Microsoft is switching its Configuration Manager to an annual release cycle starting in September 2026. Previously, new versions were released semi-annually; in the future, there will only be one major update per year. This change implements a strategy already communicated at events and in customer discussions: Microsoft Intune is the future of device management, and all innovations will take place there.

The Configuration Manager will instead focus on security, stability, and long-term support, according to Microsoft’s announcement of the change in the announcement of the change. The transition affects version 2609, scheduled for release in September 2026. Until then, two interim versions are planned: version 2509 in December 2025 with stability and quality updates, including ARM64 support, and version 2603 in March 2026 with enhanced security features as part of the Microsoft Secure Future Initiative.

Microsoft justifies the move by aligning with Windows client security and stability updates (H2). This is intended to allow IT administrators to plan upgrades better and gain more predictability. Hotfix rollups will be provided in the future only in absolutely necessary cases, such as critical security or functional issues. The 18-month support period per version remains unchanged.

With this announcement, Microsoft makes it unmistakably clear where the journey is heading: all future investments and innovations will flow into Intune, the cloud-based device management solution. While the Configuration Manager will remain available and supported, it will no longer be further developed. The company urges customers to reconsider their long-term device management strategy and plan a migration path to Intune.

Criticism of missing feature parity

The announcement is met with skepticism in the IT community. Administrators point out that Intune by no means offers the same scope of functions and granularity as the Configuration Manager, especially for managing on-premises environments. One user commented on Reddit: “Let’s hope they get some feature parity.” Another noted that Microsoft needs to invest heavily in Intune for it to even remotely approach the capabilities of the Configuration Manager.

The transition is part of a series of similar strategic changes. In September 2024, Microsoft had already announced the end of Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and encouraged customers to migrate to cloud tools like Windows Autopatch or Azure Update Manager. At the time, the company emphasized that the end of WSUS would have no impact on the Configuration Manager, but the current announcement shows that Microsoft is consistently focusing on cloud-native management.

Whether Microsoft plans to completely discontinue the Configuration Manager in the long term remains open, as the company stated in response to an inquiry from The Register Request from The Register. However, the annual releases and the explicit renunciation of new features suggest that the product is effectively entering maintenance mode.

(fo)

Don’t miss any news – follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon.

This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.