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How to Prepare for and Benefit from Microsoft Dynamics Release Waves

Published Date
Author Elsa Kermani

Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform can be exhilarating for businesses eager to optimize their operational efficiency with the latest technology. Twice each year, Microsoft rolls out what's known as a "Release Wave"—a major update that spans from April to September and October to March of the subsequent year. This blog will unpack what a Release Wave entails, how your organization can gain early access to these features, and the strategic benefits of staying ahead with Microsoft's latest offerings. 

 

What is a Release Wave? 

The Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform release plans describe new features releasing bi-annually, from April to September and October to March of the following year. Each release wave introduces significant innovations that enable organizations to transform their business processes. The release includes hundreds of new features across Dynamics 365 applications such as Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Customer Insights and many more. This year, notable updates are also expected in Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Financial Services, Sustainability, and Nonprofit sectors. 

 

 What is Early Access? 

For each major release, you can opt in for early access updates approximately two months before the major release is automatically enabled in your region. For example, for a wave 1 major release planned to be automatically enabled starting in the first week of April, you'll be able to opt in for early access updates in early February. Similarly, for a wave 2 release planned to be automatically enabled starting in the first week of October, you can opt in for early access updates in early August. 

The update status in your environment is set to "ON" by default; therefore, when the release wave is available, the update will automatically take effect. System admins can monitor the mandatory update date and schedule the update for a time when users are offline to avoid system interruptions. 

Early access updates are available for all types of environments, including trial, sandbox, and production. However, it is best practice to enable the updates in trial or sandbox environments before production environments. 

 

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What are the Benefits of Early Access? 

Customers can validate upcoming features and capabilities months in advance before they're enabled automatically during the April and October updates. Early access allows you to try out and validate new features in a non-production environment, preparing your organization to confidently roll out changes to users. 

It is highly recommended to create a copy of your production environment as a sandbox environment to test the new features first. Updates cannot be reverted once enabled; testing and validating in a sandbox environment first helps determine the impact on users. 

 

Prepare for Release Wave 

The following checklist provides an outline of how to prepare for a release wave: 

  • Review the release plan as soon as early access updates are available. 

  • Create a sandbox environment from production to test upcoming changes with the release wave. 

  • Opt-in to the early access updates from the Power Platform Admin Center for the sandbox environment. 

  • Validate key scenarios to ensure they work as expected in your sandbox environment after the update is completed. 

  • Enable the early access updates in your production environment. 

 

How Do We Enable Early Release for Our Organization? 

Users with the following permission roles can access and set up updates for the Power Platform environment: Global Admins, Dynamics 365 admins, and Power Platform Admins. 

<H3> Power Platform Admin Center: 

  1. Navigate to Power Platform Admin Center. 

  1. On the environment’s admin page, click on "Manage". 

  1. Select "Update now". 

After the update is complete: 

  • All early access features will be enabled at once. 

  • Enabled features cannot be reverted. 

  • Only apps with active licenses will be updated; no new apps will be installed. 

  • Updates will take a few hours and might slow down the system. 

Note: Schedule updates during off hours to avoid unnecessary system interruptions. 

 

Where Can We Access a Detailed List of Wave Updates? 

Microsoft publishes a comprehensive PDF document detailing all upcoming features and changes prior to each release. Users can access the PDF via the Microsoft Documentation page. For the 2024 release wave 1 details, visit: 2024 Wave 1 PDF. You can also review discussed changes and post questions in the Power Apps Community forums. 

 

Harnessing the full potential of your Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform systems is crucial for maintaining optimal business performance. With Western Computer's Managed Support Services, you have access to proactive support, tailored advice, and expert handling of any technical challenges that arise. This ensures your systems are always up-to-date with the latest features and enhancements, including those introduced in Release Waves. Stay tuned for our upcoming Release Wave Launch Events for an exclusive preview of the latest updates. Contact Western Computer today to explore how our Managed Support Services can stabilize your operations, allowing you to focus on transformative business process innovations.