The Definitive Guide To Microsoft's XaaS End-of-Life & Version Roadmap

Current Versions

Currently supported versions of Windows 10:

done
Windows 10 21H1 - Released 18 May 2021 - EOL 13 Dec 2022
done
Windows 10 20H2 - Released 20 Oct 2020 - EOL 9 May 2023*
done
Windows 10 2004 - Released 27 May 2020 - EOL 14 Dec 2021*
done
Windows 10 1909 - Released 12 Nov 2019 - EOL 10 May 2022*

*All dates sourced from Microsoft's Windows 10 Lifecycle Factsheet trending_flat

21H1 Details

Windows 10 21H1 Features & Key Updates
Microsoft Edge - New Chromium-based Edge browser included with this update
Microsoft Hello multi-camera support
Windows Defender Application Guard fixed several performance issues
WMI Group Policy Services issue fixed that caused slow propagation in Active Directory changes
Numerous fixes including: 1) an issue that prevented certain CAD apps from opening if they needed OpenGL, 2) Win32 apps would open as a different user, 3) wrong language displayed after changing the system locale.

For a full list of 21H1 updates and fixes, click here.

20H2 Details

Windows 10 20H2 Features & Key Updates

Includes new Chromium-based Edge instead of legacy version
Windows Autopilot Enhancements - HoloLens 2 integrations for self-deploying mode, Co-management integration to improve UX
Security, incl. Microsoft Defender Application Guard now supports Office and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint improved support for non-ASCII file paths
UX enhancements for Windows Shell

2004 Details

Windows 10 2004 Features & Key Updates

Security, including Windows Defender System Guard enables a higher level of System Management Mode (SMM) Firmware Protection protecting against vulnerabilities & exploits as well as Windows Hello increased security and options like FIDO2 across all major browsers, PIN support in Safe mode, etc.
Deployment, incl. SetupDiag, which diagnoses why an update fails, is automatically installed and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) and Windows Assessment and Deployment Toolkit (ADK) support
Servicing, incl. Enterprise network throttling enhancements, delivery optimization policies removed/revised based on enterprise use and Windows Update for Business - Intune console updates, validation improvements, improved update schedule
Networking - Wi-Fi 6 and WPA3 support, Tunnel Extensible Authentication Protocol (TEAP) is now an authentication method
Virtualization, incl. Windows Sandbox - Improvements to Sandbox such as printer redirection, maximum memory used, etc. and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) - WSL2 support, memory not in use gets freed up, and more

For a complete list of new features, click here.

History & Terminology

Since Windows 10 debuted in July of 2015, Microsoft has made several changes to their Windows-as-a-Service support model, including changes to:

Naming conventions for releases (e.g., Current Branch becomes Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted))
Support timelines for enterprise and education customers (e.g., extending support to 18 months for H1 updates and 30 months for H2 releases)
Release schedules and types of releases (e.g., adopting a twice-a-year rollout in the fall and spring)

The current release schedule sees Microsoft issuing two feature updates a year — one in the spring and one in the fall. With this fast cadence of releases, enterprise customers requested and received an extended support timeline for most versions of Windows 10.

Version 21H1, like the two previous versions, 20H2 and 2004, is a minor update. It is not clear if Microsoft will go back to the major/minor release schedule.
For those organizations that move faster and want the latest features, every spring and fall release should be adopted within the 18 month support window.
The Fall Update, with its 30 months of support, gives slower-moving enterprises more time to test and migrate before the release is deemed end of life. Also, if Microsoft keeps with their most recent change, where the Fall Update is a "service pack" of the Spring Update, then the Fall Update is a safer choice for enterprises.
Due to COVID-19, Microsoft will be repeating its major/minor release schedule in 2020 like it did in 2019.
Also due to COVID-19, Microsoft extended the EOL of Windows 10 versions 1709 & 1803 for an additional 6 months.
The naming convention has changed again, with Microsoft now employing the 2 digit year followed by H1 or H2 for the first half or second half of the year, i.e., 20H2. This change serves to clarify confusion around spring and fall updates, since those seasons are switched in different hemispheres. This change also reflects the fact that the release of the updates often did not occur in the month originally planned/listed.
Version 21H2 will also be a scoped updates, focusing on security and productivity feedback from users.

Current Versions

Currently supported versions of Microsoft 365 / Office 365 ProPlus:

done
2108 (Current Channel) released 25 Aug 2021, EOL when 2109 is released
done
2107 (Monthly Enterprise Channel) originally released into current channel 26 Jul 2021, released into Monthly Enterprise Channel 14 Sep 2021, EOL 09 Nov 2021
done
2106 (Monthly Enterprise Channel) originally released into current channel 29 Jun 2021, released into Monthly Enterprise Channel 10 Aug 2021, EOL 12 Oct 2021
done
2108 (Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview)) originally released into current channel 25 Aug 2021, released into Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) 14 Sep 2021, EOL 08 Mar 2022
done
2102 (Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel) - Original release into Preview Channel - 09 Mar 2021, released into Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel 13 Jul 2021, EOL 03 Sep 2022
done
2008 (Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel) originally released into current channel 31 Aug 2020, released into Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel 12 Jan 2021, EOL 08 Mar 2022

Please see Microsoft's documentation for a complete breakdown of the different channels available. trending_flat

Office 365 2108 (Preview)

Features & Key Updates
Excel: 1) Save shapes as pictures 2) Automatically use new data types, i.e., stock, geographic location
PowerPoint, Word & Excel: 1) Require users to apply sensitivity label 2) Use Application Guard in an isolated container
Word (Insert iPhone photos directly without converting formats)

Office 365 2102

Features & Key Updates

Excel, Word, PowerPoint, & Outlook 1) Insert iPhone photos directly into Office 2) Save to Pinned folders
Excel 1) AMSI integration with Office for XLM macros 2) Create variables to use in formulas

Office 365 2008

Features & Key Updates

Excel
1) Create PivotTables from datasets in Power BI within Excel, 2) The SUMIFS, AVERAGEIFS, COUNTIFS, MAXIFS, and MINIFS functions are much faster than ever before.
Outlook 1) Calendar improvements including easier-to-scan visual updates and faster updates, 2) Email suggestions when searching for a person
PowerPoint 1) Synchronize changes even while presenting in slide show mode, 2) Better collaboration with @mentions and linking colleagues to a slide
Word 1) Confirmation of action is an important accessibility requirement. Cut, copy, paste, bold, italic, underline, undo, redo, auto-corrections, and auto-capitalizations are now all announced to Narrator users in Win32 Word

For full list of all new features and updates, please click here. trending_flat

History & Terminology

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business/Enterprise, also formerly known as Office 365 ProPlus, have been handled differently than Windows 10 upgrades, and recently Microsoft changed the update channels' nomenclature and added/modified the channels.

Below is a summary of each channel. Please click on the following links for the reasons behind the name change (and here) and the full details of each channel.

Current Channel - (Formerly Monthly Channel) - This channel provides users with the newest features as soon as they are ready. There are usually multiple updates per month (feature updates, security, non-security) and they are supported until the next version is released, which is usually a month away. We will not list the monthly versions, as most enterprises are not able to utilize this path. Here is a list of all monthly releases and builds. It is also important to note that this is the default channel for Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, formerly Office 365 ProPlus.
Monthly Enterprise Channel - (New Channel) - This channel provides users with feature, security, and non-security updates on a predictable schedule once a month (on Patch Tuesday). The updates in this channel are from the Current Channel that meet Microsoft's criteria. The Monthly Enterprise Channel is supported for two (2) months, with two (2) versions supported at one time. This channel is appropriate for a select group of users that don't have line-of-business critical apps, or for testing new features. Here is a list of all monthly releases and builds.
Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) - (Formerly Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)) - The Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) is lined up with the release of Windows 10 feature upgrades, generally in March and September, although late releases are common. This channel is good for pilot and test users, and those who are not running LOB critical applications, add-ins, or macros. The support window for each version is approximately six (6) months, which starts from the release into the (Preview) Channel, and ends when the next version is released into the (Preview) Channel, so only one (1) version is supported by Microsoft at a time.
Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel - (Formerly Semi-Annual Channel) - Approximately four (4) months after a version is released in the Semi-Annual Channel (Preview), it gets released into the Semi-Annual Channel, similar to the CB and CBB Windows model that existed. Support for this version ends 18 months from when it is released into the (Preview) Channel, effectively giving users on the Semi-Annual Channel 14 months of support. This is the most common path for users in an enterprise environment, since the version has spent about four months being tested by IT and pilot users, as well as the greater consumer community. Microsoft supports two (2) versions of this channel at a time. Please note, as stated earlier, the Current Channel is the default channel, not Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel as it had been prior to the name change.

Windows Server 2004 SAC & 20H2 SAC

Features & Key Updates

Note: Microsoft has combined the "What's New" for versions 2004 and 20H2, as 20H2 focused on reliability, performance, and other general improvements, but no new features.

Microsoft has reduced the overall size of Server Core container images for improved download speeds and performance.
- Removed most NGEN images from Server Core container image to make the image size smaller
- .NET Framework runtime images built on Server Core container images are now optimized for ASP.NET apps and Windows PowerShell script performance
- The .NET team has also ensured there's only one copy of each NGEN image, resulting in a smaller size for .NET Framework images.

For a complete list of additions, please click here.

Windows Server 1903 SAC & 1909 SAC

Features & Key Updates

Note: Microsoft has combined the "What's New" for versions 1903 and 1909, as 1909 focused on reliability, performance, and other general improvements, but no new features.

Enhanced support for non-Microsoft container services — along with Azure container services, the following are also available: Kubernetes v1.14, Tigera Calico for Windows with Tigera Essentials subscription, DirectX hardware acceleration in containers, Task Scheduler and Hyper-V Manager added to Server Core installs, Windows Admin Center enhancements.

For a complete list of additions, please click here.

Windows Server 2022 Version 21H2 (LTSC)

Features & Key Updates

Desktop Experience - not available in SAC
System Insights - Native local predictive analytics capabilities, backed by a machine-learning model
Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection - Deep platform sensors and response actions expose and fight memory and kernel-level attacks
Windows and Linux-based containers can be run on the same container host
Multiple container improvements including improved integrated identity and better application compatibility.

History & Terminology

Microsoft announced in February 2018 that Windows Server would also join the Modern Lifecycle Policy. Currently, it is broken down into the following two delivery channels:

Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)

On this channel, new versions are released every 2-3 years, have five (5) years of mainstream support and five (5) years of extended support. The new Lifecycle Policy does not affect already deployed versions of Windows Server 2016 or earlier versions.
LTSC still receives security and non-security updates, but no new features or functionality.
The majority of new features from the semi-annual channel releases get rolled up into the next LTSC version.

Semi-Annual Channel

The Semi-Annual Channel option operates in a similar fashion to Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Apps, with feature updates that are scheduled to be released twice a year (in the spring and fall), and with 18 months of servicing for each from date of release.

Important Support Dates You Should Know

Windows Server, version 1803 Datacenter edition and Standard edition went EOL on 12 Nov 2019.
Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 have also lost support as of 14 Jan 2020 (the same date Windows 7 extended support ended). There is an option to purchase extended support for enterprises that failed to migrate before the deadline.
The table below shows the Long-Term Servicing Channel Support (LTSC) timeline

Version	Released	Mainstream Support EOL	Extended Support EOL
Windows Server 2022 Version 21H2	18 Aug 2021	13 Oct 2026	14 Oct 2031
Windows Server 2019 Version 1809	13 Nov 2018	09 Jan 2024	09 Jan 2029
Windows Server 2016 Version 1607	15 Oct 2016	11 Jan 2022	12 Jan 2027
Windows Server 2012 & Windows Server 2012 R2	04 Sep 2012	09 Oct 2018	10 Oct 2023^

Starting with Windows Server Version 1803 (SAC), the support structure falls into the new Microsoft Lifecycle scenario.
- For Microsoft's complete comparison of Long-Term Servicing Channels vs. Semi-Annual Channel, see their documentation here.
- ^Windows Server 2012 will have additional Extended Security Updates, past the Extended Support EOL date of October 10, 2023, going until October 13, 2026.

SCCM 2103

Features & Key Updates

- Display all applications for a device
- Prerequisite checks when installing or updating to 2103
- Centralized management of console extensions
- Antivirus policy exclusions merge
- Increase in maximum run time for software updates

For a full list of new features, click here.

SCCM 2010

Features & Key Updates

- Cloud-attached management (Disable Azure AD authentication for onboarded tenants, Validate internet access for service connection points)
- Desktop Analytics - For new features click here
- Support for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019

For a full list of new features, click here.

Windows Server 1803 Version (LTSC)

History & Terminology

The release of Windows 10 also changed how Configuration Manager versions are supported and managed. Previously, new versions were released every 3-5 years and coincided with either a new iteration of Windows or had major feature updates. The last such version is System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, or SCCM 2012, which had significant changes to application deployment capabilities. Mainstream support for SCCM 2012, either Service Pack 1 or 2, ended on 11 Jul 2017, with extended support ending on 12 Jul 2022.

The new SCCM-as-a-Service versions started in 2015 to support the Windows-as-a-Service OS. In this new model, new SCCM versions are released several times a year, with the launch version 1511. Initially, each version was supported for 12 months, with Microsoft aiming to release three (3) updates a year — targeting the months February, June, and October. However, actual release dates are usually a month late. To see the full list of changes from System Center 2012 Configuration Manager to the Current Branch model, click here.

Starting with version 1710, released 20 Nov 2017, the support schedule changed to 18 months, with 1710 going EOL on 20 May 2019. The 18-month support window is comprised of 2 sections:

Security & critical updates - first 4 months
Only security updates - remaining 14 months

This schedule is designed to have a new version every four (4) months, with only the most current version receiving both security and critical updates. The previous versions, up to n-4, receive only security updates.

Starting with version 1910, Configuration Manager is now part of Microsoft Endpoint Manager, along with Desktop Analytics, Intune, Autopilot, and other features. Please see the Microsoft FAQ for more info.

There is also a Long-Term Servicing Channel for SCCM, which is based on version 1606, available from October 2016, and will have 10 years of support for critical security updates only. For a full list of the limitations and benefits of the LTSC for SCCM, click here.

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The Definitive Guide To Microsoft's X-as-a-Service End-of-Life & Version Roadmap

Introduction

Microsoft XaaS Products Covered:

Stay In The Loop!

Windows-as-a-Service (Windows 10)

Current Versions

History & Terminology

Accelerate Your Windows Servicing

Microsoft 365 Apps For Enterprise

Current Versions

History & Terminology

Your Microsoft 365 Easy Button

Windows 10 Server

Current Versions

History & Terminology

System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM, ConfigMgr) — Now Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Current Versions

History & Terminology