M365 Roundup, March 2023: Copilot Breaks Cover and GDAP Gets Real Dates
TL;DR
- Microsoft announced Microsoft 365 Copilot in March 2023, combining large language models with Microsoft Graph data inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, with availability dates still to come.
- Starting May 22, 2023, Microsoft begins transitioning active and inactive DAP relationships to GDAP with eight limited Azure AD roles, removing the corresponding DAP 30 days later.
- Authenticator Lite in Outlook auto-enables for all tenants on May 26, 2023 unless admins set the feature to disabled or scope it with include and exclude groups first.
- The Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center is now the Microsoft Intune admin center at intune.microsoft.com, and endpoint.microsoft.com will redirect no earlier than September 2023.
- System-preferred MFA, which prompts users with the most secure method they have registered instead of a fixed default, entered public preview on March 1, 2023.
March 2023 hands MSPs one announcement to dream about and two deadlines to act on. The dream: Microsoft 365 Copilot, the LLM-plus-Graph experience Microsoft unveiled mid-March with no pricing or dates yet. The deadlines: DAP-to-GDAP transitions begin May 22, 2023 with a defined set of limited roles, and Authenticator Lite switches itself on for every tenant that has not opted out by May 26, 2023. Everything else this month, from the rebuilt Teams client to system-preferred MFA, is below, grouped by product.
Teams: a faster client in preview and four meeting updates
The new Teams Windows client enters preview
Microsoft's goal for the new Teams app is twice the speed at half the system resources. Common scenarios such as app load and meeting join are already hitting that target, along with a 50 percent reduction in memory and significant gains in installation time, disk space, chat and channel switch time, and search.
The new client also supports organizations with multiple tenants and users juggling multiple accounts: users can be signed in to multiple tenants and accounts simultaneously and receive notifications no matter which one is currently in use. For MSP techs living in customer tenants all day, that alone justifies the preview.
Rollout: mid-April 2023.
Explicit recording consent for meetings
Teams is adding an Explicit Recording Consent meeting policy. When applied, the meeting window requests explicit consent from every participant before recording them; until a user consents, their audio, video, and screen share are not captured in the recording. The policy is off by default and controlled by IT admins.
Rollout: late March 2023, expected complete by mid-April 2023.
Green screen backgrounds
A green screen option improves the sharpness of virtual background effects. To enable it, users need a background effect already applied, a solid color screen or clean wall behind them, and the correct backdrop color selected:
- After joining a meeting, click the More icon in the meeting toolbar and go to Video effects.
- In the Backgrounds section, open Green Screen Settings and turn on the Green screen toggle under Teams settings, then Devices, then Green screen.
- Click the backdrop icon and move the cursor into the Preview box to manually pick the backdrop color.
- Return to the meeting.
Rollout: mid-April 2023, expected complete by late April 2023.
Avatars in public preview
Users can build an avatar through the Avatars app, found in the Teams app store, on the pre-join screen via Create your avatar, or in-meeting under More, then Effects and avatars. Hundreds of combinations cover physical attributes, wardrobe, and accessories, and users can save up to three avatars for different meeting types.
Rollout: late March 2023, expected complete by early April 2023.
A new Files app
The updated Files app surfaces relevant files directly inside Teams, so users can locate, share, and collaborate on OneDrive files without app switching. An updated menu bar speeds up navigation.
Rollout: early April 2023, expected complete by mid-April 2023.
Intune: a new name and a new URL
With the February 2023 release, the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center became the Microsoft Intune admin center, now at https://intune.microsoft.com (opens in new tab). The service is unchanged, but update your bookmarks and documentation: Microsoft plans to redirect https://endpoint.microsoft.com (opens in new tab) no earlier than September 2023.
Exchange and Outlook: an auto-enabling MFA feature and new reporting alerts
Authenticator Lite in Outlook auto-enables May 26, 2023
Authenticator Lite lets users complete multifactor authentication for their work or school account inside Outlook on iOS or Android, without the full Authenticator app. The detail that matters: the feature enables itself on May 26, 2023 for every tenant that has not disabled it. If you do not want it on, set the state to disabled or configure include and exclude groups before that date.
Bookings with me goes broad
Bookings with me cuts the scheduling back-and-forth by letting users publish custom bookable slots tied to their availability and preferences. When someone books a slot from the personal booking page, both parties get an email confirmation, and attendees can update or cancel directly from the page.
Booking slots arrive by default for users on:
- Office 365: A3, A5, E1, E3, E5, F1, F3
- Microsoft 365: A3, A5, E1, E3, E5, F1, F3, Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium
Rollout: early May 2023, expected complete by late May 2023.
Alerts when users report mail as junk or not junk
Previously, Microsoft generated an alert only when an end user reported an email as phish from Outlook (the "Email reported by user as malware or phish" alert). Starting March 20, 2023, two new alerts join it:
- "Email reported by user as junk" fires when a user reports an email as junk from any folder in Outlook, using the Report Message add-in or the built-in button in Outlook on the web.
- "Email reported by user as not junk" fires when a user reports an email as not junk from the junk folder in Outlook (add-in or built-in button) or from the end-user quarantine folder.
The alerts fire regardless of whether the user reports through the Report Message add-in, the Report Phish add-in, or the built-in Outlook on the web button.
M365 apps: Copilot announced, Loop opens up, Excel adds a prerequisite
Microsoft 365 Copilot is announced
Microsoft announced Microsoft 365 Copilot in March 2023: a new experience combining large language models with the user's data in the Microsoft Graph and the Microsoft 365 apps. It shows up two ways. First, embedded alongside the user in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more. Second, as Business Chat, which works across all Microsoft 365 apps and real-time data: calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings, and contacts.
Watch the announcement and demo: Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot (opens in new tab).
Availability: ETAs to come. As of March 2023, there is no pricing, licensing, or rollout date, only the demo.
Microsoft Loop heads to public preview
Microsoft Loop is a web and mobile co-creation app designed for teams to think, plan, and create together. The Loop app is disabled by default for organizations, so enabling it in a tenant is an explicit admin step. Learn more at loop.microsoft.com (opens in new tab), or watch this first look and full tutorial (opens in new tab).
The Loop app is free during public preview; pricing and licensing after preview are yet to be determined.
Rollout: public preview in late March 2023.
Excel Power Query needs .NET Framework 4.7.2 by June 1, 2023
If a tenant has existing Get & Transform Data (Power Query) queries, Power Query stops being accessible after the specified date, and any user who tries it after June 1, 2023 receives an error. Two installs prevent that:
- .NET Framework v4.7.2, for Power Query in general
- WebView2 framework, for the From Web (Power Query) data connector
Admin and identity: the GDAP clock starts, and MFA gets smarter
GDAP timeline updates: transitions begin May 22, 2023
Microsoft published firm dates for retiring DAP. Starting May 22, 2023, active and inactive DAP relationships begin transitioning to GDAP with limited Azure AD roles:
- Directory readers: read basic directory information, commonly used to grant directory read access to applications and guests
- Directory writers: read and write basic directory information, for granting access to applications, not intended for users
- License administrator: manage product licenses on users and groups
- Service support administrator: read service health information and manage support tickets
- User administrator: manage all aspects of users and groups, including resetting passwords for limited admins
- Privileged role administrator: manage role assignments in Azure AD and all aspects of Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
- Helpdesk administrator: reset passwords for non-administrators and Help Desk administrators
- Privileged authentication administrator: view, set, and reset authentication method information for any user, admin or not
For relationships transitioned from DAP to GDAP, Microsoft removes the corresponding DAP relationship 30 days later. The transition pauses for the month of June 2023 to support the Microsoft fiscal year closure.
One nuance worth flagging: if a partner already has a GDAP relationship with a specific customer, Microsoft will not transition that customer's DAP to GDAP. Microsoft will disable that customer's DAP by the end of July 2023.
Full announcement: March 2023 Partner Center announcements (opens in new tab).
System-preferred MFA in public preview
Users register multiple authentication methods, and some are far stronger than others. System-preferred MFA evaluates at runtime which registered method is the most secure and prompts for that one, moving away from the old model where the user picks a default method and always gets prompted for it first, even when stronger methods are available.
More info: System-preferred multifactor authentication (opens in new tab).
Rollout: public preview began March 1, 2023.
Frequently asked questions
Which Azure AD roles does Microsoft grant when transitioning DAP to GDAP?
Directory readers, directory writers, license administrator, service support administrator, user administrator, privileged role administrator, helpdesk administrator, and privileged authentication administrator.
Will Microsoft transition DAP for customers that already have a GDAP relationship?
No. If a partner already holds a GDAP relationship with a customer, Microsoft will not transition that customer's DAP to GDAP. Instead, Microsoft will disable the customer's DAP by the end of July 2023.
What breaks in Excel on June 1, 2023?
Get & Transform Data (Power Query) stops working unless the .NET Framework 4.7.2 is installed, plus the WebView2 framework for the From Web data connector. Users without them will see an error.
When Microsoft moves the roles, verify the access
The DAP-to-GDAP transition rewrites who can touch every tenant you manage. CloudCapsule audits 250+ controls per tenant in about 60 seconds, so privileged access changes show up as findings, not surprises.
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Written by
Nick Ross
CEO · Microsoft MVP · Founder, T-Minus 365
Nick is not just a CEO, he's a respected thought leader and influencer in the MSP space. Tens of thousands of MSPs learn through his YouTube channel, T-Minus365. Nick has been honored as a three-time Microsoft MVP for his educational content; his expertise and influence are the backbone of our mission, ensuring that you are in the best hands when it comes to security.
Nick joined Pax8 in 2017, where he would ultimately oversee product management for PSA and Microsoft integrations. Following his tenure at Pax8, Nick has continued to demonstrate his leadership prowess as an executive at various MSPs, culminating in his most recent role at Sourcepass.
Nick holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Florida State University, as well as a Minor Degree in Entrepreneurship. In his free time, Nick is an avid hiker, reader, and fitness-junkie.
