Hans Brender's Blog

The answer is: Yes and No. Today.

The Next Generation Sync Client is not available for all operating systems. Also it is not ready for all SharePoint storages. You have no chance to connect to SharePoint on Premise, neither to SharePoint Online ( Team sites and Groups). So I have written about that here. (also see additional Links at the end of this blog post). Therefore my “No”

My “Yes” testimony comes from elsewhere. The Synchronization is ready for OneDrive for Business (the old “My site”). If Microsoft will subsequently supply the Update for Windows 8.1 this quarter, then the administrators are able to complete a job, we never have with the old Groove-Client.

With the NGSC, Microsoft have implemented several features, to make thee administrators happy. So for example, they may do a silent installation of the new Sync-Client and also connect the client with the users OneDrive for Business without any users input.

And here is a document from Microsoft, which describes all functionality.

• Deployment of Registry Keys
• Automatically Deployment and Installation without any user input
• Automatically configuration to each users ODFB
• Installation via GPO‘s or System Center Configuration Manager
• Possible restriction to not use OneDrive (personal)
• Allowing for continuously Updates for NGSC
• Disallowing to store data to another location

My advice to all administrators: Read this document carefully. And You should be aware all the stuff with registry, Azure AD, GPOs and Power shell.

Conclusion

Microsoft has done a good job with the development of the Next Generation Sync client. Administrators are now able to do jobs for all the users in their company, have the control, but they would never have the chance, to the same things with the old Groove client. And in the next weeks and months, you are able to do it with any operating system and in the future also with SharePoint (online) and Groups. And they may start now.

Links:

OneDrive for Business | Next Generation Sync Client – first steps
OneDrive for Business | Next Generation Sync Client – Step Two