Microsoft is rolling out its May 2023 Windows Autopatch public preview. According to the company, this is the most impactful Autopatch since the concept was launched in April 2022. Furthermore, in its Tech Community blog post, Microsoft also details how it has saved over $1 million+ since implementing Windows Autopatch.
Speaking of the latest public preview Lior Bela , CPA, Windows Autopatch and Microsoft Intune, writes:
“Not since the introduction of Windows Autopatch have we had a blog so full of impactful news. This is a parade of public previews for powerful new features now available in Windows Autopatch, so keep reading to get a glimpse at the latest additions to the service. The theme of this release is responding to real enterprise needs – all because we've heard from Autopatch customers and would-be customers about what they want from the service. So here they are: new capabilities, controls, and reports, all geared towards helping IT administrators improve security and productivity with less effort.”
Windows Autopatch, which is included in Windows Enterprise licenses, aims to improve security and productivity across organizations by keeping software current and minimizing disruptions. Back in April 2022, Microsoft introduced the new updating service for enterprise customers, before rolling it out properly in July the same year.
The reason Microsoft is talking up the benefits of the May 2023 Autopatch is because it gives IT and system admins more control over the deployment of updates. Bela points out that some updates can only be configured within certain Autopatch groups, while some updates can be sent in stages. Microsoft calls these Autopatch groups “deployment rings”.
Elsewhere in the May 2023 Autopatch, Microsoft is adding notifications when there are missing/modified policies in Tenant Management.
Windows Autopatch has been a Money-Saving Success
Microsoft also points out that it has been able to save money since launching Autopatch. The company says the impact on resource management has been a timesaver thanks to the cloud auto-patching method.
Microsoft hired Forrester to complete a report on the impact of Autopatch. That report, titled “New Technology: The Projected Total Economic Impact of Windows Autopatch” shows that enterprise customers can save between 50-95% through Windows Autopatch.
Pointing to Microsoft's use of the service, the report shows the company saved $848,000 in efficiency games, and nearly $500,000 on on-premises infrastructure:
“KEY FINDINGS
Quantified projected benefits.
- Savings of $848,000 in efficiency gains for the patching team.
- 80% efficiency gain for IT teams in reporting compliance regarding patching.
- 13 percentage point increase in patch success rate, reduced disruptions to end users, and reduced number of help desk tickets.
- Savings of nearly $470,000 from reduced use of prior solutions and on-prem infrastructure.
Unquantified benefits.
- Improved security posture.
- Shift in decision-making for patching to Microsoft.”
The full report is available from the following link (PDF).
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