Announcing the 2026 Microsoft 365 Community Conference Keynotes
The Microsoft 365 Community Conference returns to Orlando this April, bringing together thousands of builders, innovators, creators, communicators, admins, architects, MVPs, and product makers for three unforgettable days of learning and community. This year’s theme, “A Beacon for Builders, Innovators & Icons of Intelligent Work,” celebrates the people shaping the AI‑powered future — and the keynote lineup reflects exactly that. These leaders will set the tone for our biggest, boldest M365 Community Conference. Below is your first look at the official 2026 keynote order and what to expect from each session. Opening Keynote Jeff Teper — President, Microsoft 365 Collaborative Apps & Platforms Building for the future: Microsoft 365, Agents and AI, what's new and what's next Join Jeff Teper, to discover how AI-powered innovation across Copilot, Teams, and SharePoint is reshaping how people communicate, create, and work together. This session highlights what’s new, what’s fundamentally different, and why thoughtful design continues to matter. See the latest advances in AI and agents, gain insight into where collaboration is headed, and learn why Microsoft is the company to continue to bet on when it comes to building what’s next. Expect: New breakthroughs in collaboration powered by AI and agents Fresh innovations across Teams, Copilot, and SharePoint Practical guidance on how design continues to shape effective teamwork Real world demos that show how AI is transforming communication and content Insight into what is new, what is changing, and what is coming next Business Apps & Agents Keynote Ryan Cunningham — Corporate Vice President, Power Platform In this keynote, Ryan Cunningham will share how Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Power Apps, and Agent 365 come together to help makers build powerful agents and help IT teams deploy and govern them at scale. We’ll share how organizations can design, extend, and govern a new model for the intelligent workplace – connecting data, workflows, and systems into intelligent agents that move work forward. Copilot, apps, and agents: the next platform shift for Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 Copilot has changed how we interact with software. Now AI agents are changing how work gets done – moving from responding to prompts to taking action, across the tools and data your organization already relies on. Expect: A clear explanation of how to leverage and build with Copilot and agents How agents access data, use tools, and complete multi-step work A deeper look at the latest capabilities across Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Power Apps End-to-end demos of agents in action Security, Trust & Responsible AI Keynote Vasu Jakkal — Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security & Rohan Kumar — Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security, Purview & Trust In our third keynote, Vasu Jakkal and Rohan Kumar join forces to address one of the most urgent topics of the AI era: trust and security at scale. As organizations accelerate into AI‑powered work, safeguarding identities, data, compliance, and governance is mission‑critical. Securing AI: Building Trust in the Era of AI Join Vasu Jakkal and Rohan Kumar as they unveil Microsoft’s vision for securing the new frontier of AI—showing how frontier firms are protecting their data, identities, and models amid rapid AI adoption. This session highlights how Microsoft is embedding security and governance into every layer of our AI platforms and unifying Purview, Defender, Entra, and Security Copilot to defend against threats like prompt injection, model tampering, and shadow AI. You’ll see how built-in protections across Microsoft 365 enable responsible, compliant AI innovation, and gain practical guidance to strengthen your own security posture as AI transforms the way everyone works. Expect: Microsoft's unified approach to secure AI transformation Forward‑looking insights across Security, Purview & Trust Guidance for building safe, responsible AI environments How to protect innovation without slowing momentum Future of Work Fireside Keynote Dr. Jaime Teevan — Chief Scientist & Technical Fellow, Microsoft Dr. Jaime Teevan, one of the foremost thought leaders on AI, productivity, and how work is evolving. In this intimate fireside‑style session, she’ll share research, real‑world insights, and Microsoft’s learnings from being both the maker and the first customer of the AI‑powered workplace. Expect: Insights from decades of workplace research The human side of AI transformation Practical guidance for leaders, creators, and practitioners Why collaboration is essential to unlock the true potential of AI. Community Closer Keynote Karuana Gatimu - Director, Microsoft Customer Advocacy Group & Heather Cook - Principal PM, MIcrosoft Customer Advocacy Group From Momentum to Movement: Where Community Goes Next As the final moments of Microsoft 365 Community Conference come to a close, Heather Cook and Karuana Gatimu invite the community to pause, reflect, and look forward together. This Community Closer keynote connects the breakthroughs, conversations, and shared experiences of the week into a bigger story—one about people, purpose, and progress. Together, they’ll explore how community transforms technology into impact, how advocates and builders shape what’s next across Microsoft 365, and why this moment matters more than ever. More than a recap, this session is a call to action—challenging attendees to take the energy of the conference back to their teams, regions, and communities, and turn inspiration into sustained momentum. You’ll leave not just with ideas, but with clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of belonging—because community doesn’t end when the conference does. It’s where the real work begins. More Than Keynotes: Why You’ll Want to Be in Orlando The M365 Community Conference brings together: 200+ sessions and breakouts 21 hands‑on workshops 200+ Microsoft engineers and product leaders onsite The Microsoft Innovation Hub Ask the Experts, Meet & Greets, and Community Studio Women in Tech & Allies Luncheon SharePoint’s 25th Anniversary Celebration And an epic attendee party at Universal’s Islands of Adventure Whether you create, deploy, secure, govern, design, or lead with Microsoft 365 — this is your community, and this is your moment. Join Us for the Microsoft 365 Community Conference April 21–23, 2026 Loews Sapphire Falls & Loews Royal Pacific 👉 Register now: https://aka.ms/M365Con26 Use the SAVE150 code for $150USD off current pricing Come be part of the global community building the future of intelligent work.
Apply sensitivity labels with custom permissions in Office for the web
We’re excited to announce that support for applying sensitivity labels with user-defined permissions is now rolling out in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for the web. In the past, users were limited to opening and editing files with existing custom permissions in the web apps; applying new sensitivity labels configured for user-defined permissions or modifying permissions always required switching to the desktop versions. Now, all these actions – applying labels and managing permissions for specific users or domains – can be completed entirely within Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on the web. How the Permissions dialog works in Office for the web When a user applies a sensitivity label that is configured for user-defined permissions in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on the web, the Permissions dialog opens to let them choose who can access the file and what each person or domain is allowed to do. This is the same modernized experience that previously shipped in the Windows apps, now available in the browser. Apply a label configured for user-defined permissions. From the Sensitivity menu in the toolbar, the file name flyout, or other entry points your organization uses, the user selects a label that their tenant admin has configured in the Purview portal with the option to let users assign permissions. Specify users and domains. In the Permissions dialog, the user adds individual people (for example, someone@example.com) or whole domains (for example, example.com) who should have access to the file. Choose permission levels. For each person or domain, the user chooses from clear permission levels such as Viewer, Editor, or Owner, which correspond to underlying Rights Management usage rights. Use advanced options when needed. The user can expand additional settings to configure options such as a contact email for access requests. Note that web apps do not currently support setting a custom expiration date for permissions. Apply and update permissions. After saving, the selected sensitivity label is applied to the file with the specified permissions. Users with appropriate rights can reopen the Permissions dialog later from the web apps to add or remove people or domains, or adjust permission levels, without switching to the desktop client. The Permissions dialog in Office for the web is designed to be consistent with the experience in the Windows apps, so users see the same permission levels and terminology wherever they work. All enforcement continues to respect your organization’s existing sensitivity label policies, encryption configurations, and Rights Management Service (RMS) settings. What this means for admins This feature enables organizations using sensitivity labels configured in the Microsoft Purview portal with encryption and user-defined permissions to apply these labels and manage permissions directly in the web versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Users can now stay within the browser to classify and protect content, eliminating the need to switch to desktop apps for applying or updating labels and permissions. As support for applying these labels becomes available in Office for the web, consider reviewing your existing sensitivity labels that are configured for user-defined permissions. You may want to update internal guidance and training materials to reflect that users can now complete these workflows entirely in the browser and ensure that security operations and compliance teams are prepared to monitor usage through existing Purview auditing and reporting capabilities. Admin considerations and scenarios Many organizations use user-defined permissions for scenarios where central policies cannot realistically predefine every individual who should have access to a file. For example, you might publish labels that require users to specify recipients for documents that contain deal-specific financials, M&A data, or sensitive HR information. In these cases, granting permissions at the time of labeling helps reduce oversharing and keeps access tightly scoped to the people who genuinely need it. Licensing and configuration requirements To use sensitivity labels with user-defined permissions in Office for the web, your organization must have licensing that supports configuring Purview sensitivity labels, have sensitivity labeling enabled for files stored in SharePoint and OneDrive, and have configured at least one sensitivity label for user-defined permissions. The licensing requirements for applying sensitivity labels with user-defined permissions in the Office web apps is that same as for using sensitivity labels that apply encryption in the Office desktop apps. For more information on licensing requirements, see Microsoft 365 licensing guidance for security & compliance. See Enable sensitivity labels for files in SharePoint and OneDrive for more information about enabling application of sensitivity labels to files stored in the cloud.Is it time to upgrade from Microsoft Office? Everything you need to know.
As a leader of a small or medium-sized business, you may have invested in Microsoft Office years ago through a perpetual license or “on-premises” version to equip your team with essential productivity apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Over the years, these familiar tools have become ingrained in your daily operations—so much so that you can't imagine working without them. Yet, you may have started noticing limitations. Your apps are stuck on your desktop, limiting productivity anytime you're away from your office. You can't easily access your files or collaborate when working remotely or traveling, creating unnecessary friction for your team. Perhaps you’ve seen your company’s IT expenses creep upwards as you’ve added separate solutions for email, file storage, and virtual meetings. If these challenges sound familiar, you might be considering upgrading to Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based subscription service that combines best-in-class productivity apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with powerful collaboration, security, and AI-driven tools. With Microsoft 365, you keep the familiar apps your team already relies on, enhanced with the simplicity, flexibility, and security of the cloud. Empower employees to work from anywhere, meet and chat easily using Microsoft Teams, and collaborate in real-time across documents and apps. Boost your team's productivity with Copilot, your AI-powered assistant for work. Simplify IT and lower costs by consolidating email, storage, and productivity tools into one integrated solution while safeguarding your company’s data. Now is the perfect time to move to Microsoft 365—and we’ve got the numbers to prove it To examine the potential return on investment (ROI) companies realize by implementing Microsoft 365, Microsoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a study on The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft 365 For Business 1 . The study highlights a substantial 223% ROI over three years, with a payback period of less than six months, proving that the initial investment is quickly recovered. Even more compelling, the study quantified over $500,000 in benefits over three years, driven by: Collaboration time savings of 1.5 hours weekly per user thanks to advanced communication tools, business automation, and process improvements. Enhanced IT specialist productivity, saving 686 hours annually by reducing help desks tickets and minimizing time spent on system updates and patching. Significant cost reductions, with over $297,000 in savings from retiring outdated hardware and software, along with lower IT maintenance costs. The study also highlighted notable unquantified benefits, such as streamlined workflows through automation with Power Automate and improved decision-making with easy-to-use analytics in Power BI. These enhancements empower teams to reduce administrative overhead, focus on strategic tasks, and leverage data-driven insights, driving overall organizational efficiency and growth. Source: The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft 365 For Business Get more out of the tools you use every day More flexibility. No longer are you limited to a single device; Microsoft 365 enables a user license to be used on up to five PCs, tablets, and mobile devices, empowering your team to stay productive wherever they work. Employees can even use their apps offline for up to 30 days, perfect for remote travel or locations with limited internet connectivity. More productivity. Always have the latest features in apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams—no need to buy new versions. Collaborate in real time with document sharing and coauthoring, while 1TB of OneDrive storage keeps files secure and accessible across devices. More security. Protect against phishing, malware, and spam with built-in security policies. Secure access with multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, and remote data wiping for lost or stolen devices. Safeguard business data while enabling AI-driven productivity with Microsoft Copilot. “I think the biggest value is collaboration capabilities. The ease of teams working and collaborating together has improved 100%. From a security standpoint, we have everything in the cloud, so it’s being backed up nightly. If we were unfortunately to get ransomware, we would have the capabilities to restore our information to the previous date. From a business continuity standpoint, it’s been good for us, and it will be good for us in the future.” –IT Director, Manufacturing and Materials interviewed for the Forrester study Time is running out for older versions of Office—here’s what you need to know If your business is still using Office 2016 or Office 2019, it is essential to plan your transition now. Support for these versions ends on October 14, 2025, after which Microsoft will no longer provide critical security updates or technical support. Continuing to use unsupported software can expose your organization to security vulnerabilities, compliance risks, and operational disruptions. Migrating to Microsoft 365 in advance will help safeguard your business, enhance productivity, and simplify IT management. Proactively upgrading now can help you transition seamlessly and mitigate potential risks—don't wait until the deadline approaches. Achieve more with Microsoft 365 Read The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft 365 For Business and download the Infographic to explore the potential financial impact of Microsoft 365 on your business. To move to the cloud with Microsoft 365, purchase online or reach out to a Microsoft Cloud Solution Partner today. Footnote: 1. The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft 365 for Business, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, February 2025. Results are over three years for a composite organization based on interview customers.Clipchamp’s brand kit: simplifying consistent video creation for organizations
Empowering our users to tell stories worth sharing lies at the heart of what we do at Clipchamp, and in a world increasingly focused on enterprise narratives, it’s become clear that these stories are often needed to help communicate the ethos of a brand. That’s why we’re excited to share more about our refreshed brand kit feature, designed to improve organizational branding capabilities within our video editor. With this update you now can organize a comprehensive collection of video elements—like logos, colors, and fonts—into a brand kit, for your teams and organizations to apply to any video. Whether it's an internal team meeting recording or a ‘how-to' video showcasing new product features, users and organizations can easily ensure that their brand identity is represented correctly, every time. Our brand kit empowers admins and brand managers to collate approved assets and share brand kits across global teams, ensuring that visual standards are consistent across the board, and across the world. GIF of Microsoft Clipchamp Brand kit and the branded elements it supports This ability to ensure that assets are uniform means that consistent content is now achievable at scale, helping to bolster the clarity of messaging for large enterprises, while leveraging a familiar and easy-to-use interface that doesn’t require extensive video editing experience. The flexibility and ease of uploading branding elements to your brand kit means that you can ensure not only the clarity of the message, but also its aesthetic and creative presentation with images, music, graphics and more. By the end of March 2025, brand managers and admins will be able to leverage template generation as well, allowing their teams to create foundational branded projects that can be easily replicated, modified, and reused. Brand consistency across your organization Organizations in today’s digital-first world understand the critical importance of consistent messaging and visuals in maintaining a cohesive brand narrative, for both internal and external communications. With Clipchamp's brand kit feature, ensuring uniformity of content is now easier than ever. "Knowing that all our content is aligned with our brand guidelines - whether it's the logo, fonts, colors, or even the music - gives us total confidence in the product. It saves time and helps every team member, no matter their design skills, to produce professional, on-brand videos." Paul Burke, Head of Global Brand at Amadeus. Once set up, your brand kit integrates directly into Clipchamp, appearing by default for all users in your organization. This eliminates the need for manual uploads or version control headaches. To get started, here are the steps below. If you want a deeper dive into creating and sharing brand kits across your organization, check out more details here 1. Select an existing SharePoint site or create a new site to host the brand kits This can be any type of site, such as a communication site, a team site that's connected to a Microsoft 365 Group, or a modern team site that isn't connected to a Microsoft 365 Group. Then, add the people you want to be able to upload files as members or owners of the site or Microsoft 365 Group. 2. Use PowerShell to designate the document library as org asset type BrandKitLibrary Ensure you have SharePoint PowerShell client versions >= 24830.12754 or download the most recent. Run the cmdlets in a PowerShell terminal. Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourorg-admin.sharepoint.com/ -Credential admin@yourorg.onmicrosoft.com (The parameter -Url points to the admin site.) Configure the new Document Library as Org Asset Type: BrandKitLibrary Add-SPOOrgAssetsLibrary -OrgAssetType BrandKitLibrary -LibraryUrl https://yourorg.sharepoint.com/sites/BrandGuide/brandkit In the above example "BrandGuide" is the SharePoint site and "brandkit" is the document library name. 3. Create a brand kit and add media within Clipchamp Select the 'Brand kit' section in the left side panel and select 'Create brand kit'. Choose the folder you designated as a BrandKitLibrary in the previous step. You may wish to share the brand kit to collaborate with colleagues on populating assets. To share the brand kit while preparing it, select "Share brand kit". Provide recipients with the link and ensure they have edit access. Sharing consistent assets across different locations ensures that every video being shared looks on-brand and reinforces brand recognition, no matter where it’s seen. Plus, we’ve made sharing brand kits simple by using familiar OneDrive patterns. That way, users don’t have to interact with unfamiliar technologies—just seamless access to everything you need, so you can stay focused on creating professional, polished content. Add a wide range of your media assets A screenshot of a video editing project in Clipchamp, with the brand kit panel open The brand kit feature in Clipchamp allows for a broad range of assets to be uploaded, ensuring that users can express their brand narrative through a variety of media. Clipchamp supports an array of branding elements, including logos, colors, fonts, images videos, graphics, music, and sound effects. A screenshot of a video editing project in Clipchamp, with the brand kit panel open. The cursor hovers over the 'Add colors' section, while logos, fonts, and images are also displayed There is a strong case for adding branded elements to enterprise content: it helps to easily generate a strong brand identity, while building trust with your audience, and maintaining a professional lens on content production. Clipchamp also allows users to upload multiple branding options, so you can add your primary and secondary color palettes, or light and dark design schemes. Feedback We are so excited to bring users some new additions to brand kit and would love to hear feedback around the organizational sharing experiences. Please head to this link to share with us your insights or feedback, so we can continue to create the best possible experiences for our users.
