Upcoming preview of Microsoft Office LTSC 2024

Microsoft 365 offers the cloud-backed apps, security, and storage that customers worldwide rely on to achieve more in a connected world – and lays a foundation for leveraging generative AI to go even further. However, we know that some customers have niche yet important scenarios that require a truly long-term servicing channel: regulated devices that cannot accept feature updates for years at a time, process control devices on the manufacturing floor that are not connected to the internet, and specialty systems like medical testing equipment that run embedded apps that must stay locked in time. For these special cases, Microsoft continues to offer and support the Office Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC). Today we are pleased to announce that the commercial preview of the next Office LTSC release – Office LTSC 2024 – will begin next month, with general availability to follow later this year.  


 


About this release


 


Like earlier perpetual versions of Office, Office LTSC 2024 will include only a subset of the value found in Microsoft 365 Apps, building on the features included in past releases. New features for Office LTSC 2024 include: new meeting creation options and search enhancements in Outlook, dozens of new Excel features and functions including Dynamic Charts and Arrays; and improved performance, security, and accessibility.  Office LTSC 2024 will not ship with Microsoft Publisher, which is being retired, or with the Microsoft Teams app, which is available to download separately.


 


While Office LTSC 2024 offers many significant improvements over the previous Office LTSC release, as an on-premises product it will not offer the cloud-based capabilities of Microsoft 365 Apps, like real-time collaboration; AI-driven automation in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; or cloud-backed security and compliance capabilities that give added confidence in a hybrid world. And with device-based licensing and extended offline access, Microsoft 365 offers deployment options for scenarios like computer labs and submarines that require something other than a user-based, always-online solution. Microsoft 365 (or Office 365) is also required to subscribe to Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365; as a disconnected product, Office LTSC does not qualify.


 


As with previous releases, Office LTSC 2024 will still be a device-based “perpetual” license, supported for five years under the Fixed Lifecycle Policy, in parallel with Windows 11 LTSC, which will also launch later this year. And because we know that many customers deploy Office LTSC on only a subset of their devices, we will continue to support the deployment of both Office LTSC and Microsoft 365 Apps to different machines within the same organization using a common set of deployment tools.


 


Office LTSC is a specialty product that Microsoft has committed to maintaining for use in exceptional circumstances, and the 2024 release provides substantial new feature value for those scenarios. To support continued innovation in this niche space, Microsoft will increase the price of Office LTSC Professional Plus, Office LTSC Standard, Office LTSC Embedded, and the individual apps by up to 10% at the time of general availability. And, because we are asked at the time of release if there will be another one, I can confirm our commitment to another release in the future.


 


We will provide additional information about the next version of on-premises Visio and Project in the coming months.


 


Office 2024 for consumers


 


We are also planning to release a new version of on-premises Office for consumers later this year: Office 2024. Office 2024 will also be supported for five years with the traditional “one-time purchase” model. We do not plan to change the price for these products at the time of the release. We will announce more details about new features included in Office 2024 closer to general availability.  


  


Embracing the future of work


 


The future of work in an AI-powered world is on the cloud. In most customer scenarios, Microsoft 365 offers the most secure, productive, and cost-effective solution, and positions customers to unlock the transformative power of AI with Microsoft Copilot. Especially as we approach the end of support for Office 2016 and Office 2019 in October 2025, we encourage customers still using these solutions to transition to a cloud subscription that suits their needs as a small business or a larger organization. And for scenarios where that is not possible – where a disconnected, locked-in-time solution is required – this new release reflects our commitment to supporting that need.


 


FAQ


 


Q: Will the next version of Office have a Mac version?


A: Yes, the next version of Office will have both Windows and Mac versions for both commercial and consumer.


 


Q: Will the next version of Office be supported on Windows 10?


A: Yes, Office LTSC 2024 will be supported on Windows 10 and Windows 10 LTSC devices (with the exception of Arm devices, which will require Windows 11).


 


Q: Will the next version support both 32- and 64-bit?


A: Yes, the next version of Office will ship both 32-and 64-bit versions.

Simplifying license management for admins with user license auto-claim for Power Automate

Am really keen on exposing PowerApps / Flow news - this was provided from Microsoft Flow. You can read out the full post available on this link:

https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/simplifying-license-management-for-admins-with-user-license-auto-claim-for-power-automate/

 

General availability of auto-claim for Power Automate licenses, a feature that simplifies license management for admins and enhances the user experience.

Invest in Tech: Supercharge your frontline with AI

Invest in Tech: Supercharge your frontline with AI

Meet the needs of your frontline


 


Whether a sales associate in a store, a machine operator in a manufacturing plant, or a care clinician in a hospital, frontline workers account for over 2.7 billion of the global workforce (Gartner 2022). That’s over twice the number of desk-based workers.


 


They are a vital component of the global economy, and yet face some of the greatest challenges like labor shortages and supply chain issues. This puts pressure on the workforce to deliver the same consistent quality, but faster and with less support.


 


But the frontline is also often faced with a technology landscape of siloed information from paper-based processes, legacy systems and different devices all required to do their work. This adds another pressure to frontline workers, who end up spending more time searching for information than creating value in your business.


 


Golden opportunity for transformation


 


There is a golden opportunity for business leaders to invest in technology that will power their frontline workforce to improve worker productivity, business process efficiency, and employee retention. And a key part of the opportunity to uplevel your frontline workers is by transforming the way they work with next generation AI.


 


An image providing statistics about how next-generation AI is transforming productivity across most workforces.An image providing statistics about how next-generation AI is transforming productivity across most workforces.


When we talked to customers, we found that AI can help frontline workers in three main ways: 



  1. Answers and guidance in the moment: Enable in-the-moment answers and guidance to find the right information they need to make a decision. 

  2. Automate common workflows: Speed up everyday processes like reporting incidents or creating tasks to save workers’ much needed time. 

  3. Advise workers on what to focus on: Advise and summarize information, from shift handovers to missed communications, so workers can quickly get up to speed on information they need to do their job informed. 


 


We are excited to show you how you can meet these AI needs on the frontline by easily creating a custom copilot that fits your unique frontline use cases using Copilot Studio or by empowering them with the full, out-of-the-box Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365.  


 


Create your copilot, your way, for your frontlinewith Copilot Studio


 



 


We are empowering you to easily build your own custom copilot, your way to meet the specific needs of your frontline workers. Whether you create a copilot for a singular purpose, like HR or IT support, or as a comprehensive copilot to meet the various needs of your frontline, you can create the right AI assistant to meet the challenges faced on your frontline. 


 


Answers and guidance in the moment


 


We often hear from customers that their frontline workers are struggling with finding the right information in the moment to make a decision quickly. Many of them search across different resources or hundreds of pages of content to find the right answer. In fact, 62% of frontline workers say they struggle with too much time spent searching for information (Work Trend Index, 2022). This hurts their ability to be effective or respond to customers. Create a copilot connected to the knowledge systems you use today like SharePoint, websites or system of records to equip your frontline with the ability to find the right information, guidance and answers at their fingertips. Now AI is helping your frontline workers get answers quickly, spend less time on operations, and improve customer interactions.


 


An image demonstrating examples of copilot prompts retail frontline workers input on the Microsoft Teams mobile app.An image demonstrating examples of copilot prompts retail frontline workers input on the Microsoft Teams mobile app.


Automate common workflows


 


Many frontline workers are also struggling with having to handle multiple processes and tasks spread across systems.  In fact, data from our Work Trend Index shows that over 60% of frontline workers struggle with repetitive and tedious tasks that take time away from valuable work like providing quality customer service and efficiently fulfilling meaningful components of their work. Create a copilot that automates common workflows like task management with intelligent capabilities to increase execution visibility and smooth task completion. This will enable your team to have more operational visibility into the work that needs to be completed, while also enhancing the ability to execute processes faster.


 


An image demonstrating how copilot can automate common workflows like task management in the Microsoft Teams mobile app.An image demonstrating how copilot can automate common workflows like task management in the Microsoft Teams mobile app.


Advise workers on what to focus on


 


We also know that your frontline workers are often faced with a lot of information and work they need to digest and put into action to create the best customer experience and complete work efficiently. But they are often too overwhelmed with the amount of content they need to take into account and miss crucial information that could personalize how they complete work. Create a copilot that advises and shares pertinent information in the moment so they can focus on delivering their best to your customer or the work at hand. Frontline workers will be able to bring more personalized and relevant information into their interactions with customers as well as their tasks to increase customer satisfaction and upselling of products and services.


 


An image demonstrating how copilot can provide a response that advises and shares pertinent information, such as providing a list of customers with the following prompt: "Do I have visit proposals?"An image demonstrating how copilot can provide a response that advises and shares pertinent information, such as providing a list of customers with the following prompt: “Do I have visit proposals?”


All of these scenarios can be created today in as fast as a few days using Copilot Studio. 


 


Copilot for Microsoft 365: Your AI assistant at work integrated into the Microsoft 365 apps


 


For frontline workers who work in the Microsoft 365 apps millions of people use every day like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more, you can enable them with an AI assistant at work. We are excited to announce that Copilot for Microsoft 365, which works across your entire universe of data at work and is integrated into the Microsoft 365 apps and the web, will now be available as an add-on to all F SKU licenses. This AI addition will enhance frontline worker and manager productivity by combining powerful large language models with their work content and context to help them deliver at a higher level.


 


With Copilot for Microsoft 365, frontline workers can recap a patient visit or a regional sales call on a Teams meeting with intelligent notes or quickly catch up on any town halls and trainings they miss. They can find information quickly, whether searching for patient and customer information or scouring through manuals, with content across Microsoft 365. And they can use Copilot to draft and edit customer responses in Outlook to improve customer response rate and satisfaction. This means frontline managers and workers will be able to spend less time searching for and cataloguing information, and more time on the work and human interactions that are meaningful to your business.


 


Plus, Microsoft Copilot is built on Microsoft’s trusted and comprehensive approach to enterprise-grade security, privacy, identity, compliance, and responsible AI—so you know it’s enterprise ready.


 


Here’s how you can get started and transform your frontline with AI


 


Whether you want to enable your frontline workforce with a custom copilot, or a Copilot integrated with Microsoft 365 productivity suite, you can transform your frontline today with next generation AI to uplevel their productivity.


 


Here are two ways you can get started:



  1. Get started today with Copilot Studio and learn more about how you can transform your business processes with a custom copilot.  

  2. Learn more about how Copilot for Microsoft 365 can uplevel the productivity of your frontline workforce. Copilot for Microsoft 365 will be available for Frontline licenses in the coming weeks.


 


We are looking forward to seeing how you transform your frontline workforce with AI.

Introducing Power Fx in desktop flows: Empowering Makers with low-code capabilities

Am really keen on exposing PowerApps / Flow news - this was provided from Microsoft Flow. You can read out the full post available on this link:

https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-power-fx-in-desktop-flows-empowering-makers-with-low-code-capabilities/

 

Power Automate for desktop’s March release includes major updates for Power Fx enabled desktop flows (preview). IntelliSense capabilities, a revamped variable picker and a dedicated function picker assist makers in creating complex functions with minimal effort.

What's New for SharePoint Server – March 2024

Am a keen follower of Microsoft's SharePoint Blog and proud to provide this direct from the Microsoft Tech Community:

In this article:


 



 


SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Version 24H1 feature update


 


Today we’re delighted to share the latest steps in our evergreen journey for SharePoint Server with the release of the Version 24H1 feature update for SharePoint Server Subscription Edition. This feature update brings greater customization capabilities to our modern UX, simplifies Open ID Connect configuration, and opens up a new channel for on-premises customers to share their feedback directly with the SharePoint Server product team.


 


Search vertical customization in modern search results


 


Long-time SharePoint Server customers are aware of the breadth of functionality available in the classic SharePoint UX. This power can also be its Achilles’ heel, overwhelming users with options as they carry out their day-to-day work. Microsoft introduced the modern UX to address these concerns, simplifying the SharePoint experience and making it easier for users to perform their most common tasks.


 


While the modern UX has been a welcome redesign of the SharePoint experience, Microsoft recognizes that there are opportunities to further enhance the modern UX without negating its advantages in ease of use. Search verticals are a good example of this.


 


Search verticals provide a way for users to quickly filter the types of search results returned for a query, such as by only returning documents, news posts, and so on. Customers have the flexibility to customize which search verticals are present in the classic search results page. However, search verticals couldn’t be customized in the modern search results page. Customers were locked into using the default search verticals that were built-in to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition.


 


This limitation is removed starting with the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Version 24H1 feature update. Customers now have the ability to add custom search verticals to their modern search results page at both the site and organization level. This will help users to quickly find what they’re looking for while staying in the simplified modern UX.


 


OpenID Connect (OIDC) integration with SharePoint certificate management


 


The initial RTM release of SharePoint Server Subscription Edition introduced several new features that were designed to improve the security and manageability of SharePoint Server.


 


One of those new features was OpenID Connect (OIDC) authentication support. OpenID Connect is a modern authentication protocol that makes it easy to integrate applications and devices with an organization’s identity and authentication management solutions to better meet their evolving security and compliance needs. For example, organizations can enforce authentication policies such as multifactor authentication (MFA), conditional access policies based on device compliance, and more.


 


Another new feature was SSL/TLS certificate management. This feature allows farm administrators to directly manage the deployment and lifecycle of SSL/TLS certificates in their SharePoint farms. This includes importing and exporting certificates into SharePoint, deploying those certificates to each server in their SharePoint farm, assigning certificates to web applications or other SharePoint resources, and automatic notifications when certificates are approaching their expiration date.


 


SharePoint Server Subscription Edition’s OIDC implementation includes a nonce cookie certificate, which is part of the infrastructure that ensures OIDC authentication tokens are secure. However, this nonce cookie certificate wasn’t managed by the SharePoint certificate management feature. As a result, customers had to manually deploy, configure, and monitor the expiration of this certificate on each server in their SharePoint farm.


 


Starting with the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Version 24H1 feature update, the OpenID Connect (OIDC) nonce cookie certificate is now integrated into the SharePoint certificate management experience. SharePoint farm administrators can use the SharePoint certificate management feature to manage the full lifecycle of the OIDC nonce cookie certificate, including deployment of the certificate to all servers in the farm and automatic configuration of the necessary permissions. A new SharePoint Health Analyzer health rule has also been added to notify administrators if the nonce cookie certificate isn’t being managed through SharePoint certificate management.


 


Customer feedback experience in SharePoint Central Administration


 


Microsoft aspires to bring the best possible experiences for users around the world through its innovative product offerings. Customer feedback is critical to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our customers. That’s why we’re happy to announce a new way for customers to share their feedback with Microsoft from directly in the product.


 


Starting with the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Version 24H1 feature update, an optional survey will appear to SharePoint farm administrators from time to time when they visit the SharePoint Central Administration site. The feedback shared through this survey will go directly to the SharePoint Server product team to help us improve the product to meet your needs. Customers can disable this customer feedback experience on a per-user or farm-wide basis if they so choose.


 


For more information about these new feature experiences, see New and improved features in SharePoint Server Subscription Edition Version 24H1.


 


End of support reminder for SharePoint 2016 and SharePoint 2019


 


It may be hard to believe, but SharePoint Server 2019 reached the end of Mainstream Support on January 9th of this year and is now in Extended Support. This means that it’s no longer eligible to receive non-security quality updates. Going forward, it’s only eligible to receive security updates.


 


In fact, the end of support for SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 is just over 2 years away. On July 14, 2026, both of these products will reach end of support. After that date, these products will no longer be eligible to receive support of any kind, including security updates.


 


If you’re currently using either of these products, now is the perfect time to start thinking about your future. There are two paths forward to remain supported:


 



  1. Migrate to SharePoint in Microsoft 365, which is our recommended approach. SharePoint in Microsoft 365 is our premier SharePoint experience and gives customers access to all of the latest productivity, security, and usability investments that Microsoft is making now and in the future.

  2. Upgrade to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, which is the latest version of SharePoint Server. SharePoint Server Subscription Edition is based on our modern engineering and support lifecycle, which means we’ll continue to introduce new feature experiences and capabilities for it on a regular basis through feature updates, focusing on security and key customer scenarios. Note that while we’ll continue to make investments in SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, the scope of those investments will be much smaller compared to SharePoint in Microsoft 365, so the feature gap between them will only increase over time. For this reason, we encourage customers to migrate what they can to SharePoint in Microsoft 365 and only keep what they must in SharePoint Server Subscription Edition.


 


Summary


 


We hope SharePoint Server Subscription Edition customers take this opportunity to explore the new feature experiences we’ve introduced in the Version 24H1 feature update. We look forward to sharing even more new feature experiences with you in our next feature update, coming in the second half of this year.


 


And for SharePoint 2016 and SharePoint 2019 customers, don’t wait to begin planning your path forward to remain supported once these products reach end of support. Planning now will give you plenty of time to evaluate your options to either migrate to the cloud or remain on-premises, and begin executing on your decision. Whichever option you choose, Microsoft stands behind you with products and services designed to meet your needs today and in the future.

The above is kindly provided by the Microsoft Tech Community!

Microsoft 365 Community Conference event guide: Keynote, AMA, sessions, and more

Microsoft 365 Community Conference event guide: Keynote, AMA, sessions, and more

Join in: The Microsoft 365 Community Conference in Orlando, FL | April 30 - May 2, 2024 | aka.ms/M365Conf24 – Sponsored by Microsoft.Join in: The Microsoft 365 Community Conference in Orlando, FL | April 30 – May 2, 2024 | aka.ms/M365Conf24 – Sponsored by Microsoft.



  • WhatMicrosoft 365 Community Conference 2024


    • Register today | Note: Use the MSFTCOMMUNITY discount code to save $100 USD.


  • Content: 1 Microsoft keynote + 1 AMA || 150+ overall sessions – 88 Microsoft-led sessions (see all below in product-area buckets) | 18 full-day workshops (pre-day and post) – 4 supported by Microsoft


  • When & whereApril 30 – May 2nd, 2024 


    • In-person: Orlando, Florida – Swan & Dolphin Resort – Disneyworld

    • Workshops: April 28, 29, and May 3, 2024


  • Twitter & hashtag@M365CONF | #M365Con

  • Cost$1,899 – full conference (Includes 3 continental breakfasts, 3 lunches, a T-shirt, and backpack. Additional costs for full-day workshops.)


 


We have been humbled by the customer adoption and excited to see you grow your careers and impact on your organizations. The Microsoft 365 Community Conference (#M365Con) is a wonderful place to get together with the best community in tech – to see old friends, meet new friends, compare notes on best practices, go to the amazing Expo Hall and learn from our partners and see their latest solutions.
– Jeff Teper, President – Collaborative Apps and Platforms – Microsoft


 


Why attend?



  • Discover the latest innovations in AI and learn best practices from Microsoft’s product makers to boost your productivity, creativity, and collaboration. 

  • Build your Microsoft 365 skills and knowledge through hands-on demos and workshops that will equip you with the tools you need to take your work to the next level.

  • Network with thousands of Microsoft experts, MVPs, industry leaders, and the best community in tech.


 


Join Microsoft and community experts in-person, in one place. The Microsoft 365 Community Conference returns to Orlando, FL, April 30 – May 2, 2024 – with two pre-event and one post-event workshop days. It’s a wonderful event dedicated to Copilot and AI, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Viva, Power Platform, and related Microsoft 365 apps and services. Plus, a full Transformation track for communicators, HR, and business stakeholders in workplace experience.


 


You’ll hear the latest product updates and guidance from over 175 Microsoft product makers — filled with real-world solutions across keynotes, sessions, and pre/post event deep-dive workshops to build your expertise – presented alongside Microsoft MVPs and community experts. We hope you join in to learn, share, and engage –including evening gatherings, the attendee party, and Microsoft will have a dedicated, fully-staffed product booth and community space within the Expo Hall alongside all the wonderful event sponsors.


 


We recently grabbed time with Jeff Teper (President of Collaboration Apps and Platforms at Microsoft) to share his ideas and thoughts on the value of the Microsoft 365 Community Conference 2024:



 


Microsoft keynotes, sessions, and workshops: Copilot/AI, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Viva, Power Platform, D&I, and related technology


 


Microsoft keynote, general sessions, and AMA (Ask Microsoft Anything)


Hear from Microsoft leadership revealing the latest innovations shaping the flexible, innovative, and secure business environments of the future. [all times listed in PT]


 



  • OPENING KEYNOTE | “Age of Copilots” with Jeff Teper (President of Collaboration Apps and Platforms) | Tuesday, April 30th, 8:00am – 9:30am [MSKEY01]

  • GENERAL SESSIONS

    • Copilot for Microsoft 365” with Bobby Kishore [Link coming soon]

    • Transform workplace experience: Strategies and best practices” with Steve Clayton [Transformation track]

    • Content and collaboration experiences” with Omar Shaine and Chris McNulty [Link coming soon]

    • Microsoft Teams innovations and opportunities” with Manik Gupta [Link coming soon]

    • What’s new and next for Microsoft Viva and the employee experience” with Kirk Gregersen [Link coming soon]



  • Microsoft AMA” with Jeff Teper and numerous product leaders| Wednesday, May 3rd, 4:15pm – 5:15pm [MSAMA]


 


:cool: Register today | Note: Use the MSFTCOMMUNITY discount code to save $100 USD.


 


Microsoft-led breakout sessions [Each 60 minutes]


Take the opportunity to select the sessions best suited for your role and interests. All breakouts bring product updates, demos, customer stories, best practices, and insights into product and solution strategy – including guidance on the future.


 


You can review all sessions and the unique set of Microsoft-led sessions – all of which are listed below in this guide. We will keep everything up to date as there are still a few embargoed sessions :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes::


 


Copilot and AI [sessions]


It is crucial to ensure your organization is technically ready for the full potential of Copilot for Microsoft 365. The sessions below focus on technical readiness and ensuring you have the latest guidance. Our experts will share best practices and provide guidance on how to leverage AI and to maximize the benefits of Copilot within your organization. 


 



 


SharePoint, SharePoint Premium, and Power Platform [sessions]


Join us to learn how AI-powered content management in Microsoft 365 enables content intelligence, optimizes critical business processes, improves governance, and prepares your content for Copilot. Below is a subset of content related to SharePoint – each has a little or a lot of SharePoint to spare and share :). 


 



 


OneDrive, Lists, Stream, Planner, and related technology [sessions]


When, where, and how we work are fundamentally changing. It’s time to consider reshaping the future of work, and for decades to come. Learn about the latest product updates benefitting teamwork, file and information management, and other task management capabilities across Microsoft 365. The goal is to help you get informed, stay connected with your peers, and work smarter.


 



 


The Transformation track for communicators, HR, and business stakeholders in workplace experience [sessions] + full details


Dive deep into strategies, insights, and best practices to modernize communications and engage employees. Develop an actionable plan that aligns stakeholders to drive the transformation that matters to your organization, whether you want to nurture a high-performance organization, foster culture, and diversity, accelerate innovation, or ensure successful adoption of technologies like Copilot and AI. Take away prescriptive product guidance from experts, inspiration from thought leaders and real-world learnings from peers across industries.


 



 


Microsoft Viva [sessions]


Here’s a quick rundown of sessions to learn more about Microsoft Viva, the employee experience platform (EXP) built for the AI era.


 



 


:cool: Register today | Note: Use the MSFTCOMMUNITY discount code to save $100 USD.


 


Microsoft Teams, Rooms, and Mesh [sessions]


Get a sneak peek into the Teams experience at M365Con. The sessions span the breadth of Teams so you will be able to explore the newest product capabilities, get your questions answered, and learn how you can supercharge the who, where, and how of work with Microsoft Teams.


 



 


Diversity & Inclusion, and Adoption [events & sessions]


At Microsoft, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) is central to our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. The vast diversity of cultures, communities, and community concerns presents an opportunity to advance D&I on a global scale, while also remaining contextually relevant at the local level. We invite you to join in the below sessions, to engage with new perspectives, learn adoption and deployment best practices, and share stories about how real-life business users, IT Pros, and developers around the world navigate modern work and the era of AI. 


 



 


Microsoft 365 administration, deployment, and governance [sessions]


As the backbone of any modern organization, your role is to ensure your users are most productive while maximizing value from your current investments. With the rapid evolution and adoption of AI, you are facing new challenges and opportunities. The below sessions provide a wealth of news and technical knowledge to help you keep up with the latest trends, best practices, and solutions for managing and optimizing your IT environment.


 



 


Developer [sessions]


Developers are resilient, find ways to adapt, and create amazing applications while having fun and helping everyone. Microsoft is unique in the industry and provides the world’s most comprehensive developer toolkit and platform to support your journey as a developer, no matter where you are. The below sessions give you insights and guidance for extending Copilot, SharePoint, and Teams – along with benefits of our core frameworks, methods, and opportunities.


 



 


:cool: Register today | Note: Use the MSFTCOMMUNITY discount code to save $100 USD.


 


Full-day, Microsoft-supported workshops [all times listed in PT]
The learning and skilling continue, on your own time. Take a deep dive into technology to help refine your practices and bring learnings back to your team and organization to extend the application and use of your Microsoft 365 investment. All Microsoft 365 Conference workshops either take place pre-event on Sunday (April.28) or Monday (April.29) or post-event on Friday (May.3).


 



 


See the full list of 18 workshops available on the pre days and post day.


 


Get the most out of M365Con: Top five tips while attending



  1. Introduce yourself | Unique perspectives await, including yours.

  2. Attend as much as you can | Laptops down, eyes open – depth learning, tips, and tricks abound.

  3. Share what you know |Your knowledge saves time – pay it forward.

  4. Ask questions, share feedback | Your issues and  ideas Inform us and influence the roadmap.

  5. Hydrate and dress for steps | Keep the brain healthy and mind active.

  6. BONUS | Update your LinkedIn profile and photo | Best reflect your professional experience and growing technical aptitude.


 


Learn more


Visit M365Conf.com and follow the action on X/Twitter: @M365Conf / #M365Con, @Microsoft365@MSFTCopilot, @SharePoint@OneDrive, @MicrosoftTeams, @MSPowerPlat, @Microsoft365Dev, and @MSFTAdoption.


 


Join in: The Microsoft 365 Community Conference in Orlando, FL | April 30 - May 2, 2024 | aka.ms/M365Conf24 – Sponsored by Microsoft.Join in: The Microsoft 365 Community Conference in Orlando, FL | April 30 – May 2, 2024 | aka.ms/M365Conf24 – Sponsored by Microsoft.


I hope you will join us in Orlando for what will be a fantastic week! I am looking forward to the action alongside the community, MVPs, and Microsoft product members from Copilot, Teams, Office, SharePoint, OneDrive, Loop, Viva, Power Platform, Lists, Planner, and more.


 


Take a moment and listen through the eyes of attendees and their thoughts on the 2023 event:



Remember, Microsoft customers can use the discount code MSFTCOMMUNITY to save $100 USD off your conference registration. Register today :cool:


 


A little bonus if you made it this far ;). I recently joined one of the weekly Microsoft 365 – Power Platform community calls to share, “Inside planning for the Microsoft 365 Community Conference” – to highlight the Microsoft content plan, our focus on community, the value of feedback opps, badging/prizes, info about the evening party, and more:


 


 


Cheers and see you there,


Mark Kashman, senior product manager – Microsoft

Simplify your work with Table rules in Microsoft Loop

Am really keen on exposing PowerApps / Flow news - this was provided from Microsoft Flow. You can read out the full post available on this link:

https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/simplify-your-work-with-table-rules-in-microsoft-loop/

 

Microsoft Loop is a powerful productivity tool that enables collaborative work and flexible information organization. It provides teams with a shared workspace where they can create and collaborate on content such as notes, tasks, and files. Loop integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Power Automate, allowing users to automate repetitive tasks. By creating rules, you can trigger specific actions based on conditions, saving time and effort. For instance, you can set up a rule to send an email notification to your team whenever a new task is added to a project table in Loop. Overall, Loop enhances teamwork and streamlines communication by combining a shared workspace with automated workflows.

Microsoft 365 Admin Monthly Digest – Feb 2024

Microsoft 365 Admin Monthly Digest – Feb 2024

a banner depicting the title of the blog with tagline ”Your monthly IT admin blog for all things Microsoft 365”a banner depicting the title of the blog with tagline ”Your monthly IT admin blog for all things Microsoft 365”


 


Welcome to the Microsoft 365 IT admin blog, your monthly source of tips, insights, and best practices for managing and optimizing your Microsoft 365 environment. In this edition, we get an update on the latest products and services onboarded to the unified domain, cloud.microsoft, review the latest enhancements to bring more insights to customers on their network connectivity, explore the benefits of the Monthly Enterprise Channel, and highlight a new blog where you can catch up on all things Copilot for Microsoft 365.  


 


By the time you’re reading this, the Copilot for Microsoft 365 Tech Accelerator has likely concluded. If you missed it, you can catch up on all the sessions via recording on the event page. We highly recommend watching this session on preparing for organization for Copilot for Microsoft 365. Wherever you are in your consideration of Copilot, the session covers steps you can take to improve data governance that are key, in general, to ensuring a secure and well-run tenant. 


 


Highlights across Microsoft 365 administration 


Let’s check out some of the latest features we launched in the Microsoft 365 admin center and how they can help you get things done.  


 


New services available on the cloud.microsoft unified domain 


Last year, we announced a new unified domain for Microsoft 365 apps and services, cloud.microsoft. Consolidating experiences to a single domain benefits customers in several ways by reducing sign-ins, redirects, and delays for users navigating across apps, and the complexity of allow lists admins must manage to stay secure and productive. This month, the following services have become available on the new domain:  



  • Microsoft 365 Service Health Status Page: status.cloud.microsoft  

  • Microsoft Setup: setup.cloud.microsoft 


Right now, these services are running in parallel on the old and new domains and no specific user action is required. In the coming months, the old domains will be removed and redirected to cloud.microsoft. Microsoft recommends educating your users to recognize and expect cloud.microsoft as the domain name for Microsoft cloud experiences and you can refer them to this article for more information. It would be good practice to also update any organizational materials that reference old URLs, and ensure that connections to *.cloud.microsoft are not blocked from your clients and enterprise networks. The *.cloud.microsoft domain has already been added to the official list of Office 365 URLs and IP address ranges. This article will continue to be updated with all the Microsoft 365 apps and services that are supported on the unified domain, and we’ll continue covering the latest each month in this section. 


 


Enhancements to Network Connectivity now generally available 


The Health | Network Connectivity page in the Microsoft 365 admin center helps you assess and monitor network performance for Microsoft 365 services by identifying network providers, reviewing insights on performance and availability. New enhancements include the ability to show network providers in use at the tenant and location level, a performance and availability assessment that includes details on what could be negatively affecting performance, and a Network Provider Index chart (currently for the US, and soon for the rest of the world) that shows top performing network providers at a given location. To access these features in the Microsoft 365 admin center, you must be assigned the Network Administrator or Global Administrator role. Review this blog for more details about these features. 


 


Striking a balance between speed and predictability 


Since early 2020, Microsoft has offered production updates to Microsoft 365 Apps through 3 primary channels: Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel, and Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. As the names suggest, Current Channel pushes feature updates as soon as they’re ready for production. Monthly Enterprise Channel establishes an update cadence for every second Tuesday of the month, and Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel gets updates twice a year, in January and July. Before, customers either had the option of Current Channel or Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel and the desire for predictability meant customers had the bulk of their user devices on Semi-Annual Enterprise channel and some on current channel apprised of what was coming around the (6 month) corner. 


 


A happy medium, the Monthly Enterprise Channel was introduced to provide the predictability that IT needs, while supporting the pace of enhancements that provide the best product experience possible. Forrester published a Total Economic Impact (TEI) report on the impact of switching to the Monthly Enterprise channel and there’s a lot of great learnings to be gleaned from (you can also watch this video about the report). The study, conducted before Copilot accelerated the pace of release, analyzed customers that transitioned from Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel to Monthly Enterprise Channel and found the following: 


 



  • Customers saved time for end users, help desk staff, and IT admins by enabling a more reliable and manageable update process that increased app stability and reliability. 

  • Reduced the risk of data breach because of faster quality fixes and end user access to security-related features 

  • Risk-adjusted present value projects the three-year benefit of moving to monthly updates at $10.18M and 90% reduction in reactive efforts. 


What should I do next? 


The speed at which Copilot for Microsoft 365 evolves to bring the latest and greatest to your users’ fingertips makes it ineligible for users running Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. Having updates come 6 months apart makes it extremely difficult to provide a great experience for both users and IT. This goes beyond just generative AI, as the pace of technology in general only continues to accelerate.  


 


Fortunately, moving your users to Monthly Enterprise Channel is not a difficult task. Microsoft offers many ways for you to manage user devices and leveraging security groups, and update policies allow you to set it up once to establish an easily-managed process. Check out this article to learn more about how you can easily change update channels of apps. 


 


For those who want to be on the cutting edge of feature enhancements, there is Current Channel (Preview), which provides a great way for IT or power users to become familiar with upcoming new features before they hit the production channels. Read this article or watch this video for a deeper view of update channels. 


 


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What’s new in Copilot for Microsoft 365 blog 


With the speed of enhancements and releases, we’re putting together a monthly What’s New in Copilot article that will be published on the Copilot for Microsoft 365 Tech Community. This blog series will recap feature enhancements that have been launched and important updates that are to come. The Copilot for Microsoft 365 Tech Community is also a centralized space to discuss anything related to Copilot and we encourage you to join the community and subscribe to make sure you get notifications on new content as it’s released. 


Stay updated 


 


As always, stay current with the latest updates on the Microsoft 365 admin center from the Microsoft 365 roadmap and the message center. To keep up with the latest on Copilot for Microsoft 365, consider joining our Copilot for Microsoft 365 Tech Community.  


 


Comment below if there are IT admin or change management topics you would like us to explore in future!