Windows 10 TH2 finally brings Windows Update for Business

Nov 17, 2015 07:11 GMT  ·  By

With the release of Windows 10 Threshold 2, Microsoft says that its new desktop operating system finally becomes ready for the enterprise, as the update includes a series of new features specifically aimed at this particular customer category.

Windows Update for Business is the service that enables businesses running Windows 10 to have full control over the updates that are deployed on their computers, offering not only advanced tools to manage deployment but also the possibility of deferring updates that are likely to have a negative impact on system performance.

It's not a secret that some of the updates released by Microsoft in the last couple of years have actually caused trouble on some Windows computers, and this is also one of the reasons IT admins in charge of updating their company PCs are not always very keen to install new patches.

Many prefer to wait a little bit longer to see if the released updates are doing any harm or not, and only then decide whether they should proceed with the install.

Windows Update for consumers

In Windows 10, Microsoft has changed the way updates are delivered to users, so while consumers running Home are getting everything automatically, without options to defer the install, Enterprise customers are actually getting tools that allow them to wait up to 8 months for the deployment of new patches and OS upgrades.

“Windows Update for Business provides IT controls over the deployment of updates within their organizations, while ensuring their devices are kept current and their security needs are met, at reduced management cost. Features include setting up device groups with staggered deployments and scaling deployments with network optimizations,” Microsoft explains.

Windows 10 Threshold 2 is the version that finally makes it possible to defer updates, but the issue still remains for Home users, who are more or less guinea pigs for the company's new patches. Obviously, Microsoft needs to spend more time testing out updates before releasing them to users, but time will tell how many of these will actually be causing issues on Windows 10 Home PCs.