Changes to the Office 365 Platform

If you’ve signed in to your Missouri State email or any of the other online Office apps recently, you may have noticed some changes to the online portal. Microsoft announced last year that they are rebranding the Office 365 platform to Microsoft 365. You may have even seen one or both of the below notices after logging in to the online portal:

The above screen is what you should see when logging into the online portal for the first time since the announcement about the rebranding was posted. As you can see above, all mentions of “Office 365” and the orange icon have now been replaced by “Microsoft 365” and the new blue and purple icon.

If you see this “New to Microsoft 365?” question, it might be alarming at first, especially if you have been using Office 365 for awhile. However, no changes have been made to our existing Office 365 licenses other than rebranding the name. This is the same message new users will see when they first log in to their Missouri State Microsoft 365 account, but if you are an existing user there is nothing to worry about. All of the familiar apps and features, like email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Stream, etc. will still be available to you on the Microsoft 365 platform. You can read more about the rebranding from Microsoft, and they have also provided a list of frequently asked questions that you can find below:

FAQs About Microsoft 365

• What is changing?

  Over the last couple years, Microsoft has evolved Office 365 into its flagship productivity suite, so they are creating an experience to help you get the most out of the new Microsoft 365. In the coming months, Office.com, the Office mobile app, and the Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app, with a new icon, a new look, and even more features.

• When will these changes happen?

  Changes will begin rolling out for Office.com in November 2022. And then changes will begin rolling out for the Office app on Windows and the Office mobile app in January 2023.

• Who will these changes apply to?

  These changes will apply to everyone who uses the Office app for work, school, or personal use.

• How will these changes impact me? Do I need to do anything?

  There will be no impact to your existing account, profile, or files. The app will update automatically with a new icon and name, so keep an eye out for those changes in November 2022 and beyond.

• What is Microsoft 365?

  Microsoft 365 is Microsoft’s cloud-powered productivity platform that includes apps like Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and so much more. Prior to this rebranding, the platform was called “Office 365.”

• Where do I get the new Microsoft 365 app?

  Once released, the new Microsoft 365 app and online portal will be available on the web at Microsoft365.com, on Windows via the Microsoft Store, and in both Google Play and the Apple App Store.

• What’s new in the Microsoft 365 app?

  • New types of content creation and templates: Create is your place to quickly start on projects across several Microsoft 365 apps either from blank templates or try recommended templates for quicker inspiration. The Create module is already available to all users on the web, Windows, and mobile, with more template types arriving for consumers next year.
  • New Apps module: Discover, launch, and pin the tools you use the most across Microsoft 365. Available to all users on the web and Windows, and on mobile in the coming months.
  • My Content: A popular feature for business customers, My Content is a central location to view and access all your content – created by you or shared with you – regardless of where it’s stored. Available to all users on the web and Windows.
  • Feed: Relevant content based on who you work with and what you work on is surfaced through an easy-to-digest interface to simplify your workflow. Available today for commercial users on the web, Windows, and mobile.
  • Tagging: A new way to group and organize your content with custom tags across all types of content. Available now on the web and Windows.
  • Stay on top of the latest Microsoft 365 features rolling out by following the “What’s new in Microsoft 365” blog here.

• Is Office going away entirely?

  No, as part of Microsoft 365 you will continue to get access to apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Additionally, there are no changes to existing Office 365 subscription plans, including the Education, Enterprise, Business, and Personal plans. Microsoft 365 is simply a refresh and update of the Office 365 platform, so you will not lose any applications, features, or tools due to this change.