Are you keeping up with Microsoft updates? The Microsoft Mondays: Microsoft Service Updates series from Total Solutions is here for your needs, and remember that Total Solutions also provides tailored, expert guidance during our consulting process. We are highlighting a few of the Microsoft announced upcoming updates from November:
- FindTime add-in is being removed and replaced with Scheduling Poll as a native feature
- Windows Server 2012/R2: Extended Security Updates
- Microsoft Stream: Add a survey, poll, or quiz to a video at specific times
- Microsoft Stream: Add a hyperlink or text callout to a video at specific times
- Co-organizer experience updates in Teams Webinars and Townhalls
- Clipchamp content (Updated)
Keep an eye out for Microsoft Mondays for your Microsoft updates or speak with our technical team for your Microsoft needs.
* Updates posted here originally posted by Microsoft in the Microsoft 365 Message Center
FindTime add-in is being removed and replaced with Scheduling Poll as a native feature
[MC688929 · Published Nov 10, 2023]: The FindTime add-in will stop working and be removed from Outlook for Windows, Web and Mac. Scheduling Poll is the replacement feature, which is built directly into Outlook clients for all users as a native feature.
When this will happen:
You can expect the FindTime add-in to stop working as early as December 11, 2023. Microsoft will start making the change on December 11, 2023, and expect to complete it by the end of that week.
How this will affect your organization:
Once the change has rolled out users will need to utilize Scheduling Poll as a replacement of the FindTime add-in.
Scheduling Poll is currently available to all users of Outlook on the Web and Mac. It is available to Classic Outlook for Windows users in Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel, and Semi-Annual Enterprise Preview. It will become available to Classic Outlook users on the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel in January 2024, and to the Semi-Annual Extended Channel in June 2024.
Users who do not have access to Scheduling Poll yet can either switch to the Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel, or Semi-Annual Enterprise Preview in Classic Outlook for Windows; or they can use Outlook on the Web to create polls.
Note: this change only affects poll creation; poll management can still be done through the FindTime dashboard – https://outlook.office.com/findtime/dashboard.
What you need to do to prepare:
You may consider updating your training and documentation as appropriate as users will get this change automatically as it progresses through the deployment rings. For more information on using Scheduling Poll, please refer to the relevant support articles.
Windows Server 2012/R2: Extended Security Updates
[MC688650 · Published Nov 9, 2023] You can now get three additional years of Extended Security Updates (ESUs) if you need more time to upgrade and modernize your Windows Server 2012, Windows Server R2, or Windows Embedded Server 2012 R2 on Azure. This also applies to Azure Stack HCI, Azure Stach Hub, and other Azure products. A new article provides details and step-by-step instructions to extending limited protection for up to three consecutive 12-month increments. Read it at Windows Server 2012/R2: Extended Security Updates. ESU online and proxy activation scenarios are covered in Extended Security Updates (ESUs): Online or proxy activation.
When will this happen:
- Starting October 10, 2023, you can purchase ESUs for Windows Server 2012, Windows Server R2, and Windows Embedded Server 2012 R2.
- Starting November 14, 2023, the ESUs will become available.
How this will affect your organization:
If you haven’t already moved to Azure to protect your Windows Server 2012 and R2 workloads and couldn’t migrate to Azure Arc, you can purchase and deploy ESUs using multiple activation keys (MAK). ESUs are available for on-premises and hosted environments.
What you need to do to prepare:
To protect devices that reach end of support, follow our newly published guidance under Additional information to:
- Purchase and download the ESU key.
- Prepare to install the ESU key (check your prerequisites).
- Install the ESU key.
- Activate the ESU key.
Furthermore, choose and follow the appropriate activation scenario based on your context: online, through proxy, by phone, or with special consideration for Azure products like virtual machines (VMs).
Additional information:
- Windows Server 2012/R2: Extended Security Updates
- Extended Security Updates (ESUs): Online or proxy activation
- KB5031043: Procedure to continue receiving security updates after extended support has ended on October 10, 2023
- Extended Security Updates for SQL Server and Windows Server
- Product Lifecycle FAQ – Extended Security Updates
Microsoft Stream: Add a survey, poll, or quiz to a video at specific times
[MC688632 · Published Nov 9, 2023]: Make your video interactive and more engaging by adding a survey, quiz, or poll using Microsoft Forms. You can add forms anywhere in the video timeline. Interactivity can be added, edited, and previewed in Stream Web App in Edit mode by users with editing permissions. Go to Microsoft Forms to view responses and share a summary link with answers and scores in Microsoft Forms. Viewers can use video timeline markers to navigate interactive content.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 180796
When this will happen:
Targeted release will begin rolling out in early December 2023.
Standard Release will begin rolling out in late January 2024.
How this will affect your organization:
Users will be able to make interactive videos in Microsoft Stream by adding survey, poll, or quiz at specific times. This is a Stream Classic parity feature in Stream on SharePoint.
Note: Some users may see this feature before other users with your organization.
What you need to do to prepare: There is no action required from you at this time.
Microsoft Stream: Add a hyperlink or text callout to a video at specific times
[MC688631 · Published Nov 9, 2023] Make your video interactive and more engaging by adding annotations that can include hyperlinks and text. Call out important moments or share documents and other links to additional resources. You can add text and links anywhere in the video timeline to help guide your viewers to the right information. Viewers can use video timeline markers to navigate interactive content.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 180795
When this will happen:
Targeted release will begin rolling out in early December 2023.
Standard Release will begin rolling out in late January 2024.
How this will affect your organization:
Users will be able to make interactive videos in Microsoft Stream by adding a hyperlink or text callout at specific times.
Note: Some users may see this feature before other users with your organization.
What you need to do to prepare: There is no action required from you at this time.
Co-organizer experience updates in Teams Webinars and Townhalls
[MC688109 · Published Nov 8, 2023] Scheduling, setting up, and managing an event is not a simple task. Which is why we allow co-organizer to be added to the event so they can work alongside or on behalf of the organizer. So far co-organizers were able to set up event theming, manage registration, meeting options, view reports and more but were not able to edit event details like title, date/time, description, event group; nor publish or cancel event. Now they can! Co-organizer can edit event details, publish, and cancel the event like the organizer can. So once the co-organizer is added they will have full parity of experience as organizer and control/manage/edit event.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 168524
When this will happen:
Targeted release: Microsoft will begin rolling out mid-January 2024 and expect to complete by late January 2024.
Standard release: Microsoft will begin rolling out early February 2024 and expect to complete by late February 2024.
How this will affect your organization:
When co-organizer opens the event scheduling page, they should have the ability to edit the details page, publish, and cancel the event.
Clipchamp content (Updated)
[MC683666 · Published Oct 23, 2023 · Last updated Nov 7, 2023] Updated November 7, 2023: Microsoft has updated the rollout timeline below. Thank you for your patience.
Content improves your ability to create engaging and inspiring videos using Clipchamp. This feature includes stock videos and images, music, shapes, graphics and annotations and is available via web only for the following Microsoft 365 SKUs: Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, and Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
When this will happen:
Targeted Release: This is currently rolling out and expected to complete by late October 2023.
Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out late October 2023 and expect to complete by early December 2023.
How this will affect your organization:
Clipchamp users will notice additional stock content they can use to create video content.
What you need to do to prepare:
No additional steps are required to activate the additional content. Users will automatically see the new content the next time they open Clipchamp.
Check out previous Microsoft Updates that Total Solutions has posted here -> Microsoft Updates Archives – Total Solutions Inc.
