Office 365 ProPlus – All About Updates
Office 365 ProPlus (OPP) is a subscription-based Microsoft Office product. All OPP subscribers regularly receive new feature updates, as well as security- and non-security-related updates. Microsoft releases new feature updates to State of Delaware OPP users who are subscribed to one of two semi-annual update channels. Microsoft releases security patches and non-security updates (hotfixes) monthly for both update channels.
Delaware Early Adopter Group (EAG) members are subscribed to the Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) and receive new feature updates in March and September. EAG members spend about four months using the new features, providing feedback to the Project O365 team (via the email below) before the rest of Delaware employees receive the updated software. The rest of the State of Delaware OPP subscribers receive new feature updates via the Semi-Annual Channel in January and July. So, for a few months of the year, EAG members have newer OPP applications than the rest of Delaware employees.
So, what happens when Microsoft pushes out an OPP update? Microsoft notifies you of some of the new features the first time you launch an OPP application after it is updated. Here’s an example: If you have already migrated to OPP, you may have opened Outlook this week and gotten a simple pop-up message, informing you of a few new features and inviting you to view more information. These include the ability to use “Read Aloud” to listen to your email and “Dictate” to have Outlook type your email for you, as well as the ability to prevent attendees from forwarding your meeting to others, and more. You can visit Microsoft’s Release Notes for Semi-Annual Channel Releases in 2019 to learn more.
Outlook on the Web – New Features Coming
You should also know that Outlook on the Web (aka OWA) will roll out many new features to Early Adopters, starting in late July. Broad deployment will finish by the end of September 2019. Outlook on the Web does not follow the same update cadence as OPP does. However, the Project Office 365 team will communicate new feature updates as they are introduced into the product roadmap. You can read more on the newest Outlook on the Web features here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Outlook-Blog/Faster-with-a-modern-design-and-new-features-the-new-Outlook-on/ba-p/735222
The Project Office 365 Team is always available if you have questions not already addressed in the website FAQ. Simply email Project_O365@delaware.gov.