Microsoft Purview Sensitivity Labels: Sensitivity label grouping modernization coming this fall (?)

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There is a change coming to Microsoft Purview Information Protection that simplifies sensitivity label architecture. The goal is to make label management easier, more scalable, and less rigid for organizations. The new model will only include standalone labels and sublabels. Parent labels will be replaced by label groups, which act as organizational containers. These groups cannot be applied to content and have no actions or scope, but they retain color and priority for visual organization. Hopefully, this change will make it much easier to move labels around and make other changes in production: for example, converting a standalone label into a sublabel or moving sublabels between groups without breaking dependencies.  From my experience, this update solves one of the biggest challenges in large environments: rigid label hierarchies. The new dynamic model gives admins the agility they need to adapt quickly as compliance and business needs evolve. For admins, migration will be quic...

Three new Microsoft 365 Copilot Updates IT Pros Should Know

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Here are three new updates to Copilot that will make it smarter, more intuitive, and better integrated into everyday workflows. These changes focus on personalization, user experience, and collaboration. Here’s what you need to know.

Communication Memory: Smarter, Context-Aware Assistance

I know I have mentioned this before, but starting in September 2025, the new feature called Communication Memory is rolling out. This enhancement allows Copilot to summarize and learn from emails, chats, and meeting transcripts that a user already has access to. The goal is to provide more personalized, context-aware responses across Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Teams, and Word.

Instead of starting from scratch, Copilot can now recall relevant details from past conversations, making tasks like drafting follow-up emails or summarizing meetings faster and more accurate. Communication Memory is enabled by default for Copilot-licensed users, and all summaries are stored privately in the user’s mailbox. Admins can manage this feature through Enhanced Personalization controls in Microsoft Graph, including the ability to disable it for specific groups if needed.

As this is a default feature, you might want to inform users about the feature and its privacy safeguards, as well as review internal policies.

Users can control this feature through their "Copilot Settings" within Teams or Outlook respectively.

Outlook Copilot Chat (on the web): A More Familiar Interface

Microsoft is also updating the Copilot Chat experience in Outlook by moving the navigation pane from the right side of the window to the left. This change, which began rolling out in mid-August 2025, aligns Outlook with the layout used in Teams and other Microsoft 365 apps. The new left-side pane includes quick access to Copilot agents, conversation history, and an “All Conversations” page for easy navigation.

This design update unifies the way Copilot Chat works for the Chat application it self and within Outlook. Making it all more familiar to the end-user.

SharePoint Agents in Teams Channels: Knowledge Where You Work

Last but not least, Microsoft is bringing SharePoint-based Copilot agents into Teams Channels in a more streamlined way. This feature, rolling out from late August through mid-September 2025, allows users to @mention a SharePoint agent directly in a channel conversation to retrieve summaries, answers, or documents without leaving Teams.

This update reduces context switching and makes organizational knowledge instantly accessible in the flow of work. The feature will be available by default. 

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