The Microsoft 365 App Transition to the Microsoft 365 Copilot App

Guess what? The Microsoft 365 Office app is now called the Microsoft 365 Copilot app! This change is happening everywhere – on the web, your phone (whether it's an iPhone or Android), and Windows. They've even given it a new icon. This name change is all about showing how Copilot is now a big part of the app, helping you work better together and get more done. Don't worry, though, it's still the same place where you go to find, create, share, and work on stuff with all your favorite tools.

This name change also points to some cool new things you can do with Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. Think of it like having a helper that can answer your questions, write drafts for you, create content, and even build little helper "agents" for your work account. Pretty neat, huh?

One more thing: the app's website address has also changed. It's now m365.cloud.microsoft. This makes it fit in better with all the other Microsoft 365 apps that use the cloud.microsoft address.

Microsoft Outlook: Attach Emails While Composing an Email

Great news for anyone using Outlook on their iPhone or Android phone! You can now attach emails to the emails you're writing. This makes it super easy to share extra info or give people a better understanding of what you're talking about, all right there in your email.

Microsoft Teams: Forwarding Loop Components

Sharing Loop components in chats just got easier! Now, you can forward chat messages that have those Loop components inside. This means smoother collaboration and real-time teamwork across different chats. Just tap the three dots (...) on a message and choose "Forward." And don't worry about access – you can manage permissions when you forward so everyone who needs to see the Loop component can.

Microsoft Forms: Changes to Excel Data Sync

Heads up! The way Microsoft Forms and Excel talk to each other is changing. If you've got Forms that were made in OneDrive, Excel online, SharePoint, Teams, or Microsoft 365 Groups, they won't automatically update in your Excel spreadsheets anymore.

So, if you want your Excel sheets to keep getting the latest info from your Forms, you'll need to switch to the new way of syncing. It's pretty easy – you can set up the new sync right inside your existing Excel workbook, so you'll still have access to all your old data. Just remember, your old Excel files won't update automatically unless you set up this new sync.

Microsoft Teams: Forward Messages to and from Channels

Sharing important stuff in Microsoft Teams is about to get a whole lot easier! Soon, you'll be able to forward messages between different channels. So, if you need to get the word out to a different group of people, you can just forward the message. To do this, just click the three dots (...) on the message you want to share, and then select "Forward." You can forward it to another channel, a one-on-one chat, or even a group chat.

Microsoft Teams: Collaborative Call Delegation on Teams Phone Devices

Big news for Teams phone users! You'll soon be able to share access to your phone line with a group of people. This means you won't need to set up complicated delegation rules anymore. Everyone in the group can handle calls for each other, making communication much simpler and more collaborative.

This new "Collaborative Call Delegation" feature is a real game-changer. You can create a group, and incoming calls will be routed to people in a specific order. If someone's busy, the call automatically goes to the next person in the group. This way, someone is always available to answer, and everyone can respond faster.

Microsoft Teams: Meeting Recap can be Shared as a Link

Sharing meeting recaps is getting a whole lot easier! Soon, you'll be able to grab a link to the recap right from the meeting thumbnail in the chat or the recap tab itself. This makes it super simple to share important points and insights with anyone who needs them.

Just a little note: if someone doesn't have permission to see the recording or the transcript, they'll need to request permission before they can check out the meeting recap.

Microsoft Teams: New "Tag Mentions" Filter for the Activity Feed

Keeping up with tag mentions in Teams is about to get way simpler! There's a new "Tag Mentions" filter coming to the Activity feed. This means you can easily see all the times tags you're connected to are used in chats and channel messages.

While the current "@Mentions" filter shows when someone mentions you directly, this new "Tag Mentions" filter makes sure you don't miss any important conversations happening around your team's tags. This should really help everyone stay in the loop and work together better.

Microsoft Word for the Web: The Designer in Word Feature will Retire on March 31, 2025

the Designer feature in Word online is being retired on March 31, 2025. If you use it, you should switch over to Microsoft Create. It's the new place to find lots of templates for whatever you're working on.

Microsoft Teams: The New Streamlined Chat and Channels Experience

The new chat and channels experience in Microsoft Teams, which was supposed to come out in January 2025, is now launching in March 2025. This updated design brings all your chats, teams, and channels together in one place, so you can easily jump between conversations without losing your train of thought. It should make things much more efficient.

You'll automatically start in this combined view, but if you prefer the old way of separating chats from teams and channels, you can always switch back.

In the new combined chat view in Teams, things will be organized like this:

First, you'll see your Favorites. This is where any chats and channels you've pinned will live (just like before).

Next up is Chats, and they'll be sorted by what's been happening most recently.

Then you'll have Teams and Channels, organized just like they are in the regular Teams view.

And the best part? You can create your own custom sections to organize projects and topics. You can even mix and match individual chats, group chats, meeting chats, and channels in these custom sections, so you can set things up exactly how you like them.

What is Copilot Chat?

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat empowers everyone in your business to use AI. It offers free, secure AI chat powered by GPT-4, plus pay-as-you-go AI agents that automate tasks and boost productivity. With built-in IT controls, Copilot Chat is a great starting point for AI adoption, while the full Microsoft 365 Copilot remains the premium, integrated AI assistant across all your Microsoft 365 apps.

Ctelecoms, as a Microsoft Gold Partner, is in a great position to help Saudi businesses get the latest Microsoft 365 innovations. With the January 2025 updates, including the transition to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app and enhanced features across Outlook, Teams, and Forms, Saudi businesses can streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and boost productivity. Ctelecoms can provide expert guidance and support to make sure you can easily adopt and integrate these new tools, and make the most of their impact on your organization’s success.