1. New Tenant-Wide Policy for Managing Transcript Downloads in Microsoft Teams
Overview
Microsoft Teams has announced a new tenant-level policy for IT admins to manage download permissions for meeting transcripts available in OneDrive. With this update (Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 332800), admins will be able to exclude certain users, like governance or compliance teams, from having to seek permissions e.g. by placing them in defined security groups.
This policy allows for a better alignment of data governance and compliance. The phased rollout across all environments ended in late Dec 2024, with DoD tenants receiving the update last.
Impact
This policy will set the default permissions for downloading meeting transcripts to disallow all users in the tenant from downloading them. Admins can create exceptions to given security groups to allow important stakeholders, such as compliance specialists to still have access to important files.
This will only apply to the newly created meeting transcript files after the rollout of this policy and will not impact the older ones. It helps foster enhanced data protection, which is in line with organizational compliance requirements. It will take effect for transcripts created in new meetings for the specific users on Teams for Mac and desktop platforms.
Recommendations
No admin action was required before the rollout. Moving forward, we would advise admins to make sure that the right security groups are set to exempt important users from these limitations. Inform teams about the change in policy and update the relevant documentation accordingly. More information on downloading transcripts, including where to find the new features, will be added to Microsoft Learn docs in the next couple of weeks.
2. UI Changes to Microsoft 365 Copilot App
Overview
Microsoft is rolling out an update to the Microsoft 365 app UI. It’s now renamed as Microsoft 365 Copilot, starting mid-January 2025, and the changes will streamline the app for AI-first experiences.
Key updates:
- Removing the top header,
- Consolidated tools and settings into a bottom-left toolbar.
- Retirement of the features like “Help me create” and “My Day.”
- The search box will move to the homepage.
- AI experiences like Copilot Chat and Copilot Pages will be grouped for better user interaction.
Impact
As for what users will see, a simplified interface with a smaller top header and a more centered toolbar that has been moved over to the left. The User profile, Settings, and Feedback will move to the bottom-left toolbar under the “Settings and More” section. Search will still work just like it did before, but now it will be prominent on the homepage. Features that are being retired are “My Day” and “Help me create” while AI-enabled document creation will be integrated into Copilot Chat. The app header will also no longer display the organization logo (this change does not affect other apps in Microsoft 365).
Recommendations
No action is required from admins or users.
3. Microsoft Search in Bing Deprecation
Overview
As part of its efforts to streamline search experiences and improve core productivity tools, Microsoft will retire Microsoft Search in Bing on March 31, 2025. After this date, Bing’s work search will no longer be supported, and the configured search box for Microsoft Search in Bing will no longer return results. Office.com will keep giving you access to work search capability. SharePoint Online and Micosoft365.com will also provide the same.
On the other hand, Edge for Business browser and the Windows search box will still provide the work search experience but with an adjusted experience.
Impact
Users will no longer see work search results or their work profiles on Bing.com after March 31, 2025. The Edge for Business address bar will stop returning work results on Bing.com pages but will provide suggestions in the address bar. Similarly, the Windows search box will no longer display organization branding or the “work” tab but will still support document searches, with additional content types added later. These adjustments will bring changes to the user interface in the Windows search box.
Organizations currently using Microsoft Search in Bing must transition to using Microsoft Search through Office.com, SharePoint Online, or Microsoft365.com. Early testing of the deprecation experience may temporarily impact a small set of users before the final date.
Recommendations
Prepare before March 31, 2025. Inform users to shift to Office.com, SharePoint Online, or Microsoft365.com for work search. Admins can set organization-wide favorites in Edge for Business. Admins who wish to discontinue Microsoft Search in Bing earlier than March 31, 2025, can disable it by going to Settings > Search & Intelligence in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
4. Retirement of the “Tags” Feature in Microsoft 365 Apps: Transition to Favorites
Overview
Microsoft will retire the “Tags” feature from Microsoft 365 apps, including:
- www.office.com
- www.microsoft365.com
- Windows app for Microsoft 365 (Office).
This transition is coming between January 6 and 10, 2025. As of this date, users will no longer be able to use tags. On the other hand, it does offer a “Favorites” feature to allow users to bookmark content they deem important.
Impact
Retirement of the Tags feature means that the Tags functionality will be disabled, and the Tags tab will be removed from the Home page (Quick Access section) and the My Content page in Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) All workflows based on this feature will stop working, and users will need to switch to the Favorites feature, which will allow them to highlight and quickly access important content.
Recommendations
No admin action is required. Inform users about the retirement of the Tags feature and encourage them to transition to the Favorites feature.
5. Microsoft Defender for Office 365: New Capability to Analyze Third-Party Reported Messages
Overview
Beginning in early Feb 2025, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 will give admins the option of configuring Defender for Office 365 to automatically send messages that users have reported using ons such as Knowbe4, Hoxhunt, Cofense, Proofpoint and others, Microsoft introduces this feature as part of their Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 406167.
Impact
With this update, organizations that are using third-party message reporting solutions in Outlook can automatically file suspicious messages to Microsoft for analysis. The User-reported section in the Defender portal allows admins and security operators to monitor results and recommendations. Alerts for messages that are reported are created automatically, and organizations subscribed to Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 can benefit from automated investigation and response (AIR). These insights continuously enhance Defender for Office 365 filters and also provide rich data for security analysts to support triage and incident response.
Recommendations
If your user reporting settings are configured to use a non-Microsoft add-in button and Microsoft and my reporting mailbox, no action is required.
However, if the destination is currently set to My reporting mailbox only, update the settings. For additional guidance, refer to the “Report suspicious email messages to Microsoft” documentation in the Defender portal.
6. Viva Learning: Visibility of AI and Copilot Resources Provider
Overview
The AI and Copilot Resources Provider that supports the Microsoft Copilot Academy will become visible to Copilot-licensed users by default. Users would also be able to search this content but admins will be able to control the visibility and permissions about this content. The feature is part of the Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 412064, and the rollout will be completed worldwide by early January 2025.
Impact
Enterprises having at least one Copilot license in their tenant should be able to see the AI and Copilot Resources Provider under:
Admin > manage providers.
By default, the content will be visible to each and every copilot-license user. Permissions are managed by admins who can choose to limit visibility to certain groups or members.
Users can find AI and Copilot Resources content under Browse by > Providers. It’s on the Home page in organizational Learning Paths. They can also search for this content directly.
Recommendations
No immediate action is required. Admins may wish to notify users about this update.
7. Important Updates to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Chat
Overview
Microsoft is introducing updates to enhance the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience. These updates will start rolling out in mid-Jan 2025. The updates will rename:
- Microsoft 365 App to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- Microsoft Copilot for Entra accounts to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.
The new app icon was unveiled at the Nov 2024 Ignite conference. A new URL, M365Copilot.com, will also replace office.com and microsoft365.com for easier access.
Impact
The updates are intended to reduce branding clutter, simplify use and deliver end users and admins new capabilities. That said, there will be more functionality and better accessibility. Find out more about how end users will keep getting the advantages of GPT-formed chat based on GPT-4o, file uploads, and secure data management. They will also find, creat,e and use agents, including shared work data access through custom agents. These updates help admins with better control over agent access and billing for the metered consumption agents.
Agents grounded only on web data will remain free. On the other hand, those accessing organizational content will require metered billing. Branding updates and the new URL will be implemented seamlessly.
Recommendations
Admins should update agent access settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center and prepare an Azure subscription for agents requiring metered consumption. End users do not need to take any action.
8. Protect Sensitive Files with Dynamic Watermarking in Microsoft 365
Overview
Microsoft is rolling out dynamic watermarking as a sensitivity label setting in Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the web, desktop, Mac, Android, and iOS.
Watermark Text: This feature will allow embedding into files the watermark text that includes the details of the user, helping with ensuring extra protection of sensitive data. Public Preview became available in July 2024, and the rollout to General Availability for Current Channel users begins in mid-January 2025, with completion expected by late January 2025. The other channels will continue their usual update cycles.
Impact
Dynamic watermarking is a technique that enables organizations to label and protect sensitive content, which finally embeds user-specific watermarks into files that become perceptible when files are viewed. This feature connects with Microsoft Purview Information Protection and is applicable to sensitivity labels set in Microsoft 365 Admin center. The feature, of course, will not be ON by default.
There was a well-known issue causing “access denied” errors for non-RMS owners of watermarked files. It has been identified and is being resolved. Until then, users may experience limited access issues.
Recommendations
No admin action is required prior to the rollout. Post-rollout, admins need to configure dynamic watermarking in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Moreover, ensure your teams are informed about the changes. That said, update internal documentation. You can also refer to the Microsoft Learn resources on sensitivity labels.
9. Copilot for Sales: Share CRM Records in Outlook Emails
Overview
Beginning on Jan 20, 2025, users will be able to share CRM records whilst composing emails on Outlook using a new feature in Copilot for Sales.
Users can embed a dynamic & rich adaptive card that shows CRM record info by simply typing the ‘/’ key + the name of the record. It helps ensure that relevant CRM data gets shared with email recipients and that the content of that information doesn’t go outdated over time.
Impact
By allowing users to pull in CRM records to Outlook emails, this feature really increases collaboration. Users will be able to select from a list of recently utilized CRM records in a dialog box to automatically insert them into emails. The adaptive card automatically gets updated to reflect the latest CRM changes, so the recipient sees only the most recent data. To see the details of the CRM record, email recipients need to have access to it.
The feature is turned off by default and can be enabled in the Copilot for Sales settings in Outlook, Teams, or other Microsoft 365 apps. When sharing information from the CRM over email, users will experience a more streamlined workflow that enables productivity.
Recommendations
This is an informational message, so no action is currently required. After this feature is live, admins or users can turn it on from Copilot for Sales settings to benefit from this capability. Let your salespeople know about this and how it helps!
10. Whiteboard Migration: Moving from Azure to OneDrive Storage
Overview
Microsoft Whiteboard is moving existing whiteboard files from Azure to OneDrive for Business (ODB). The process of this client-based migration started in Dec 2024 and will continue indefinitely. Migration will then automatically start when users open Whiteboard in compatible clients, like Whiteboard on Windows or Whiteboard in Teams (desktop/web). The migration does not block anyone and provides performance, functionality and security enhancements for your stored boards.
Impact
The migration occurs automatically when users access an eligible Whiteboard client. In general, migration of boards takes a couple of seconds to minutes, based on how many whiteboards you are transferring. Features such as Follow & Commenting are enabled when boards are migrated to OneDrive, in addition to improved compliance and security.
Users may see an error banner if a board fails to migrate. If things go awry, Microsoft will try again within a month, otherwise, users are recommended to copy essential content into a fresh whiteboard.
Any boards that do not migrate will be listed in a specific area of the board picker. Admin can confirm what white boards still exist in Azure using PowerShell cmdlets and inform the users in case.
Recommendations
No immediate action is required. The migration is automatic. However, ensure users are informed about the migration process. But, if critical boards encounter errors, advise users to save content by creating new boards. Admins can proactively monitor migration status and identify any remaining Azure-stored boards and notify users. Microsoft will provide further updates through the Message Center as the migration progresses.
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