MC805189 – (Updated) Microsoft Teams: Extended directory retires starting July 22, 2024 (archived)

Product:

Microsoft 365 admin center, Teams

Platform:

World tenant, Online

Status:

Change type:

Admin impact, Retirement, Updated message, User impact

Links:

Details:

Summary:
The Extended directory preview feature in Microsoft Teams will be retired from July 22, 2024, to July 31, 2024, due to low usage. Users are advised to use Teams connect chat with external access instead. No admin action is required for this change.

Details:
Updated August 9, 2024: This feature was rolled back and deprecated due to low feature usage and customer demand. Thank you for your patience.
We will be retiring the Extended directory preview-only feature for Connected Chat in Microsoft Teams starting July 22, 2024, and ending July 31, 2024. Instead, we recommend admins use Teams connect chat supported by external access, where we will continue to invest our development resources. You can access the External access features in Teams admin center > Users > External access.
The Extended directory feature, which was released to public preview customers in February 2024, is being deprecated due to low feature usage and customer demand. As a result, we will gradually phase out the feature by disabling it in all interfaces. The retiring feature was accessed with the Manage external user profiles button:

This change will happen automatically by the specified date. No admin action is required. Conversations (chat) that were established with an Extended directory contact will continue to work if external access policies are enabled.
Learn more about the External access feature: IT Admins - Manage external meetings and chat with people and organizations using Microsoft identities - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn (article will be updated around the time of retirement)

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2024-06-26

updated:
2024-08-10

Task Type

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MS Preperations

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Direct effects for Operations**

- Impact on IT Operations
- Potential increase in support tickets related to user confusion over the removal of the Extended directory feature.
- Roles impacted: IT Support Staff, Helpdesk Technicians
- Need for monitoring and adjustments in external access policies to ensure seamless transition to Teams connect chat.
- Roles impacted: IT Administrators, Network Engineers

- Impact on IT Services
- Possible disruptions in communication for users who were relying on the Extended directory for external contacts, especially during the transition period.
- Roles impacted: Project Managers, Team Leaders, End Users
- Requirement to update documentation and training materials to reflect the new recommended practices for external communication.
- Roles impacted: IT Trainers, Documentation Specialists

- Impact on IT Users
- Users may experience a learning curve as they adapt to using Teams connect chat instead of the Extended directory, potentially affecting productivity.
- Roles impacted: All End Users, especially those in collaborative roles
- Users may face challenges in accessing previous conversations with Extended directory contacts if external access policies are not properly configured.
- Roles impacted: End Users, Customer Service Representatives

- Impact on IT Administrators
- Administrators may need to proactively communicate the change to users to mitigate confusion and ensure a smooth transition.
- Roles impacted: IT Administrators, Communication Managers
- Increased responsibility to ensure that external access policies are correctly set up and functioning to avoid disruptions in user communication.
- Roles impacted: IT Security Officers, Compliance Officers

- Dependencies and Interdependencies
- The change may affect integrations with other Microsoft 365 services that rely on external communication capabilities, necessitating a review of those dependencies.
- Roles impacted: IT Architects, Integration Specialists
- Collaboration tools and workflows that depend on the Extended directory feature may need to be reassessed and potentially redesigned.
- Roles impacted: Business Analysts, Workflow Designers

References:
- Microsoft Teams External Access Management: [Microsoft Learn](https://learn.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/trusted-organizations-external-meetings-chat?tabs=organization-settingsmanage-chats-and-meetings-with-external-teams-users-not-managed-by-an-organization)

Opportunities**

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Potentional Risks**

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