First published on CloudBlogs on Jan 06, 2016
In this podcast
, we look at the important topic of how/why Windows 10 is changing (for the better!) the way we handle deployment and management in the enterprise.
This is a topic I covered in depth in
yesterday’s blog
post
, and this discussion expands on that overview.
To dive into the entire "Windows 10 + EMS & ConfigMgr" series, click
here
.
As noted yesterday, most people I talk with generally agree that your devices will be
more
secure,
more
reliable, and
more
compatible if you are keeping up with the updates we regularly release. Even though they agree with this in principle, they still have concerns about whether or not their devices can handle all the updates without first rigorously verifying that the updates won’t break something. That process can, obviously, consume a ton of time. Some examples of devices in this type of scenario are PC’s that operate in truly mission-critical roles (
e.g.
operating and assembly line or in an operating room). These mission-critical use cases are very different from the typical Information Worker scenarios where the devices get used for a lot of different activities and can therefore be more flexible.
In our mobile-first, cloud-first world, Information Workers
expect
(and, you could argue,
insist
) on having new value and new capabilities constantly flowing to them. Most of these workers have smart phones and regularly accept the updates to their apps from the various app stores. The iOS and Android ecosystems also release updates to the OS on a regular cadence.
With this in mind, making updates isn’t abnormal, and we are committed to continuously rolling out new capabilities to users around the globe – but we also understand that there are use cases where this simply doesn’t make sense. Windows is unique in that it is used in an incredibly broad set of scenarios – from a simple phone to some of the most complex and mission critical use scenarios in factories and hospitals. One size (and one servicing model) does
not
fit all of these scenarios.
To strike a balance between the needed updates for such a wide range of device types, there are four servicing options you will want to deeply understand.
-
Windows Insider Program
-
Current Branch (CB)
-
Current Branch for Business (CBB)
-
Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB)
Read more about this on the post “
Navigating the Windows 10 Servicing Options
.”
