Microsoft may have solved one of the biggest headaches for IT admins across the world with the launch of a new service displaying update status for all devices within an organization.
As revealed in a Microsoft Tech Community blog post, the initial launch 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 admins valuable time and resources by allowing them to quickly identify any issues with their devices and take action swiftly.
Microsoft updates
"Keeping devices current with the latest security updates is an important part of an IT admin’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 of devices that may be behind on taking the latest updates released by Microsoft."
The page will include separate tabs for Office and Windows, where admins will be able to see whether devices are currently on the latest build or not. They'll also be able to get an overall view of their entire deployment, containing statistics on what proportion of devices are running unsupported operating systems, or how many devices are reaching end of servicing.
"We know that it can take a little while to get updates deployed in your environment and so we differentiate between being a single security update behind or being multiple security updates behind," 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 information here.
The launch comes shortly after Microsoft unveiled a new service that it says will help users keep a closer handle on their Windows updates. Windows Autopatch looks to help IT admins manage the rollout of updates across a business, including feature updates, drivers, firmware, and Microsoft 365 apps.
The service will be able to detect which updates need to be carried out by utilizing a series of ‘test rings’, and will be able to check settings via Microsoft Endpoint Manager, with admins simply having to follow instructions to get it up and running.
