M365 Changelog: (Updated) [Action Required] Transition to Bing Chat Enterprise service plan by late November 2023

MC677230 – Updated October 6, 2023: Microsoft has updated the content below with additional information to provide guidance on ensuring the appropriate experience is set up for your organization.

As referenced in MC665935 (September 2023), the Bing Chat Enterprise (BCE) service plan has been added to Bing Chat Enterprise-eligible Microsoft 365 licenses. The Bing Chat Enterprise service plan provides more granular management controls to turn Bing Chat Enterprise on or off for specific users or groups.

As a result, access to Bing Chat Enterprise in your organization will transition to recognizing selections made with its service plan. The previous management controls found on the aka.ms admin pages (aka.ms/TurnOnBCE and aka.ms/TurnOffBCE) will be updated to reflect this transition and help you prepare.

When this will happen:

Timing:

• Late September 2023: The Bing Chat Enterprise management controls found on the aka.ms admin pages (aka.ms/TurnOnBCE and aka.ms/TurnOffBCE) will be updated:
  • If Bing Chat Enterprise is turned on in your organization: The aka.ms admin pages will no longer offer controls to manage Bing Chat Enterprise. Instead, you will be instructed to use the service plan to further manage Bing Chat Enterprise. Please see the page below:
  • If Bing Chat Enterprise is turned off in your organization: You will only be able to turn on Bing Chat Enterprise using the aka.ms/TurnOnBCE admin page; using the service plan while Bing Chat Enterprise is turned off will not work. Once you turn on Bing Chat Enterprise using the aka.ms/TurnOnBCE admin page, you will be instructed to use the service plan to further manage Bing Chat Enterprise.
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• Late November 2023: Access to Bing Chat Enterprise for your users will be based on selections made with the Bing Chat Enterprise service plan—any previous selections made using the management controls found on the aka.ms admin pages (aka.ms/TurnOnBCE and aka.ms/TurnOffBCE) will no longer apply.
  • Action Required: Prepare for this transition by enabling or disabling the Bing Chat Enterprise service plan for your users. If you turned off Bing Chat Enterprise for your organization using the management controls on the aka.ms admin pages and wish for it to remain off, you will need to disable the service plan for your users before late November 2023.

How this will affect your organization:

Starting late September 2023, you will have limited ability to manage Bing Chat Enterprise from the aka.ms admin pages (aka.ms/TurnOnBCE and aka.ms/TurnOffBCE) and will need to use the Bing Chat Enterprise Service plan.

Starting late November 2023, any previous selections made to turn Bing Chat Enterprise on or off using the aka.ms admin pages will no longer apply—access to Bing Chat Enterprise will be based on selections made with the Bing Chat Enterprise service plan.

What you need to do to prepare:

Prior to late November 2023, you will need to transition to managing Bing Chat Enterprise using its service plan and make the appropriate selections for your organization.

Note: If you turned Bing Chat Enterprise off for your organization and wish for it to remain off, you will need to disable the service plan for your users.

For details on how to use the Bing Chat Enterprise service plan, please see our technical documentation: Manage Bing Chat Enterprise 

Additional information