What Is New in SharePoint 365 Online?
The SharePoint solution is constantly evolving to fit the growing needs of the modern workforce. In 2022, Microsoft introduced many new solutions, such as video transcripts for Stream via SharePoint, Microsoft Syntex pay-as-you-go, and new SharePoint apps.
Heading into 2023, Microsoft announced it is working on further developing its cloud environment. The 2023 roadmap for SharePoint includes multiple exciting features that will further enhance how users interact with the platform.
Here are six new features in SharePoint 365 Online that you’ll be able to benefit from after taking SharePoint 365 training courses and setting up SharePoint for your small business.
External File Request in SharePoint Document Library
With the ‘File Request’ feature in the SharePoint Document Library, users will have a safe and easy way to request and obtain files from any source. You can select a designated folder in your SharePoint Document Library, and allow others to easily upload files using a shared link.
Users requesting to upload files can use the link only to do that—they cannot see the folder’s content, download, edit, or delete files, or see other uploaded files. This is an important part of how secure SharePoint online is, and helps protect your data when accessing files from external sources.
If the administrator has enabled ‘Anyone’ for links and file requests at the tenant level, all tenants will be able to utilize this feature. Admins can use the Online Management Shell to disable or enable the ‘Request Files’ feature for various SharePoint sites.
Private Drafts for SharePoint Pages and News
This feature will enable users to create private drafts for news posts and pages. A private draft will be accessible only to the page author, the teams the author chooses to share it with, and the SharePoint site admins. This handy feature allows teams to collaborate on content that’s not yet ready for others to see.
As with other pages and news posts, only one person can edit the draft at a time. Once the draft is published, its permissions are reset, and everyone in your organization with access to the site will be able to view it. The Private Draft feature is expected to roll out by February 2023.
Microsoft Stream (On SharePoint)
This feature allows users to organize their video and audio files in Stream (on SharePoint) into a playlist for easy sharing, organization, and playback. Here are some of the updated capabilities users can expect by February 2023:
- Multi-speed playback for Teams meeting recordings
- Custom page, site, and portal experiences for videos
- Ability to share, copy links, download, delete, and see version history of your videos
- Adaptive bitrate playback for any video file uploaded to SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams
- Noise suppression option to focus on the speaker’s voice
- Playback support in the mobile apps for SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive
- Ability to embed videos in internal websites
- Advanced sharing options
- New video creation and recording features
SharePoint Server Migration Assessment
The Sharepoint Migration Tool (SPMT) will provide content assessment, allowing cloud admins to understand their content and choose what to migrate and remediate. This will help in assessing content and planning for the migration. In this update, SPMT will support SharePoint Server migration assessment for versions 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019.
Migrate SharePoint 2010 and 2013 Workflows to Power Automate
Users will now have a tool to migrate SharePoint-based workflows to Power Automate. They can migrate SharePoint 2010 (out-of-the-box and SharePoint Designer) workflows, and SharePoint 2013 (SharePoint Designer) workflows to Power Automate flows. This feature is expected to integrate into the SPMT and be released by June 2023.
Improvements to SharePoint Site Templates
Microsoft is introducing two new SharePoint site templates for creating sites for HR, as well as a template powered by Syntex for contract management. These are expected to roll out by February 2023.
Microsoft is also updating the experience for users looking to apply a custom site template from their organization. With this update, users will have more insight into the status update and site script details for the template they use. The expected release for these updates is April 2023.
In Conclusion
SharePoint 365 is always changing and growing, and you can get a head start planning how you can work even more efficiently using the new tools coming this year.
