Microsoft is Listening, Change Lists for Windows 10 Updates are Coming for Enterprises

Just last week we ran a poll to get your take on Microsoft's lack of information on what's being included in Windows 10 updates. For consumers, it's no big deal. But, for IT that is tasked with ensuring smooth patching operations, not having new and changed feature and file information is a death knell. And, the poll results prove this. Over 90% responded that they absolutely require full disclosure for each update.

The poll is still available for you to participate: Do we need to know what's included in Windows 10 updates?

During a trip to the Microsoft campus in Redmond last week, I was able to glean more information about this situation. On Thursday, myself and a few other press individuals sat in a meeting with Jim Alkove, the VP of the Windows Enterprise team. In response to a question about Microsoft's stance on eliminating change lists for updates, Jim admitted that Microsoft has heard the customer complaints and that his group is working now to develop some level of disclosure for Windows 10 updates.

The level of what will be provided was unclear, as I'm positive Microsoft is just now trying to determine how to supply customer needs effectively. The change list could come as a simple new feature list, or could be very verbose. I don't think even Microsoft is aware yet of what the final outcome will be. However, that Microsoft is considering backtracking on this policy is good news.

The change list will only be provided for Enterprise customers and one could assume that it will be provided as part of a bigger business strategy when the next update is supplied for Windows 10, probably in November. Additionally, there was no mention of how the change list would be provided, but could be provided as part of the promised Windows Update for Business.

During the same meeting, Microsoft's Stella Chernyak, extolled the news that Windows 10 is now running on 1.5 million Enterprise edition PCs. That's a meager number compared to the total 75 million now running Windows 10 just one month after launch, but is still a big win for Microsoft, considering that the promised Windows Update for Business is still in development.