Servicing channels are a way to determine how often end users get feature and quality updates pushed to their Windows 10 devices. Servicing channels can be divided into the following three groups:
- Windows Insider Program (WIP): The WIP is for those who are eager to get the latest updates. This may be a group of IT administrators or even end users who are willing to test features before they're made available to everyone. The WIP is on a monthly release cadence and requires registration. Once registered, updates can be managed through Group Policy Configuration Manager, Windows Update for Business, or another device management platform. Microsoft recommends you have at least a few devices enrolled in the Windows Insider Program.
- Semi-Annual Channel (SAC): After common issues are fixed, private builds are then made public and available for deployment. Then, the latest build is available for the rest of the public. SAC versions are released twice a year, once in September/October and then again in March/April. IT administrators can defer or delay these new builds from the SAC up to 365 days. They can use this opportunity to first deploy the latest public builds to a pilot group of users and test before pushing it out to the rest of the organization. SAC builds have an 18-month life cycle. So, it's highly recommended that organizations stay within the time frame of support. The Semi-Annual Channel is recommended for enterprise customers running Windows 10 on their end user devices.
- Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC): Devices that do not need as many feature updates and receive just quality updates can subscribe to the LTSC. It is designed for special or single-purposes devices, such as ATMs, medical equipment, and kiosks. LTSC editions do not have access to services and features such as Microsoft Edge, Store, Calendar, OneNote, and more. The core applications that aren't included aren't supported, even if you attempt to install them via side loading. LTSC is not the recommended nor preferred channel for enterprises.
For more information on features, limitations, and recommendations regarding servicing channels, visit https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/update/waas-overview.
Let's talk about deployment rings in the next section.