Office 365 Weekly Digest | June 9 – 15, 2019

Article
06/17/2019

Welcome to the June 9 - 15, 2019 edition of the Office 365 Weekly Digest.

There were eight additions to the Office 365 Roadmap last week, with half of those for Teams and also including features for Outlook (web & Windows), MyAnalytics and Office 365 ProPlus.

There is one new event for this week's post - the June 2019 virtual meetup for Women IT Pros on Friday, June 28, 2019 at 12pm Pacific. This week's spotlight event is the "Speaking of Security - Privacy Compliance" webinar on Thursday, June 20, 2019 at 10am Pacific.

Highlights from last week's blogs include recent updates to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, a look at Planner updates over the last six months, and a summary of the announcements for Microsoft Flow, PowerApps and Power BI from last week's Microsoft Business Application Summit.

Wrapping up are noteworthy items including details on what's new in Office deployment for IT Pros, a Microsoft Mechanics video on Multi-Geo capabilities in Office 365, and a Microsoft IT Experts Roundtable focused on portals and publication in SharePoint.

REMINDER: As announced a few weeks ago, Office 365 Weekly is moving to a new home. I will post one last time on the current blog (by Wednesday, June 19th) with the details on the new home, new RSS and Feedly feeds, new email subscription sign-up, etc.

OFFICE 365 ROADMAP

Below are the items added to the Office 365 Roadmap last week…

Feature ID	App / Service	Description	Details	Status	Added	Estimated Release	More Info
51938	Teams	Microsoft Teams - External Access in Office 365 Government GCC High and DoD	Seamlessly communicate with people outside your organization with Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams external access allows users from other domains to participate in your chats and calls, including those who are still using Skype for Business Online or Skype for Business on-prem.	In development	06/10/2019	July CY2019	n / a
52256	Teams	Microsoft Teams - Unified Presence (Skype for Business and Teams unified) in Office 365 Government GCC High and DoD	Presence states for users (i.e. available, busy or in a call) is now aggregated between Teams and Skype for Business. This ensures that a user has a single presence state regardless of the app and the device they use. For this functionality, the underlying Skype for Business account that is connected to the Teams user needs to be hosted in Skype for Business online.	In development	06/10/2019	July CY2019	n / a
50586	Teams	Microsoft Teams - Information Barriers	Avoid conflicts of interest within your organization by limiting which individuals can communicate and collaborate with each other in Microsoft Teams. This helps limit the disclosure of information by controlling communication between the holders of information and colleagues representing different interests, for example, in Firstline Worker scenarios. This is particularly helpful for organizations that need to adhere to Ethical Wall requirements and other related industry standards and regulations.	In development	06/10/2019	June CY2019	n / a
52278	Office 365 ProPlus	Expanding your organization's transparency and control over Microsoft 365 cloud connected experiences for Office to additional platforms	In the Office 365 ProPlus 1904 update for Windows, we launched new controls to enable organizations to determine the level of diagnostic and related data that Office sends to Microsoft. Now, we're updating the Office apps for Mac, iOS, and Android, to honor those controls as well.	In development	06/12/2019	July CY2019	Overview of privacy controls for Office 365 ProPlus
52276	MyAnalytics	MyAnalytics Dashboard is coming to more Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites	The MyAnalytics Dashboard will be made available to everyone using Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Business suites that include Exchange Online, specifically Microsoft 365 E5, E3, Business, Office 365 E5, E3, E1, Business Premium and Business Essentials.	In development	06/12/2019	Q4 CY2019	n / a
51966	Teams	Microsoft Teams for Firstline Workers: Import a schedule into Shifts	Now in Teams, importing larger shift schedule amounts simplifies the manager experience.	Rolling out	06/13/2019	July CY2019	n / a
52371	Outlook Web	Outlook on the web - Authentication Session Management	Authentication Session Management allows you to control the frequency at which your users are required to enter their credentials. Admins will be able to configure both the Sign-in frequency as well as if sessions will persist after Outlook on the web is closed.	In development	06/13/2019	June CY2019	n / a
49924	Outlook Windows	Outlook for Windows supports Black Office Theme with reading pane toggle	Office Black theme will turn all Outlook screens into dark mode and adds a sun/moon toggle between black and white based on your preference for reading message content.	In development	06/14/2019	Q4 CY2019	n / a

UPCOMING EVENTS

Make the switch from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams: End User Guidance

Designed specifically for Skype for Business end users, this course offers everything you need to help make the transition to Microsoft Teams. We'll focus on the core communication capabilities you use today, chat and meetings, as well as provide an orientation to additional collaboration functionality Teams has to offer. The session is also available on demand at https://aka.ms/fromskypetoteamsondemand.

Getting Started with Microsoft Teams

This 60-minute session introduces you to the key activities needed to get started with Microsoft Teams today. From setting your profile, to running a meeting, users will leave this session with the foundation needed to use Teams with confidence. The session is also available on demand at https://aka.ms/teamsgettingstartedondemand.

Microsoft Teams Tips and Tricks (Part 1)

Designed for those who are already familiar with Microsoft Teams, our Tips and Tricks sessions offer insights, best practices and advanced functionality to help optimize how Teams can work for you. Each session will also include a few real-world examples of how customers are using Microsoft Teams today. Part 1 is focused on tips for conversations and meetings. Many of our interactions start as a simple chat. Learn how you can take those conversations to the next level, including: (1) Formatting messages to help increase response rates, (2) Managing conversations to easily track and follow-up, (3) Organizing conversations, keeping important and active chats front-and-center, (4) Expanding conversations into a full meeting experience, and more. Prefer to watch this session on your own time or simply want a refresher after attending the live training? Access the consolidated on-demand version of Tips and Tricks here: https://aka.ms/teamstipsandtricksondemand.

Microsoft Teams Tips and Tricks (Part 2)

Designed for those who are already familiar with Microsoft Teams, our Tips and Tricks sessions offer insights, best practices and advanced functionality to help optimize how Teams can work for you. Each session will also include a few real-world examples of how customers are using Microsoft Teams today. Organizing your workflow and projects in Teams can really help simplify productivity. Join us for Part 2 of this series, where you'll learn tips including: (1) Implementing effective strategies creating and managing teams and channels, (2) Leveraging best practices for channel-based conversations, (3) Utilizing a personal team to manage your own productivity, (4) Designing your workspace to quickly find relevant content in Teams, and more. Prefer to watch this session on your own time or simply want a refresher after attending the live training? Access the consolidated on-demand version of Tips and Tricks here: https://aka.ms/teamstipsandtricksondemand.

Maximizing Teams Meetings

The average employee spends approximately 30% of their working life in meetings. But meetings in Microsoft Teams are designed to be flexible and enable different types of connections for all the ways that work needs to get done. For users who are familiar with Microsoft Teams but want to better understand and optimize the Teams meeting experience, this session provides guidance into how to create spontaneous and scheduled meetings, leverage the pre, during and post-meeting features, identifying supported devices, and more.

Upgrade 101: Managing your upgrade from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams (Part 1)

As an existing Skype for Business customer, we understand that upgrading to a new technology can be confusing and are committed to supporting you on your journey to Microsoft Teams. Through our two upgrade classes, you will find everything you need to plan and implement your upgrade. Part 1 is focused on upgrade planning and user readiness. Targeting project stakeholders with accountability for Skype for Business to Teams upgrade success and user readiness/change managers, this session serves as the foundation for your upgrade planning, including: (1) An overview of our proven, upgrade success framework, (2) Real-world customer examples, (3) Insights into facilitating user readiness and upgrade acceptance, and (4) Orientation to key upgrade guidance resources.

Upgrade 101: Managing your upgrade from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams (Part 2)

As an existing Skype for Business customer, we understand that upgrading to a new technology can be confusing and are committed to supporting you on your journey to Microsoft Teams. Through our two upgrade classes, you will find everything you need to plan and implement your upgrade. Part 2 is understanding coexistence and interoperability. Designed for the IT Pro/technical experts implementing the migration from Skype for Business to Teams, this session will arm you with the information you need to know before migrating your users, including: (1) End user experiences during the upgrade, (2) Available journey options an organization can take from online or on-premises as the starting point, and (3) Routing and federation experiences.

Microsoft IT: Speaking of Security - Privacy Compliance

When: Thursday, June 20, 2019 at 10am PT | During this webinar, the speakers will discuss the Microsoft security teams approach to privacy compliance. We'll address how we approached the topic and new requirements from GDPR. We'll answer your questions and talk about governance, compliance, and transparency, including all of the elements necessary to build a privacy program. Finally, we'll share some of the key things we learned on our journey. There are other sessions now available on demand at the Speaking of Security webinar series site.

Customer Immersion Experience: Simplifying your data privacy & compliance journey

Join us for a hands-on introduction to Microsoft 365 Compliance features and an opportunity to experience powerful solutions across the data lifecycle of assess, protect and respond. During this 2-hour interactive session, you will explore how to: (1) Understand your compliance from a single pane of glass, (2) Make identity the new perimeter, (3) Discover and govern sensitive data across clouds, devices and apps, (4) Recognize attacks, detect breaches, and recover quickly using automation, and (5) Streamline your operational processes and understand your security posture. Each session is limited to 12 participants, reserve your seat now.

June 2019 v-meet up for Women IT Pros - LinkedIn for future-ready professionals

When: Friday, June 28, 2019 at 12pm PT | During this session, we will explore the why's of LinkedIn and dive deeper into the best practices for an optimal and effective LinkedIn Profile. Come prepared to learn about SSI scores, leveraging our LinkedIn network for personal branding, and how to be discoverable and stay relevant & current. Speaker: Sophie Solomon is a Global Marketing Executive known for her "Can do" attitude and adaptability to any business climate. She has extensive experience in people management, coaching and Lifelong Learning. She is an avid learner who continuously looks at how to disrupt to foster creativity, innovation and growth for her teams and ecosystems. Sophie leads with empathy and does not rest until all voices are being heard.

BLOG ROUNDUP

Help when you need it – new support features for Microsoft 365 admins

New admin support features include: (1) intelligent self-serve solutions, (2) Callback scheduling, (3) User-defined case severity, (4) Full page ticket and case communication history, (5) Case History export, and (6) Updated Service Request view. The new support experience has already started rolling out as part of the new Microsoft 365 Admin Center, with more features available in the coming weeks. To get the latest Admin Center experience, ensure you've opted into the Preview experience using the toggle in the top right corner of the Admin Center home page. | Resource: What's new in the Microsoft 365 admin center

Planner six-month recap: a quick summary of what's been released during the first half of the year

It's been a busy six months for Planner. (You've probably noticed if you're a Tech Community regular—and if you're not, you're missing out!) We released a variety of features since December 2018 that have made it easier to manage your plans and keep track of your tasks. Here's a quick review of those features, including: (1) Accessibility documentation, (2) Mobile guest access, (3) Multiplan, (4) Copy plan, (5) Government cloud, (6) To-Do integration, and (7) Teams notifications. As a bonus, we have one more popular request that's coming soon -- Export to Excel. With Export to Excel, you'll be able to export your entire Planner plan to an Excel spreadsheet for further analysis and additional options for sharing and printing. | Related: Microsoft To-Do: May Lookback - Planner and Flagged Emails on Personal Accounts

10 Yammer groups considered the backbone of many Yammer customers' networks

Groups in Yammer are the backbone of conversations. The core groups that your network has becomes the place to go for information about those related topics. You don't need to think of every group before you get started, but a few of these with some seeded content and committed members will help your network start on the right foot. Once you've seen a few groups, start to brainstorm about your own organization's communities and then the possibilities are endless. From our customers, here's the top ten list that we've pulled together: (1) CEO Connection, (2) Heritage, (3) Diversity & Inclusion, (4) Emerging Technologies, (5) New Hires, (6) Innovation, (7) Social groups, (8) Departments / Regions / Offices, (9) Safety Moments, and (10) Parent Community. These are the groups we've seen that showcase the power of Yammer and help to drive adoption. These examples could already exist, or they could use a bit of your help to get off the ground. Some of these groups relate to your core values and culture. Some of these groups focus on the diversity of your organization and the organic communities that may already exist. While other groups may focus on specific product improvement initiatives, leadership connecting directly with employees, and others may just be for fun.

Announcing New AI and Enterprise features for Power BI

In a world in which data is coming from everywhere, Power BI is about helping our customers embrace a data culture, where every employee can make better decisions based on data. The growth of Power BI has been staggering – customers ingest more than 20PB of data to Power BI every month, lighting up over 30M reports and dashboards, and the Power BI service processes over 12M queries per hour. Last week at the Microsoft Business Application Summit, we made significant new announcements that will help our customers drive a data culture. These updates and new features can be summarized in three categories: (1) Simple, fast, intuitive experiences including a new look for the Power BI service, (2) Unified Platform for Enterprise BI including the general availability of paginated reports, and (3) Pervasive application of AI including the general availability of Azure Cognitive Services.

2019 Release Wave 2 Plan and May Updates for Microsoft Flow

We are announcing the availability of the 2019 Release Wave 2 Plan for Microsoft Flow. This release plan details the main features that we will be releasing between October 2019 and March 2020. Use this, in addition to the previous release plan from earlier this year, to understand the major investment areas in Microsoft Flow. One of the biggest new investments is AI Builder, which is in preview today. In addition, the past month we've released a number of great features that help you to get started with Flow and build out rich approvals.

NOTEWORTHY

What's new in Office deployment for IT Pros

Updated: June 11, 2019 | This article lists new features, tools, and articles for IT Pros who deploy Office in the enterprise. For details on Office announcements and plans, see the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. The article was recently updated with the following: In July 2019 Microsoft Teams will be added to existing installations of Office 365 ProPlus, starting with Version 1906 in Monthly Channel. For more information, see Deploy Microsoft Teams with Office 365 ProPlus.

Microsoft Mechanics: Multi-Geo in Office 365 - Steps and details on setup

Format: Video (8 mins) | Operate a single global Office 365 tenant with pinpoint control in locations all around the world. Administer where each user's content is stored at rest, and where future content will be stored. If your organization is subject to requirements around where your data is stored, in just a few minutes, you'll see the steps and details around setting up Multi-Geo capabilities in Office 365. You will learn how to manage your diverse, organization-wide data residency needs making it easy for users to seamlessly work together regardless of their location. As an admin, you can easily and confidently manage a distributed global workforce as your organization expands into new markets. Multi-Geo capabilities for OneDrive, Exchange and SharePoint are generally available now.

Microsoft IT Showcase: IT Expert Roundtable - SharePoint at Microsoft - portals and publication

Format: Video (61 mins) | In this webinar, experts from both the business, and IT side of Microsoft will share candid insights and best practices around Enterprise Search, and how we manage our internal portals. They also answer questions about our strategy for modernizing employee experiences, delivering targeted communications, and enabling employees to find the authoritative content they need.

Conditional Access is now part of Microsoft 365 Business!

Over the past several months you've told us that adding Conditional Access to Microsoft 365 Business would help it secure SMB customers more comprehensively. So, we are excited to announce the availability of Conditional Access for Microsoft 365 Business subscribers, enabling small and medium-sized businesses to enforce granular control on how company resources are accessed. Conditional Access policies and configurations available to Microsoft 365 Business subscribers are the same as those available to Azure Active Directory Premium P1 subscribers. Conditional Access enables Zero Trust security, helping you provide this access while maintaining control over "where, when and who" is connecting to your Office 365 environment; so you can protect company assets while also enabling employees to be productive from anywhere. For example, you can define a Conditional Access policy that evaluates sign-in connections from mobile devices to Exchange Online, and requires employees use Outlook for iOS and Android to successfully access their work email and calendar. This gives your organization the security and productivity advantages of an email and calendar app built specifically for the Office 365 cloud.

Ensuring security of your Microsoft Teams apps with Microsoft Cloud App Security

Apps in Microsoft Teams allow you to leverage additional capabilities, enhance your experience, and make Teams work for you by adding your favorite Microsoft and third-party services. Currently, hundreds of ecosystem apps provide a great way to enhance and customize Teams, but to enable applications and services in an organization, they often need to be reviewed across a wide range of security and compliance criteria. At Microsoft Build 2019, we announced the app certification program, which will streamline the process of gathering app information related to security, data handling, and compliance practices from our partners powered by Microsoft's Cloud Access Security Broker and gives customers the ability to review this information in one central location. In the first stage of this program, we'll work closely with solution providers of Teams apps to ensure that the information is up to date, and allow them to self-attest their apps against more than 80 risk factors provided by Microsoft Cloud App Security, as well as leverage their security and compliance information submitted in CSA STAR. In the future, we'll expand this program beyond Teams to include our entire app ecosystem across Microsoft 365. We'll also look into opportunities that would allow customers to easily identify apps that can enhance their experience in Teams, while meeting certain security and compliance requirements. A central app certification program could provide developers the ability to receive a "business ready" badge for each app and simplify the selection process for organizations.

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Office 365 Weekly Digest | June 9 – 15, 2019

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