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On July 28, 2017, Microsoft announced that they have released version 1706 for the Current Branch (CB) of System Center Configuration Manager that includes new features and product enhancements!

As written on microsoft.com

Many of these enhancements are designed for organizations that are going through the digital transformation and want to modernize their IT infrastructure, policies, and processes. With each release of Configuration Manager, we are focusing on the following themes:

1. Configuration Manager makes it easier to adopt and deploy Windows 10 and Office 365.
2. Configuration Manager enables the management of Windows 10 security settings to protect users and company data.
3. Configuration Manager helps customers build the bridge to modern management of Windows to simplify management.
4. Configuration Manager infrastructure is streamlined for simpler and easier use, reducing your total cost of ownership.
5. Microsoft continues to provide iterative value to customers using Configuration Manager connected with Microsoft Intune.
6. Microsoft is committed to delighting our customers by continuing to invest and iterate on Configuration Manager based on customer feedback.

We are continuing to see strong adoption by our customers. As of today, we have more than 40,000 organizations managing more than 84 million devices using the Current Branch of Configuration Manager. And thanks to our active Technical Preview Branch community, the 1706 update includes feedback and usage data we have gathered from customers who have installed and road tested our monthly technical previews over the last few months. As always, 1706 has also been tested at scale – by real customers, in real production environments.

Here are just few of the enhancements that are available in this update:

Windows 10 and Office 365

• Manage Microsoft Surface driver updates – You can now use Configuration Manager to manage Microsoft Surface driver updates.

• Windows Analytics Commercial ID and Windows telemetry levels – You can now specify the Windows Analytics Commercial ID and configure telemetry, commercial data, and Internet Explorer data collection settings in Client Settings for use with Upgrade Readiness.

• Improvement for Express Update support – Express file download time has been significantly improved.

• Improved user experience for Office 365 updates – Improvements have been made to leverage the Office Click-to-Run user experience when a client installs an Office 365 update. This includes pop-up and in-app notifications, and a countdown experience.

Windows 10 Security

• SecureBoot and TPM inventory data – Hardware inventory can now determine whether the device has SecureBoot enabled and various properties of the TPM (enabled by default).

• Windows Defender Device Guard – You can now include trust for specific files and folder paths in Device Guard policies.

Modern Management

• Azure AD-enabled Cloud Management – You can now onboard the site to Azure AD via Cloud Services. Additionally, you can install the client on the Internet.

• Windows Update for Business enhancements – There is a new dedicated experience to configure and deploy deferral settings for easy discoverability.

Streamlined Infrastructure

• Cloud services consolidation – There is now common experience for OMS Connector, Upgrade Readiness, Windows Store for Business, and Cloud Management.

• Reload boot images with latest WinPE version – During the “Update Distribution Points” wizard on a boot image, you can now reload the version of Windows PE in the selected boot image.

• Boundary Group improvements – Boundary groups now support configuring the time for fallback for software update points.

• Configuration Manager Update Reset Tool – We have added new tool to reset and restart in-console updates when they have problems downloading or replicating.

• Accessibility – Screen reader improvements and improved keyboard navigation in and out of the ribbon in the Configuration Manager console.

Configuration Manager connected with Microsoft Intune

• Entrust as certificate authority for PFX Certificates – Entrust can now be used as the certificate authority for PFX certificates.

• Additional Android for Work features – You can now configure app configuration policies for Android for Work.

• Additional Compliance Policy settings – We added additional compliance policy settings that were previously available only in Intune standalone.

• Cisco IPSec VPN support for iOS – Cisco IPsec will be a new connection type option for VPN profiles for iOS.

• Windows Edition Upgrade policy – This policy allows admins to set a policy to upgrade Windows 10 to Enterprise editions.

• Additional MAM settings – We added new settings such as block screen capture (Android only), disable contact sync, and disable printing.

• Windows configuration settings – We added new Windows configuration item settings that were previously only available in Intune standalone.

Customer Feedback

• Create and run PowerShell scripts – You can now create and run scripts with parameters to devices and collections.

• Task Sequence improvements – You can now easily toggle when the task sequence progress is or is not displayed to the end user, on a granular step-by-step basis. Additionally, groups in the task sequence editor can be collapsed or expanded.

• Share an application from Software Center – You can copy a direct link to an application in Software Center using the new Share button in the Application Details view.

Note: As the update is rolled out globally in the coming weeks, it will be automatically downloaded, and you will be notified when it is ready to install from the “Updates and Servicing” node in your Configuration Manager console. If you can’t wait to try these new features, this PowerShell script can be used to ensure that you are in the first wave of customers getting the update. By running this script, you will see the update available in your console right away.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][vc_cta_button2 h2="" title="Complimentary Deployment Analysis with Industry Leading System Center Engineering Talent" size="lg" position="bottom" accent_color="#dd9933" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.managedsolution.com%2Fsccm%2F||"]

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