Staying updated about your daily tools can feel like a full-time job. But worry not, the Microsoft 365 roadmap is here to be your ultimate guide, offering a sneak peek into the future of Microsoft’s suite of apps and services.
Microsoft 365 roadmap overview
This week, the Microsoft 365 roadmap reveals an exciting update: soon you’ll be able to interact with your OneDrive files even when you’re offline. According to the listing, users will have the capability to “launch OneDrive in your browser and view, sort, rename, move, copy, delete and files even without internet access.”
But wait, there’s more! Mark your calendars because a preview of this offline OneDrive feature is set to make its debut in November, with a full-scale launch planned for December.
Outlook upgrades
And let’s not forget about Outlook. The Microsoft 365 roadmap indicates some nifty new features are on the horizon. One such update aims to make life easier for meeting organizers juggling attendees from multiple time zones.
“When scheduling a meeting with people in different time zones, the organizer will be prompted with additional insights regarding each participant’s respective time zone. The Scheduling Assistant will now help find a time that works for meeting participants across time zones.”
That feature will roll out later in September. Another feature, which is due out in October, is specifically for iOS Outlook users. They will soon be able to paste in plain text to get rid of any special formatting. Another update that’s coming in October will see Outlook’s Scheduling assistant moved over to the app’s toolbar. Microsoft says this will “reduce clicks” and create “a more seamless scheduling experience.
Teams Premium
First up, Teams Premium organizers, you’re in for a treat. Starting in October, you’ll be privy to a new feature that “enables meeting organizers to view meeting engagement data such as total reactions, raised hands, cameras turned on, and more in the ‘Attendance’ tab after a meeting.” Imagine knowing exactly how engaged your audience was during that last virtual meeting. It’s like having a crystal ball, but for productivity!
Also launching in October is a feature that’s a game-changer for those looking to add Large Language Models into Team-based apps. According to the listing:
“The Teams AI library offers developers a suite of code functionalities designed to ease the integration of Large Language Models, empowering them to build rich, conversational Teams apps. It simplifies the process of creating Bots and Message Extensions, as well as interactions with Adaptive Cards for conversational experiences. Additionally, the Teams AI library also aids the migration of existing Bots, Message Extensions, and Adaptive Card functionalities with seamless integration with Large Language Models.”
Edge alerts
Microsoft Edge aficionados, your update alerts are getting a makeover. Starting in October, these notifications will be served up by Browser Essentials rather than the Settings page. The goal:
“Getting alerts on available Edge Updates will come from Browser Essentials instead of the Settings page for better visibility and experience.”
Also, the Microsoft 365 app for web and desktop commercial users will get a new tagging feature in September:
Now, for those of you using the Microsoft 365 app on web and desktop, especially our commercial users, get ready for a tagging revolution this September.
According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, “Tagging in the Microsoft 365 and web and desktop apps is a new, intuitive way for commercial users to organize their work independent of where files are stored.” You’ll find this nifty ‘Tags’ feature in the ‘My Content’ section, but note that it’s only available if you have OneDrive provisioned. It’s like having a digital filing cabinet that you can access from anywhere.
Before you mark your calendars in permanent ink, though, remember that all these rollout and preview dates from the Microsoft 365 roadmap are subject to change.
