If you are plugin developer, it’s very important to give as much info about the plugin updates as you can before the blog admins update the plugin to a new version. Also, some of the plugin control panels go into different menus, and it’s a good idea to have direct links on the plugins panel also.
http://www.dev4press.com/2010/tutorials/wordpress-tips/expanding-plugins-panel-with-links-and-info/