SharePoint Server Feature Pack Ahead of Schedule

The first feature pack for SharePoint Server 2016, which was scheduled for 2017, will begin rolling out to customers in Nov. 2016, ahead of schedule. The release includes improvements in administration, hybrid deployments, and file sharing, but some features require active Software Assurance. The release is a sign that Microsoft is continuing to invest in SharePoint Server, a product once thought to be in maintenance mode.

Inside the Feature Pack

When SharePoint Server 2016 was released in May 2016, Microsoft indicated that it would release feature packs for SharePoint Server between major releases to bring SharePoint Online features to SharePoint Server, as well as delivering new capabilities specific to the on-premises version.

The first feature pack, which will roll out to organizations starting in Nov. 2016, according to Microsoft, includes the following updates and improvements:

Administration will be improved with the introduction of logging for common administrative actions performed with PowerShell or through the Central Administration Web site. Administrators will gain insight into who made changes to an on-premises server farm, and when they were made.