Cognit's news roundup
We'll talk about new features in Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook — to preview and summarize files, connect the intranet to Teams, and run approval flows in SharePoint, and more.
Streamline file management in Teams with new features
Microsoft Teams is getting several new features that make it easier to manage and get a quick overview of shared files right in chats and channel discussions:
Interactive preview of files - This feature means you can preview files directly in Teams chats and channel posts without having to open them separately. First up is the preview of pdf files, which will be followed by other formats such as PowerPoint and Word.
Summary of files with Copilot - When a file is shared in a chat, you can ask Copilot to quickly summarize content from Word, PowerPoint, and pdf files so you don't have to open and read through the entire document. The feature will be available both on desktop and mobile.
Automatically switch to new Outlook
Have you tried the new Outlook yet, or do you still prefer the classic one? From January 2025, Microsoft will begin automatically switching users to the new Outlook. If you want, you can easily go back to classic Outlook via the toggle button after evaluating the new version but you can actually use both versions in parallel. And, both users and administrators can put off the automatic switching for a while, if you guys aren't ready to try the new Outlook really yet.
Teams are automatically connected to the intranet
Soon, Microsoft Teams will automatically connect to your organization's SharePoint intranet. This means that users can easily access the home site (the SharePoint base site) directly through Teams, without having to navigate to SharePoint separately.
The home site becomes accessible via the Via Connections app in Teams, where users can find news, resources and important information from the intranet. This makes it easier to stay up to date and work efficiently, especially for those who use Teams as their primary work platform. The feature will be activated automatically, but will not affect the organizations that have already configured the feature themselves.
Stop malicious users in Teams
A new blocking feature will make it possible to create a list of external users who are blocked from cooperating with the organization to prevent further contact from unwanted or malicious users.
An external user added to the block list can no longer have 1:1 chats or group chats with employees in the organization, and existing chats are deleted when the user is added to the list. The feature is disabled by default and needs to be enabled by an administrator.
Enable approval flow on any document library in SharePoint
Soon, you'll be able to set up and launch approval flows directly in any document library you want in SharePoint. Microsoft is launching a new feature that makes it easy to start document approvals.
You'll find the “Configure Approvals” feature in the Automate menu, and it's a built-in feature that doesn't require any input from SharePoint Consultant or the like. Approval processes will also be visible in Teams, making it easy to keep track of pending cases.
New in SharePoint: use your own fonts
Make your digital workspace more personal and unified with SharePoint Brand Center.
Now you can customize SharePoint with your own fonts, strengthen your brand, and create a unified communications profile.
Archive, delete, or hide — how to manage inactive teams and channels
What do you do with materials in completed Teams projects? Learn to hide, archive or delete to keep your digital workspace clean and organized
Finally...
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