The 2018 Microsoft Product Roadmap Our annual guide to what major Microsoft releases are coming down the pipeline, and when. By.

November 28, 2018 RECENTLY UPDATED: Visual Studio (11/28), Windows Server 2019 (11/27), Windows 10 (11/14), Dynamics 365 (11/5) It's promising to be a busy year for Microsoft watchers, with major version releases on tap for some of the company's most venerable product lines. 14: Windows 10 19H1 is released to Insiders. 13: Microsoft the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.

7: of Windows 10 19H1 is released to Insiders. 31: The next two Windows 10 updates following 19H1 will be code-named 'Vanadium' and 'Vibranium,' according to a, citing unnamed sources. Test build 18272 of Windows 10 19H1 is. 24: Microsoft of Windows 10 19H1 to Insiders.

17: Windows 10 19H1 preview build 18262 is. 9: Microsoft says it is of the October 2018 Update before officially re-releasing it. 6: Microsoft has paused the October 2018 Update rollout to 'investigate isolated reports of users missing some files after updating,' on the Windows 10 update history page. 3: Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 to Insiders. 2: Microsoft of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update. 26: Windows 10 19H1 test build 18247 is. 25: The Windows 10 October 2018 Update, according to reports.

18: The Windows 10 October 2018 Update, possibly the RTM build, is released to Insiders. Microsoft also releases of Windows 10 19H1. 14: Build 17760 of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is. 12: of Windows 10 19H1 is released to testers. 11: Microsoft of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update to Insiders. 7: Build 17755 of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is. 6: Microsoft, 18234, of the '19H1' release of Windows 10.

5: of the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is released to Insiders. 31: The official name for Redstone 5 will be the 'Windows 10 October 2018 Update,' according to a. 24: Microsoft releases Redstone 5 Insider.

21: Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. 16: The next major releases of Windows 10 and Windows Server will feature, according to Microsoft. 14: Redstone 5 test build 17738 is.

10: Microsoft releases. 8: Redstone 5 test build 17733 is. Microsoft is reportedly developing a for Windows 10 Enterprise called 'InPrivate Desktop,' according to BleepingComputer.

3: Microsoft called 'Windows 10 Enterprise for Remote Sessions' as part of Redstone 5, according to reports. Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. 2: Microsoft is developing a for the next Windows 10 release. July 31: Redstone 5 is released to Insiders.

July 25: Microsoft Redstone 5 test build 17723, as well as build 18204, the first test build of 'Redstone 6' (code-named 19H1). July 18: Microsoft of Windows 10 IoT Core Services.

July 11: Microsoft releases of Redstone 5. Redstone 5 will officially be called ',' according to Microsoft watcher WalkingCat. July 10: The Windows 10 April 2018 Update is Microsoft announces.

July 6: of Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. June 27: Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. June 14: The Windows 10 April 2018 Update is now in, Microsoft says. Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. June 6: Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. May 31: Microsoft releases of Redstone 5 to testers.

May 24: Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. May 22: The Windows 10 April 2018 Update will according to Microsoft. May 16: of Redstone 5 is released to Insiders.

May 9: Microsoft releases Redstone 5. May 3: Redstone 5 test build 17661 is.

April 30: Microsoft the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. April 27: Microsoft that Redstone 4, officially called the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, will become generally available on April 30. April 25: Redstone 4 could be released on May 8 in the U.S., according to a of an internal memo to Chinese retailers. Redstone 5 is released to Insiders.

April 22: Redstone 4's official name might be 'Windows 10 April Update,'. April 20: Microsoft is reportedly working on a lightweight version of Windows 10 April 19: Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. April 16: Redstone 4 could be officially named ',' according to a report. Microsoft releases Redstone 4 to Insiders and explains the previously intended RTM build had suffered from BSOD issues. April 13: Microsoft no longer considers Redstone 4 test build 17133 to be the RTM version, delaying the product's release, according to a.

April 12: Microsoft releases to Insiders. April 4: Microsoft in Redstone 5 test build 17639. March 29: Redstone 5 is released to Insiders. March 27: for Redstone 4 is released to Insiders. March 26: Microsoft releases a for Redstone 4.

March 23: Redstone 4 is released with the 'Insider Preview' watermark removed, which marks the 'phase of checking in final code to prepare for the final release,' according to Microsoft. March 20: Redstone 4 is released to Insiders. March 16: Microsoft releases to Insiders. Redstone 5 is also released to Insiders. March 13: An indicates Redstone 4 will be released in April. of Redstone 4 is released to Insiders. March 8: that Redstone 4's official name will be the 'Spring Creators Update.'

March 7: All Windows 10 editions will come with an, according to Microsoft. Microsoft releases to testers. Microsoft announces a for developers coming in Redstone 4. March 6: Redstone 4 is released to Insiders. Microsoft says it is in Windows 10 to be released 'this spring.'

. Microsoft's Joe Belfiore that Windows 10 S will become a 'mode' starting in 2019, not a 'distinct version.'

March 2: Redstone 4 is released to Insiders. 27: Microsoft announces it will for Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise to 10 years with Redstone 5.

of Redstone 4 is released to Insiders. 23: Redstone 4 test build 17107 is. 14: Microsoft release Redstone 4 test build 17101 in addition to the (17604). Feb 7: Microsoft releases to Insiders. 3: Microsoft is introducing a new Windows 10 SKU lineup for consumers with Redstone 4,. A indicates that Windows 10 S will no longer be a standalone SKU, but will be included in all Windows 10 versions as an 'S mode.' Microsoft's semiannual release schedule for Windows 10 is less of a novelty now than it was back in 2015, when Microsoft ushered in the OS under a new 'as-a-service' model.

Three years and five version updates later, Microsoft is expected to stick to an update model it nailed down last year, with one major update release coming in the first half of the year (usually spring) and another in the second (usually fall). The first major update, code-named 'Redstone 4,' has been in the works since August 2017, when the first preview build was made available to Windows Insider testers.

Based on each subsequent build's release notes, Redstone 4 looks to be focused largely on feature refinements and usability improvements. There's more support for fonts and languages. The touch keyboard and handwriting features are constantly getting improvements, along with the Edge browser and the Windows Shell. New connectivity and power management enhancements are in the works. And with each build, Microsoft is activating more fluent design components. There are a couple of brand-new additions, too. In the works for Redstone 4 is a new that lets Windows 10 users exchange files with PC users in their vicinity via Bluetooth.

Microsoft is also reinstating the, which had originally been slated to appear in last October's Fall Creators Update. Timeline essentially lets Windows 10 users keep a record of their recent activities in any given app, making it easier to resume a task when they pull up that app again. And in a more recent build, Microsoft debuted a that gives users and administrators a better handle on the kinds of telemetry data that Microsoft collects from Windows 10 devices. Redstone 4 will be followed by another release code-named 'Redstone 5' in the later part of 2018.

This early in the year, it might be too early to forecast exactly what Microsoft has planned for this second release, though there's at least one feature that Microsoft has already bumped from Redstone 4 and into Redstone 5. 'Sets,' which first cropped up last November in a Redstone 4 build, is a workspace-management interface that revolves around tabs. Microsoft as a way 'to make sure that everything related to your task: relevant webpages, research documents, necessary files and applications, is connected and available to you in one click.' Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it was from future Redstone 4 builds, though it will restore the feature in a 'post-RS4 flight.' Presumably, that means Redstone 5.

For those waiting for future Windows Mobile/Windows Phone developments, however, don't hold your breath. Microsoft's mobile efforts have been stagnating for some time now, but a from Senior Program Manager Brandon LeBlanc put another nail in the coffin: 'No mobile builds are coming.' Teams and Skype for Business Teams updates: Throughout 2018 Skype for Business Server 2019: Released. 22: Skype for Business Server 2019 is.

24: Microsoft new Teams capabilities at Ignite, and that Skype for Business Server 2019 will be released 'by end of year.' 18: Teams is generally available. 24: Microsoft deems Teams a 'complete meeting and calling solution' that's Skype for Business in organizations. July 24: Skype for Business Server 2019 becomes.

July 16: Microsoft now considers Teams and Skype for Business to according to reports. July 12: Microsoft officially releases a.

June 28: Teams Direct Routing is. Microsoft says U.S. Government Community Cloud users will, with the rollout expected to be completed by the end of August. June 13: Microsoft observer WalkingCat detailing the rumored free Teams tier. May 15: Microsoft of Direct Routing in Teams.

May 2: Microsoft announces a free starting June 1. May 7: Microsoft at Build 2018.

April 20: The Skype for Business and Teams apps for Windows Phone on May 20, according to Microsoft. April 5: Microsoft a combined Teams-Skype for Business management portal. March 13: Microsoft has the Teams progressive Web app (PWA), according to a Petri report. March 12: Microsoft, including support for Skype Room Systems and the Surface Hub, and 'Direct Routing' in Q2. 27: Microsoft the Teams guest access feature. 26: Microsoft may be planning a 'freemium tier' for Teams, according to.

8: Microsoft is for Skype for Business Server 2019, contrary to earlier plans. 5: A preview of the Call Analytics feature is, along with other new capabilities.

Barely a year old, Teams is already being positioned by Microsoft as an integral piece of its enterprise collaboration portfolio. The Office 365 chat service as Microsoft's answer to the popular collaboration startup, Slack.

Since then, Microsoft has taken significant steps to bolster Teams' enterprise bona fides through regular updates, providing, with popular third-party apps like Dropbox and Google Drive, and a that lets users collaborate with members of outside organizations. Microsoft has also been stumping for Teams in the academic space, through the no-cost Office 365 for Education plan, and rolling out UI features designed specifically for students and teachers. Now, Microsoft plans to advance Teams even further by making it the company's, effectively replacing Skype for Business. Microsoft first announced the planned transition at the Ignite conference, calling the move part of its 'new vision for intelligent communications.' That vision entails Teams inheriting Skype's voice calling and meeting capabilities, as well as AI and machine learning capabilities via the Microsoft Graph, while running on Skype's infrastructure for the back-end.

Those Skype calling capabilities last December. By the end of Q2 2018, Microsoft also expects to add screen-sharing, third-party video support, voicemail capabilities and transcription/recording services. Other features, including 'location-based routing,' 'group call pickup,' 'call park' and 'shared line appearance,' are due by year's end,.

Despite its seeming demotion, Skype for Business isn't going away anytime soon. For one, the Teams-to-Skype transition, industry watchers estimate. For another, Microsoft has promised to continue supporting Skype for Business Online and Skype for Business Server, with a new server release expected in the second half of 2018. Microsoft is also expected to enable Skype for Business-certified devices to sometime in Q2.

Office 2019 Released. UPDATES Sept. 24: Microsoft for Windows and Mac, and indicates that it plans to release at least one more 'perpetual-license' version of Office in the future. July 25: Microsoft announces, including a price hike, that will take effect on Oct. June 12: Microsoft releases the. April 27: Microsoft of Office 2019. April 18: Microsoft says Office 2019.

Cloud may be king at Microsoft nowadays, with the Office 365 productivity suite taking much more of a leading role in Microsoft's product development efforts compared to its on-premises or retail 'boxed' counterpart, but Microsoft hasn't thrown in the towel on its old-school Office software yet. At its Ignite conference, Microsoft announced that it was readying the next version of the on-premises Office product, dubbed 'Office 2019,' for public release sometime in the. In a blog post announcing Office 2019, Microsoft Office General Manager Jared Spataro characterized the upcoming release as an olive branch to organizations that are still wary of making the move to the cloud. 'Cloud-powered innovation is a major theme at Ignite this week. But we recognize that moving to the cloud is a journey with many considerations along the way.

Office 2019 will be a valuable upgrade for customers who feel that they need to keep some or all of their apps and servers on-premises,' he wrote. Microsoft expects to roll out a preview of Office 2019 sometime in the second quarter, with general availability in the second half of 2018.

Microsoft Officially Launches Visual Studio For Mac

New features coming down the pipeline, according to Spataro, include enhancements to the inking feature, improved data analysis capabilities in Excel, expanded PowerPoint animation features and better security. One notable limitation that Microsoft announced early this year: Office 2019 on Windows versions older than Windows 10 (which means the still-popular Windows 7 is out of the running).

Visual Studio 2019 Anticipated release: First half of 2019. 20: Azure DevOps Server 2019 RC1. 17: The first preview of Visual Studio 2019 will be, with general availability in the first half of 2019, according to a Microsoft announcement. 10: Microsoft Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) to Azure DevOps. The next major version of Visual Studio is 'now in the early planning phase,' Microsoft, over two years after the release of Visual Studio 2017. This announcement represented Microsoft's first official mention of Visual Studio 2019.

It was prompted by the company's of GitHub, where Microsoft's developer teams do a lot of their work. The Visual Studio 2019 announcement was light on concrete details, but John Montgomery, director of Visual Studio program management, gave a broad outline of what developers can expect: Expect more and better refactorings, better navigation, more capabilities in the debugger, faster solution load, and faster builds.

But also expect us to continue to explore how connected capabilities like Live Share can enable developers to collaborate in real time from across the world and how we can make cloud scenarios like working with online source repositories more seamless. Expect us to push the boundaries of individual and team productivity with capabilities like IntelliCode, where Visual Studio can use Azure to train and deliver AI-powered assistance into the IDE. Montgomery added that Visual Studio 2019 previews, whenever they roll out, will be able to run on the same machines as Visual Studio 2017. As far as a release date, however, Microsoft has offered no timeframe so far, indicating only that it will 'say more in the coming months.'

BizTalk Server 'vNext' Anticipated release: By the first half of 2019 Microsoft of its next-gen BizTalk Server product in early August, including an estimated release timeframe of 'within roughly 9 months of the general availability of Windows Server 2019.' That Windows Server product is slated for release sometime in the second half of 2018, which ostensibly pushes the BizTalk Server 'vNext' release into early 2019. According to Microsoft's August announcement, the next BizTalk Server product will contain previously released feature packs, and will support 'the latest versions of Windows Server, SQL Server and Visual Studio.'

It will also be possible to upgrade to the new BizTalk Server product from BizTalk Server 2013 R2 and BizTalk Server 2016.

Microsoft has leaked plans to launch its Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) on rival Apple's macOS platform for the first time. In what is becoming an increasing trend to launch its core software on rival operating systems, following the surprise announcement of and the and, a leaked Microsoft announcement has pointed to the launch of a variant of the Visual Studio IDE for Apple's macOS, supporting.NET and C# development. ' At Connect; in November, Microsoft is launching a preview of Visual Studio for Mac.

This is an exciting development, evolving the mobile-centric Xamarin Studio IDE into a true mobile-first, cloud-first development tool for.NET and C#, and bringing the Visual Studio development experience to the Mac,' the announcement by Microsoft's Mikayla Hutchinson read following its publication late last night and prior to its deletion from Microsoft's Developer Network Magazine Blog. A full copy is, however, still available via. The post appears to have been sent live early, with the Connect; conference where Hutchinson claimed the announcement would be made not kicking off until November 16th. ' At its heart, Visual Studio for Mac is a macOS counterpart of the Windows version of Visual Studio. If you enjoy the Visual Studio development experience, but need or want to use macOS, you should feel right at home. Its UX is inspired by Visual Studio, yet designed to look and feel like a native citizen of macOS.

And like Visual Studio for Windows, it’s complemented by Visual Studio Code for times when you don’t need a full IDE, but want a lightweight yet rich standalone source editor.' Hutchinson has claimed that projects created within Visual Studio on one platform should be accessible using another platform, though warned that ' it's a new product and doesn't support all of the Visual Studio project types of the Windows release.' The blog post suggests that the preview release will be available for free download at once the launch has been officially announced at the Connect; conference.