Wednesday, March 2, 2022

SharePoint Roadmap Pitstop: February 2022

We may not have leapt ahead that extra February day this year, but it was a leaping-packed month for SharePoint and related technology.

 

February 2022 continued strong in Microsoft 365, bringing the goodness: Updated My feed web part, Viva Topics from SharePoint Syntex taxonomy terms, Microsoft Graph connectors – Confluence and Jira, channel and folder rename between Teams and SharePoint, Microsoft 365 connected templates, OneDrive sync for macOS, and more; all listed below with screenshots and links to more details.

 

I also chatted with Raju Nagalinga - principal program manager at Microsoft focused on Microsoft Graph connectors in connection to Microsoft Search. Raju shared more about two new connectors for Jira and Confluence, plus takes us behind the scenes into broader ways to connect various content sources for a more holistic end user search results experience. You’re sure to feel connected in many ways.

 

Raju Nagalinga S - principal program manager on the Microsoft Graph Connectors team, in a recorded conversation with Mark Kashman (lower right) via Microsoft Teams meeting.Raju Nagalinga S - principal program manager on the Microsoft Graph Connectors team, in a recorded conversation with Mark Kashman (lower right) via Microsoft Teams meeting.

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All features listed below began rolling out to Targeted Release customers in Microsoft 365 as of February 2022 (possibly early March 2022).

 

Inform and engage with dynamic employee experiences

Build your intelligent intranet on SharePoint in Microsoft 365 and get the benefits of investing in business outcomes – reducing IT and development costs, increasing business speed and agility, and up-leveling the dynamic, personalized, and welcoming nature of your intranet.

 

New Content Scenarios for My Feed Web Part on SharePoint

The My feed web part is the pathway to a very personalized experience in your intranet. You add a My feed web part to a broader communication site - one like a home site, or what you deem as the broader intranet in Teams - aka, Viva Connections. The feed knows who is signed in and shows them content and activities relevant to them.

 

Examples of new content flowing into the My feed web part: (top to bottom) Suggested task, people highlight, and an actionable out of band meeting request.Examples of new content flowing into the My feed web part: (top to bottom) Suggested task, people highlight, and an actionable out of band meeting request.

This month’s update brings the following into the My feed feed:

  • Suggested Tasks
    • These are tasks or actions you have requested by or of you, or things you promised to do - pulling tasks your email conversations.
  • People Highlights
    • Bringing in Birthdays, Work Anniversaries and Change of roles for people who you work with. The information is only visible for those who have chosen to share it on LinkedIn.
  • Meetings out of routine
    • These are meetings scheduled on Teams or Outlook and are out of your usual working hours. This allows your users to either request a reschedule or act on the meetings as appropriate.

 

 

Viva Topics: Use Syntex taxonomy to generate topics

Microsoft Viva Topics and SharePoint Syntex customers can build on their existing investments in classifying and organizing content with the ability to use the taxonomy service in Syntex and SharePoint to generate topics. This new integration uses the term names, including those you are already using with SharePoint Syntex, descriptions, synonyms and tagged files to create topics that the AI can use as a seed to discover additional connections with people and files.

 

Get started automatically creating topics based on your taxonomy term set.Get started automatically creating topics based on your taxonomy term set.

This helps to build out topics at scale with standardized inputs you've already put planning behind and have implemented.

 

Microsoft Graph connector for Jira and Confluence cloud standard release announcement

Microsoft released two new Graph connectors for Atlassian Confluence and Jira. With the Microsoft Graph connector for Confluence cloud, you would be able to index and search for Confluence pages and blogs from any of Microsoft Search endpoints like Bing, SharePoint, Office.com etc. Similarly, with the Graph connector for Jira cloud, you will be able to index and search for Jira issues and tickets.

 

Once connected, you'll see new content appear in search results from additional content sources when using Microsoft Graph Connectors.Once connected, you'll see new content appear in search results from additional content sources when using Microsoft Graph Connectors.

You may configure the Graph connectors from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. You’ll find new documentation pages for Confluence and Jira connectors where you can learn more about the setup process.

 

Note: If your organization uses Confluence or Jira Server/Data Center versions, refer to the following resources for how to receive access to these Graph connectors:

 

Teamwork updates across SharePoint team sites, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams

Microsoft 365 is designed to be a universal toolkit for teamwork – to give you the right tools for the right task, along with common services to help you seamlessly work across applications. SharePoint is the intelligent content service that powers teamwork – to better collaborate on proposals, projects, and campaigns throughout your organization – with integration across Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Yammer, Stream, Planner and much more.

 

Pairing naming convention between Teams channels and corresponding SharePoint folders

Time for the service to be in sync between Teams channels and its connected SharePoint document library. This new release enables simultaneous rename of the corresponding folder in SharePoint sites whenever a channel in Teams is renamed – applicable to Teams desktop and web.

 

A few notes:

  • For legacy Teams channels that were renamed prior to this rollout – There will be no change in experience. When a legacy channel is renamed after this release, it will simultaneously rename the corresponding SharePoint folder.
  • Upon renaming a channel, the new folder name will only reflect the same name in the corresponding OneDrive sync client when the whole document library has been synched. When only the channel folder is synched, the new name will not be reflected in the OneDrive sync client.

 

 

Microsoft 365 connected templates

When you create a new team using a default template - for example, the “Manage a Project” template, the project management channels and apps, and the connected SharePoint template will get applied automatically. Now, the pages, lists, and Power Platform integrations from SharePoint will be automatically pinned as tabs in Teams and you can edit these pages and lists directly in Teams.

 

Microsoft 365 templates combine Teams templates and SharePoint site templates - along with other app templates - so you more quickly, and consistently, start to your preference.Microsoft 365 templates combine Teams templates and SharePoint site templates - along with other app templates - so you more quickly, and consistently, start to your preference.

The connected templates will offer a new way of combining Microsoft Teams templates with SharePoint templates. Prior to this integration, clients needed to deploy Microsoft Teams or SharePoint-specific templates.

 

 

Related technology

 

OneDrive sync for macOS will now run natively on Apple silicon

Taking advantage of new advantages is advantageous for everyone. This means that OneDrive will take full advantage of the performance improvements of Apple silicon.

 

We are thrilled to be rolling out another top feature request - Folder Backup (Known Folder Move) support for macOS to Public Preview. People using OneDrive on macOS Monterey 12 will be able to move their Desktop and Document folders to OneDrive. 

 

OneDrive sync for macOS will now run natively on Apple silicon starting with build 22.022.OneDrive sync for macOS will now run natively on Apple silicon starting with build 22.022.

People continue accessing folders they’re familiar with to do their daily work and be assured that their data is backed up and secure in Microsoft 365 - now for both PC and Mac.

 

OneDrive Known Folder Move (KFM) for macOS.OneDrive Known Folder Move (KFM) for macOS.

 

Pin or hide your own video in Teams meetings

We have now expanded the ability to pin your own video on the meeting stage. This way, you can see your own video in the increased size on your screen. Inversely, you also can hide your own video during a meeting on others' screens. This will reduce distractions during calls while still having your video available for other participants. To pin or hide your video, simply click on the ellipsis (…) in your video feed and select Pin for me or Hide for me.

 

Pin or hide your own video in Microsoft Teams meetings.Pin or hide your own video in Microsoft Teams meetings.

 

Tips for task management across Microsoft 365

I wanted to call out a new blog from the Project team that up-levels many of the task or project management apps and what they offer across Microsoft 365 - AKA, Microsoft’s task management ecosystem. This includes Microsoft To Do, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Loop. If you follow this space, you know the team has been working to refine tasks as a service (TaaS :)) to provide great ways to create tasks and see them in aggregate where you work.

 

Microsoft To Do is your go-to Microsoft 365 app for individual work and personal tasks.Microsoft To Do is your go-to Microsoft 365 app for individual work and personal tasks.

It's a great article that highlights 2-3 things per app, that by the end of the blog you'll both learn new things and gain clarity on what Microsoft offers in the task management space.

 

There is a nice tasks webpage that has even more information about managing to-dos across Microsoft. And if you’re looking to connect with other task managers and stay current on all the latest Planner and task management news, bookmark the Planner Tech Community site.

 

March 2022 teasers

Psst, still here? Still scrolling the page looking for more roadmap goodness? If so, here is a few teasers of what’s to come to production next month…

  • Teaser #1: Shared focus plan in Viva Insights [Roadmap ID: 88839] 
  • Teaser #2: Create, manage, and edit Power Apps from Lists in Teams [Roadmap ID: 88894]

… shhh, tell everyone.

 

Helpful, ongoing change management resources

  • Follow me to catch news and interesting SharePoint things: @mkashman; warning, occasional bad puns may fly in a tweet or two here and there.

Thanks for tuning in and/or reading this episode/blog of the Intrazone Roadmap Pitstop – February 2022. We are open to your feedback in the comments below to hear how both the Roadmap Pitstop podcast episodes and blogs can be improved over time.

 

Engage with us. Ask those questions that haunt you. Push us where you want and need to get the best information and insights. We are here to put both our and your best change management foot forward.

 

Stay safe out there on the road’map, and thanks for listening and reading.

 

I appreciate your time,

Mark Kashman – senior product manager (SharePoint/Lists) | Microsoft)

 

The Intrazone Roadmap Pitstop – February 2022 graphic showing some of the highlighted release features.The Intrazone Roadmap Pitstop – February 2022 graphic showing some of the highlighted release features.

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