Microsoft 365 is in for a year of end-of-life (EOL) dates and feature terminations, posing potential challenges for IT admins and workers alike.
Analysis from Microsoft service management firm, AdminDroid, shows over a dozen (14) changes are set to take effect in 2025, with the planned cuts representing a way for Microsoft to ensure users are accessing tools that are secure, efficient, and up-to-date.
The earliest change will be for IT decision-makers and practitioners utilizing Microsoft Teams Phone services, a cloud-based communication tool.
From January 25th, Microsoft is retiring the ‘Get-CsDialPlan cmdlet’ command, as well as the ‘DialPlan’ attribute from the ‘Get-CsOnlineUser cmdlet’ and ‘LocationProfile’ attribute from the ‘Get-CsUserPolicyAssignment cmdlet.’
On February 25, Legacy Exchange Online tokens will be switched off for all tenants, although a temporary option to re-enable them using PowerShell will be available initially. Starting in June, tokens will be permanently shut down.
Microsoft will also stop service applications from being granted access to multiple mailboxes on this date, with security concerns cited as the reason behind the move.
In April, the firm will retire domain-isolated web parts in Sharepoint, which previously enabled developers to build web parts that functioned in a distinct domain to enhance security and separation. Microsoft said this feature saw limited use due to overheads.
All the other Microsoft 365 features heading for the scrapheap
Next to go will be the ‘classic’ Teams desktop app at the start of July, meaning users will need to switch to the new Teams app or use the Teams web app on a supported browser.
Microsoft will end support for Office 2016 and Office 2019 by October 14, meaning these versions of the app will no longer receive updates. The tech giant has advised IT admins to ensure they upgrade any outdated versions of Office by this point.
Elsewhere, OneNote for Windows 10 will reach EOL on the same date, as will support for Microsoft 365 applications on Windows Server 2016 and 2019 by October 25. ‘Office 365 Connectors service in Teams’ will be retired by the end of 2025.
It’s worth noting that perhaps none of these changes will be as major a headache for IT departments as the approaching EOL for Windows 10, also slated for October 2025 with an optional three additional years of support.
A report from August 2024 found that over three-quarters (82%) of devices had still not been migrated to Windows 11, with many wary about the challenge of the upgrade.
