builds of Office containing the same features, at the same time, as those that are available to Office 365 consumer subscribers participating in the Office Insider Slow level of the Office Insider program."
On July 17 2017, version 1707 build 8326.2033 was released to the Office Insider Slow Ring. Today is July 23, however, my current Office version is 1706 build 8229.2013. This is the latest version listed for the Office 365 Current Channel. But since our tenant is set up for First Release, I'm expecting to get version 1707. Is anyone else experiencing the same? Is there a difference between configuring the tenant for first release versus configuring individual users? Or is there a gradual rollout to First Release tenants?
That paragraph is just saying First Release for Current Channel is equivalent to the consumer Office Insider program. It doesn't relate to First Release for Office 365 (select or everyone).
First Release for Deferred Channel is more to do with testing the next Deferred Channel and getting ready for it. Here is what Microsoft recommends in an enterprise scenario:
1% get Current Channel
10% get First Release for Deferred Channel
89% get Deferred Channel
The What's new for Office Insiders covers new features in first release for current channel.
The way to force your Office install to use the First Release for Current Channel, is specifically to use a configuration.xml file similar to what I mentioned when installing Office. Then Office will be on this channel and receive the appropriate updates. I have also switched channels with this program (Install Toolkit) before:
How the tenant is configured with First Release has no bearing on how the Office client (Office 365 ProPlus) is configured or what updates it will receive. So that's definitely worth knowing. This is more to do with how the Office client was deployed and what settings were included at the time. This can also be configured centrally with Group Policy settings.
However, if a user downloads the Office client from the portal, assuming they had admin rights to install, what channel they will be put on is influenced by how the tenant is set up:
"You can also provide users with First Release for Deferred Channel by selecting them for the First Release program for Office 365. If you do this, those users can install First Release for Deferred Channel directly from the Software page in the Office 365 portal."
So users on First Release (tenant or select I think), who download and install Office 365 ProPlus will get First Release for Deferred Channel. Also, there are wider settings available in the admin portal Service & add-ins -> Office software download settings, for those downloading Office:
My dev tenant is on First Release and when I go to download Office it confirms I get new features sooner (First Release for Deferred Channel):
This is what the Office account information will be displayed as if your on First Release for Current Channel:
Which I specifically installed with this configuration:
<Configuration> <Add OfficeClientEdition="32" Channel="FirstReleaseCurrent"> <Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail"> <Language ID="en-us"/> </Product> </Add> </Configuration>Or Channel="InsiderFast" for Insider Fast builds - How Office 365 commercial customers can get early access to new Office 2016 features.
If you on 1706 that probably means you are on the current channel, which is up-to-date but let us know if that isn't the case.
Hi Cian, thanks for your reply. However, my understanding based on what I have read is different to what you describe.
You mention that the Office 365 tenant's First Release setting doesn't affect which Office client version you receive. However, the second paragraph on the page How Office 365 commercial customers can get early access to new Office 2016 features says:
"First Release for Current Channel builds provide your selected users with preview builds of Office containing the same features, at the same time, as those that are available to Office 365 consumer subscribers participating in the Office Insider Slow level of the Office Insider program".
I believe the First Release for the Deferred Channel is for organisations that only want to receive Office 365 desktop updates every 4 months rather than every month, but want some users to receive them sooner.
This page lists the release dates and version numbers for the current channel, first release for deferred channel and the deferred channel. It doesn't show the version number for the first release for current channel.
It looks like the settings you mention would allow me to force my Office install to use the First Release for Current Channel, but I'm wondering why this isn't happening automatically when I use the Update feature on the Office Account page. I assume I have misunderstood how this all works, I'm curious to figure out the answer.
Here is what I see on my Office Account page, which would make sense if our tenant's Organisation Profile was set to Standard release instead of First release for everyone:
That paragraph is just saying First Release for Current Channel is equivalent to the consumer Office Insider program. It doesn't relate to First Release for Office 365 (select or everyone).
First Release for Deferred Channel is more to do with testing the next Deferred Channel and getting ready for it. Here is what Microsoft recommends in an enterprise scenario:
1% get Current Channel
10% get First Release for Deferred Channel
89% get Deferred Channel
The What's new for Office Insiders covers new features in first release for current channel.
The way to force your Office install to use the First Release for Current Channel, is specifically to use a configuration.xml file similar to what I mentioned when installing Office. Then Office will be on this channel and receive the appropriate updates. I have also switched channels with this program (Install Toolkit) before:
Hi Ivan,
It depends how do you have setup your Office 365 Pro Plus, if you have downloaded from the site it will be in Current Branch.
Read more here https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Overview-of-update-channels-for-Office-365-ProPlus-9ccf0f13-28ff-4975-9bd2-7e4ea2fefef4
You have to setup with ODT like this:
<Configuration>
<Add OfficeClientEdition="32" Channel="InsiderFast">
<Product ID="O365ProPlusRetail">
