Windows Update could soon handle all apps and drivers, not just the OS

In brief: Microsoft wants to unify the Windows Update process so it includes all third-party apps. The company said developers or anyone who builds apps can now sign up for a private preview of the Windows Update orchestration platform, which is capable of supporting any updates, including apps and drivers, alongside the usual Windows updates. Angie Chen, a product manager at Microsoft, writes that the updates across the Windows ecosystem can feel like a fragmented experience, which has led to Microsoft developing the Windows Update orchestration platform. The platform is mostly focused on business apps, though it will be open to any apps and management tools. The idea is to let software makers hand off their existing updaters and rely instead on a Windows-native service. Developers who take part can use a set of WinRT APIs or PowerShell cmdlets to register their product as an "update provider." During registration they supply a tiny scan tool that the orchestrator runs on a schedul ... Read full article.