Updated Feature: Email notifications for comments and @mentions in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

MSFT will be updating email notifications for comments and @mentions in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
We'll be gradually rolling this out in mid-January 2020
The roll out will be completed worldwide by the end of February 2020

This message is associated with Office 365 Roadmap ID 51538.

How does this affect me?
Currently, when a user comments on a document, presentation, or spreadsheet and adds the @ sign with someone's name (an @mention), that person may receive an email with a link to that comment. By clicking on the link, the mentioned person opens the document comment and enters that conversation.

With this update, when a user gets an email notification that someone has @mentioned them or who has replied to their comment, the email may now show both the comment thread and the surrounding document context without requiring them to open the document. In addition, users who receive the email will be able to reply to the comment without needing to open the document.

This update applies to these versions of Excel: Windows (version 1911 or later), Mac (version 16.31 or later), mobile, and web.
For Word, this update applies only to mobile and web versions.
For PowerPoint, this update applies only to the web version.
We will add additional support for PowerPoint and Word in 2020 and will notify you of those updates at that time.


Sometimes users may get email notifications that do not include the comment thread, context, or ability to reply from the email. This can happen:
When the file is marked sensitive via rules supporting Data Loss Prevention;

If the file is Rights Protected; or
Kathy > is there a better link?

If the person who left the comment is using a version of Office that does not yet support this feature.

Additional information

Updated Feature: Image resizing in the modern SharePoint experience

MSFT is introducing the ability to resize an image in the modern SharePoint experience. 

We'll be gradually rolling this out to Targeted Release customers in early January 2020.
The roll out will be complete by the beginning of February 2020.

This message is associated with Office 365 Roadmap ID 57812.

How does this affect me?
The modern SharePoint site is comprised of web parts, the building blocks of the page. The Image web part lets an editor insert an image on a page, whether from their SharePoint site, their computer, or an external web location.

With this update, page editors will also be able to resize images in the image web part.



What do I need to do to prepare for this change?
There is no action you need to take to prepare for this change, but you might consider updating your user training and notifying your help desk.

Updated Feature: Exchange Online - FindTime, updating back-end service

MSFT is updating how FindTime stores polling data.

• MSFT will be gradually rolling this out to targeted release customers in mid-December 2019.
• The rollout will be completed by the end of March 2020.
This message is associated with Microsoft Office 365 Roadmap ID 58210.

How does this affect me?

FindTime is an Outlook add-in that helps your users quickly find time to meet with others by simplifying group scheduling via a poll. Customers have asked that FindTime store application data at the organization’s location. To address this, the new FindTime service will now store collected data in the meeting organizer’s Exchange mailbox.

The new FindTime service will be supported in Outlook on the web, Outlook for Windows 2016 version 2016.0.7828.100 and above, and Outlook for Mac 2016.

What do I need to do to prepare for this change?

If you have not enabled FindTime for your organization, this update does not apply to you.

If you have enabled FindTime for your organization:

• For your users who have a supported version of Outlook, their FindTime polling data will be stored in their Exchange mailbox.

• For your users who have a non-supported version of Outlook, their FindTime polling data will be stored in a North America server.

Install FindTime for everyone in my organization

As a tenant admin, you can install Office apps for your Office 365 users using the Exchange admin portal.

1. In the EAC, navigate to Organization > add-ins.
2.  Click , and then choose the right option.

◾Add from the AppSource. 
Note: Access to the AppSource isn’t supported for mailboxes or organizations in specific regions. If you don’t see Add from the AppSource as an option in the Exchange admin center under Organization > add-ins >  Icon, you may be able to install an App for Outlook from a URL or file location. For more information, contact your service provider.

◾Add from URL. In URL, enter the full URL for the app manifest file that you want to install.


◾Add from file. Select Browse, and then navigate to the location of the app manifest file that you want to install.

We go with 'Add from the AppSource' option. 

This opens a new tab redirecting to MSFT appsource site, select the app you want to install (look for FindTime app), 

and then click GET IT NOW.

 Click 'Continue'

 Click 'Yes'

 You will see the FindTime icon under Home tab of the Mailbox and under Message tab of the opened e-mail.

Click on  Reply with Meeting Poll - FindTime icon, Click on 'Link Now'

Sign in for the first time

Once connected, select the Meeting time(s) and Click 'Next'

 

Update the Location and click on 'Insert to email'

You will see the email as shown below.

New Feature: Meeting chat notifications

MSFT are enabling meeting chat notifications for Teams. They will be gradually rolling this out in early December 2019.The rollout will be completed by mid-December.

This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 54637.

How does this affect me?

By default, meeting chats will be muted until a user either sends a message in the chat or joins the online meeting.
Users who have joined a meeting, whether or not they have sent a message in the meeting chat, will receive notifications of chat messages for that meeting unless they have modified their settings.
Users who send a message in a meeting chat will receive notifications for chat messages for that meeting unless they have modified their settings.

Users can change the default setting:
In the web browser or desktop client, users should tap their profile picture at the top right of the app, select Settings > Notifications.

In the mobile client, users should access the "Hamburger" menu and choose Settings > Notifications.
Then navigate to the meetings section and open the menu for Meeting chat notifications.


What do I need to do to prepare for this change?

There is nothing you need to do to prepare for this change, but you may consider updating your user training and notifying your help desk.