Microsoft Announces Major Changes to OneNote, Teams, and Outlook

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In a series of messages, Microsoft announced major changes to OneNote, Teams, and Outlook this week. These changes potentially impact Office 365 subscribers who use these tools in various capacities.

OneNote 2016 No Longer Available for Some Users

First, Microsoft announced that OneNote 2016 will no longer be available as part of the download for some Office 365 subscribers. Those subscribers affected by this change are those enrolled in the Semi-Annual Channel as part of their Office 365 subscription. This change does not mean that these users will no longer have access to OneNote. Rather, consistent with previous  announcements, OneNote for Windows 10 is now the default OneNote experience and is included in Windows 10 at no charge. Importantly, subscribers who must utilize OneNote 2016 still have access to it. For more information on this change – including how to download OneNote 2016 – click here.

Outlook on the Web Gets a New Tasks Module

Second, Microsoft announced the addition of a new Tasks module to Office 365 subscribers who use Outlook on the web. Importantly, this new feature does not impact users when they are working in their desktop version of Outlook. Rather, if you are using Outlook on the web, you will see a redesigned Tasks function which is powered by Microsoft To-Do. Microsoft’s aim is to make it easier for Outlook users to manage tasks when they are away from their desktop computers. The Tasks feature appears beginning in the 2nd quarter of 2019. You can learn more about Tasks in Outlook on the web by clicking here.

Teams Now Accommodates Up To 5,000 Members

Finally, Microsoft’s Teams application is getting a major upgrade – an expansion allowing teams to consist of up to 5,000 team members. This doubles the previous limit of 2,500 members in a team and facilitates collaboration and communication across large teams in enterprise-class organizations. If you are using Teams, this feature is available to all users automatically. You can learn more about this upgrade by clicking here.