Microsoft 365 Updates - May Edition

Welcome to our May round-up! As we approach the midway point of 2024, exciting new updates are on the horizon for Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, with some enhancements arriving soon and others later in the year.

Let’s dive into the latest updates and upcoming features that are set to improve your digital workplace experience.

SharePoint Online

Align content for SharePoint page sections

New alignment options are coming to the SharePoint Online interface. Whether you're working with two or three-column layouts, you’ll soon be able to align your content at the top, middle or bottom.

This feature will make sure all your information is clear and easy to view, giving your SharePoint sites a smarter, more professional look. It's especially handy for pages packed with data or text, helping to keep everything neat and uncluttered.

Availability
Due mid to late May 2024.

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Flexible layouts

SharePoint layouts are set to become more flexible. With a future update, you'll be able to freely move and resize web parts on your pages. This flexibility allows you to design pages to fit your specific needs, moving away from the strict column structure.

This update enables web parts to be dynamically resized and moved within the flexible section, giving you the freedom to customise your layouts more creatively.

Although this update is expected in 2025, it's great to know that design in SharePoint is becoming more customisable and flexible for content owners.

Availability
Due March 2025.

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Hero web part updated with new styles

Get ready for a fresh take on the Hero web part in SharePoint, with new carousel layouts and styling options. This update will grab your user's attention the moment they land on your SharePoint site pages – especially a home page design.

This new update will create a more dynamic hero section, key for attracting your SharePoint visitors and directing them to important areas of your site - enhancing both user engagement and the look of your pages. We'll share more visuals on this in the coming month.

Availability
Due June 2024.

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Images shapes‍

Keep an eye out for a small but exciting update to SharePoint, with new shape overlays for images. Soon you'll be able to apply shapes like circles, triangles, teardrops and hexagons to the image web part and inline images in the text web part.

This will help you spotlight key images with a more eye-catching and distinct design elements, offering a fresh alternative to the standard square-based images in SharePoint if you're looking for something a bit different.

Availability
Due June 2024.

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Brand Centre now coming later this year

The new Brand Centre coming to SharePoint offers a centralised management system in Microsoft 365 that lets your content owners or designated brand owners customise the look and feel of your SharePoint sites.

The new centre allows you to manage colours, fonts, images and other brand assets all in one spot. Originally expected for May, this release has now been pushed back to September 2024. Below is a preview of what's to come:

A key advantage of the Brand Centre is the ability to add custom brand fonts. For the SharePoint Online and Viva Connections experiences, you’ll be able to use the Brand Centre to consistently apply your organisation’s fonts across many touchpoints in your Microsoft environment.

Availability
Due September 2024.

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Microsoft Teams

Edit and interact with onscreen content when using annotations

Microsoft Teams is rolling out a handy update that lets you edit files onscreen during annotation sessions. If you're presenting and using annotations, you'll appreciate this new ability to make adjustments in real-time.

There’s no need to pause your discussions. Simply click the 'Interacting with Background' button on the annotations toolbar to make your changes. This feature is ideal for keeping your Teams meetings flowing smoothly.

Availability
‍Due late May 2024.

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Slash comments are coming to Teams compose box

New slash commands are soon arriving in the Microsoft Teams compose box, making it much easier and quicker to perform routine tasks like adding code blocks or changing your Teams status.  

This update is designed to simplify your messages in Teams, helping you get things done faster and keeping your workflow nice and smooth. A slash will drop down a list of commands you can choose from (as seen in the image below). It's a straightforward way to save time when messaging in Teams.

The below commands have been announced so far:  

• mute: Mute the chat you’re in
• /loop: Incorporate a loop component into your message
• /settings: Navigate to settings
• /away: Set your presence to away
• /code: Add a code block to your message

Availability
Due June 2024.

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OneNote‍

Loop components are coming to OneNote

Loop components are heading to OneNote, making it super easy to work together in real time, right inside your notebooks. This feature is perfect for teams who need to collaborate closely, letting everyone chip in at the same time.  

This new integration will be a great way to get more done together and spark some creativity - using all the features of a Loop component inside the OneNote interface.

Availability
Web due May 2024 and Desktop due mid-July 2024.

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OneDrive ‍

Create files from templates

OneDrive is about to make creating documents from templates even easier, with options for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. This handy feature will help keep your documents looking consistent, plus speed up the creation process.  

You'll be able to browse templates by category, search for specific ones and even preview them before creating a new file, with just one click.

Plus, if your organisation has its own templates stored in an organisational asset library, you can access these too.

Availability
Due late May 2024.

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That’s a wrap!

Congratulations, you're up to date. That's it for our latest updates on Microsoft 365 and SharePoint! If you enjoyed this edition, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter in the footer below for news and insights straight to your inbox.

Any questions or feedback, don't hesitate to get in touch. Thanks for reading!