Microsoft recently announced the retirement of the SharePoint News Connector, a tool that has been essential for integrating SharePoint News into Microsoft Teams. This decision has sparked numerous questions and concerns among users who have relied on the connector for streamlined communication and collaboration. Here, we’ll delve into what this retirement means, the timeline, and how you can prepare for the change.
Overview of the SharePoint News Connector
The SharePoint News Connector was designed to allow users to easily share news posts from SharePoint sites directly into Microsoft Teams channels. This integration facilitated better information dissemination and kept team members informed of important updates and announcements within their organization.
Key Dates and Timeline
- Announcement Date: Microsoft announced the retirement of the SharePoint News Connector in early 2024.
- Retirement Date: The connector will officially be retired on August 31, 2024. After this date, the connector will no longer be available, and any existing connections will cease to function.
Why is Microsoft Retiring the SharePoint News Connector?
Microsoft is constantly evolving its suite of tools to enhance user experience and efficiency. The decision to retire the SharePoint News Connector aligns with their broader strategy to streamline features and encourage the use of more integrated solutions. Microsoft recommends using the native capabilities within Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online for sharing news and updates.
Preparing for the Transition
To ensure a smooth transition away from the SharePoint News Connector, consider the following steps:
- Review Current Usage: Evaluate how extensively your organization uses the SharePoint News Connector. Identify critical news channels and understand the potential impact of its retirement.
- Explore Alternatives: Microsoft suggests utilizing the built-in news and communication features in SharePoint and Teams. You can create news posts in SharePoint and share the links manually in Teams channels. Additionally, leveraging Power Automate can help create custom flows to automate the sharing of news updates.
- Communicate with Teams: Inform your team members about the upcoming change. Provide guidance on new processes and ensure they are comfortable with alternative methods for sharing news.
- Training and Support: Offer training sessions to help users adapt to the new ways of disseminating news. Provide resources and support to answer any questions and assist with the transition.
Leveraging Native Features in SharePoint and Teams
Although the SharePoint News Connector is being retired, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint offer robust native features that can effectively replace the connector. Here’s how you can leverage these tools:
- SharePoint News Web Part: Use the SharePoint News web part to create and publish news posts on your SharePoint site. This web part allows for rich content creation with images, videos, and text formatting.
- Teams Channels: Share news posts in Teams channels by copying the SharePoint news URL and pasting it into the channel. Teams will automatically generate a preview of the news post, making it easy for team members to access and read.
- Power Automate: Create custom workflows with Power Automate to automate the distribution of news posts from SharePoint to Teams. This can include triggers for new news posts and actions to post updates in specific Teams channels.
Conclusion
While the retirement of the SharePoint News Connector marks the end of an era, it also opens the door to more integrated and streamlined ways of sharing news within your organization. By preparing in advance and leveraging the native capabilities of SharePoint and Teams, you can ensure a seamless transition and continue to keep your team informed and connected.
For more detailed guidance and updates, be sure to visit the official Microsoft documentation and support resources.
