Dive Brief:
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Microsoft is changing how it rolls out updates to Dynamics 365, its suite of ERP and CRM products, including two scheduled releases in April and October annually, according to a company announcement. The updates will be "backward compatible," allowing functions in apps and customizations to remain after the update. The company will continue to distribute regular performance updates throughout the year.
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Customers will be allowed to test new capabilities as part of updates. Starting in April 2019, customers can "validate major updates in a sandbox environment" before an update's official release. Microsoft will provide the dates when customers can expect updates in the sandbox environment.
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Because the update delivery schedule is continuous, organizations need to have the most recent version of Dynamics 365. For customers with outdated versions, Microsoft is providing scheduling options for updates but will only support older versions until January 31, 2019, March 31, 2019 and April 30, 2020, depending on the version.
Dive Insight:
The company is following the update routines of Windows 10 and Office 365 with biannual updates, but Microsoft has faced criticisms for how it deals with too many updates.
Following customer complaints., last September, the company announced it would slow the number of updates for Windows 10 users. The company said it would hold the updates until sure all of them would perform to company standards. Microsoft also pledged to stop forcing users to upgrade.
Even with Microsoft's aggressive update tactics, the company extended its lead in the SaaS market last year soon after announcing Microsoft 365.
Microsoft wants to be a one-stop-shop for the enterprise, and augmenting how it deals with updates could help organizations better adapt to changes.
Updates can be disruptive to existing processes and with updates designed for testing. Microsoft is aiming to help organizations have a better chance at deploying and exploring updates at their convenience while avoiding as much interference as possible.