Microsoft updates are here! Big changes are coming in October 2024 that will directly impact your bottom line and service offerings. From price hikes to brand-new self-service options, these changes are set to shake up how you do business. Enhanced features in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint bring even more tools to streamline client workflows. Plus, critical retirements like Azure MFA Server and legacy Teams apps mean you need to act fast. Get ahead of the curve and prepare your clients for these pivotal changes.
Microsoft News:
- New pricing for Microsoft Dynamics 365 is confirmed to take effect from October 1, 2024, with a price increase between 9-17%, depending on the product.
- Self-service purchase option for Microsoft 365 Copilot will be available starting in October 2024 for users licensed through Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, and Premium. Users will be able to purchase Copilot independently.
- Sensitivity label support for town halls and webinars in Microsoft Teams will roll out in October 2024 for Teams Premium users.
- New site ownership policy in SharePoint Online: A feature to manage site ownership is set to roll out, helping admins identify and enforce ownership on inactive or overshared sites.
Microsoft Teams Enhancements:
- Language Interpretation Enhancements: Interpreters can now toggle between languages, making it easier to switch languages during meetings.
- Microsoft Mesh Workshop Environment: A new 3D immersive workshop environment with breakout rooms for group collaboration.
- Moderation in Q&A Sessions: Presenters can moderate Q&A, publish questions, and sort by votes in webinars and town halls.
- Advanced Q&A Features: Voting, filtering, sorting, and archiving questions during Q&A sessions for more efficient audience interaction.
- Teams Webinars for GCC-High: Webinars are now supported for government community clouds, including advanced attendee reporting and breakout rooms.
- Teams Rooms on Windows Updates:
- Ultrasound Proximity Join: Allows automatic connection to nearby Teams rooms.
- Dynamic Video Tile Resizing: Video tiles adjust size based on the number of in-room participants.
- Camera Controls: Native controls for OEM camera features, like group framing and active speaker tracking.
- Cloud IntelliFrame: A preview indicator shows how in-room participants appear to remote viewers.
Microsoft Retirements:
- Support for the classic Teams client in VDI ends on October 1, 2024.
- Azure MFA Server will stop processing MFA requests starting October 1, 2024.
- PowerPoint QuickStarter will be retired starting October 8, 2024.
- Classic Teams desktop app will no longer be supported on older versions of Windows and macOS as of October 23, 2024.
