News

Microsoft Posts Roadmap of Upcoming Windows 10 Features

• By Kurt Mackie
• April 12, 2016

A new Windows 10 resource page from Microsoft gives some insight on current capabilities of the operating system, as well as features currently in development.

Microsoft made the new Windows 10 Roadmap page live over the weekend, adding to other Microsoft roadmap resources like the Office 365 Roadmap and Cloud Platform Roadmap. The pages show currently available capabilities, as well as future ones.

Microsoft's roadmaps don't include a timeline, though. For organizations wanting to track when Microsoft released, or is planning to release, its products and features, try RCPmag.com's Microsoft Product Roadmap resource.

The new Windows 10 Roadmap page shows "recently available" and "public preview" features, along with icons that pair the feature with supported device types. The icon information can be a bit surprising. For instance, the somewhat elusive Windows Update for Business feature, which promises a way to triage Windows 10 update groups in organizations, is not supported on mobile or handheld devices running Windows 10, according to the roadmap. It's just available for PCs or tablets running the Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise editions.

Microsoft's roadmap doesn't always indicate editions support for Windows 10 features. That information can be found at this Microsoft "Compare Windows 10 Editions" page.

One surprise in the new roadmap is Microsoft's listing for Windows 10's "dynamic provisioning" feature, which lets end users provision their devices themselves. However, dynamic provisioning, which requires Microsoft Intune and third-party mobile device management services, only works for PCs, tablets and industry devices. Support for mobile devices isn't there, per the roadmap.

However, the Azure AD Join feature, available in preview for Windows 10 mobile devices, does enable self-provisioning by end users. Microsoft explained that point last month.

Other Windows 10 capabilities at the preview stage right now, according to the roadmap, include enterprise data protection and multifactor authentication for apps and Web sites. There are a couple of Microsoft Edge browser features in preview, such as extensions and tab pinning.

The roadmap has an interesting list of what's under development for Windows 10. For instance, there's Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, which Microsoft described last month as service for businesses, helping them to detect "post-breach" attacks.

Another feature under development will let Windows Phone or Android phone users unlock Windows 10 devices. The Microsoft Band 2 wristwatch also will be getting this unlocking capability.

The roadmap also described a "laptop-like accessory support" feature that's under development. It will let users of Windows 10 smartphones with the Continuum capability plug into lightweight laptops that lack CPUs or an operating system. The Continuum feature is currently available for Windows 10 Phone devices, allowing it to connect with a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Microsoft previously described new features associated with the "anniversary update" of Windows 10, coming this summer. However, the new roadmap has some details that weren't described in that announcement.