[m365weekly] #126

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Issue #126

☁️What’s on my mind

The news that Azure AD will soon be renamed to Entra ID could, with all the renames of the last few years, be in the “On a less serious note” section. And then many would think I was joking.

But this time the renaming will actually be valuable. There is a lot of confusion with this Azure AD. Azure AD is not a replacement for on-premises Active Directory. Even Wikipedia makes it clear: “Not to be confused with Active Directory”.

This is one of the few Microsoft renames of its products that will actually reduce confusion and increase understanding of what Entra ID actually is – an identity management service.

Have a really nice rest of the week,
Matic Z.


Microsoft Inspire is an annual global partner conference organized by Microsoft. It brings together thousands of Microsoft partners worldwide to network, learn about the latest technologies, share best practices, and collaborate on new opportunities. It is an invaluable opportunity for partners to gain insights into Microsoft’s vision, product roadmap, and strategies for the future, as well as to connect with other professionals and grow their businesses.

I think it is imperative for every Microsoft partner worth their salt to register for Inspire 2023. It’s virtual and free. What can you lose?


☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace

Top 8 Microsoft PowerPoint New Features. This video tutorial highlights the top 8 features in Microsoft PowerPoint 365 for 2023, available across desktop, web, and iPad. Enhancements include an improved teleprompter, better Microsoft Teams saving options, and upgraded drawing tools.

Managing Your Obsolete Mail in Outlook. Search folders in Outlook provide a unified view for effortless email organization based on criteria such as size, age, or sender. Custom folders allow users to locate large or old emails easily, streamlining inbox cleanup.

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Loop. Microsoft Loop streamlines collaboration within Microsoft 365 apps by providing shared workspaces and connected components. The platform houses project information in one place, enhancing productivity.

Using Collaborative Meeting Notes in Teams Meetings. Microsoft Teams introduces collaborative meeting notes using Loop components, enabling shared agendas and task lists within personal meetings. Accessible through Teams desktop and browser clients, the feature improves internal meeting organization but currently lacks external sharing capabilities.

Create Pivot Tables Like NEVER Seen Before! Did you know that Excel PivotTables now support images and data types? The upgraded feature, for the moment available only in the Beta Insiders channel for Microsoft 365, enables the integration of stocks, currencies, geography, and custom data types in PivotTables.


☁️Sysadmin Stuff

How to Enable DKIM in Microsoft 365? Enable DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) in Microsoft 365 to improve email security. To be honest – enabling DKIM is a must if you want emails to say out of junk folders. By configuring DKIM for custom domains, administrators can reduce email spoofing risk and enhance email deliverability.

10 Key Steps for G Suite Office 365 Migration. Ensure a successful Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 migration with these steps: create a project team, assess the scope and data, set up user identities, test and perform the migration, train users, and provide ongoing support for a seamless transition.

Updated Requirements for SMTP Relay through Exchange Online. Starting November 1, 2023, Microsoft is updating SMTP relay requirements for Exchange Online. You need to know this. Read on.

Block sign-in from shared mailboxes. Learn how to block sign-ins for shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365. Preventing direct access to shared mailboxes improves security and ensures they function correctly as collaborative tools.


☁️Security & Data Governance

DoSing Azure AD. Explore the potential risks and effects of a Denial of Service (DoS) attack on Azure AD. A DoS attack could impact services that rely on Azure AD authentication, causing temporary downtime and requiring manual intervention. It’s essential for administrators to understand and prepare for possible DoS scenarios, monitor access attempts, and consider Azure AD Premium’s IP throttling feature for additional protection.

6 Conditional Access Policies to Increase Your SharePoint Security. Enhance SharePoint security in Microsoft 365 with six conditional access policies: user location, multi-factor authentication, device compliance, unmanaged device control, session restrictions, and Azure AD Identity Protection risk levels.

Get Microsoft Defender For Endpoint Product Comparison And License Assignment Options. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint enhances security by detecting, preventing, and responding to threats.


☁️Noteworthy (long)reads

Microsoft Office 365 E3 vs Business Standard. Compare Microsoft Office 365 E3 and Business Standard plans to find the best fit for your organization.

5 Fitness Challenges to Incorporate into your Office Routine. If I lived a healthy life, I probably wouldn’t have torn my Achilles tendon almost 2 months ago. I know this is a technically oriented newsletter, but fitness has also found its way into the Sharepoint community articles. So, let’s delve into this.


DATES TO KEEP IN MIND

July 18-19, 2023Microsoft Inspire 2023

August 15, 2023 – No more uploading to Stream (Classic). Part of Stream (Classic) retirement roadmap. Start migrating.

August 31, 2023 – Microsoft will retire Kaizala. After the retirement date, access to and support for Kaizala will be discontinued. 

October 10, 2023 – Office 2016 and Office 2019 will no longer be supported when connecting to Microsoft 365. While these versions may still be able to connect to Microsoft 365, their connections will not be supported and may experience performance or reliability issues in the future. Official documentation here.

November 15-16, 2023Microsoft Ignite 2023

February 15, 2024 – Microsoft Stream (Classic) retirement. Final stage. You can use Stream on Sharepoint.


☁️Classifieds

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☁️On a Less Serious Note


☁️ Last but not least …

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