Category Archives: Uncategorized

Priority notifications for Teams promotion extended

Priority notifications for Teams grants users the ability to continually send notifications that repeat every two minutes for up to 20 minutes on all messages marked as urgent. Originally, priority notifications were available as a promotion to all Teams users until 1 April 2020, but this has been extended until the second half of 2020 to enable all users to connect urgently with their colleagues during the coronavirus pandemic.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/2V8flm5, and learn how to use priority notifications here: https://bit.ly/3cc9lOL.

Product Terms updated for the Microsoft Customer Agreement

The Microsoft Customer Agreement now governs a customer’s purchases through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, replacing the Microsoft Cloud Agreement, and the April 2020 Product Terms document is updated to reflect this. So, for example, on page 60 it’s stated that rights to install Exchange, SharePoint and Skype for Business Server are included with a Microsoft 365 E3/E5 User SL, but NOT if these licences have been acquired under the Microsoft Cloud Agreement or Microsoft Customer Agreement.

Find the Product Terms documents here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.

Robotic Process Automation availability

Microsoft announce that Robotic Process Automation (RPA) capability is available from 2 April, 2020. RPA helps users to automate tasks by recording actions to be played back later, either with human interaction (known as “attended”) or without (“unattended”).

There are two new licences to support this functionality: a Power Automate per user plan with attended RPA at $40 per user per month, and an Unattended RPA Add-on at $150 per bot per month which must be added on to the Attended plan or a Power Automate per flow plan.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/34uD4A0, along with examples of RPA in action and an overview video.

Azure dev/test discounts for Windows Virtual Desktop

Microsoft announce that special discounts are now available for Windows Virtual Desktop used within an Azure dev/test Subscription. Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/2K0C6Sg. There’s also language added to page 56 of the April 2020 Product Terms document detailing the use rights of Windows Virtual Desktop in dev/test environments. Find the Product Terms documents here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.

Discontinuation of Azure Information Protection Plan 2

Azure Information Protection Plan 2 is being discontinued as a standalone offering. Page 6 of the April 2020 Product Terms document confirms that existing customers will continue to have access to the service for the term of their Subscription, and customers with true-up rights will continue to have the option to true-up for the term of their Enrolment. Find the Product Terms documents here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.

Azure Cost Management March update

The March roundup of the innovations added to Azure Cost Management includes a whole host of new ACM videos – find them on YouTube here: http://bit.ly/31RjZFy, and confirmation that Cloudyn will be deprecated at the end of 2020: https://bit.ly/3c7HrDx.

Read the full update post here: https://bit.ly/3a0eoQM for more details, and articles on topics such as new ways to save money with Azure and how rounding is handled.

70-705 Retirement date moved to 31 January 2021

At the end of February 2020 Microsoft announced that a number of certifications would retire at the end of June 2020, the 70-705 exam (Designing and Providing Microsoft Licensing Solutions to Large Organizations) amongst them. However, due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus, this retirement date has been moved to 31 January, 2021.

The original post (https://bit.ly/3a4cxun) explains that while the 70-705 exam is retiring it doesn’t expire as a valid qualification and so it’s worth continuing with plans to take the exam if you’ve been studying for it.

The second post (https://bit.ly/2xg6INe) gives practical guidance on how to schedule an online proctored exam, and what to do if exams are cancelled or you have exam vouchers that will expire in the short term.

AAD Premium Plan 1 added to Microsoft 365 Business

Microsoft announce that the full set of Azure Active Directory Premium Plan 1 capabilities are being added to Microsoft 365 Business. Previously, Microsoft 365 Business just had a subset of the capabilities but now customers will also get the benefits of Cloud App Discovery, Application Proxy, Dynamics Groups, and Passwordless Authentication.

The new capabilities are already rolling out to new Microsoft 365 Business customers and are scheduled for existing customers throughout the rest of April 2020.

Find the announcement article here: https://bit.ly/2xsDeeR.

Microsoft 365 Business Voice

Microsoft introduced Microsoft 365 Business Voice in November 2019 for the UK and Canada, and from 1 April 2020 it’s also available in the US. This is a single Add-on licence which includes access to Phone System, Audio Conferencing, and a Domestic Calling Plan, and can be added to an Office 365 plan (Business Essentials, Business Premium, A1, E1, F3, A3, E3) or a Microsoft 365 plan (Business, F3, A3, E3). It’s limited to up to 300 users in an organisation, and the price per month is $20 per user. There’s also an International Calling Plan available for $12 per user per month. Business Voice without a calling plan also launches on 1 April, 2020 in around 70 additional countries.

Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/2RlnP6K and confirmation of US pricing here: https://bit.ly/3aVc12Z.