New Teams Channels Threads Layout, InfoComm device news and Microsoft Retiring Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

Many thanks to Landis Technologies, this month's Empowering Cloud Benefactor. Landis just released one of the first Microsoft Teams Unify (aka Teams Phone extensibility, aka ACS) Model Contact Centres, details here. Also, catch them at Commsverse this week.

Monthly Update Video Briefing June

Check out my monthly Microsoft Teams update for June, all the news you need to know in less than 15 minutes on LinkedIn or Empowering.Cloud (and PowerPoint deck here)

You can also catch the audio version on the Teams Insider Podcast feed (coming later this week).

Major Microsoft 365 Leadership Changes

Significant changes in Microsoft 365 and Copilot leadership have happened ahead of Microsoft’s new financial year.

🔄 Ryan Roslansky (LinkedIn CEO) is taking an expanded role as Executive Vice President of Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and crucially Microsoft 365 Copilot), reporting into Rajesh Jha (EVP of Experience and Devices). He will retain his LinkedIn responsibilities.

🔄 Charles Lamanna, who heads the Business and Industry Copilot team, focused on verticalised AI assistants tailored to industry and business functions, is moving closer to Microsoft 365, now reporting directly to Rajesh Jha.

Both reporting to Rajesh Jha may drive more continuity between the different Copilot business units. Consumer Copilot remains unchanged under Mustafa Suleyman.

Teams Channels UI Gets Major Layout Overhaul

Coming August 2025 - Teams channels will support two different layout options:

Classic Posts Layout: The familiar forum-style layout where you create posts at the bottom, and replies are threaded

New Threads Layout: Much more chat-like experience with a simple text box at the bottom for new messages, similar to Slack.

The default will remain the classic posts layout. Channel owners can choose on a per-channel basis, and there will be admin controls.

Check out this message center message for more details and screenshots of the new layout: MC1088172.

Teams Phone Extensibility goes into Public Preview

Previously in closed preview, the new Teams Phone Extensibility capability that is behind the new Unify contact center certificaiton (formerly called “Power”) is now in Public Preview. This allows deep integration between Teams Phone and contact centers using Azure Communication Services and Direct Routing connectivity.

I'm talking with the ISVs involved and looking for the first contact centers to certify on the new model.

Remote Log Collection for Teams Admins!

Coming June-July 2025 - A game-changer for Teams administrators! You’ll be able to remotely pull client logs for Teams on Windows and Mac directly from the Teams Admin Center.

No more needing physical access to user desktops or complex remote tooling. This will make a massive difference for large environment management. Check out Message Center MC1087099 for details.

Critical SBA Update Required

Important for Survival Branch Appliance users: Microsoft infrastructure changes mean SBA versions before February 2025 will stop working on September 1, 2025. Contact your SBA provider (AudioCodes, Ribbon, Oracle, or TE Systems) for updates ASAP. Details from Filipp Seljanko.

Microsoft Retiring Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel for Microsoft 365 Windows desktop apps

Microsoft is retiring the semi-annual enterprise channel for Microsoft 365 desktop apps. This was the version that provided major updates every six months rather than monthly changes.

Semi-annual channel will be reserved only for non-attended scenarios. Enterprise customers must move users to monthly enterprise channel - which will now support N, N-1 and N-2 builds for some rollout control

This means all enterprise customers will receive more frequent app updates. Check out MC1087098.

InfoComm Teams Device News

Android support timeline updates: - Android 10/11 certification extended to September 3, 2026 (one more year) - End of support remains September 3, 2027

As always, be sure to be updating your Android devices. MC1088732 - Important updates for Android-based Teams devices - Authentication changes coming soon

Multi-Camera/Multi-Stream Developments: - Neat demonstrated two Neat Centers in play and the Neat Board Pro won Best in Show at InfoComm

Logitech demoed multiple concurrent streams and daisy-chaining two Rally Bar Mini devices for eight simultaneous video streams. More here

New Cisco Vision PTZ camera and Zoom "nearly native" meeting joining from RoomOS mode (not in MTR mode). Expected to be generally available by the end of 2025.

Shure debuts New Intellimix™ Foundation System and Pendant Loudspeaker.

MDEP Ecosystem Growth: - New devices from Yealink (VideoBar A50), Jabra (PanaCast 40), MAXHUB (XBar V50). Barco announced their first MDEP modular Teams Rooms on Android solution with ClickShare. Check out the recent MDEP podcast for more insight.

MDEP is also expanding beyond Teams devices into digital signage and previewing their next Android 15 release. MDEP at InfoComm blog.

Expert Briefings

• Mastering Microsoft Teams Queues App: Use Cases & Walkthrough with MVP Zach Bennett and Emily Kirby George, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Teams Calling

Teams Insider Podcast

• MDEP (Microsoft Devices Ecosystem Platform) Explained: Microsoft Teams Android devices and beyond - Chris Johnson, Senior Director, Android Product & Engineering for MDEP at Microsoft
• Unpacking Teams Phone Mobile - with VMO2's Duncan Finlay, Head of Modern Workplace
• Trends in UCaaS and AI - with Craig Durr, Founder at Collab Collective, & Kevin Kieller, Co-Founder & Lead Analyst at Enable UC
• Inside Gong’s AI Microsoft Teams Integration with Patrick Burke, Senior Manager, GTM Technology Partnerships at Gong
• Rolling out 200 Teams Rooms globally in 90 Days and driving savings at SCOR with Reto Schadegg, Global IT Infrastructure Manager at SCOR

I was also a guest on the AudioCodes podast talking about the new Unify Contact Center Model. - Spotify Apple

On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube

Events

Online:

• Microsoft Teams Devices Ask Me Anything - 16th June
• Copilot Fireside Chat June - Daniel Laskewitz, Senior Cloud Advocate (Power Platform) at Microsoft and will be talking all about Copilot Studio, MCP and Dataverse with Copilot
• Let’s Talk Teams Live: Microsoft Teams Recording — Microsoft and Partners in the Hot Seat
• Teams Fireside Chat July - Traci Herr, Sr. Escalation Engineer - Teams Voice & Devices at Microsoft - 10th July

Now on demand: Surviving a Cloud Phone Outage – Comparing Teams, Webex & Zoom Phone’s Local Survivability Solutions woth Kevin Keiller and I, recording here.

In-Person:

• Commsverse 2025 - 18th - 19th June

Lots more at https://empowering.cloud/events/ (check out our new events page too!)

Want even more? Check out the great update decks from Martin Boam, What's new in Calls, Meetings and Devices and What's new in Copilot

• https://aka.ms/WhatsNewCMD
• https://aka.ms/WhatsNewCopilot

As always, if you have questions, corrections, thoughts, or feedback, please reply and let me know. I read all the replies.

Thanks

Tom

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