incorp from whitepaper and calendar blog material

windows/deployment/update/define-update-strategy.md

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+---
+title: Define update strategy
+ms.reviewer: 
+manager: laurawi
+description: 
+keywords: updates, calendar, servicing, current, deployment, semi-annual channel, feature, quality, rings, insider, tools
+ms.prod: w10
+ms.mktglfcycl: manage
+audience: itpro
+author: jaimeo
+ms.localizationpriority: medium
+ms.audience: itpro
+author: jaimeo
+ms.topic: article
+ms.collection: M365-modern-desktop
+---
+
+# Define update strategy
+
+Traditionally, organizations treated the deployment of operating system updates (especially feature updates) as a discrete project that had a beginning, a middle, and an end. A release was "built" (usually in the form of an image) and then distributed to users and their devices.
+
+Today, more organizations are treating deployment as a continual process of updates which roll out across the organization in waves. In this approach, an update is plugged into this process and while it runs, you monitor for anomalies, errors, or user impact and respond as issues arise--withouth interrupting the entire process. Microsoft has been evolving its Windows 10 release cycles, update mechanisms, and relevant tools to support this model. Feature updates are released twice per year, around March and September. All releases of Windows 10 have 18 months of servicing for all editions. Fall releases of the Enterprise and Education editions have an additional 12 months of servicing for specific Windows 10 releases, for a total of 30 months from initial release.
+
+Though we encourage you to deploy every available release and maintain a fast cadence for some portion of your environment, we also recognize that you might have a large number of devices, and a need for little or no disruption, an so you might choose to update annually. The 18/30 month lifecycle cadence lets you to allow some portion of you environment to move faster while a majority can move less quickly.
+
+
+
+## Calendar approaches
+
+You can use a calendar approach for either a faster 18-month or twice-per-year cadence or a 30-month or annual cadence. Depending on company size, installing Windows 10 feature updates less often than once annually risks devices going out of service and becoming vulnerable to security threats, because they will stop receiving the monthly security updates.
+
+
+### Annual
+
+Here's a calendar showing an example schedule that applies one Windows 10 feature update per calendar year, aligned with Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager and Microsoft 365 Apps release cycles:
+
+![annual calendar](images/annual-calendar.png)
+
+This approach provides approximately twelve months of use from each feature update before the next update is due to be installed. By aligning to the Windows 10, version 20H2 feature update, each release will be serviced for 30 months from the time of availability, giving you more flexibility when applying future feature updates.  
+
+This cadence might be most suitable for you if any of these conditions apply:
+
+- You are just starting your journey with the Windows 10 servicing process. If you are unfamiliar with new processes that support Windows 10 servicing, moving from a once every 3-5 year project to a twice a year feature update process can be daunting. This approach gives you time to learn new approaches and tools to reduce effort and cost.
+- You want to wait and see how successful other companies are at adopting a Windows 10 feature update.  
+- You want to go quickly with feature updates, and want the ability to skip a feature update while keeping Windows 10 serviced in case business priorities change. Aligning to the Windows 10 feature update released in the *second* half of each calendar year, you get additional servicing for Windows 10 (30 months of servicing compared to 18 months).
+
+
+### Rapid
+
+This calendar shows an example schedule that installs each feature update as it is released, twice per year:
+
+![rapid calendar](images/rapid-calendar.png)
+
+This cadence might be best for you if these conditions apply:
+
+- You have a strong appetite for change.
+- You want to continuously update supporting infrastructure and unlock new scenarios.
+- Your organization has a large population of information workers that can use the latest features and functionality in Windows 10 and Office.
+- You have experience with feature updates for Windows 10.