Microsoft Archives – Page 2 of 3

Microsoft Places is now available

Microsoft Places is a workforce management platform designed for organisations who use hybrid and flexible working. Users can set their working patterns and locations, helping them to coordinate in-person meetings, book workspaces, and plan schedules efficiently.

It was first announced in 2022 and is now generally available, as of January 2025. Microsoft is currently offering a one month free trial of Teams Premium to promote its release.

Key features

There will be three levels of features available to users, depending on their subscription to other Microsoft licenses.

Core features
These are available with any qualifying Microsoft 365 Business subscription through integrations with Outlook and Teams:

Users can set work plans and location schedules in advance to show when they will be in the office or at home
Team members can view coworkers’ presence and schedules via a ‘Places Card’ in Outlook Calendar
Offers enhanced RSVP to confirm whether users will attend in person or remotely
Meeting invites can specify in-person attendance
Users can add a ‘presence signal’ on Teams to show where they are working

Premium features
These additional features are available to users who pay for a Teams Premium license (£5.80 per user/month + VAT):

Rooms and individual desk booking
Users and teams can receive intelligent suggestions to help plan their week
Free rooms automatically released
Space analytics

AI features
These features will only be available to users with a Microsoft Copilot subscription, such as AI-managed bookings and team guidance. Copilot can also analyse data and trends over time. Some of these capabilities are still in development.

Microsoft Places
Microsoft Places shows promise for organisations looking to optimise hybrid workspaces and manage hybrid working, although there are restrictions to note. Some features will require the purchase of additional hardware, such as occupancy sensors, and organisations using third-party workspace booking systems may face compatibility challenges. It’s also unclear which version of Outlook the features can be integrated with – older Outlook clients may be unable to offer full functionality.

Changes to Microsoft’s OneDrive data policy

From 27 January 2025, Microsoft will implement significant changes to its OneDrive for Business archival policy – data associated with any unlicensed accounts will be inaccessible without preventative action.

Unlicensed accounts are those not associated with a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 user subscription license. Data from unlicensed accounts can accumulate due to a variety of reasons, such as employees leaving the organisation or roles changing without immediate action on associated licenses.

Previously, unlicensed OneDrive for Business accounts remained accessible within an organisation’s SharePoint storage quota.

Beginning this month, Microsoft will automatically archive any unlicensed accounts that have been inactive for 90 days or longer. These accounts (and all associated data) will be taken offline and will no longer be accessible to admins or end users via SharePoint.
Admins will need to choose one of the following options for unlicensed accounts before 27 January to avoid data loss:

Assign a paid Microsoft 365 or Office 365 user subscription license
Archive the account via the new Microsoft 365 Archive (incurring storage costs of USD $0.05 per month per gigabyte for storage and USD $0.60 per gigabyte per month for retrieval, plus tax)
Move the data that needs to be retained and kept accessible, to another licensed user or to SharePoint, then delete the unlicensed account
Archive the data that needs to be retained via another method (i.e. not via Microsoft 365 Archive)

If no action is taken then Microsoft will delete all data 180 days from the date of archival.

You could risk losing access to important data, particularly if it involves former employees. New offboarding processes or data retention policies for former employees may need to be put in place to prevent this.

Please note that this will not impact our clients with Support Agreements and/or Infrastructure Management as we always ensure that data from inactive users is archived and correctly stored as part of our standard practices. This helps maintain the integrity of organisational data and prevents the risk of losing important information due to unlicensed account status, regardless of Microsoft’s policies and recent changes.

You can get in touch with us for help identifying unlicensed OneDrive accounts and managing your data.

Microsoft announces new Windows 365 Link

Microsoft has announced the Windows 365 Link, a miniature device purpose built to provide access to Windows 365 PCs hosted in Microsoft’s cloud. This is the tech giant’s first hardware designed specifically for its Windows 365 services. Technically the Link acts as a thin client, connecting to the main PC, which is hosted in the cloud, and streaming that back via the Link to the local monitors and peripherals.

This compact new device marks a significant step in the top tier provider’s efforts to integrate its services with its own hardware, which is something Apple has long been renowned for. According to Microsoft, it will streamline users’ access to virtual desktops. This could allow organisations to transition users to virtual machines which can be streamed to/from multiple devices and locations. It would particularly be suited to organisations with multiple locations, hot desking and shared workspaces – as the Link is essentially a method of access to a user’s single omnipresent cloud-based PC.

Features:

Instant cloud access and pairing with Windows 365
Powered by (a currently undisclosed) Intel processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage
Supports dual 4K monitors, USB, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Operates without local data to minimise the risk of endpoint security breaches
Built using recycled materials and certified for energy efficiency

It is currently available in preview in select markets and will be launched globally in April 2025. Pricing has been set at $349 – a similar price point to the thin client PCs currently on offer from HP, Dell, and Lenovo.

Updates to chat and channel features in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft has added new features to Teams in its chat and channel interfaces. Key updates include:

1. Simplified navigation

Users can choose to access chats and channels in one place or keep them separate, depending on their preference.

2. Favourites

Chats and channels can now be pinned under a ‘Favourites’ section, making frequently used items easier to locate.

3. Custom sections

Chats and channels can be dragged and dropped into custom sections, allowing users to organise discussions by topic or project.

4. Mentions tracking

A new feature highlights all @mentions across chats, channels, and meetings in one view.

5. Personalised display options

Settings now include options to customise how chats and channels are displayed, such as combined or separate views, message previews, and a single list of channels. These features can be adjusted by opening Settings and selecting Chats and channels in the app.

Microsoft to migrate users to new Outlook in January 2025

From 6 January 2025, Microsoft will begin migrating all business customers from the Classic Outlook desktop application to New Outlook.

Classic Outlook has been a reliable email client for years and is widely used by organisations for managing emails, calendars, tasks, as well as integrating with third party addons. Although Microsoft has committed to supporting the Classic version until 2029, they plan to move users to the New version starting from the beginning of 2025.

Why does this matter?

New Outlook has been in development since 2023 but has been beset with problems and we don’t believe it’s ready to use yet. It has received criticism for inefficient performance, compatibility issues, and potential security vulnerabilities.

Therefore this enforced migration to New Outlook by Microsoft could disrupt operations. Many organisations rely on Classic Outlook’s robust features and stability, and this enforced change risks breaking workflows or reducing productivity.

There are also concerns about how secure and functional New Outlook will be during the transition, as many features and integrations for business environments are not yet supported. Even basic functionality is missing – for example, New Outlook requires an internet connection to start and thus cannot be used offline!

What are the options?

Fortunately, administrators have the ability to block this automatic migration by configuring specific policies in an organisation’s environment. For our managed clients, we can enact this for you if you wish, so that you remain on the Classic Outlook application and ensure the continued functionality and security of using that client. Some organisations without centralised management may need to take action on their machines, but we have created a simple solution for this. Otherwise, migrations to New Outlook will begin automatically from January 2025.

If you have any questions or concerns about how this change may impact your organisation, please contact us for further information.

Microsoft has announced a series of updates to Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 subscribers with a Copilot licence. Here are the key additions to the AI assistant:

Copilot Pages

This new workspace is designed for collaborative work between users and AI. It provides a canvas where teams can work together in real time, bringing in data from various sources. It aims to make AI-generated content more durable, allowing users to build on and refine it over time. This update is now generally available.

Copilot in Excel

Microsoft has expanded Copilot’s ability to process and analyse data in Excel. The update also allows you to use AI generated code in the new integration with Python.

Copilot in PowerPoint

Copilot can help users create presentations by generating initial drafts from outlines. It can also incorporate branding elements from company templates and will soon support image integration from SharePoint libraries.

Copilot in Teams

In Teams, Copilot can now analyse both dialogue and chat conversations. The tool can summarise key points, track unanswered questions, and ensure nothing is overlooked during a meeting.

Copilot in Outlook

The new ‘Prioritise my inbox’ feature will be able to help users sort through their email by summarising messages and highlighting the most relevant ones. Copilot can analyse the content of emails and can be customised to prioritise messages containing specific topics, keywords, or from particular senders. This feature will be in public preview by the end of 2024.

Copilot Agents

Microsoft previously introduced Copilot Agents, designed to automate processes. They can be customised to meet specific needs without requiring technical expertise. These will soon be generally available.

Details on Copilot licences for Microsoft 365 can be found here. Please get in touch with us to add Copilot to your Microsoft 365 infrastructure.

Python now generally available in Microsoft Excel

Microsoft has announced the general availability of Python in Excel for their Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise users on Windows. This integration, first introduced in collaboration with Anaconda last year, allows users to leverage Python’s data analysis capabilities directly within Excel workbooks.

The integration brings popular Python libraries like Pandas, Matplotlib, and NLTK into Excel, enabling users to perform advanced analyses without requiring additional setup. Users can now perform actions such as running Monte Carlo simulations, creating network visualisations, and analysing text data with natural language processing tools.

Additionally, Microsoft has introduced a Python Editor to simplify coding and a public preview of Copilot in Excel, as part of the second wave of capabilities of their AI model. This uses AI to generate Python code based on natural language prompts.

Microsoft has also been careful to emphasise to the tech community that Python in Excel operates securely on the Microsoft Cloud and with enhanced security measures, including isolated containers for Python code execution.

Python in Excel is available to all Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise subscribers, with premium features and faster calculation offered through an additional paid licence. You can get in touch with us to request this add-on licence for your Microsoft 365 subscription.

New Unified Microsoft Teams App Launched

Microsoft has released a new unified Teams app to allow users to switch between accounts within the same application. It is available on Windows 11, Windows 10, and macOS – and is being automatically rolled out to all desktop users now.

The tech giant says the new unified Teams has been created in response to feedback from users who wanted a way to manage multiple accounts without needing separate applications installed on their machine. It follows the rollout of a new Teams app for Microsoft 365 Business users earlier in the year, which used the same architecture but kept personal and work accounts separate in two different apps.

The new unified app offers the ability to switch between personal and work profiles without signing in and out again or requiring both the ‘Home’ and ‘Work’ versions of Teams installed alongside each other. Now with a simple click on the profile picture, each account will open in windows from the same app.

“Microsoft Teams will be available as a single application, enabling users to seamlessly switch between multiple cloud environments, tenants, and account types,” the Windows Insider team explained.

This integration could be convenient for those who juggle multiple communications channels, but there are potential risks to be noted. Having multiple accounts so closely linked could lead to data overlap or unintended access to sensitive information. IT administrators can enforce sign-in restrictions to help mitigate these risks, and the app will ask you to select your preferred account whenever you join a meeting, but the possibility of data bleeding between work and personal accounts remains a consideration for both organisations and end users.

Copilot features now in Outlook for Windows

It has been a busy month for Microsoft – the tech giant has already announced new capabilities for Copilot integrated with the Microsoft 365 apps. Now, in response to the number of users who continue to rely on classic Outlook for their email, Microsoft has revealed that the features currently available in new Outlook for Windows and web will be rolled out to users of classic Outlook as well.

Starting from June 2024, the Copilot AI assistant will be accessible directly from the left bar in classic Outlook, where it will be pinned by default once available.

What are the new capabilities in classic Outlook?

Summarise

Allows users to quickly summarise email threads, extracting key points to manage lengthy conversations efficiently – accessed via the “Summarise” button in the reading pane.

Draft

Draft new emails and replies using natural language commands, with options to adjust the length and tone of emails – accessed through the Copilot icon in the ribbon after selecting “New Email” or replying to a message.

Coaching

Analyse email drafts, providing suggestions for improving tone, clarity, and reader sentiment – accessed via the Copilot icon in the ribbon under “Coaching by Copilot” once you’ve drafted a message.

Microsoft intends these capabilities to enhance user productivity through simplifying email management. It plans to continue adding new features to the new Outlook for Windows and web, with users of classic Outlook for Windows provided access within 3 to 12 months of initial release.

Copilot is available to all Microsoft 365 Business customers with the addition of a Copilot for Microsoft 365 licence. You can read more about Copilot’s capabilities and licences here.

New Copilot capabilities added for Microsoft 365

Microsoft has announced expansions to the capabilities of its AI assistant, Copilot, which is now available to Microsoft 365 users. Aimed at improving productivity within teams and organisations, the new features will be rolled out later in 2024 for all customers with a Copilot licence.

Team Copilot

Team Copilot will be integrated within Microsoft’s collaboration applications, including Teams, Loop, and Planner. Key features will include:

Meetings: can manage meeting agendas and take notes that all participants can edit or add to
Group Collaborator: can highlight crucial information in chats, track action items, and help to resolve pending issues
Project Manager: can create and assign tasks, track deadlines, and notify team members when input is required

Custom Copilot Agents

Microsoft is also introducing new features in Copilot Studio, allowing you to customise or design specific Copilots to automate relevant workflows in your organisation. These can be used to automate processes, such as submitting expenses or on-boarding employees, or making intelligent decisions, such as recommendations for out of stock items.

Details on Copilot licences for Microsoft 365 can be found here.

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