Microsoft 365
Feb 3, 2025 10:00 PM
Whats new in Microsoft 365 | January Updates
Microsoft Teams Intune Admin Copilot Entra ID OneNote SharePoint OneDrive Purview Defender Office 365 Clipchamp
Key insights
- Microsoft Teams Updates: New features include live chat for small businesses, SMS for calling plans in the US and Canada, and a new "Tag mentions" filter. Users can also edit their display names during meetings, and presenters can now moderate Q&A sessions. The rollout will occur from January to April 2025.
- Microsoft Intune Enhancements: The admin center UI has been updated with scenario-focused navigation, consistent list views, and platform-specific navigation pivots. This update aims to improve monitoring and management workflows.
- Microsoft Copilot Innovations: Notable updates include the rollout of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and video creation capabilities via Clipchamp. Users can take notes in OneNote directly from the canvas, enhancing workflow integration.
- Data Lifecycle Management: Microsoft Purview introduces separate retention policies for Copilot and AI apps, allowing admins to configure different policies for various interactions within Microsoft Teams Chat and other platforms.
- Security Assessments with CloudCapsule: An automated tool that aligns M365 security assessments with CIS Controls is now available. It helps streamline assessments by detecting tenant misconfigurations against security best practices.
- Email Threat Classification in Microsoft Defender: A new feature requiring a Defender For Office 365 P2 License enhances email threat detection using advanced techniques like large language models (LLMs) and machine learning (ML).
Introduction to Microsoft 365 January 2025 Updates
The latest updates in Microsoft 365 for January 2025 have been unveiled in a comprehensive video by Nick Ross, a Microsoft MVP. This video serves as a valuable resource for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and IT administrators, offering a concise overview of the numerous changes across the Microsoft 365 suite. By distilling over 100 announcements into relevant insights, the video ensures that viewers are well-informed about the latest enhancements and features.
Microsoft Teams: Enhancing Communication and Collaboration
Microsoft Teams has introduced several new features aimed at improving communication and collaboration for businesses of all sizes. One of the key updates is the introduction of live chat for small businesses. This feature allows website visitors to engage directly with business teams through Teams chat and channels. It is tailored specifically for small businesses, offering simplified features such as collecting visitor contact information and auto-assigning chats to available team members. This update is expected to be fully rolled out by late January 2025. Additionally, Microsoft Teams is rolling out SMS chat capabilities for calling plans in the United States and Canada. This feature enables users to send and receive SMS messages natively within Teams.
The rollout is scheduled to be completed by late February 2025. Another significant enhancement is the introduction of a "Tag mentions" filter in the Activity feed. This allows users to easily view their tag mentions in chat and channel messages, streamlining communication and ensuring important messages are not missed. This feature is expected to be available by late February 2025. Furthermore, participants in Teams meetings will soon have the ability to edit their display names during live meetings. This temporary name change will not affect the participant's original name on their People card. The feature is off by default but can be enabled by admins and meeting organizers. The rollout is anticipated to be completed by mid-April 2025.
Microsoft Intune: Streamlined User Interface
The Microsoft Intune update focuses on enhancing the user interface experience for administrators. The updated Apps area introduces a scenario-focused navigation structure that aligns monitoring with management workflows. This update also includes platform-specific navigation pivots, ensuring that menu items are relevant to the specific platform in use. By providing consistency across list views, admins can easily search, sort, and filter data. The rollout of this update is expected to start in early February 2025 and be completed by the end of the month.Microsoft Copilot: Empowering Creativity and Productivity
Microsoft Copilot continues to evolve with new features designed to enhance creativity and productivity. One of the standout updates is the integration of Clipchamp into Copilot's Visual Creator. This feature allows users to create videos by simply typing prompts. Clipchamp generates a script, sources stock footage, and assembles a video project with music, voiceover, text overlays, and transitions. This provides users with a first draft that can be further edited in the Clipchamp app. The feature is available on the Microsoft 365 Copilot plan and is ideal for creating informational videos, how-to guides, and presentations.
The rollout is expected to be completed by mid-March 2025. In addition, Microsoft Copilot introduces the ability to take notes directly in Microsoft OneNote from the workflow canvas. This feature is designed to streamline the note-taking process and is expected to be fully available by late March 2025. Furthermore, users will soon be able to select Microsoft SharePoint sites and folders when writing Copilot prompts. This enhancement allows for greater flexibility and integration with existing Microsoft 365 services. The rollout is scheduled to be completed by late February 2025.
Microsoft Admin: Enhanced Security and Management Features
The Microsoft Admin updates focus on improving security and management capabilities. One of the key features is the introduction of "Threat classification" for email in Microsoft Defender for Office 365. This update leverages large language models and machine learning to provide a more accurate classification of email threats. By understanding the intent behind threats, organizations can enhance their detection, analysis, and response capabilities. The rollout is expected to be completed by late January 2025.
Additionally, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 introduces tool tips and pointers in the Quarantine portal. This in-product guidance aims to enlighten admins about the Quarantine feature, reducing the need for support requests. The guidance can be accessed by clicking on the "Resolution to common issues" link in the Quarantine portal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the January 2025 updates for Microsoft 365 bring a host of new features and enhancements across various products. From improved communication and collaboration tools in Microsoft Teams to streamlined user interfaces in Microsoft Intune, these updates aim to enhance productivity and efficiency for organizations. Additionally, the new features in Microsoft Copilot empower creativity, while the enhanced security and management capabilities in Microsoft Admin ensure a safer and more streamlined experience. As these updates roll out, users and administrators alike can look forward to leveraging these new tools to drive success in their organizations.
Keywords
Microsoft 365 updates January 2025 new features productivity tools cloud services collaboration enhancements security improvements AI integration.
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