Windows 10 Differences LTSB and LTSC

Windows 10 LTSB and Windows 10 LTSC are not separate editions of Windows, but a service model for Windows 10 offered by Microsoft for corporate customers.

Since Windows 10, Microsoft no longer uses a version model for its operating system, but the „Windows as a Service“ concept. Instead of releasing a completely new version of Windows every few years as in the past, the software manufacturer releases updates for Windows 10 at regular intervals.

Differences between LTSB and LTSC in practice

Besides the major feature upgrades released twice a year (Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Windows 10 April 2018 Update, Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Windows 10 April 2019 Update, these are also regularly released bug fixes and security updates. Windows 10 LTSC stands for „Long Term Servicing Channel“ and is an update channel reserved for corporate customers for the Windows 10 Enterprise edition with long-term support. For a certain time, this was called Windows 10 LTSB, which stands for „Long Term Servicing Branch“. The renaming coincided with the discontinuation of Windows 10 CCB or Current Branch for Business, another test channel for business customers that was no longer available and where they could test new Windows 10 features for eight months before implementation. The update channel for normal customers without long-term support also has a name. Before renaming Windows 10 LTSB to Windows 10 LTSC, Microsoft called it Windows 10 CB, which stands for Current Branch. In the meantime, Microsoft uses the name Windows 10 SAC or Semi-Annual Channel to match the updates that are released in April and October of each year. This is available for the Home, Pro and Enterprise editions. Windows 10 LTSC is reserved for customers with the Enterprise edition. Corporate customers with Windows 10 LTSC receive an upgrade offer with new features every 2-3 years instead of every six months, which they can accept or reject. Important security updates and bug fixes can, of course, be installed separately, as with the consumer version Windows 10 SAC. Furthermore, unlike the consumer version, Windows 10 LTSC comes without pre-installed apps. The IT department of each company can compile the desired standard installation itself via so-called deployment options. The advantage of Windows 10 LTSC is the long-term support from Microsoft

of up to six years. In comparison, with Windows 10 SAC, end customers are provided with separate security updates and bug fixes for only 18 months after the release of one of the twice-yearly updates and are thus practically forced to receive regular feature updates.

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