If you run a small business with more than 3-4 desktops, you may be annoyed from time to time at Windows Updates. Each desktop decides when it’s best to download current updates, and install them pretty much without your consent. And while you can defer the updates to certain hours, I have seen plenty of instances where Windows has decided to implement an update even when it’s inconvenient. And Windows 10 Updates are the worst culprits of all. And Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is absolutely free if you own Windows Server.
That’s right, it’s FREE!
Decide When an Update is Acceptable to Deploy
By now, if you haven’t heard about the “Windows 10 April Update Black Screen Problem”, then let me tell you, it was a complete nightmare. An update that for a lot of folks, rendered their desktop useless. And some people never found a resolution and wound up reinstalling their computer back to defaults. By using WSUS, you make the decision when it is safe to accept an update. Waiting out for an acceptable time, you can monitor the online news about a particular update, and deploy it ONLY WHEN IT IS PROVEN to be stable.
Lower Your Bandwidth Usage
If you have a concern about your monthly cost of bandwidth in your office, WSUS can make a big dent in keeping that cost inline. When using WSUS, you have only ONE computer in your office performing downloads. The other desktops look to your server for updates on Microsoft Products. While you still will have updates individually from products such as Adobe or Java, Microsoft Updates represent a significant amount of your download bandwidth each month.
Decide When You Want Your Updates to Occur
Once the downloads have occurred, and you have decided that it’s okay for your desktops to be updated, you can schedule the deployment of the downloads to your desktops in off hours. Saving your employees form being interrupted or slow network speeds, this method can help you to improve your productivity within the framework of your network.
Final Thoughts
A lot business are using Windows Server. WSUS is a FREE component built into the Server Operating System. You can turn this feature on, configure it, and take control of your Microsoft Updates. And while it’s not super easy to configure in the beginning, it’s not really that time consuming. Once running, it becomes a valuable part of your IT Business Framework.
