All articles tagged with #microsoft 365
Microsoft's Azure cloud service is recovering from an outage that disrupted services like Microsoft 365, Xbox, and Minecraft, with full recovery expected by 6:20PM ET after initial issues around noon, caused by problems with Azure Front Door.
Microsoft Azure is experiencing a widespread outage affecting services like Microsoft 365, Xbox, and Minecraft, with issues also impacting the Azure portal and other related services globally, just before Microsoft's earnings report.
Google Docs is highly convenient for online collaboration and offers sufficient features for routine tasks, but Microsoft 365 provides more powerful desktop applications and greater flexibility, making it the preferred choice for advanced document, spreadsheet, and presentation editing. Both suites are accessible across platforms and offer free tiers, with Microsoft 365 excelling in desktop app capabilities and Google Docs in online collaboration.
Microsoft 365 services in North America experienced a brief outage caused by a network infrastructure misconfiguration, highlighting the vulnerabilities of cloud services to configuration errors. The issue was quickly resolved after rerouting traffic, but it raised concerns about the resilience of cloud infrastructure and the risks of relying heavily on cloud services. Microsoft is analyzing policies to improve future resilience.
Microsoft has introduced AI agents for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, available to both business and personal Microsoft 365 subscribers, offering advanced assistance like data analysis, document editing, and presentation creation, initially on the web with plans to expand to desktop.
Microsoft is now offering free Copilot Chat features in Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for all Microsoft 365 business users, providing AI-powered assistance without extra cost, while a premium license offers enhanced features and faster performance.
Microsoft Excel is testing a new AI-powered feature called Copilot that can automatically fill and analyze spreadsheet cells using natural language prompts, powered by OpenAI's GPT-4.1-mini model. The feature allows users to classify, summarize, and generate text within spreadsheets, with privacy assurances and some limitations. It is currently available in beta for Windows and Mac users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Microsoft 365 is introducing new companion apps—People, File Search, and Calendar—that integrate into Windows 11's taskbar to provide quick access to contacts, files, and calendar events, enhancing productivity and data management across Microsoft services.
Microsoft is rolling out lightweight Microsoft 365 companion apps for Windows 11, providing quick access to contacts, files, and calendar directly from the taskbar, enhancing productivity for business users. These apps include People, File Search, and Calendar, and are now generally available, with options for IT admins and users to control their installation and startup behavior.
Attackers are increasingly using trusted Microsoft 365 apps like OneNote and OneDrive to conduct native phishing campaigns, leveraging AI and no-code platforms to create convincing fake pages and bypass security measures. These tactics involve compromising a single user to spread malicious links internally, making detection more challenging. Organizations are advised to strengthen security protocols, monitor unusual activity, and educate users to defend against these sophisticated attacks.
PCMag reports that users can replace their Microsoft 365 subscription with a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows at a discounted price of $29.97, offering a cost-effective alternative without ongoing fees, though with some differences in features and updates.
Microsoft is offering extended support for Windows 10 through its ESU program, which can be accessed by paying for Microsoft 365 or additional OneDrive storage, effectively incentivizing users to upgrade or stay on Windows 10 by rewarding their subscription payments with more updates. The program is also available for enterprise users at a cost per device, with virtual and cloud environments receiving updates at no extra charge.
Microsoft 365 experienced a significant outage affecting Outlook and Teams, with over 1,400 complaints reported, leading to service disruptions and user frustration. Microsoft acknowledged the issues, particularly with Teams and Outlook, and announced that fixes are being deployed, including a workaround for Outlook crashes related to the Forms Library.
Microsoft has provided a temporary workaround for a known issue causing Outlook to crash when opening or starting new emails, affecting users in the Monthly Enterprise Channel after recent updates. The fix involves manually creating a missing Forms Library folder, with Microsoft investigating further issues related to mailbox folder flickering and movement. Additional temporary solutions include disabling shared mailbox caching to mitigate other bugs.
Microsoft is investigating ongoing authentication issues affecting Microsoft 365 users, caused by a recent change aimed at improving MFA sign-in functionality. The incident impacts users in various regions, with Microsoft working on configuration updates to mitigate the problem while seeking a long-term solution.