Microsoft announce that FastTrack for Azure is now available through the Middle East and Africa from 18 March, 2020 (https://bit.ly/3edU5Tn) and through Central and Eastern Europe from 31 March, 2020 (https://bit.ly/2K9djff).
There’s now availability through all Azure regions with just a few exceptions that you can find detailed here: https://bit.ly/2K9djff.
Find out more about FastTrack for Azure here: http://bit.ly/2kriyNO.
There’s an updated (April 2020) Power Apps Licensing Guide primarily updated for the availability of the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) SKUs on pages 11 and 12. There’s a detailed Change Log on page 24, and you can find this updated guide here: ttps://bit.ly/PowAppsLGApr2020
The very useful table on the last page of the Online Services Terms document which shows you which components are included in which Office 365 and Microsoft 365 plans is updated for April 2020.
The main changes are for the revised Firstline Worker plans with Office 365 F1 renamed to Office 365 F3, Microsoft 365 F1 renamed to Microsoft 365 F3, and the new Microsoft 365 F1 added. OneDrive for Business Plans 1 and 2 are added while some other components are removed, including the now discontinued Azure Information Protection Plan 2.
Find the Online Services Terms documents here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.
There’s an updated (April 2020) Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide with three main changes.
Firstly, there’s extra detail added to the Team Members use rights table on pages 32/33.
Then there’s a new Dynamics 365 IoT Intelligence Scenario section on pages 18/19 detailing the licensing for this new capability – the ability, for example, for a manufacturing system to detect machine failures through IoT signals and to generate an alert.
Finally, the Base and Attach SKU table is updated on page 56 for the ability to use Sales/Customer Service Professional Attach licences with Business Central Base licences. As usual there’s a full change log on page 57.
Find this updated guide here: https://bit.ly/D365LGApr2020
Microsoft announce a number of measures in response to the disruption caused by the coronavirus, including an extension to the end date of existing Deployment Planning Services and Training Vouchers.
Active vouchers created prior to 1 April, 2020 will be extended for an additional 90 days. In addition DPS engagements may now be carried out remotely.
Find details of this and other adjustments to end dates for competencies, certifications, and program qualifications here: https://bit.ly/2JR2gXD.
Microsoft announce that Azure Spot virtual machines are now generally available.
Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/2VgCQrQ, and get a reminder of how they work on our blog here: http://bit.ly/2Ou0v5y.
Priority notifications for Teams grants users the ability to continually send notifications that repeat every two minutes for up to 20 minutes on all messages marked as urgent. Originally, priority notifications were available as a promotion to all Teams users until 1 April 2020, but this has been extended until the second half of 2020 to enable all users to connect urgently with their colleagues during the coronavirus pandemic.
Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/2V8flm5, and learn how to use priority notifications here: https://bit.ly/3cc9lOL.
The Microsoft Customer Agreement now governs a customer’s purchases through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, replacing the Microsoft Cloud Agreement, and the April 2020 Product Terms document is updated to reflect this. So, for example, on page 60 it’s stated that rights to install Exchange, SharePoint and Skype for Business Server are included with a Microsoft 365 E3/E5 User SL, but NOT if these licences have been acquired under the Microsoft Cloud Agreement or Microsoft Customer Agreement.
Find the Product Terms documents here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.
Microsoft announce that Robotic Process Automation (RPA) capability is available from 2 April, 2020. RPA helps users to automate tasks by recording actions to be played back later, either with human interaction (known as “attended”) or without (“unattended”).
There are two new licences to support this functionality: a Power Automate per user plan with attended RPA at $40 per user per month, and an Unattended RPA Add-on at $150 per bot per month which must be added on to the Attended plan or a Power Automate per flow plan.
Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/34uD4A0, along with examples of RPA in action and an overview video.
Microsoft announce that special discounts are now available for Windows Virtual Desktop used within an Azure dev/test Subscription. Find the announcement here: https://bit.ly/2K0C6Sg. There’s also language added to page 56 of the April 2020 Product Terms document detailing the use rights of Windows Virtual Desktop in dev/test environments. Find the Product Terms documents here: http://bit.ly/MSproductterms.