Delivering predictable Dynamics 365 service updates to their users is one of Microsoft’s main focuses. Over the last 5 years, Microsoft has decreased the updates pace from 12 to 8 to 7 to 4 releases per year. These updates are available both for “manual” self-deployment before or automatically applied by Microsoft.

One of the key challenges that the Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain user community faces is the one-week testing window in case Microsoft applies automated updates. Beginning this April, they are offering more flexibility when it comes to accepting product updates.

Microsoft Service Updates – What Are They?

Service updates in Dynamics 365 completely changed the enterprise ERP industry by allowing users to continuously benefit through the touchless updates that offer hundreds of new features and hotfixes per release. While such methodology was previously available for smaller and less complex solutions, it was a groundbreaking offering by Microsoft when it comes to true enterprise-level, fully customizable software solutions.  

The ability to continuously update your system to allow for seamless deployment of new tools is quite a revolutionary concept and one of the key technological differentiating factors of Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain. It is imperative to use tools such as RSAT or other third-party automated testing utilities for regression testing when doing continuous updates

What’s New?

With the 10.0.39 version release a big change arrived from Microsoft which will help many companies struggling to fit their testing schedule into a small weekly period previously enforced by Microsoft. The latest version will offer the customers an opportunity to choose from two auto-update windows that are four weeks apart for each service update. This allows for companies to choose an auto update window that better suits their schedules and processes, and does not sacrifice other initiatives. It will also provide more time to test the environment as a whole for a more seamless transition while decreasing the pressure placed on the testing teams.

Since February 19, 2024, the maximum number of consecutive updates that can be paused was reduced from three to one. However, because release durations are being extended, the same minimum of two service updates per year is technically staying the same. Please review the following table for upcoming release schedules:

Automating Continuous Updates

While Microsoft is consistently working on simplifying and improving the update process, it still takes a certain level of commitment to stay current on the latest version. In an effort to help Microsoft Dynamics 365 customers with the challenges associated with continuous updates, Ellipse Solutions created an update automation service to streamline the process and decrease the workload on customers’ IT resources. Click here to learn more!

Additional Resources

If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft’s Release Updates read here or checkout some of our past articles on the subject: