All You Need To Know About Windows Autopatch Service
Earlier last month, Microsoft announced that their Windows Autopatch service was now generally available to all Windows Enterprise license holders, specifically for customers with Windows Enterprise E3 and E5. This service was initially teased back in April 2022 as part of their attempt to push Patch Tuesday updates on time and mitigate the risk of potential attack vectors.
Windows Autopatch keeps Microsoft software products, such as Microsoft Windows 10/11, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Teams, automatically updated on enrolled endpoints. The company will continue releasing updates every second Tuesday of the month, with Autopatch helping to streamline update operations and generate opportunities for IT professionals.
The main functionality of Windows Autopatch is to apply security updates first to devices in a Test ring that includes a minimum number of representative machines. The updates are then pushed and applied to the First, Fast, and Broad rings that make up 1%, 9%, and 90% of devices, respectively. Organisations can create these testing rings, monitor update rollout, and pause and rollback chances in case of issues. Windows Autopatch also includes provisions for a quick release cadence in case critical threats arise.
Understanding Update Management
Before Windows Autopatch, Windows Enterprise users had to use Windows Update for Business solutions to manage Windows updates from the cloud. Windows Enterprise E3+E5 license holders used the Windows Update for Business deployment service to control the approval, scheduling, and safeguarding of updates. This service also offers cloud controls via PowerShell, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, and Graph API.
All other commercial and EDU SKUs used Windows Update for Business and its MDM or GPO solutions to configure the Windows Update client settings and control when and how devices were updated. In this approach, the customers take full responsibility for managing updates.
In contrast, Windows Autopatch takes care of managing updates with Microsoft, automatically configuring Windows Update for Business deployment service and client policies on the customer’s behalf to keep their Windows 10/11 devices with Microsoft apps (Teams, Edge, Office 365) up to date. By using Windows Autopatch, the customer passes on the responsibility of managing the update settings of their organisation’s Windows devices to Microsoft.
Naturally, delegating such a massive responsibility may give some IT admins pause. Making substantial changes to something as critical as update management may cause hesitation, but unpatched software leaves gaps in one’s security posture. Given that companies need to stay on top of many other deployed systems, using Windows Autopatch brings a greater sense of security as the task of updating their Microsoft software products gets taken care of automatically by Microsoft themselves.
Furthermore, since Windows Autopatch covers a broad footprint, it can detect possible issues in various software and hardware configurations and resolve them before they become a bigger problem. As Windows Autopatch continues to expand and grow as a service, its detection capabilities will only become more robust. Lastly, Microsoft’s App Assure team is always ready to help at no extra cost if eligible customers encounter application compatibility issues and other related problems.
Conclusion
Managing enterprise IT is a demanding responsibility. With Windows Autopatch lending a helping hand, IT teams can enjoy more breathing room and spare more attention to other matters. If you need help getting started and optimising Windows Autopatch for your business, it’s best to engage outsourced IT support services in Singapore. JK Tech is the trusted name among thousands of companies on the island when it comes to reliable IT hardware and software solutions, which include email services, cybersecurity, IT maintenance, and IT consultancy in Singapore, to name a few.