Microsoft may have solved one of the biggest headaches for IT administrators around the world with the launch of a new service displaying update status for all devices in an organization.
As revealed in a Microsoft Tech Community blog post (opens in new tab)The initial release of the Software Updates page in the Microsoft 365 admin center will focus on Windows and Office updates.
Microsoft says the new services should help save IT administrators valuable time and resources, allowing them to quickly identify any issues with their devices and take action quickly.
Microsoft updates
“Keeping devices up to date with the latest security updates is an important part of an IT administrator’s role. The Software Updates page in the Health section of the Microsoft 365 admin center provides a high-level summary view that informs you about devices that may be delayed carrying the latest updates released by Microsoft.”
The page will include separate tabs for Office and Windows where admins will be able to see if the devices are on the latest version or not. They will also be able to get an overview of the entire deployment, containing statistics on the proportion of devices running unsupported operating systems or how many devices are nearing the end of maintenance.
“We know that it can take a while for updates to be deployed in your environment, and so we differentiate between a single security update or multiple security updates,” Microsoft said.
The page is in preview now, with Microsoft asking admins to test it out and let them know of any improvements that can be made – with more info. here (opens in new tab).
The launch comes shortly after Microsoft launched a new service that it says will help users keep closer control of Windows updates. Windows Autopatch seeks to help IT administrators manage the distribution of updates across an enterprise, including updates for Microsoft 365 features, drivers, firmware, and apps.
The service will be able to detect which updates need to be performed using a series of ‘test rings’ and will be able to verify the settings through Microsoft Endpoint Manager, with administrators simply following the instructions to get it up and running.
