Microsoft is retiring Office365 connectors within Teams. What does this mean for you?
- Artificial Intelligence
Byline by Chris Stephenson, alliantgroup Managing Director of Intelligent Automation & AI | benefitsPRO
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Microsoft has announced significant changes to its Office 365 connectors feature in Microsoft Teams. This feature, which has been instrumental in delivering content and service updates from third-party services directly into Teams channels, is set to be retired. After feedback from users, Microsoft has provided a revised timeline for the retirement of this functionality:
- Connectors within all clouds will continue to work until December 2025
- Using connectors beyond December 31, 2024, will require additional action. More details can be found here.
- Beginning August 15, 2024, all new workflows built with Microsoft Teams must be created using the new Workflows app within Teams
Office 365 connectors in Microsoft Teams have been a valuable tool for users, enabling them to receive updates from popular third-party services directly into their Teams chat streams. This functionality has ensured that team members stay informed and synchronized with relevant information, enhancing collaboration and productivity.
Some of the popular Office 365 connectors include: Azure DevOps Services, Trello, GitHub, Zendesk, Salesforce, and other leading third-party platforms.
Why did Microsoft make this change?
Microsoft has been investing significantly in their Power Platform product and has been quietly making changes to their infrastructure to force users to adopt their Power Platform product. This move is no different.
As low and no-code become more commonplace in the business world, Microsoft has clear intentions to dominate their competition in this space. By continuing to reduce accesses and permissions into Office365, Microsoft is making it more difficult for third-party platform to access their systems.
I use Office365 connectors Teams, what can I use instead?
As expected, Microsoft is directing users to their platforms, Power Automate and a new application called Microsoft Teams Workflows. Both applications will allow you to replace the functionality offered by Office365 connectors.
What Microsoft doesn’t mention is that third-party applications are still able to access Microsoft Teams (for now) via their Graph API. Developers and professionals familiar with API calls can still leverage this to connect directly into Teams and Office365.
Expert Assistance from alliantDIGITAL
Transitioning from Office 365 connectors to Power Automate or Teams Workflows can be a complex process, especially for organizations with extensive integrations. To ensure a smooth and efficient migration, consider reaching out to alliantDIGITAL, experts in Power Automate, Graph API, and Microsoft Teams integrations.
- Expert Guidance: alliantDIGITAL can provide tailored advice and support to help you navigate the transition, ensuring that your workflows are optimized for performance and security.
- Seamless Migration: With their extensive experience, alliantDIGITAL can handle the technical aspects of the migration, minimizing downtime and disruption to your operations.
- Customized Solutions: alliantDIGITAL can develop custom Power Automate workflows that meet your specific business needs, enhancing your team’s productivity and collaboration.
- Ongoing Support: Beyond the initial migration, alliantDIGITAL offers ongoing support and maintenance to ensure that your workflows continue to operate smoothly and efficiently.
For users currently utilizing Office 365 connectors in Microsoft Teams, it is crucial to migrate existing connectors to Power Automate workflows before the retirement dates. By doing so, teams can continue to benefit from the integration of third-party service updates while leveraging the enhanced security and scalability offered by Power Automate.
To make this transition as seamless as possible, please get in touch. alliantDIGITAL’s expertise in Power Automate and Microsoft Teams can help you navigate the complexities of the migration, ensuring that your organization continues to operate efficiently and securely. Reach out to alliantDIGITAL today to get started on your migration journey.
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