MC678003 – (Updated) Microsoft Teams Live Event Retirement

Product:

Teams

Platform:

World tenant, Online

Status:

Change type:

Admin impact, Retirement, Updated message, User impact

Links:

MC892643

Details:

Summary:
The support for Microsoft Teams Live Events has been extended beyond the initial retirement date of September 30th, 2024. Customers can continue using it and upgrade to town hall, the new event solution, at their convenience. Town hall is available and will receive new features, while Teams Live Events will still be supported. For more details, refer to the linked blog post.

Details:
Updated May 28, 2024: To ensure customer confidence in our product line, we are extending the support for Teams Live Events beyond the previously announced deadline of September 30th, 2024. We have concluded through customer feedback that this change to our initial deprecation plan, by maintaining support for Live Events, will empower customers to produce large events as established and provide more time to upgrade to town hall, our new digital streaming event solution for large events, on their own schedule. Town hall will continue to serve as the platform where we will deliver new product value to our customers.
Teams Live Events will continue to be supported. We want to ensure that customers can upgrade to town hall on their own schedule as we work to bring new features and capabilities to town hall. Town hall is already available for commercial customers in public clouds, and we are adding new features regularly.
If you are using Teams Live Events for your large-scale digital events, you can continue to do so past the previously announced deprecation date of September 30th, 2024. However, we encourage you to try town hall, which offers a more modern and interactive experience for your live events.
You don't need to do anything at this time to continue using Teams Live Events. If you have directed your organization to not schedule Live Events after September due to the deprecation announcement, you may now schedule Live Events past September 2024. For more information please refer to our blog post regarding this announcement: Updates for Town Hall in Microsoft Teams and Teams Live Events.
---Original message below for reference---
With the introduction of Town halls in Microsoft Teams, Teams Live Events will be retired for commercial customers on September 30, 2024. This provides commercial customers with a 12-month window to prepare for the retirement and transition off Teams Live Events.
[When this will happen:]
September 30, 2024

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2023-09-29

updated:
2024-05-29

Task Type

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Docu to Check

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MS How does it affect me

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MS Preperations

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MS Urgency

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MS workload name

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Direct effects for Operations**

- Impact on IT Operations
- Transition Planning: IT operations will need to develop a transition plan for moving from Teams Live Events to Town Hall, ensuring minimal disruption during the changeover.
- Roles Impacted: IT Operations Managers, Change Management Teams
- Resource Allocation: Additional resources may be required to support the transition, including training sessions and technical support for users.
- Roles Impacted: IT Support Staff, Training Coordinators

- Impact on IT Services
- Service Availability: Teams Live Events will remain available until the new deadline, but IT services must ensure that users are aware of the transition timeline and the need to migrate to Town Hall.
- Roles Impacted: Service Managers, IT Service Desk
- Integration with Other Services: The transition may require updates to integrations with other IT services (e.g., calendar systems, email notifications) to accommodate the new Town Hall features.
- Roles Impacted: Integration Specialists, System Administrators

- Impact on IT Users
- User Training: Users will need training on the new Town Hall features and functionalities to ensure they can effectively utilize the new platform for their events.
- Roles Impacted: End Users, Event Coordinators
- User Experience: There may be a learning curve associated with the new Town Hall platform, which could temporarily affect user satisfaction and productivity.
- Roles Impacted: All Users, Team Leaders

- Impact on IT Administrators
- Administrative Overhead: IT administrators will need to manage the transition, including monitoring usage of both platforms and ensuring compliance with new policies.
- Roles Impacted: IT Administrators, Compliance Officers
- Support Requests: An increase in support requests is likely as users adapt to the new Town Hall platform, requiring IT administrators to allocate more time to user support.
- Roles Impacted: Help Desk Staff, IT Support Managers

- Dependencies and Interdependencies
- Collaboration Tools: The transition may affect other collaboration tools integrated with Teams Live Events, necessitating updates or changes to workflows.
- Roles Impacted: Collaboration Tool Managers, Workflow Analysts
- Data Management: Organizations must ensure that data management policies are updated to reflect the new platform, particularly regarding the retention of recordings and data privacy.
- Roles Impacted: Data Protection Officers, IT Compliance Teams

For further details, refer to the official Microsoft blog post: [Updates for Town Hall in Microsoft Teams and Teams Live Events](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/updates-for-town-hall-in-microsoft-teams-and-teams-live-events/ba-p/4148352).

Opportunities**

- Transition to Town Hall for Enhanced User Experience
- Encourage departments to start using the Town Hall feature as it becomes available on October 5, 2023.
- Benefits: Improved interactivity and modern features for large-scale events.
- Roles that might profit: Marketing, HR, and Corporate Communications teams that frequently host large events.

- Training and Adoption Programs
- Develop training sessions for users to familiarize them with Town Hall features and functionalities.
- Benefits: Smooth transition and increased user confidence in utilizing the new platform.
- Roles that might profit: IT Support and Training departments, as well as end-users across various departments.

- Data Management and Recording Retention Strategy
- Create a plan to download and archive existing Teams Live Events recordings before the December 31, 2024 deadline.
- Benefits: Ensures compliance and retention of valuable content for future reference.
- Roles that might profit: Compliance and Legal teams, as well as any department that relies on historical event data.

- Cost Analysis of Licensing for Town Hall
- Review the licensing structure for Town Hall compared to Teams Live Events to identify potential cost savings or necessary adjustments.
- Benefits: Ensures that the organization is not overspending on licenses while maximizing the value of the new platform.
- Roles that might profit: Finance and Procurement departments, as well as IT Administration.

- Feedback Loop for Continuous Improvement
- Establish a feedback mechanism for users to share their experiences with Town Hall and suggest improvements.
- Benefits: Helps IT operations to adapt and enhance the platform based on user needs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Roles that might profit: IT Operations, User Experience teams, and department heads who rely on event hosting.

For more information on the transition and features of Town Hall, refer to the official Microsoft blog post: [Updates for Town Hall in Microsoft Teams and Teams Live Events](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/updates-for-town-hall-in-microsoft-teams-and-teams-live-events/ba-p/4148352).

Potentional Risks**

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