Available to customers on Windows/Office enterprise E3 and higher, Windows Autopatch will bring firmware, driver, app, and feature updates to customers. Microsoft discussed the new tool at its Windows Hybrid virtual event this week, before expanding on the feature through a blog post. Arriving in July 2022, Autopatch is a managed service that links to Patch Tuesday but provides automatic patches when needed. This includes for Windows 10 and Windows 11 covering firmware and drivers, as well as Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Teams, PowerPoint, and Outlook. “This service will keep Windows and Office software on enrolled endpoints up-to-date automatically, at no additional cost. IT admins can gain time and resources to drive value. The second Tuesday of every month will be ‘just another Tuesday’,” Microsoft says.
Security Patches
Microsoft was Windows Autopatch to do the heavy lifting so organizations can remove many manual elements of the update process. As such, they can focus on other areas, whether productivity or more security: “Security postures must be hardened as new threats emerge. Innovations in hardware and software enhance usability and productivity. Enterprises must continually respond to stay competitive, enhance protection, and optimize performance,” Microsoft adds. Customers must have Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Microsoft Intune mobile device management service, and any supported version of Windows 11/10. Of course, on Windows 11 organizations must have the hardware requirements for the platform. “The outcome is to assure that registered devices are always up to date and disruption to business operations is minimized, which will free an IT department from that ongoing task,” the company says. Tip of the day: Windows Update downloads can often be frustrating because they are several gigabytes in size and can slow down your internet connection. That means your device may work with reduced performance while the update is downloading. In our guide we show you how to limit bandwidth for Windows Update downloads, so they won’t bother you again.
