Microsoft 365 News 05-13-2021: Supplier Reminds Clients of Upcoming Skype for Business Online Retirement

In Microsoft 365 news this week, the supplier issued a reminder about the upcoming retirement of Skype for Business Online service this summer. Keep reading for details about the retirement as well as info about new Microsoft 365 features and updates to the productivity suite.

New Features

• • Recommended files in Office for Windows
    • What’s happening: The recommended files capability leverages machine learning to predict which files end users will want to work on and displays those files on the File tab or start page of Excel, Word or PowerPoint. The recommended files feature in Microsoft Office is already available for end users of Office.com and Office for Mac, and the supplier now plans to implement it in Office for Windows. Please note that this feature is currently accessible on Windows for Office Insiders with enterprise or business subscriptions.

• • App availability in external chats and meetings
    • What’s happening: Microsoft is giving end users who create meetings or group chats with external users from other organizations the ability to install, update and delete apps.

• • PowerPoint Live in Teams for Mac
    • What’s happening: Microsoft has announced plans to add the PowerPoint Live in Teams entry point to PowerPoint for Mac. To present a PowerPoint deck in a Teams meeting, end users will just have to click the “Present in Teams.”

• • Admin assistant for configuring Internet Explorer (IE) mode
    • What’s happening: Microsoft is releasing a step-by-step assistant to help admins in configuring IE mode for Microsoft Edge. The assistant provides scripts to automate the configuration of Enterprise Site Discovery in addition to delivering IE mode recommendations and generating an Enterprise Mode Site List.

• • OneDrive Share Control: Link settings available via quick permissions
    • What’s happening: Microsoft is making Link settings more accessible via the quick permissions dropdown.

• • Speech-to-text for Outlook on iPad and iPhone
    • What’s happening: End users now have the option to utilize speech-to-text for email messages.

• • SharePoint Portal launch scheduler
    • What’s happening: Microsoft has announced the implementation of the SharePoint Portal launch scheduler, which will allow end users to release new high-traffic sites in scheduled phases. This tool will also help users monitor site performance and quality.

• • Public preview: Microsoft 365 Records Management multi-stage disposition review
    • What’s happening: Microsoft has announced a public preview of multi-stage disposition review, a feature that allows for the establishment of a tiered content disposition experience involving as many as five review stages.

• • Ability to export Microsoft Lists to CSV files
    • What’s happening: Microsoft recently implemented the ability to export Microsoft Lists to CSV files across all environments.

Updated Features

• Windows 10 report alterations
  • • What’s happening: Microsoft has announced plans to change Windows 10 reports to enhance the Microsoft Endpoint Manager reporting experience. These updates include the following:
      • • Removal of the Alert details column in the Windows 10 Feature Updates report. Alert details will still be available in the operational report under Devices > Monitor > Feature update failures (Preview) > Select a Profile.

       

      • • Removal of the End user update status report in Devices > Windows > Windows 10 Feature updates > Select a Profile. The same data will be available in the Windows Feature Update report in Reports > Windows Updates (preview) > Reports tab > Generate Windows Feature Update report.

       

      • • Removal of the Update Status column in the End user update status report located in Devices > Windows > Windows 10 update rings > Select a Profile.

       

   

  • • Exact Data Match auto labeling support
      • What’s happening: Microsoft has announced an update that will enhance your ability to label sensitive content by enabling the configuration of new or existing auto-labeling policies via Exact Data Match (EDM) sensitive information types.

   

  • • Updates to custom sensitive information types in the Microsoft 365 compliance center
      • What’s happening: Microsoft previously introduced the option to customize built-in sensitive information types in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. The supplier is now implementing minor enhancements to improve the customization experience.

   

  • • Exchange Online Protection: New looks for quarantine and reports portals
      • What’s happening: Microsoft is enhancing the appearance of these portals, which will both be accessible via the new Security portal at protection.office.com and security.microsoft.com.

   

  • • Additional customization for Exchange Online Reply-All Storm Protection
      • What’s happening: Microsoft will soon give admins the ability to customize various settings for the Reply-all Storm Protection feature.

   

  • • Together Mode now generally available
      • What’s happening: Microsoft has removed the preview label and announced the general availability of Together Mode.

   

  • • Preview Channel: New Outlook for Mac experience is now the default
      • What’s happening: Microsoft is making the new Outlook for Mac experience the default in the Preview Channel for end users who haven’t tried it yet.

   

Announcements

• • Reminder: Upcoming Skype for Business Online retirement
    • What’s happening: Microsoft would like to remind all clients that Skype for Business Online service will retire effective July 31, 2021. Microsoft Teams is now the core communications app for Microsoft 365.

• • Rollout of Teams Me Menu updates resumed
    • What’s happening: Microsoft previously announced plans to implement Me Menu updates in Microsoft Teams in December 2020. The supplier then delayed the deployment to optimize the feature and is now ready to resume the rollout. As part of this update, Settings, Zoom Controls, Keyboard Shortcuts, About, and Check for Updates will relocate to a new menu in the title bar.

• • Rollout of SharePoint app bar with global navigation resumed
    • What’s happening: To ensure the best possible user experience, Microsoft previously paused the rollout of a SharePoint app bar with quick access to global navigation for modern communication and team sites. The supplier is prepared to resume the deployment of this feature at this time.

For more information about Microsoft 365, please take a look at our blog series detailing the business value of the suite. Our expert techs also have extensive experience working with Microsoft 365, as well as other types of IT solutions. To learn more, give us a call at 877-599-3999 or email sales@stratospherenetworks.com.