The next Windows 10 LTSC reduced to 5-year lifecycle

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[Alex5723]

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/the-next-windows-10-long-term-servicing-channel-ltsc-release/ba-p/2147232

What are we announcing today?

Today we are announcing that the next version of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC will be released in the second half (H2) of calendar year 2021. Windows 10 Client LTSC will change to a 5-year lifecycle, aligning with the changes to the next perpetual version of Office. This change addresses the needs of the same regulated and restricted scenarios and devices. Note that Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC is maintaining the 10-year support lifecycle; this change is only being announced for Office LTSC and Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC. You can read more about the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC announcement on the Windows IoT blog.

• This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by Alex5723.

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Cybertooth

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From the article :

Through in-depth conversations with customers, we have found that many who previously installed an LTSC version for information worker desktops have found that they do not require the full 10-year lifecycle.

So Microsoft is saying many (I wonder how many?) LTSC customers do not need the 10 year lifecycle and therefore it is (saving some money by) reducing LTSC to a 5-year lifecycle? Really?

This also means that the end of support of 21H2 LTSC will be in 2026 (but apparently another version called IoT Enterprise LTSC will still have the 10 year support lifetcycle) while that of 1809 LTSC will be in 2028 so that 21H2 LTSC will be out of support BEFORE 1809 LTSC.

Sounds appealing (Not)!

I wonder how those using LTSC think about this?

Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

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First of all, when LTSB/LTSC was released in the past, Microsoft instructed us that we’re not supposed to install LTSC for Information Worker Desktops (that is what SAC was for). The intent of LTSC was for single use computers such as those required by process control departments.  Replacing Process Control equipment every 5 years because the OS has gone eol is just not going to happen because it is simply too expensive.

I guess we need to pursue Windows 10 IoT LTSC going forward – but trying to get any info on how to do that has been difficult. We’re not to install IoT ourselves – it has to come from the hardware vendor. And trying to get our vendor to enable an AutoPilot IoT LTSC has been a sisyphean task.

As an enterprise customer who uses LTSC as it was originally intended for, we’re extremely disappointed in Microsoft for decreasing the LTSC lifecycle to 5 years.

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