Early access: Early access features are limited to a closed group of testers for a limited subset of launches. Participation is by invitation only and may require signing a pre-general-availability agreement, including confidentiality provisions. These features may be unstable, change in backward-incompatible ways, and are not guaranteed to be released. There are no SLAs provided and no technical support obligations. Early access releases are rare and focus on validating product prototypes.
Alpha: Alpha is a limited-availability test before releases are cleared for more widespread use. Our focus with alpha testing is to verify functionality and gather feedback from a limited set of customers. Typically, alpha participation is by invitation and subject to pre-general-availability terms. Alpha releases don't have to be feature complete, no SLAs are provided, and there are no technical support obligations. However, alphas are generally suitable for use in test environments. The alpha phase usually lasts six months.
Beta: At beta, products or features are ready for broader customer testing and use. Betas are often publicly announced. There are no SLAs or technical support obligations in a beta release unless otherwise specified in product terms or the terms of a particular beta program. The average beta phase lasts about six months.
archived 20 May 2025 17:06:28 UTC
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