ConfigMgr 2016 to Release Twice

In what was one of my more confusing conversations at Microsoft Ignite, and one that needed a couple levels of clarification before I truly understood, but System Center Configuration Manager 2016 will actually release two different times in the coming year.

Configuration Manager v.Next, or what is now officially announced as the 2016 version, was provided in Technical Preview on Monday of Microsoft Ignite.

You can grab the download here: System Center Configuration Manager and Endpoint Protection Technical Preview

The release of ConfigMgr 2016 will be an interesting one. Windows 10 is scheduled to release in Q4 of 2015 (Microsoft’s fiscal year), which means sometime in the summer time frame. A first revision of ConfigMgr 2016 will release alongside Windows 10. While there will be some new features added to ConfigMgr, the primary reason for the release (according to Microsoft) is to support Windows 10 and the new features and capabilities that it brings along.

But, that’s not the end of it.

Windows Server 2016 is not set to release until the actual 2016 calendar year, and is not even close to feature complete. Because of this, and that ConfigMgr 2016 will also need to support the new Server version, a second release of ConfigMgr 2016 will be released at the same time.

I asked if this meant that it would be delivered as an update or a service pack, but Microsoft indicated that it will be another, actual release.