Lets everyone, or chosen people, receive Microsoft 365 updates early so IT can test and brief staff and support. It is configured under Release preferences in the organisation profile.
Read more: Microsoft Learn
In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains Targeted release in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- Microsoft 365
Formerly Office 365, Microsoft's software-as-a-service productivity suite. A Microsoft Entra tenant provides its identity, and its data is not governed by Azure RBAC.
- Release preferences
Standard release or Deferred release can be selected in the Microsoft 365 admin center to decide timing of new service features for users or the tenant. A third option, Targeted release, is on the way out: new enrolment stops in November 2026 and it finishes in January 2027.
Related terms
- Standard release
Microsoft 365's default release setting, where updates reach the organisation at the point of broad release. Targeted release is the alternative.