Managed Patch Management for Windows, macOS and Third-Party Apps
Patch management as a service means an outside team keeps every computer and server current for you: it finds the missing updates, tests them on a small pilot group, installs them in a maintenance window you agreed to and confirms they actually installed. NetSys does this for Windows, macOS and third-party applications inside every managed IT agreement, using Intune and NinjaOne, and pulls fixes for actively exploited flaws ahead of the schedule.
The short answer
Patch management services cover the cycle NIST describes as identifying, prioritizing, acquiring, installing and verifying updates across every device. At NetSys that means a pilot ring before the broad rollout, restarts inside agreed windows, emergency fixes out of cycle, written exceptions and a monthly report of what installed and what did not. It is part of every managed IT agreement with no separate line item, and businesses with in-house IT can hand us patching alone under a co-managed agreement.
Closest related page: Vulnerability management services. That page covers finding and ranking every weakness, including the ones no update fixes; this one covers the routine that gets vendor updates installed on computers, servers and applications.
Most patching is routine, which is exactly why it slips. Microsoft publishes its monthly security update on the second Tuesday of each month, browsers and PDF readers update on their own schedules, and a laptop that spends the week asleep in a bag misses all of it. Microsoft notes that a Windows device typically needs to be on and connected for at least six hours, two of them continuous, to finish an update.
NIST's patch management guide, SP 800-40, names the pattern: routine patching interrupts work, so it gets postponed, and every postponement gives attackers more time. A managed service answers that with a calendar and an owner: restart windows agreed in advance, a pilot group first, a deadline for everyone else, and exceptions written down instead of forgotten.
One patch cycle, start to finish
When Microsoft and the other vendors publish, Intune and NinjaOne pick up the updates for every covered device. A pilot ring of a few machines installs first, ideally including people who use your main business application every day. Once the pilot is clean, the broad ring installs inside the agreed window, with a deadline so restarts cannot be put off indefinitely; Microsoft's own guidance is to keep a quality update's full cycle, from release to installed, within seven days. Servers get their own scheduled, tested and documented windows. Anything that failed or was deferred goes into the monthly report with a reason and an owner.
What patch management services include
Windows and Microsoft 365 Apps
The monthly security update, delivered in rings.
- Windows quality updates through Intune update rings, with deferrals, deadlines and grace periods set per ring
- Microsoft 365 Apps and the Defender stack patched on the same monthly cycle
- Annual Windows feature updates planned before a version's support ends: 24 months on Pro, 36 on Enterprise
- Windows Autopatch used where your licensing includes it, which as of October 2026 covers Microsoft 365 Business Premium
macOS
Apple updates enforced by a date, not a reminder.
- macOS updates enforced through Intune with Apple's declarative device management, on macOS 14 and later
- A target version and a deadline, after which the Mac installs the update and restarts on its own
- Third-party Mac applications patched through NinjaOne
- Macs too old for a supported macOS flagged for replacement in the hardware plan
Third-party applications
Browsers, PDF readers and the rest of what staff install.
- Common applications such as browsers and PDF readers patched through NinjaOne on Windows and Macs, from its catalog of supported titles
- Approval rules that approve automatically, hold for review or reject, with overrides for individual applications
- Line-of-business software that needs the vendor's own installer handled with the vendor, on a tested schedule
- Software nobody uses removed instead of patched forever
Rings and testing
A bad update reaches a few machines, not the whole office.
- A pilot ring installs each update first, the phased approach NIST SP 800-40 recommends
- The broad ring follows a clean pilot, with a deadline so nobody postpones forever
- An update that breaks something in the pilot held back from everyone else until there is a fix or a workaround
- Servers patched in their own windows, with the applications on them checked afterward
Maintenance windows
Restarts happen when you said they could.
- Maintenance windows agreed with you before anything changes, around opening hours, shifts and clinic days
- Workstations restart outside active hours, with deadlines and grace periods set per ring
- Line-of-business servers patched only inside their own window
- Overnight or weekend server work agreed in advance, with any after-hours charge stated in your agreement
Emergency patches
An actively exploited flaw does not wait for next month.
- Flaws on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list and vendor emergency advisories handled the day they appear
- Windows security updates expedited through Intune, which installs them ahead of the normal deferral
- Microsoft's out-of-band security releases deployed off-cycle
- A temporary mitigation, such as switching off the affected feature, when no patch exists yet
Reporting and exceptions
Proof of what installed, and a name on what did not.
- A monthly report of what was applied, what was deferred and which devices are behind
- Installs confirmed from the device, not assumed from the push
- Each exception written down with the reason, the mitigation and a review date
- Machines that cannot be patched isolated or replaced rather than left exposed
Why businesses hand patching to NetSys
Tell us roughly how many computers and servers you run, on which operating systems, which applications the business depends on, and when your office can tolerate a restart. A NetSys engineer will tell you how the rings and windows would be set and what onboarding would catch up first. Call 845-203-3914 or request a call.
Who does the work: meet the NetSys team on our About page.
- Windows, Microsoft 365 Apps and appliance firmware patched on Microsoft's monthly cycle, with actively exploited fixes pulled forward
- Pilot rings first, so a bad update hits a few machines before it reaches everyone
- Windows, Macs and third-party applications handled by one team, through Intune and NinjaOne
- Exceptions recorded with a reason, a mitigation and an owner instead of drifting
- A patch problem goes to the same help desk engineers who already know your environment
- Part of every month-to-month managed IT agreement, with no separate line item
A typical monthly patch cycle
The order is the same every month; the timing of each ring is set with you:
| Step | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Release | Second Tuesday of the month for Windows, typically 10 a.m. Pacific; other vendors on their own schedules | Microsoft's monthly security update and other vendors' fixes are published, and Intune and NinjaOne pick them up |
| Pilot ring | The first days after release | A small group of machines installs first, and an engineer checks for failed installs and broken applications |
| Broad ring | After a clean pilot, inside your maintenance window | Everyone else installs, with a deadline and grace period so restarts cannot wait forever |
| Servers | In each server's scheduled window | Servers are patched in their own window and the applications on them checked afterward |
| Verify | After each ring | Install status is read back from every device, and failures become tickets |
| Report | Monthly | What was applied, what was deferred, which devices are behind and which exceptions are open |
Ring timing is set per client, since a practice open on Saturdays and an office closed at weekends need different windows. Microsoft recommends no more than seven days from a quality update's release to installation, and no more than two or three days of testing in an earlier ring. Fixes for actively exploited flaws skip the queue.
Patch management vs vulnerability management
The two are often sold as one thing. They answer different questions:
| Patch management | Vulnerability management | |
|---|---|---|
| The question it answers | Are the vendor's updates installed on every device? | Which weaknesses could an attacker use, and are they closed? |
| What it covers | Operating systems, applications and firmware that have a vendor update | Missing patches plus misconfigurations, exposed services and devices with no patch at all |
| Rhythm | The vendor release cycle, monthly for Windows, with emergency fixes out of cycle | Continuous scanning, with new findings reviewed every week |
| What you get | Install status per device, deferrals and written exceptions | Findings ranked by exploitability, time to remediate, and rescans that confirm closure |
| At NetSys | Included in every managed IT agreement | Included in the managed agreement, and available on its own for businesses with in-house IT |
More on the difference: Patch management vs vulnerability management, compared · Vulnerability management services.
Patching is how most vulnerabilities get fixed; vulnerability management is how you find out whether patching worked and what it cannot reach.
How onboarding works
Taking over patching follows the same order every time:
- Inventory: every computer, server and application is listed from Intune and NinjaOne, including machines that have not checked in for weeks.
- Baseline: we report how far behind each device is, starting with internet-facing systems and anything on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list.
- Schedule: maintenance windows are agreed with you, pilot and broad rings are built, and deadlines are set.
- Catch-up: devices that are months behind are brought current in stages, with restarts scheduled rather than sprung on people.
- Exceptions: anything that cannot be patched yet gets a written reason, a mitigation and an owner.
- First report: what was applied, what is still pending and what needs a decision from you.
How long onboarding takes depends on how many devices there are and how far behind they start, so the dates go in the proposal. If NinjaOne is not already on every covered machine, installing it comes first.
What affects the cost of patch management
We publish no rate card. These are the inputs that move the number:
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Computers and servers | Each one is patched, verified and reported on |
| Operating systems in the mix | Windows, macOS and servers each have their own tools, rings and windows |
| Applications outside the standard catalog | Software that needs the vendor's installer or its own test cycle takes engineer time |
| Restart constraints | Shift work, round-the-clock operations and clinic hours mean more, smaller windows |
| Licensing you already own | Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Intune and, as of October 2026, Windows Autopatch features; without them, other tools fill the gap |
| Compliance reporting | PCI DSS, HIPAA or CMMC evidence can call for reports in a set format on a set schedule |
Related: How co-managed IT splits the work · Managed IT pricing and what sits outside the fee.
Inside a NetSys managed IT agreement, patching has no separate line item: it sits inside the flat monthly fee per user. Businesses with in-house IT can hand us patching alone under a co-managed agreement, quoted after a short scoping call.
Patch Management Services FAQs
What is patch management as a service?
It is patching run for you by an outside team as an ongoing service: they track which updates each computer, server and application is missing, test them on a pilot group, install them in agreed windows, chase the machines that fail and report on the result. You approve the windows and the exceptions, and the provider does the rest. At NetSys it is part of every managed IT agreement.
What is included in managed patch management?
Windows and Microsoft 365 Apps updates through Intune update rings, macOS updates enforced through Intune, third-party applications through NinjaOne, servers in their own windows, emergency fixes for actively exploited flaws, firmware tracked against vendor advisories, checks that each update installed, written exceptions and a monthly report. Upgrades that need new hardware, such as replacing PCs that cannot run Windows 11, are planned as projects.
How does onboarding work?
We list every computer, server and application from Intune and NinjaOne, including machines that have not checked in for weeks, and report how far behind each one is. Internet-facing systems and anything on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list are fixed first. Then we agree the maintenance windows with you, build the pilot and broad rings, bring the stragglers current in stages and write down anything that cannot be patched yet. The first monthly report closes onboarding.
What affects the cost of patch management services?
The number of computers and servers, the operating systems in the mix, how much software sits outside the standard catalog, how tight the restart windows are, the Microsoft licensing you already own and any compliance reporting. Inside a NetSys managed IT agreement patching has no separate line item; it is part of the flat monthly fee per user. On its own, under a co-managed agreement, it is quoted after a short scoping call.
Who handles support and escalations when an update causes a problem?
Your staff contact the NetSys help desk, staffed seven days a week from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, and emergency service runs 24/7. The engineer who picks up can see the device's update history, hold the update back from the rest of the ring and roll it back where the vendor allows. If the fault is in the vendor's update, we take it up with the vendor and keep the affected machines on a documented exception until a fixed version ships. Response times by severity are published on our managed IT services page.
What is the difference between patch management and vulnerability management?
Patch management installs the updates vendors release, on a schedule, and proves they installed. Vulnerability management is wider: it scans for every weakness an attacker could use, including misconfigurations and devices no patch fixes, ranks them by real risk and checks that patching worked. NetSys runs both, and the vulnerability scan is one of the ways we confirm the patch cycle did its job.
How quickly are emergency patches applied?
There is no single number, because it depends on whether a fix exists and how the flaw is being used. The process is fixed: flaws on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list and vendor emergency advisories are handled the day they appear, Windows security updates can be expedited through Intune ahead of the normal deferral, and the pilot shrinks to minutes or hours instead of days. If no patch exists yet, a temporary mitigation goes in first.
Do you patch Macs and third-party applications?
Yes. Macs get operating system updates enforced through Intune with a target version and a deadline, on macOS 14 and later, and their applications are patched through NinjaOne. On Windows and Macs, NinjaOne patches supported third-party titles such as browsers and PDF readers, with approval rules that decide what installs automatically and what waits for review. Line-of-business software that needs its vendor's installer is handled with that vendor on a tested schedule.
Will patching restart computers during the workday?
Not if the windows are set properly. Workstations restart outside active hours, and the deadline and grace period in each ring only force a restart when someone has postponed it for days. Servers restart only inside their own window. The exception is an emergency fix, where we agree the timing with you if a restart cannot wait for the evening.
Does patch management cover servers, firewalls and network equipment?
Servers, yes, in their own scheduled windows with the applications on them checked afterward. Firewall, switch and Wi-Fi firmware is tracked against vendor advisories on the same schedule, and fixes for exploited flaws are pulled forward. Firewall updates are part of our managed firewall service, which also covers rule changes, VPN access and failover.
Is Windows Autopatch the same as patch management?
No. Windows Autopatch is Microsoft's cloud service that automates updates for Windows, Microsoft 365 Apps, Edge and Teams in sequential rings, and as of October 2026 its features are available with Microsoft 365 Business Premium. It does not patch Macs, servers or most third-party applications, and it does not agree your windows, chase failed devices or manage exceptions. Where your licensing includes it, it can run the Windows side of the rings while NinjaOne and our engineers cover the rest.
Sources and technical references
- NIST SP 800-40 Rev. 4, Guide to Enterprise Patch Management Planning: phased deployment, emergency patching, exceptions
- Microsoft Learn: update release cycle for Windows clients, including the monthly security update and out-of-band releases
- Microsoft Learn: policies for update compliance, deadlines and grace periods
- Microsoft Learn: Intune update ring settings for Windows
- Microsoft Learn: expedite policies for Windows quality updates in Intune
- Microsoft Learn: what Windows Autopatch is and what it updates
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Autopatch prerequisites and licensing
- Microsoft Learn: update policies for Apple devices with declarative device management
- NinjaOne documentation: third-party software patching for macOS
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Guides on this topic
- Managed IT services: patching is part of every agreement
- Vulnerability management: finding what patching missed
- Patch management vs vulnerability management
- Patch management for small business: why it matters
- What patch management is: the definition
- Intune management: update rings, compliance and Autopilot
- Managed firewall services, including firmware updates
- Co-managed IT: hand us patching, keep the rest in-house
- Windows 11 upgrade and fleet eligibility
- Intune vs NinjaOne: which tool does what
- Windows 11 24H2 end of support for Home and Pro editions
- What remote monitoring and management (RMM) software does
Find out which machines are behind.
Tell us roughly how many computers and servers you have, which operating systems they run, and when your office can tolerate a restart. We will explain how the rings, windows and reports would work for you, and what onboarding would catch up first.