365 Explained

How does Microsoft actually roll out updates across M365 — and how much control do you really have? Ben and Zach break down the update lifecycle across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem in episode seven of 365 Explained.In this episode, we explore:💠The "rings" model — from dev teams to dogfooding to your tenant💠Targeted release vs standard release — and where to find the settings💠Office app update channels — current, monthly enterprise, and semi-annual (spoiler: Microsoft no longer recommends semi-annual for most users)💠How Teams updates differently to the rest of Office💠The OneDrive sync client and its own update rings💠Where Windows fits into the picture💠Message Centre vs the M365 Roadmap — and why you need to watch both💠How Copilot Frontier adds yet another layer to all of thisWhether you're an admin trying to get ahead of changes, or you're just tired of users asking "why don't I have that feature yet?", this one's for you.Or listen on all good & bad podcasting platforms alike

Microsoft has announced Microsoft 365 E7, "The Frontier Suite", the first new enterprise tier above E5 since 2015. It goes GA on May 1st at $99/user/month, wrapping E5, Copilot, Agent 365 and the full Entra Suite into one SKU.In this episode, Ben and Zach break down what's inside E7, how the enterprise licensing ladder has evolved from E1 through to E7, and whether the pricing math adds up vs buying à la carte. They also get into what's still missing from the bundle (Teams Premium, calling plans, attendee packs) and whether E7 actually solves the add-on sprawl problem.There are also questions Microsoft hasn't answered yet: is Agent 365 a tenant-level unlock or a per-user licence? Who do you actually need to licence? And what does this mean for organisations still on E3 or E5?Topics covered:History of Microsoft enterprise SKUs (E1, E3, E4, E5, E7)What E7 adds: Copilot, Agent 365, Entra Suite, advanced securityPricing breakdown: $99 bundled vs $117 à la carteWhat's NOT included: Teams Premium, calling plans, attendee packsThe Agent 365 licensing questionWho should consider E7 vs staying on E5Links:Microsoft announcement: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/03/09/introducing-the-first-frontier-suite-built-on-intelligence-trust/Microsoft 365 blog: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2026/03/09/powering-frontier-transformation-with-copilot-and-agents/

Copilot Frontier keeps showing up across M365 admin centres, but it's not well explained and the documentation doesn't make it much easier. In this episode, Ben and Zach dig into what Frontier actually is, why it exists as a separate thing from targeted release, and what's in it right now. From Researcher and Analyst agents through to the Opal computer use agent.We talk through the admin controls (and the inconsistencies across them), licensing questions nobody has answers to yet, MCP servers appearing under the Frontier banner, and whether you should turn it on for your users.We'd love to hear what you're doing with Frontier in your environments. Get in touch on LinkedIn or leave a comment on YouTube.

Ever wondered if the Teams Queues App could save you from a full contact centre deployment? Ben and Zach get into Microsoft's Contact Center Lite experience in episode six of 365 Explained. In this episode, we explore:🔹What the Queues App actually is (and what it isn't) 🔹The Teams Premium licensing question—who needs it?🔹Monitor, whisper, barge, and takeover functionality explained🔹Real-time analytics (spoiler: it actually updates in seconds)🔹Shared call history, the feature that finally arrived🔹When Queues App is enough vs when you need a proper contact centre🔹What's still missing (hello, Copilot button?)Whether you're already running Call Queues and curious about the upgrade, or evaluating whether to skip the third-party contact centre entirely, this one's got you covered.--------Join us on LinkedIn, we'd love to hear what you thought & any requests for future topics!

Don’t worry if you don’t know your IaC from your elbow, neither did Ben or Zach when they started recording! Thankfully, Elliott Woodruff, Principal Architect at Synextra, was onboard to help make sense of it all for us!In this episode, we explore:What Infrastructure as Code actually means in Azure and M365The differences between Bicep, ARM, and Terraform (and when to use each)Real-world use cases, risks, and a few horror storiesHow IaC can help standardise tenant setups and improve securityWhy AI and Copilot might soon be writing your deployment scriptsWhether you're IaC-curious or already knee-deep in Terraform state files, this one’s packed with practical insights, honest takes, and a few cautionary tales.--------Join us on LinkedIn, we'd love to hear what you thought & any requests for future topics!

In this episode, Ben and Zach explore what it’s really like to use M365 Copilot in practice. They break down how it compares to Copilot Chat, where it fits into daily workflows, and what you actually get for your $30 per month.They cover:The difference between M365 Copilot and Copilot ChatLicensing, data protection, and value for moneyHow Copilot works across Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, and LoopTips for better prompts by being clear about your goal, context, and expectationsNew features like Memory and Custom InstructionsThe rise of Agents and how to build your own with Copilot StudioIntegrations with tools like Jira and ConfluenceA look at Notebooks and Pages for more persistent, project-based Copilot useIt’s a grounded, honest take on what Copilot can and can’t do today, with a few wishlist items thrown in for good measure.Whether you're testing Copilot now or just trying to make sense of the hype, this episode gives you a practical lens on where it fits in the M365 ecosystem.

In this episode, Ben and Zach dive into the world of Microsoft Teams Voice Apps: the unsung heroes behind call routing, Auto Attendants, and Call Queues.Whether you're new to Teams Phone or knee-deep in deployment, this episode breaks down:What Voice Apps are and where they fit in the Teams Phone ecosystemHow Auto Attendants and Call Queues work (and when to use each)The role of Resource Accounts and how licensing works (spoiler: it’s not as scary as it sounds)Real-world examples like IT support lines, sales queues, and holiday routingTips for managing greetings, voice menus, and directory searchWhat’s possible with Teams Premium (and what’s not)Expect practical guidance, a few laughs, and plenty of “oh, that’s why!” moments.🎧 Tune in to learn how to build smarter call flows and make Teams Phone work harder for your users.

Zach and Ben are back, and this time we’re diving into one of my favourite new Copilot features: Copilot Notebooks. If you’ve been wondering:  • What are Copilot Notebooks, really?  • How are they different from Loop or OneNote?  • Can they actually help with real-world work?  • Why can’t I share them yet? (Yes, we go there…) Then this episode is for you

Welcome to first exciting episode of 365 Explained! In this episode, we dive deep into Microsoft Loop, the innovative new tool designed to enhance collaboration and productivity. Join us as we explore the features, benefits, and real-world applications of Microsoft Loop. Don't miss out on this comprehensive guide to one of the most promising tools in the Microsoft ecosystem. Tune in, subscribe, and let's get looping!