Of course Microsoft also performs extensive internal testing, with engineering teams installing new builds daily, and larger groups of employees installing builds frequently, all before those builds are ever released to the Windows Insider Program. For more information about the Windows Insider Program and how to sign up, see the section Windows Insider. Microsoft also depends on receiving feedback from organizations throughout the development process so that it can make adjustments as quickly as possible rather than waiting until after release.

With Windows 10, new features will be delivered to the Windows Insider community as soon as possible - during the development cycle, through a process called flighting - so that organizations can see exactly what Microsoft is developing and start their testing as soon as possible. In the past, when Microsoft developed new versions of Windows, it typically released technical previews near the end of the process, when Windows was nearly ready to ship. Windows as a service will deliver smaller feature updates two times per year, around March and September, to help address these issues. That schedule also meant waiting long periods without new features - a scenario that doesn’t work in today’s rapidly changing world, a world in which new security, management, and deployment capabilities are necessary to address challenges. This traditional deployment schedule imposed a training burden on users because the feature revisions were often significant. Prior to Windows 10, Microsoft released new versions of Windows every few years. These improvements focus on maximizing customer involvement in Windows development, simplifying the deployment and servicing of Windows client computers, and leveling out the resources needed to deploy and maintain Windows over time. Windows as a service is a way to simplify the lives of IT pros and maintain a consistent Windows 10 experience for its customers. Looking for consumer information? See Windows Update: FAQ

Windows 10 assistant download