Behind the Scenes: Helping customers get and stay current with the Microsoft 365 Apps Rangers

(Originally published on March 13, 2024 by Microsoft 365 Insider Engagement Team)

 

Have you heard of the Microsoft 365 Apps Rangers? They are a team of experts whose mission is to help customers make the switch to monthly feature updates and modernize the deployment and management of their Microsoft 365 Apps.

 

Who are the Microsoft 365 Apps Rangers?

 

Office has evolved over the years (hello Microsoft 365 Apps), and so have the tools and methodologies for maintaining and servicing these core applications. Shortly after the release of Office 365, it became obvious that customers, and more specifically admins in large organizations, needed additional support to navigate through deployment issues. That need brought together a team of experts, known as the Apps Rangers, who could work with customers 1-on-1, speak an IT admin’s language, and share their challenges and requirements with the people who are designing and building the products and features.

 

All of the Rangers have years of experience managing customer environments. They understand the ins and outs of managing Microsoft 365 Apps, with each member bringing a unique set of skills and knowledge to the team. Among the group, there is also a healthy understanding of the older app configurations and legacy management models that many of their customers started with. The Rangers are committed to helping customers modernize the way they manage their Microsoft 365 Apps and enabling them to do more with features like Microsoft Copilot. 

 

The Rangers write blogs and documentation, post videos, and keep an ear to the ground across social media channels. They also bring customer feedback directly to the product teams, influencing services like Cloud Update and other core features in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center.

 

Current focus

With the arrival of Microsoft Copilot, many customers are looking for readiness guidance to prepare their organization. Copilot is only available on Current Channel and Monthly Enterprise Channel. This means customers that have broadly adopted Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel and want to use the latest features will need to make the transition to a monthly channel that works best for their organization. 

 

To help address these issues, the Rangers published guidance on how to perform the channel change using different client management technologies. They are also directly involved in helping to optimize the admin toolset for adopting and maintaining monthly updates using the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center.

 

Deployment resources

If you’re an IT Admin looking to stay on top of the latest updates for Microsoft 365 Apps and get access to the latest features and security updates, be sure to check out the Rangers’ YouTube channel. You can also find them on Tech Community, Reddit, and the WinAdmins server on Discord.

 

Meet the Rangers

Bob Clements	Bob Clements worked in the IT industry for 15 years before joining Microsoft as a Senior Premier Field Engineer in 2019. His specialization has always been centered around modern device management and identity.   Bob and his family are located in the Sacramento Valley. He enjoys tinkering with technology (home lab, VR, emulation), photography, and running.
Eric Wayne	Eric Wayne has been at Microsoft for 13 years and a Microsoft 365 Apps Ranger for the past 5 years. His areas of expertise are deployment, updating and servicing, and running the Office Deployment & Health Insiders group.   He lives in Fargo, North Dakota, with his wife and 2 children. He enjoys golfing in his free time.
Martin Nothnagel	After working as a consultant in the Microsoft 365 Apps space for 16 years, Martin joined the Microsoft 365 Apps Rangers team in 2020. He is an expert in troubleshooting and crafting documentation.   He lives in Berlin, Germany with his family. In his free time, he enjoys playing Tetris DX on his Game Boy Color and repairing old gaming handhelds.
Matt Philipenko	Matt Philipenko has been at Microsoft for 10 years and a Microsoft 365 Apps Ranger for the last 5. His areas of expertise are deployment, updates (servicing), activation, and accessibility.   He lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife and 3 kids. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, learning new skills, and being outside.

 

The Apps Rangers are our favorite superheroes—but who are theirs?

Bob: Dr. Strange hits the mark for me. I think the MCU really brought him to life after years of comics. Great character arc, intelligent mastermind, mystic arts to serve as the primary protector of Earth, and that cape is just too cool not to love. 

 

Eric: For me, Thor. Long before being popularized by the MCU and Chris Hemsworth, I always enjoyed reading Norse mythology and the adventures of Thor in the Marvel comics. The hammer-wielding God of Thunder—what's not to love?  

 

Martin: Frank Miller’s Batman from The Dark Knight Returns. After the colorful and a bit cheesy Batman from the 60’s TV series, this Batman was grumpy, brutal, gritty, struggling with his role and age. Him becoming a blessing and a curse for Gotham gave a whole new perspective and spin on the character. 

 

Matt: Might sound silly but Iron Man. I like in the end how he had humility and longed for family—after all his money, success, and fame, nothing filled him up as much as his family. 

 

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