Microsoft 365 apps will now update themselves as if by magic
Microsoft has found a new way to update your apps without disrupting your day
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Microsofthas announced an update for its suite of office apps andproductivity softwarethat will help IT departments ensure applications are always up to date. As explained in a companyblog post, a new feature forMicrosoft 365now allows IT administrators to push updates tobusiness laptopsandPCswhile they are idle or locked down.
If an outdated application is open, the feature will shut it down (when safe to do so), apply the update and restore the instance to its original state. Apparently, this whole process is conducted in roughly four seconds; no information whether it will impact one of ourbest cloud storageproviders,Microsoft Onedrive.
Microsoft 365 updates
Throughout the year, Microsoft rolls out hundreds upon hundreds of feature updates and security patches across itsoffice software. The problem for businesses is that employees will rarely go out of their way to install updates manually, while forced update models typically involve a level of disruption.
The goal of the new “update under lock” feature, Microsoft says, is to help customers ensure their deployments are as secure and up to date as possible, without pulling employees out of their work mid-flow.
“Are you or your end-users annoyed with update notifications? Do you struggle to reach compliance?” asked the firm. “Well fear not, because Microsoft has developed an optimization that applies a pending Microsoft 365 apps update while a machine is in idle or locked mode, even if apps are running.”
Microsoft 365 update will block off an obvious security loophole>Our list of the best project management software around>Microsoft 365 accounts are being targeted by new email scams
“Update under lock helps you reach compliance within your timeframes without disrupting your internal users, and potentially reduces the need for abrupt forced updates, making updates more reliable by saving app state before closing.”
Althoughcollaboration platformTeams operates under a separate update model, the new feature applies to practically all other Microsoft 365 applications apps (Word,ExcelandPowerPoint, for example) installed on Windows devices.TechRadar Prohas asked Microsoft whether the feature will come to macOS in future.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
The optimization will roll out automatically to qualifying customers, living “under the hood to make your life easier,” Microsoft explained.
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
7 myths about email security everyone should stop believing
Best Usenet client of 2024
Quordle today – hints and answers for Saturday, November 9 (game #1020)
