Like Windows 10, Office 365 ProPlus uses Update channels. Update channels are used to determine the schedule of software updates to endpoints. There are four update channels:
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Monthly Channel: Users in the monthly channel will receive updates for the newest Office features on a monthly cadence. Updates may include performance improvements and security updates. Microsoft recommends configuring a small percentage of your users as a Monthly Channel as a way to test upcoming features for your organization. Builds in the Monthly Channel release are supported until the next Monthly Channel release is available. This channel is not recommended for business users who have a heavy reliance on macros, embedded application integrations, or third-party app integrations as part of their daily role.
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Monthly Channel (Targeted): If you have users that are looking for the newest features and are willing to provide feedback on behalf of the organization to Microsoft regarding new features, you can select this channel. It's not intended for broad distribution. Monthly Channel (Targeted) builds are released approximately 1-2 weeks before the regular Monthly Channel build.
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Semi-Annual Channel: The Semi-Annual Channel is the default channel for Office ProPlus updates. Users in this channel will receive updates twice a year – one in January and another in July. These updates will include new feature updates that have previously been available to those in the Monthly Channel. While security updates are part of this update as well, critical security updates are deployed during the normal security update release cycle. Microsoft recommends configuring most of your users for this channel, including users that rely heavily on line-of-business applications, plugins, or custom and complex macros. Support for semi-annual releases lasts 18 months, starting from the initial release.
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Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted): For those that want to test out features in the Semi-Annual Channel, but don't want the features every month, they can subscribe to the Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted). These users also receive these updates twice a year, but four months prior to the Semi-Annual Channel release. Users that have been configured for the Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) will receive updates in March and September. That way, they can test the features that will be in the next release of the Semi-Annual Channel. This release will also contain new features but also security and non-security updates. Critical security updates are deployed monthly. The Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) channel is designed to be used for testing before the Semi-Annual Channel release.
Once you have selected an update and servicing cadence for Office ProPlus, you'll need to decide on how to deploy the software to endpoints.