Top 5 IT News Stories of 2024 - Petri IT Knowledgebase

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This Week in IT, I look at the year in review with stories about new features that came to Microsoft Loop, the beginning of the end for WS Update Services, a new Microsoft app for hybrid teams, how Teams got a Slack-like makeover, and the timeline for phasing out the legacy Outlook client for the new Outlook app

Episode overview

This week in IT we cover various updates and changes in the Microsoft ecosystem that happened in 2024, including new features in Microsoft Loop, the deprecation of Windows Server Update Services, the introduction of Microsoft Places, and a makeover for Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Loop Updates: Microsoft Loop, a note-taking and productivity app, is being developed to compete with Notion. It lacks a database feature, which Microsoft is working on adding, making it a potential game changer once implemented.
Windows Server Update Services Deprecation: Microsoft announced the deprecation of Windows Server update services, meaning no new features will be added, though it will still be maintained. Users are encouraged to move to cloud-based solutions like Microsoft Intune.
Introduction of Microsoft Places: Microsoft Places, now in public preview, aims to help hybrid teams improve coordination and productivity. Features include location plans, hybrid RSVPs, and integration with Outlook and Teams.
Teams Makeover: Microsoft Teams is getting a Slack-like makeover with simplified views for channels and chats, custom sections, and new filters to improve user experience.
New Outlook for Windows: The new Outlook for Windows app aims to unify the user experience across different versions of Outlook. It is based on web technologies and integrates deeply with Windows.
Loop’s Database Functionality: Microsoft is gradually building database functionality into Loop, with recent additions like the filter function in tables, making it more competitive with Notion.
Microsoft Places Features: Microsoft Places will include features like location plans, hybrid RSVPs, peak cards in Outlook, and integration with Copilot to enhance meeting organization and space management.
Teams Customization: Teams will allow users to add custom sections, organize chats and channels, and use new mentions and filters to manage messages more efficiently.
Outlook’s Native Integration: The new Outlook for Windows uses a native Windows integration component, updated weekly, to provide a seamless user experience and deeper integration with Windows.

Russell Smith

Editorial Director at Petri IT Knowledgebase. Russell has more than 20 years' experience working in IT. From small business to large government IT infrastructure projects. Russell started his writing career for Windows IT Pro magazine in the early 2000s. Since then, Russell has contributed to a variety of publications, including Petri, CDW's list of publications, and various industry blogs including Netwrix, BeyondTrust, and others. In addition to more than 1000 articles Russell has authored, he has also written a book on Windows security and co-authored another for Microsoft's MOAC series. Russell has also authored several courses for Pluralsight.