Why Windows Autopatch is the smart update solution

Software updating needs to be efficient, safe, and simple. That’s the message you have given us. Well, we heard you and took action.

Windows Autopatch unifies Microsoft update tools into a single solution for organizations and businesses of all sizes. As an intelligent cloud service that automates software updates, Windows Autopatch makes the updating process secure, seamless, and productive.

Windows Autopatch is available to organizations with Windows volume licensing (including Microsoft CSP licensing). This means that no additional purchase is needed to access Windows Autopatch because it’s already included in your subscription. That’s why thousands of organizations are already using it today.

We’ve rolled out several new Windows Autopatch capabilities over the past few months, but first let’s take a moment to clarify a few key points:

• Windows Autopatch now offers the same services as what was formerly known as the Windows Update for Business deployment service and is the single Windows Update management experience in Microsoft Intune.
• Windows Autopatch has expanded to offer the full Windows Update management experience for Windows Education and Business Premium subscriptions; something you have been very vocal about. (Government is next on the list; we need just a little more time.)
• Windows Update for Business has been renamed Windows Update client policies and remains free of charge for all organizations.

Let’s explore each of these in more detail.

Windows Autopatch is the unified updated management experience in Intune

What to know:

Windows Autopatch centralizes update management control for Microsoft Intune subscribers in the Intune admin center.

What it means:

You can now manage updates for your devices in Intune with a unified dashboard, powered by Windows Autopatch.

The unified dashboard offers flexibility and control over updates with four useful sections:

• Update policies: Choose from pre-defined policies or create and manage custom update policies that can be assigned to different update groups.
• Update groups: Organize your devices into tailored Windows Autopatch groups, based on criteria such as device type, location, department, or function, and apply preferred policies and schedules to each group.
• Update status: Easily monitor and manage the update status of your devices, learning which are up to date, which are being updated, which need updating, and which are encountering issues.
• Update reports: Generate, filter, customize, and download a variety of report types to glean insights and analytics to help you evaluate effectiveness, identify issues, and optimize processes.

Having everything unified in the Intune admin center not only reduces complexity, it also enhances compliance and security, offering quick insight into update status across your estate.

Bottom line:

Windows Autopatch allows you to easily manage updates for devices across your organization using capabilities that are already included within your current Microsoft Intune plan.

Windows Autopatch offers expanded features and capabilities for Education and Business Premium

What to know:

Windows Autopatch is now fully included in Education and Business Premium subscriptions.

What it means:

Previously, organizations with Windows Education and Business Premium licenses had access to only a subset of Windows Autopatch features, such as the ability to get detailed reports on update status and assign devices to Windows Autopatch groups. Now organizations with Windows Education and Business Premium licenses can take advantage of:

• Automatic security updates
• Easy and safe update configuration
• Detailed reporting capabilities
• Flexible and intelligent Windows Autopatch Groups

In addition, reporting latency has decreased from over a day to four hours or less – bringing you insights faster.

Bottom line:

Patching just got a lot easier, simpler, and more powerful for schools, colleges, and small to midsize organizations.

Windows Update for Business has a new name

What to know:

Windows Update for Business has been renamed to Windows Update client policies.

What it means:

What was formerly called Windows Update for Business has been renamed and will now be referred to as Windows Update client policies. Why the change? Windows Update has always been a powerful tool for enterprise, but the new name reflects expanded capabilities that apply to any organization, not just those traditionally referred to as a “business.”

Windows Update client policies more accurately describe the core function: policies that dictate how Windows Update behaves on your devices. Although Windows Autopatch does use Windows Update client policies, Windows Update client policies can still be utilized without Windows Autopatch and its license requirements.

Bottom line:

Windows Update for Business will now be called Windows Update client policies, but the name change has no functional impact. All existing functionality and license entitlements are intact.

Take another look at Windows Autopatch

Agile and effective computer software updating is essential to maintain the security posture needed within today’s fast-paced work environment. Windows Autopatch provides a secure, productive, and cost-effective solution for organizations seeking remote security update capabilities.

To learn more about Windows Autopatch, and changes related to swift and secure software updating, start by visiting our documentation. There you can explore the concepts and technology in more detail and find answers to frequently asked questions.

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