Microsoft Roadmap, messagecenter and blogs updates from 27-02-2025

Updated February 26, 2025: We have updated the title and content. Thank you for your patience.

We are pleased to announce that Microsoft Viva Insights will soon be included in Microsoft 365 Copilot. With Viva Insights included, IT admins and analysts can tailor advanced prebuilt Copilot reports with their business data or create custom reports with organizational attributes, expanded Microsoft 365 Copilot usage metrics, and more granular controls.

This message applies to Viva Insights on the web, Viva Insights in Microsoft Teams for Windows desktop, and Viva Insights in Microsoft Teams for iOS/Android.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 471002.

What’s new

• Viva Insights service plans will soon be included in the Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
• We will increase the minimum assigned Viva Insights license thresholds for new tenants from 10 to 50 to access the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard, advanced insights, and organizational insights.
• We will retire the cohort analysis feature between Copilot and non-Copilot users in the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard. However, this feature will still be available in advanced insights.

This message applies to Viva Insights for Windows desktop and Viva Insights for the web.

[When will this happen]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-March 2025 and expect to complete by late April 2025.

[How this will affect your organization]

1. We will include the Viva Insights service plan in Microsoft 365 Copilot subscriptions

To help your organization realize the full value of Microsoft 365 Copilot, the entirety of Viva Insights including all premium features and capabilities (Viva Insights setup overview | Microsoft Learn) will be available to Microsoft 365 Copilot licensed customers. These Viva Insights service plans will be included in the Microsoft 365 Copilot license:

• Microsoft Viva Insights: This service plan is automatically assigned at the user level to be included in Viva Insights analysis. Microsoft 365 global administrators can unassign this service plan from individuals to exclude them from Viva Insights.
• Microsoft Viva Insights backend: This service plan is automatically assigned at the tenant level without requiring any admin action and is needed for proper functioning of Viva Insights features. Microsoft 365 global administrators cannot edit this service plan.

If your organization has already set up Viva Insights, we will continue to honor your existing admin and user settings for Viva Insights personal, organizational, advanced insights, and the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard.

2. We will increase the minimum Viva Insights service plan thresholds to access the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard, advanced insights, and organizational insights.

Starting mid-March 2025, for customers who are not already using Viva Insights, a minimum of 50 assigned Viva Insights licenses will be required to access advanced insights, organizational Insights, and the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard. This minimum can be achieved through a combination of licenses. For example: 30 assigned Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses (that now includes the Viva Insights service plan) + 20 assigned Viva Insights licenses = 50 assigned Viva Insights service plans.

For existing customers who already have access to advanced insights, organizational Insights, and the Copilot Dashboard, there is no minimum license requirement change.

3. We will retire Cohort analysis from the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard

We will retire the cohort analysis features from the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard and Microsoft 365 admin center. These features include the behavior metrics tab in Compare between groups and the metric comparison between Copilot and non-Copilot users on the Impact page (go to Highlight > select Explore more on the cards for Meetings, Emails, or Teams chat). Also, we will retire the Manage non-Copilot users setting in Microsoft 365 admin center.

You can continue to use cohort analysis features in Viva Insights advanced insights.

[What you need to do to prepare]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. Review your current configuration to determine the impact for your organization. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation.

After this rollout starting in mid-March 2025, all employees with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses will be assigned a Viva Insights service plan. To exclude specific users from Viva Insights analysis, unassign their Viva Insights service plans. Data processing for newly licensed users will begin in early April 2025.

However, if your tenant has already enabled advanced insights before mid-March 2025, we will provide extra time for admins to review, and unassign Viva Insights service plans. Tenant admins can unassign Viva Insights service plans starting from mid-March 2025 to the end of April 2025, before the newly licensed users will be included in Viva Insights analysis.

Note: The Exclusion list applies only to the Microsoft Copilot Dashboard. To exclude users from advanced and organizational insights, remove their Viva Insights service plans.

Before rollout, we will update this post with revised documentation.

Coming soon: A new license request feature and self-service purchase for Microsoft 365 Copilot will be widely available for all tenants. End user license request and self-service purchase will now be available for users with Microsoft Office 365 Plan E1, Microsoft Office 365 Plan E3, Enterprise Mobility + Security E3, Enterprise Mobility + Security E5, Microsoft 365 Apps for Business and standalone products. Both License request and self-service purchase will be shown within Microsoft 365 apps such as Copilot Chat, the unpaid version of work chat included in your Microsoft 365 subscription.

License Request allows users to request a Microsoft 365 Copilot license directly from their admin. This helps you efficiently assign unused licenses or purchase additional ones and assign based on user request. Global admins, license admins, and user admins will be able to manage these requests seamlessly in the Microsoft 365 admin center and can choose between standard or custom messaging, including directing to a third-party URL.

Self-Service Purchase allows users to purchase Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses directly with their own credit card and use within their tenant with their Microsoft admin’s visibility and control. Note: If your organization has previously disabled self-service purchase for Microsoft 365 Copilot, your existing settings will be honored.

This message is related to MC853238 (Updated) Microsoft 365 admin center: New self-service purchase and trial settings (published August 2024, updated September 2024). This message is also related to MC886385 Copilot for Microsoft 365 available for self-service purchase (November 2024) and MC899941 Microsoft 365 Copilot: Self-service purchase settings in Microsoft 365 admin center (E3, E5) (September 2024).

[When this will happen:]

General availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out late March 2025 and expect to complete by late May 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

License Request:

After this rollout, global admins, license admins and user admins will be able to manage license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center, where you can approve or deny the request.

Notifications in the Microsoft 365 admin center of pending license requests from users: 

Admins can manage user requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center on the Licenses page:

This change will be available by default to users. Admins can choose to set up their own custom license request process outside of Microsoft Admin Center (Use your own request process).

Self Service Purchase:

As an admin, you ultimately still maintain control over licenses in your tenant. You can view licenses purchased by users in the Microsoft 365 admin center, by going to Billing > Your Products page. You can also view by going to the Licensing page and viewing or filtering to Self-Service licenses. On the Products tab, select the Self-service filter. As with any new product, you will be able to view product usage in your tenant in the Usage page in MAC.

You are able to take over control of licenses purchased by the user at any time and manage them as you would any other license within your tenant. Please note the cancellation policy for Copilot for Microsoft 365 – the user has a seven-day window to receive a full refund. Action notifications will surface in the Microsoft 365 admin center, when a self-service purchase happens, allowing you to see the new license on the licensing page.

• License Request Help and support: Manage self-service license requests in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn
• Self Service Purchase Help and support: Manage self-service purchases and trials (for admins) | Microsoft Learn
• Deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI at Microsoft with our works councils – Inside Track Blog

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. Review your current configuration to determine the impact for your organization. You may want to notify your admins and users about this change and update any relevant documentation.

Coming soon to Microsoft Teams: The Facilitator agent can take notes during your Teams meetings and chats. The Facilitator synthesizes key information from the conversations, so users can catch up quickly. In meetings, the Facilitator allows everyone to co-author real-time notes and collaborate seamlessly. In chat, the Facilitator creates and maintains an up-to-date summary of important information as the conversation happens, including key decisions, actions items, and open questions to resolve.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 478611.

We introduced the Targeted Release preview of this feature in MC937709 (Updated) Facilitator in Teams Meetings and Chats (published and updated November 2024).

This message applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, Teams for the web, and Teams for iOS/Android.

A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required to use this feature.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early April 2025 and expect to complete by late April 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

After this rollout, the Facilitator app will be on by default unless all apps are blocked by your organization. As an admin, you control whether Facilitator will be available to your entire organization or to a certain group of users. Learn more: Set up Facilitator in Microsoft Teams for collaborative AI notes – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

Facilitator and Microsoft 365 are built on Microsoft’s comprehensive approach to security, compliance, and privacy. As a part of the security promise, you can discover, protect, and govern AI interactions with Facilitator through Microsoft Purview. Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI helps IT and security teams proactively discover and manage data risks. Use DSPM for AI in conjunction with other Microsoft Purview capabilities such as Audit, eDiscovery, and Data Lifecycle Management to ensure data security and compliance for your organization. Learn more about Microsoft Purview here: Microsoft Purview data security and compliance protections for Microsoft 365 Copilot and other generative AI apps | Microsoft Learn.

Improvements planned for the future: AI-generated notes in chats will move to an editable canvas. This canvas will be backed by a Microsoft SharePoint Embedded file and document management system. We will provide more details closer to the feature’s release. Learn more: SharePoint Embedded Overview | Microsoft Learn

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. Review your current configuration to determine the impact for your organization. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation.

Learn more

• If you’re using Microsoft 365 Copilot in your organization (with your work or school account): Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft Learn.
• Admin documentation: Set up Facilitator in Microsoft Teams for collaborative AI notes – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn (will be updated before rollout)
• User documentation (meetings): Automate notetaking in Microsoft Teams meetings – Microsoft Support (will be updated before rollout)
• User documentation (chats): Keep track of chats with AI notes in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support (will be updated before rollout)

Coming soon to Microsoft OneDrive: OneDrive web users can protect their PDF files with User Password and Owner Password. The User Password is required to open and view a PDF file. The Owner Password is used to set operation permissions on a PDF file, such as allow printing, copying, or modifying the content. This enhancement provides an additional layer of security for sensitive documents, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the content.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 482193.

[When this will happen:]

Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out early March 2025 and expect to complete by mid-March 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD): We will begin rolling out mid-March 2025 and expect to complete by late March 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

• Before this rollout: Users cannot setup passwords to protect their PDF files. 
• After this rollout: Users can set a User Password to protect the PDF from being opened by non-authorized users or set Owner Password to grant certain operations like printing, copying, or modifying the content. 

Users will be able to use the password protection function by following these steps in OneDrive for web: 

1. Open the PDF file, click the Set password button on the upper left toolbar. 
2. User Password can be set under Security. With this password, the user can open the PDF. 
3. Owner Password can be set under Protection. By selecting different permission levels, together with the permission password, the user having this password will be able to perform relevant actions such as print, copy, or modify contents. 

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation. 

Before rollout, we will update this post with any relevant documentation. 

A Microsoft 365 apps feature update allows you to privately ask Microsoft Copilot in Loop Copilot chat to reveal who made changes and when they were made. This will allow you to view everyone’s contributions. 

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We began rolling out late January 2025 and expect to complete by late February 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

You can now privately ask Microsoft Copilot in Loop Copilot chat to reveal change details such as the following:

• What changes did [author] make to this page?
• What changed on this page since I was last here?
• Summarize the changes made to this page last week.
• Summarize the latest changes on this page and who made them.
• Who are the page contributors?
• When was this page last updated and by whom?
• I have questions about the content on this page. Who should I ask?\

This feature update is available by default.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically with no admin action required. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation as appropriate.

For Microsoft Viva Amplify, campaign members and authors will soon have the ability to publish their communications directly to Viva Engage Storyline or Communities. They will be able to preview their communication drafts within Viva Amplify and customize them specifically for the Engage distribution channel. Similar to other distribution channels, they will also be able to view engagement data for their posts directly within their campaign reporting overview.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 185105.

[When this will happen:]

Targeted Release: We will begin rolling out mid-March 2025 and expect to complete by late April 2025.

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out early April 2025 and expect to complete by late April 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

• Before this rollout: Users do not have the option to select Viva Engage as distribution channel in Viva Amplify. 
• After this rollout: Authors creating a publication in Viva Amplify will see Viva Engage as a selected option in the distribution channel list. The author can deselect the channel if they don’t want to include Viva Engage in their channel mix. When selected, they will see a preview of how their communication will be posted in Viva Engage with the option to customize the content specific to the channel, offering the editing capabilities of a Viva Engage Article. They are able to select to post to their storyline or to multiple communities and add people who will find the post helpful or interesting.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date with no admin action required before the rollout. You might want to notify users, update your user training, and prepare your help desk. 

Updated February 26, 2025: We have updated the content below to show as intended. Thank you for your feedback.

Starting in mid-March 2025, Microsoft Copilot in Edge will introduce support for page summarization and contextual queries to the Work tab for Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat. With this feature, users can ask Copilot contextual queries such as “summarize this page.” This feature will also include contextual prompt suggestions to help users ask relevant questions about open pages in Edge. Page summarization and contextual prompt suggestions will be accessible for users when using Copilot through the Edge side pane.

A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required to use this feature.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 468884.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-March 2025 (previously mid-February 2025) and expect to complete by late March 2025 (previously late February).

[How this will affect your organization:]

After this rollout, Copilot may have access to a user’s page context when a user sends contextual prompts to Copilot in Edge in the side pane when a webpage or PDF is open.

The page summarization feature will be available by default when it rolls out in March. It can also be configured by admins.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

The existing EdgeEntraCopilotPageContext policy is available now for you to manage whether your users have access to page context while using Copilot in Edge across Copilot Business Chat and Microsoft Copilot with enterprise data protection. Before this rollout, the policy only applied to the Web tab of Business Chat and to Copilot with enterprise data protection. After this rollout, the EdgeEntraCopilotPageContext policy will include the Work tab of Business Chat. If the policy is not configured, users can enable or disable Copilot’s access to page context in their Copilot settings.

If you prefer to disable Copilot Chat for your tenant, review these instructions in Manage Copilot | Microsoft Learn.

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date. Review your current configuration to determine the impact on your organization. You may want to notify your users about this change and update any relevant documentation.

Learn more

• The section called What’s the difference between Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot? in Overview of Copilot | Microsoft Learn
• Enterprise data protection in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft Learn

Updated February 26, 2025: We have started the rollout of Teams SMS in Calling Plans for US (incl. Puerto Rico) and Canada customers. This capability would enable customers to send and receive SMS natively in Teams.

We are first releasing the SMS experience in Teams Admin center to allow admins to get started with the Brand and Campaign approval process. Following this, we will start to release Teams client which is expected to be fully released by first week of March. Below please find the documentation for reference.

Coming soon for Microsoft Teams: We will roll out SMS chat in calling plans for customers in the United States and Canada. This capability would enable customers to send and receive SMS natively in Teams. This message applies to Teams for Windows desktop, Teams for Mac desktop, and Teams for iOS/Android.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 470999.

[When this will happen:]

General Availability (Worldwide): We will begin rolling out mid-February 2025 and expect to complete by late February 2025.

[How this will affect your organization:]

Admins can enable SMS for users who have calling plans. Users will start to see PSTN (public switched telephone network) contacts in various search areas to start a SMS chat in Teams.

This change will be available by default.

[What you need to do to prepare:]

This rollout will happen automatically by the specified date. However, to enable numbers with SMS, admin action is required for 10DLC (10-digit long code). We will be enabling the admin experiences and Teams experiences by the specified date. 

Documentation for reference: 

• Planning for SMS in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
• Create a Brand for SMS in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
• Set up a Campaign for SMS in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
• Enable and manage SMS in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
• Example privacy policy and terms and conditions template – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
• Microsoft’s SMS Messaging Policy – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
• Send and receive SMS in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support