Have you been ignoring third-party applications' updates just because you don't have the right tool to manage and patch them? Well, Patch Manager Plus is what you are in need of.

What is third-party patch management?

Third-party patch management is the process of detecting, acquiring, testing, and deploying patches for the applications on your endpoints that did not come from the operating system vendor. These are the Non-Microsoft, non-OS programs: Adobe Reader, Java, Chrome, Zoom, and the hundreds of other tools your users run day to day.

It exists as a distinct discipline because these applications do not patch on a shared schedule. Each vendor releases on its own cadence, from its own source, in its own format, so there is no single "patch day" that covers them. Third-party patch management brings that scattered work under one process, alongside OS patching, so the applications attackers target most are not left updating themselves, or not updating at all.

Why patching third party applications is important?

As an IT admin, one of your top priorities is making sure all your systems have the latest security patches in place. Maybe you have a good handle on dealing with Patch Tuesday updates, but what about all the other Non-Microsoft applications updates? Any significant delays in finding or fixing third party application with dangerous vulnerabilities can leave your endpoints wide open to attack. You can't afford to ignore third party applications patching and need to ensure that these patches are deployed onto each workstation.

There's every reason to defend against vulnerabilities in your third-party applications. And with the right tool, no reason not to. With Patch Manager Plus, third party applications patch management involves:

1. Centralized update process for 1100+ third party applications
2. Patch Manager Plus provides broadest third-party vulnerability content for third party apps like Adobe, Java and more.
3. Make use of pre-built, tested, and ready-to-deploy packages for common Non-Microsoft applications

How third-party application patch management works?

The process follows the same lifecycle as OS patching, but with an extra burden at the front: there is no single vendor to pull from. In practice it runs like this:

• Inventory the applications. Identify which third-party applications are installed across the fleet, since you cannot patch what you have not catalogued.
• Detect missing patches. Scan endpoints against a patch catalog to find applications running outdated, vulnerable versions.
• Acquire the patches. Retrieve the correct patch for each application from its vendor, the step that is most painful manually because every vendor is a separate source.
• Package and test. Prepare each patch for deployment and validate it on a test group so it does not break the application or its dependencies.
• Deploy alongside the OS. Roll approved third-party patches out in scheduled windows, ideally in the same process that handles operating system patches.
• Verify and report. Confirm the patch applied, and report on which applications are compliant and which are still exposed.

The value of a tool is in collapsing that acquire-and-package burden, which is where manual third-party patching consumes the most time.

Common third-party patching challenges

Third-party patching is harder than OS patching for reasons that are structural, not just volume:

• Vendor fragmentation. Every application has its own release schedule, source, and installer format. There is no unified patch day, so tracking what is available is a constant effort.
• Patch acquisition. Half the work is simply obtaining the right patch from each vendor's site. Doing that by hand across dozens of applications does not scale.
• Packaging and testing effort. Each patch may need repackaging and validation before deployment, which is hours of research per application if done manually.
• Inconsistent auto-updaters. Leaving each application to update itself produces uneven results: some machines update, some do not, and you have no central view of which.
• Sheer volume and attack focus. Third-party applications make up a large share of installed software and a large share of exploited vulnerabilities, so the gaps here carry real risk.
• No unified visibility. Without a central catalog, it is hard to answer a simple question: which applications, on which machines, are currently unpatched?

Third party patch management best practices

Practical moves that keep third-party patching under control:

• Patch third-party apps in the same process as the OS. Running them separately doubles the work and splits your visibility. One process, one console.
• Prioritize the applications attackers actually target. Browsers, runtimes like Java, and tools like Adobe Reader and Zoom are common entry points and deserve to move first.
• Use pre-built, tested packages where possible. Repackaging every patch by hand is where manual programs stall. Ready-to-deploy packages remove that bottleneck.
• Test before rolling out. Third-party patches can break dependencies. Validate on a pilot group before production, just as you would for OS patches.
• Automate acquisition and scheduling. Pulling patches from vendor sites and timing deployment should not be manual tasks at scale.
• Report on third-party compliance separately. OS compliance can look healthy while third-party gaps remain. Track them distinctly so they are not hidden in a blended number.

Third party patch management with Patch Manager Plus

Patch Manager Plus handles third-party patching as part of the same workflow that patches your operating systems, so the applications most often exploited are managed in one place rather than left to update themselves. The capabilities below are what make that practical.

Centralized patching for 1,100+ third-party applications

Deploying Non-Microsoft patches raises two hard questions: which applications need patching, given that every organization runs a different set, and how to acquire each patch from its vendor. Patch Manager Plus answers both. It tells you which applications need patching and automates the acquisition entirely, then deploys third-party patches right alongside your Microsoft patches from a central point of control, across 1,100+ supported applications.

Broadest third-party vulnerability content

Patch Manager Plus maintains an extensive third-party application catalog, including a deep repository of Adobe, Java, and browser patches, so the applications most frequently targeted are covered rather than left as gaps. View the supported applications list for the full catalog across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Pre-built, tested, ready-to-deploy packages

The manual version of third-party patching means hours of research, packaging, testing, and deployment per application. Patch Manager Plus removes that by shipping pre-built, tested, ready-to-deploy packages for common Non-Microsoft applications. You can track when new patches become available and synchronize them to your own schedule, rather than building each package yourself.

Test, deploy, and report in one workflow

Beyond acquisition, third-party patches run through the same controls as the rest of your patching: test and approve on a pilot group before production, schedule deployment in maintenance windows, and report on which applications are compliant. Because coverage spans OS and third-party in one console, third-party compliance shows up in the same reports rather than a separate tool. For teams evaluating options, this is what separates dedicated best patch management software from a tool that patches the OS and leaves the applications to chance. The full capability runs on the same patch management software that handles detection, deployment, and reporting.