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To help admins better prepare for the growing flow of innovation, the servicing model for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise is evolving.
Today we introduce a new update channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel. This new update channel was created in response to feedback from customers who were eager to adopt our Current Channel, but require added predictability, insights* and controls* when receiving new features every month.
We are also announcing a change to the default update channel. Starting on June 9, 2020, Current Channel will become the default update channel for new Office 365 or Microsoft 365 tenants. This means that if you establish a new tenant after June 9, the default update channel for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise will be Current Channel, not Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. There is no change to the default update channels for existing tenants.
Additionally, on June 9 we are also updating the names of existing update channels to offer admins more clarity into our servicing strategy. There will be no other changes to update channels or their cadence. You will see new names as your update channel gets the latest updates on June 9, 2020.
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New names
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Old names
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Beta Channel
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Insider
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Current Channel (Preview)
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Monthly Channel (Targeted)
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Current Channel
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Monthly Channel
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Monthly Enterprise Channel
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N/A
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Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview)
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Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted)
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Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel
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Semi-Annual Channel
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This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap IDs 63585, 63591, and 63757.
[How does this affect me?]
On May 12, you can choose the new Monthly Enterprise Channel for your organization.
On June 9, new tenants will be defaulted to Current Channel. Also, on June 9, you will see the new update channel names appear in the UI of deployment tools and in documentation.
[What do I need to do to prepare for this change?]
If you use an automatic deployment rule (ADR) to deploy updates, by using Configuration Manager, you may need to make changes due to the update channel name changes. Any ADR changes should be made after June 9.
You may want to update your organization content and documentation to reflect this change.
Learn more about the details of this change in these articles:
* Shipping later this year.