What’s New in the Hybrid Data Center & Microsoft | Sept 2025

New end-user features and robust admin governance land across Microsoft 365.

• Copilot Chat in Office Apps (Free Rollout): Begins rolling out in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for all M365 users with no extra license.
• Teams Intelligent Recap w/ Shared-Screen Content: Worldwide rollout by late September; requires M365 Copilot license.
• Facilitator Agent in Teams Meetings: Real-time notes and co-authoring; admin-controllable, governed by Purview; requires M365 Copilot license.
• PowerPoint: Reference Teams Meetings: Generate decks referencing meeting artifacts for context-rich presentations.
• Meeting Audio Overview (Teams): AI creates audio summaries of transcripts; enable via the Meet app (desktop/mobile).
• Copilot Memory: Train preferences by typing “Remember …” in M365 Chat to personalize responses.
• Auto-Install Copilot App on Windows: Starting October, app appears in Start for devices with M365 desktop apps; admins can opt out.
• Outlook Mobile: Copilot Overlay: Late September start; context-aware chat overlay for iOS/Android across mail, calendar, and contacts.
• PowerPoint: Excel Reference for Data-Driven Slides: Reference one Excel file from OneDrive/SharePoint to build charts/tables.
• Researcher Agent in Word (Late Sept): Advanced research across work/web; configurable report length and export to Word; license required.
• Researcher Source Controls (Late Oct): Choose sources (Web, Work, Graph entities) per task in Copilot apps.
• Copilot Library (Late Sept 2025): Consolidated area for Copilot-generated images and Pages; replaces Pages menu.
• Enterprise Image Libraries in PowerPoint: Connect SharePoint OAL or Templafy; requires metadata and admin setup.
• Tools Button in Chat Box (Late Sept): Quickly surface AI tools based on user license to improve task completion.
• Harmful Content Control Policy: New admin setting to define how protected content is handled in BizChat; scoped to specialized roles.
• Authentication Enforcement for Agents: Require Microsoft or Manual authentication for any agent interaction.
• Admin Agent Store & Approval Flow (Mid-Oct): Centralized Agent Store and request/approval controls in the M365 admin center.
• Org-Wide Sharing Link Control (Late Oct): Tenant-level control over who can create org-wide sharing links for user-built agents.
• Unified Agent Permissions View: Manage app/consent/risk; Global Admin grants consent, AI Admin deploys.
• Agent Usage Reports (Preview): Track active users, license state, and creator type for M365 Copilot Chat agents (excludes SharePoint/Custom engine agents).

Security operations get better triage, richer hunting, and stronger collaboration protections.

• AI-Guided Response & Triage: Clearer attack path visualizations; PDF export supports audits/compliance. Advanced Hunting adds adx() and arg() for deeper queries; App Inventory and Cloud App Catalog visibility improved.
• Hard Delete for Malicious Calendar Invites: Auto-removes calendar items created by malicious invites to reduce residual phishing risk.
• Teams URL Warnings (GA Nov): Defender for Office 365 surfaces warnings for Spam/Phish/Malware URLs in Teams; on by default at GA in November.
• New Hunting Tables (Nov): CampaignInfo and FileMaliciousContentInfo aid campaign-level and file-based investigations.
• Secure Score (Late Oct): New improvement actions from Defender for Identity (e.g., remove inactive service accounts, discovered passwords).

Identity governance features and sign-in policy scoping updates.

• Azure DevOps CA Scope Change (By Sept 18): Entra stops applying CA via ARM for Azure DevOps sign-ins; explicitly include Azure DevOps to maintain protection.
• Cross-Cloud Sync (Public Preview): Automate lifecycle across Commercial and US Gov clouds. Requires Entra ID Governance licenses and admin enablement (Portal/PowerShell/Graph).
• EAM Registration Migration (Oct): Backend migration may require user re-registration; notify impacted users and update docs.
• Authenticator UX Updates (Mid-Sept): Same-device sign-ins no longer require number entry; FRX prioritizes Entra accounts and QR scanning. No admin action.

Budget for subscription increases and patch aggressively.

• Subscription Edition Price +10% (Effective 7/1/2025): Plan renewals accordingly.
• Critical Patches (June 2025): Apply updates for Exchange 2016/2019 to mitigate known exploits; validate custom transport/AV integrations post-patch.

Quality-of-life updates enhance productivity across complex workspaces.

• UX Enhancements (Early Sept 2025): Horizontal tabs, multi-workspace with color coding, Object Explorer, and higher open item limits to speed analysis across artifacts.

Keep management traffic flowing and avoid enrollment breaks.

• Allowlist Azure Front Door (By Dec 2): Add AzureFrontDoor.MicrosoftSecurity or AFD IPs for Intune and Basic Mobility & Security.
• Accept Apple Terms (By Sept 22): Accept updated ABM/ASM/VPP/ADE terms to prevent communication errors.
• UI Rename: Resource explorer → Device inventory for improved clarity.

Usage Reporting (Mid-Sept to Late Oct): Loop usage appears in existing M365 admin dashboards; no prep required.

• License Management Views: Separate tabs for direct vs group-based assignments improve oversight.
• Cloud Update Available: Latest simplified management for M365 Apps (see Microsoft docs). Align rings and pilot groups.

• EOS (Oct 14, 2025): Office 2016, Office 2019, and other legacy apps reach end of support. Plan upgrades to supported channels.

Modern Outlook adds capabilities with clear governance requirements. Review retention and eDiscovery impacts before enabling org-wide. (Roadmap timing subject to change.)

• Cross-Account Drag-and-Drop (Mid-Oct): Users can drag items between personal/enterprise accounts. Control via ItemsToOtherAccountsEnabled in OwaMailboxPolicy to reduce leakage.
• Offline Attachments & Calendar (Mid-Oct/Dec): Add attachments offline; create/edit/delete single events offline, syncing later.
• Mailbox/Folders Export to .PST: Schedule exports for backup/archival/compliance scenarios; review retention/ediscovery policies.
• One-Step Junk Report + Unsubscribe: Streamlines mailbox hygiene; reduces blocked senders.
• Reusable Templates: Create/save/reuse templates in New Outlook/Web; .oft import supported.

• Canvas App Source Control: View/manage app source without CLI conversion of .msapp files; integrate with repos/PRs.
• Column-Level Security — Data Masking: Mask sensitive fields and prevent bulk export; review roles, field-level permissions, and audit trails.

• Retires by Sept 2026: Migrate to new Planner, Project Server Subscription Edition, or Project Operations to avoid data loss.

Governance features expand across storage and AI experiences.

• Sensitivity Label Groups (Dec 2025+): Simpler model with labels/label groups; migration wizard for eligible tenants. See this article for more information.
• DLP Policy Tips vs Notifications: Decoupled configuration by late Dec 2025 (PowerShell/-NotifyUserType).
• Block Unmanaged GenAI Apps in Edge for Business (Mid-Oct): DLP can enforce blocks without separate Edge policies.
• Fabric Assets in DLP: Policies support lakehouses, KQL, mirrored DBs; auto-apply to protected Fabric data.
• Library-Level Sensitivity Labels (SharePoint): Apply at library scope; extend to downloads.
• Insider Risk: New Email Triggers (Dec 2025): Detect sends to free public domains or personal email.
• User-Based Alert Aggregation: Consolidates DLP rule matches by user/time window for faster triage.

Modernize solutions and leverage new admin capabilities.

• Retirements: SharePoint Add-Ins and 2013 workflows retire April 2, 2026; Classic Alerts retire July 2026. Move to SPFx and Power Automate.
• Secure PDFs: Set passwords/permissions directly in SharePoint/OneDrive.
• CMA (Oct): Content Management Assessment dashboard for site health, permissions, lifecycle readiness; requires SharePoint Advanced Management or M365 Copilot license on admin.
• Copilot Skills in Admin Center: Step-by-step task guidance and multi-variable site search (requires Copilot license).
• UI & Analytics: Refreshed elements, long-term page analytics with export, enhanced secure link options.

The modern client is standard; collaboration and safety improve.

• Classic Teams Retired (July 1, 2025): Migrate to the new client or web.
• External File Sharing in Chats: Governed by admin policy to enable controlled collaboration.
• USB Peripheral Support: More devices support the Teams button for join/call control.
• Share Apps/Agents from Profiles & Side Panels: Available across Windows, Mac, and web.
• Threat Protection (Nov): Blocks weaponizable file types; malicious URL protection in chats/channels (Defender reputation). Preview requires admin enablement; on by default at GA.
• Structured Search: SQL-like filters (from:, in:, is:) for precision across content.

• Threaded Channels: Dedicated side-pane replies to specific messages; admin-controllable by Q4 2025.
• Compact Toasts (Windows): Less intrusive alerts.
• Calendar Toggle Removed: New Microsoft 365 calendar is the default.
• “Files” → “Shared” Tab (Oct 2025+): Combines posts/document library with sort views for recent files/links.

• Slide Control for PowerPoint: Delegate navigation during meetings.
• Organizer/Presenter Tools: Event previews and attendee view management for town halls.
• Network Strength Indicator: Real-time connection quality during meetings.
• Audio Overviews (Copilot): AI audio summaries for licensed users.
• Collaborative Annotations: Participants can request annotation sessions during screen share (anonymous blocked).
• Lobby Chat: Organizer one-way messages to lobby attendees.
• Countdown Timer (Late Oct): Up to 100 minutes with visual/audio alerts.
• Default: Copilot Without Transcription (Mid-Sept 2025): Conversation history persists during meetings.
• Teams Rooms on Windows — Facilitator Agent: AI notes/chat/agenda timer on front-of-room display.
• Mobile Caption Customization: Adjustable font/background/height; settings sync and respect accessibility prefs.

• Outbound PSTN on Behalf of Others (Nov 1): May fail with Operator Connect depending on carrier; coordinate with carrier.
• PayG Licenses (Nov 1): Call Queue/Auto Attendant Resource Accounts need Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan for outbound PSTN on behalf of others.
• Silent Call Tests on Subnets: 60-second proactive tests (Windows/Mac) require Teams Premium; run on idle devices only.
• Improved Transfer UX (Mid-Oct): Faster, clearer blind/consultative transfers; train users.
• Remote Contacts Mgmt for Common Area Phones: Manage via Teams admin center.
• Android Devices → Intune AOSP (Mid-May–Early Oct 2025): Auto-updates; cannot pause.
• Floating Incoming Call Window (Mid-Sept): Resizable window reduces disruption across platforms.

• Silent Test Calls & Disruption Insights: Premium feature for proactive monitoring; new telemetry for proxy/DNS failures.
• Custom External Access Policies: Assign by user/group to control allowed external domains.
• Remote Log Collection: Pull diagnostics from Windows/Mac clients via admin center.

• Ultra-Low Latency (Q4 2025): Dramatically reduces broadcast delay for real-time engagement; works with/without eCDN.
• “Manage What Attendees See” (Late Oct): Customize layouts, backgrounds, theme colors, name tags.

Modern security posture, resiliency, and servicing transitions.

• Security Update: Deploy promptly. Microsoft is moving AV/EDR outside the kernel to improve stability. Quick Recovery aims to auto-restore unbootable devices. BSOD → Black aligns with UI refresh. Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel is retiring; migrate to supported channels.
• End of Servicing (Oct 14, 2025): Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 22H2 (Enterprise & Education).
• Windows Backup for Organizations (GA): Backup/restore settings and Store app lists on Win 10/11 22H2+, including OOBE restore after reset/reimage to speed employee readiness.