Beginning with Windows 10, version 21H2, feature updates for Windows 10 release are released annually, in the second half of the calendar year, to the General Availability Channel. They will be serviced with monthly quality updates for 18 or 30 months from the date of the release, depending on the lifecycle policy.
We recommend that organizations begin deployment of each General Availability Channel release immediately as a targeted deployment to devices selected for early adoption and ramp up to full deployment at your discretion. This will enable you to gain access to new features, experiences, and integrated security as soon as possible.
Microsoft Visual Studio Version 17.4 (LTSC channel) is going end-of-life on July 11, 2024. As one of the longest-running integrated development environments (IDE), Microsoft Visual Studio is used all over the world to develop software, websites, mobile apps, and more. Make sure to update all installations in your network to minimize security risks.
First released in 1997, Microsoft Visual Studio is one of the longest-running integrated development environments for creating software, websites, mobile apps, and more. Visual Studio includes an advanced code editor featuring syntax highlighting and code completion for variables, functions, methods, and more. Additionally, it includes a debugger for debugging applications and a designer. On top of all that, you can find a long list of additional modules for development, including data and server explorers to make managing databases and their connections easier.
Visual Studio Team Foundation Server (TFS) was first released in 2005 and was rebranded to Azure DevOps Server in 2019. TFS provides a comprehensive toolchain for team collaboration during the lifecycle of an application. It offers special tools for both development teams and operational teams, including tools for planning and tracking work, version control, project management, reporting, and testing and release management. Visual Studio subscribers also have access to a range of Azure DevOps features included in their subscription.
For both Visual Studio and TFS, Microsoft uses its fixed lifecycle policy of 10 years. The first 5 years are mainstream support which includes feature updates, platform updates, security updates, and functionality fixes. The next 5 years of Extended support, offers only security updates.
In addition to the version, there are also multiple editions of Visual Studio. While versions 2012-2017 have more than 3 editions, the primary editions for Visual Studio remain a free community edition, a professional edition, and an enterprise edition. Each edition has a slightly different feature set.
Lastly, Visual Studio has three channels, a Preview Channel, Current Channel, and a Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC). New features and bug fixes are introduced on the Preview Channel to allow users to provide early feedback. Once these features are deemed ready for widespread use, they are released on the Current Channel. Occasionally, Preview Features are also included in the Current Channel, giving users the opportunity to try out new features and share their feedback without requiring another installation. Lastly, Long-Term Servicing Channels (LTSC) are offered to provide development teams with more control over when they choose to adopt new feature releases.
On the 9th of January 2024, Visual Studio 2022 version 17.2 (LTSC channel) will reach its end of life. In order to remain supported, please update your installations to version 17.4 (LTSC channel) or higher. Aside from being supported, version 17.4 also includes additional features that you can benefit from, some examples being:
Visual Studio 2022 version 17.0 is going end-of-life on July 11th, 2023. It is the first version of Visual Studio 2022 to reach its EOL. Make sure to update your installations to version 17.2 or higher in order to remain supported. Aside from being supported, version 17.2 also adds a list of new features that you can benefit from, including but not limited to:
Visual Studio 2019 version 16.9 will go end-of-life on October 11, 2022. To ensure your Visual Studio installation is fully supported it is advised to update to version 16.11 or higher. Aside from being supported, version 16.11 also adds a list of new features that you can make use of, including but not limited to:
Version 16.7 of Visual Studio 2019 went end-of-life on April 12, 2022. To ensure your Visual Studio installation is fully supported you should update to version 16.9 or higher. Aside from being supported, version 16.9 also adds a list of new features that you can make use of, including but not limited to:
Long-Term Servicing Channel products are perpetual licences from Microsoft. These licences were created to support companies with a long-term focus on traditional life cycles of quality and security updates. In this article, you will find out all about what exactly LTSC is, which LTSC products there are, when LTSC comes in handy and more.
Long-Term Servicing Channel, also called LTSC, is designed for Windows devices. It is a software version model by Microsoft, these apply to Windows Server, Windows Office and Windows 10. LTSC is designed for a specific kind of business. For example, Windows 10 LTSC, like other versions, gets 10 years of support by default. The only difference that the LTSC version brings is the fact that there is only one update every three years. LTSC is specially designed for installation on computers that require fully statistical functions over a longer period. Think, for example, of computers connected to working environments, such as medical devices or machines in factories, these need to keep working consistently and reliably.
Updates are usually good for businesses, because they can mean that there is a new or better way of doing something. But for computers that perform important tasks and where consistency plays an important role, these updates can be perceived as disruptive. For example, there might be a whole new user interface or some features may be removed, which can cause problems. LTSC therefore ensures that all updates are accumulated and these are then compiled into a major update every three years. When this update is ready, the business admin can decide whether to implement it or not. Furthermore, the LTSC editions are equipped with less pre-installed software, which makes them more streamlined for certain usage scenarios.
Windows LTSC is the most frequently used software license of the LTSC program. Windows is a group of different operating system families developed by Microsoft and it is now the most widely used operating system worldwide. The LTSC release, which is only granted with Windows Enterprise, is meant for specific scenarios where stability and consistency are crucial. Windows LTSC comes with a few key features:
In addition to Windows LTSC, there is also an LTSC version of Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office LTSC is a version of Office that is intended for commercial and government customers. It is a perpetual licence, which means you only need to purchase the product once. However, Office only comes in two Office LTSC versions, which are the Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 and Office LTSC Standard 2021.
As of the beginning of September 2023, Windows Server has two primary release channels available. These consist of the Long-term Servicing channel (LTSC) and the Annual Channel. The LTSC offers a longer-term option that focuses on a traditional lifecycle of quality and security updates. Annual Channel, on the other hand, offers more frequent updates. AC's more frequent releases allow you to benefit faster from innovation with an emphasis on containers and microservices.
With Windows Server LTSC, bigger changes only come after two or three years. Users are entitled to five years of regular support and then also five years of extended security support. LTSC can be installed with Server Core or Server with Desktop Experience installation options.
It is to be noted that LTSC may not be the best choice for everyone. This is because it lacks the latest features and improvements introduced in the more frequent Windows updates. As mentioned earlier, LTSC is designed for businesses where stability, reliability and long-term support are paramount. For most businesses, the best choice is to install the latest updates, as these updates often come with improvements or new additions which can make working easier.
The main difference between the two channels is when the update occurs. For example, Windows 10 devices in the Semi-Annual Channel get two feature updates every year. Semi-Annual Channel updates take place in spring and autumn. These updates include new features, services and other major changes. Security updates and other minor changes come every month after.
If you want to innovate quickly, the Semi-Annual channel is the solution. As mentioned above, you get two major updates in a year. This way, you can quickly take advantage of the new features and have a good overview.
LTSC licences can be more expensive, so you may want to consider a second-hand licence. You can save up to 70% on the price of a new licence. Softtrader offers a wide range of Pre-Owned software, including Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows Server 2022 and Microsoft 2021.
Specialist in Microsoft volume licences
Softtrader is specialized in pre-owned Microsoft volume licences. These licences work exactly the same as new ones, but with the great advantage of saving up to 70% on the price.
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Microsoft is changing its product life cycle for the Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) for Office and Windows. Some will still know the LTSC version as LTSB. Until now, this Windows 10 version, which is not intended for office environments, had a life cycle of 10 years. Microsoft Office LTSC, also known as Microsoft Office 2016 and Microsoft Office 2019) also had a life cycle of 10 years at the beginning, but this was reduced to 7 years with MS Office 2019.
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