New and Upcoming Changes from Microsoft

New Features in Microsoft Teams and Office

Microsoft is expanding its feature in Teams and Office to further accommodate workers that are working in a hybrid environment. These features will begin rolling out in September 2021 and will continue to be added through early 2022. A key new feature in Teams will allow for workers that are in the same room doing video conferencing to have individual video panes. In-person workers will no longer need to share a video with the entire conference room, and will instead be able to use their individual cameras in hybrid format teleconferences. An additional upcoming feature will enable presenters to show their videos/face directly on the slides of PowerPoints while presenting. Microsoft continues to add features to accommodate remote and hybrid workers, and more innovations will continue to be added.

Rollout of the New Windows 11 Operating System

Microsoft is set to release the new Windows 11 operating system on October 5, 2021. The rollout will be gradual, with eligible devices receiving the update throughout the remainder of 2021. Windows 11 will feature several new features and upgrades from Windows 10, which was first released 6 years ago. One of these key changes is to the overall look and desktop design. The overall desktop interface and will allow for increased customizable through widgets, virtual desktops, and snap grouping. Further new features include Microsoft Teams integration into the operating system, as well as additional integration with Android device and apps.

Shutting Off of old Outlook Clients from 365 Services

Microsoft has been pushing its customer to switch from its old license based model to a subscription based service for Office and Outlook called 365. On November 1, 2021, the Company will shut off customers using Outlook 2007 and 2010 from using their employer’s 365 services. This will render these older Outlook user’s account unusable without an upgrade. This move is a strong signal that Microsoft is committed to the Office 365 subscription model as the future of the Office platform.

Price Increase of Office/Microsoft 365 Subscriptions

For every remote meeting, establish an agenda so employees know what to expect. This also helps the meeting stay on track.

On March 1, 2022, Microsoft is set to raise the price of the subscription costs for several of its Office 365 plans. The magnitude of the increases depends on the specific plan, but range from 9% to 25% per month. Please find the scheduled increases on the plans below:

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic, up $1 to $6 per month, per user.
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium, up $2 to $22 per month, per user.
• Office 365 E1, up $2 to $10 per month, per user.
• Office 365 E3, up $3 to $23 per month, per user.
• Office 365 E5, up $3 to $38 per month, per user.
• Microsoft 365 E3, up $4 to $36 per month, per user.