Both Windows 10 and Office 365 ProPlus have adopted a new servicing model for client updates, allowing new features, non-security updates, and security updates to be released on a regular basis, ensuring your users are always up to date with the latest functionality and improvements.
The client servicing model for Office 365 ProPlus provides options that allow organizations to manage the frequency at which features and updates are deployed using multiple release channels which can be configured for all users or a specific set of users within the organization allowing IT to manage update deployment.
The Current Channel (CC) is made available every month and is targetted to users that want the latest features and updates as soon as they are available.
The Deferred Channel (DC) is made available only a few times a year (instead of every month) and is best for organizations that don't want to deploy the latest features of Office right away or that have a significant number of LOB applications, add-ins, or macros that need to be tested prior to broad deployment. This approach helps to avoid compatibility issues that can potentially stall deployments.
The First Release for Deferred Channel (FRDC) enables a group of early adopters who get the latest and greatest features four months in advance of a Deferred Channel (DC) release, allowing time for organizations to test the new features and updates. Premier Support escalates any support cases related to the FRDC build directly to the Office engineering team, so that issues can be addressed prior to the DC release.
Take a look at these additional resources for more information on the client servicing model and the management of release channels:
- Introducing the Office 365 Client Servicing Model
- Overview of update channels for Office 365 ProPlus
- Change management for Office 365 clients (includes a 3-minute video of how it works)
