May 8, 2025
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Simplified License Management for Dynamics 365 Products
WHEN: April 30, 2025 & August 30, 2025
Starting April 30, 2025, Microsoft is introducing enhanced license reporting in the Power Platform Admin Center. offering comprehensive insights into license usage across all security roles. Users who do not meet license requirements will receive proactive notifications directly within the Dynamics 365 application, instructing them to request proper licensing through their administrator.
Beginning August 30, 2025, all Dynamics 365 customers will be required to assign user licenses directly through the Microsoft 365 admin center for the following applications:
- Finance
- Finance Premium
- Supply Chain Management
- Supply Chain Management Premium
- Commerce
- Project Operations (in Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations)
- Human Resources
To prepare for this change, Microsoft is encouraging customers to review the “Finance and Operations User license level overview report” in the Power Platform admin center and begin assigning your Dynamics 365 licenses in the Microsoft 365 admin center today. Taking these steps will help ensure a smooth transition before August 30, 2025.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Microsoft 365 E5 Security Now Available for Business Premium customers
WHEN: March 1, 2025
Microsoft is now allowing the E5 Security suite to be added to the Microsoft 365 Business Premium suite. Prior to March 6th, Microsoft 365 E3 was the only prerequisite license for the Add On. E5 Security brings new security value on top of Business Premium with Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
Please note that Microsoft Defender for Business (included in Business Premium) does not support mixed licensing. If a tenant has both Defender for Business and Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, the default experience will be Defender for Business. To switch to Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, all users must be licensed for it, and then Microsoft Support should be contacted to make the change. You can learn more here.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Copilot added to the Microsoft 365 admin center
WHEN: February 20, 2025
For customers who have at least one license of Microsoft 365 Copilot in their tenant, Microsoft has rolled out Microsoft 365 Copilot. This service can quickly get a personalized and concise summary of key insights and trends across all admin areas, such as Service Health, Message Center, Experience Insights, and more all in one place so you can save time jumping from one report to another. It is automatically enabled for select customers who have purchased Microsoft 365 Copilot. Copilot in the specialized admin centers like Teams and SharePoint will be added in the coming months. You can read more about how to use this feature here.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Copilot in Azure Generally Available
WHEN: January 15, 2025
Copilot in Azure is now generally available. This is an AI assistant that helps you manage and optimize your Azure environment. It assists with design, deployment, troubleshooting, and automation of Azure resources. Additionally, it provides insights and recommendations to improve performance, cost-efficiency, and security. Best of all, the current capabilities of Copilot in Azure at GA will continue to be made available at no additional cost. See the announcement here.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus Announced
WHEN: Spring 2025
Microsoft has announced that Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus (currently in preview) will be generally available in spring 2025. Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus is an advanced disaster recovery solution which offers enhanced resilience for Cloud PCs, ensuring faster recovery times and lower risk of data loss during outages. More information is available here.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: End of support for Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection
WHEN: February 3, 2026
As of February 3, 2025, Microsoft is no longer selling new Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection subscriptions. Support for Fraud Protection will end on February 3, 2026. No new features will be released to Fraud Protection as of February 3, 2025; however, service updates will be provided.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Retirement of Skype
WHEN: May 5, 2025
As of May 5, 2025, Microsoft is retiring Skype in favour of Teams. Paid Skype features will no longer be offered to new customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to make and receive international and domestic calls. Current Skype subscription users can continue to use their Skype Credits and subscriptions until the end of their next renewal period. Skype Credit users can also continue to use their remaining Skype Credit. After May 5, 2025, the Skype Dial Pad will be available to remaining paid users from the Skype web portal and within Teams.
WHAT'S HAPPENING: Windows 10 End of Support Hardware Compatibility
WHEN: October 14, 2025
With End of Support for Windows 10 approaching in October 2025, now is good time to review the hardware requirements for Windows 11. If your device(s) do not meet these requirements, you may need to refresh hardware in order to upgrade. Microsoft Surface devices are purpose made for Windows 11 by offering enhanced security through integration with Microsoft Intune and Defender and support a zero-trust security model. They also boost productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot, which automates tasks and enhances collaboration. Additionally, Surface devices provide cost efficiency through device consolidation and simplified management. If you are interested in investing in Surfaces or other new Windows 11 compatible devices, please contact your Long View Account Manager and we will be happy to help navigate.
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