Endpoint Patch Management
The latest Endpoint Patch Management coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Edge Beta 150 Now Lets You Sign In With Google Account — Full Sync and Enterprise Controls
Edge Beta 150 now allows Google account sign-in for profile sync, rivaling Chrome’s ecosystem and giving enterprises new policy controls. The update, available on Windows and macOS, lets users sync bookmarks, passwords, extensions, and more without a Microsoft account. A new “NonMicrosoftAccountSignInEnabled” Group Policy enables IT admins to permit or block the feature.
Microsoft Confirms Exchange Online Lacks Native Resource Utilization Reports, Urges Admins to Use Calendar Queries
On May 21, 2026, Microsoft’s Exchange Team confirmed Exchange Online lacks a native utilization report for resource mailboxes. Administrators must manually query calendar data via PowerShell or Microsoft Graph API to measure room and equipment usage, increasing overhead and delaying data-driven workspace decisions.
New Outlook Windows 11 Offline Attachments: A Step Forward, but Classic Still Reigns
Microsoft is rolling out offline attachment support to the new Outlook for Windows 11 after months of testing, addressing a key missing feature. However, the web-based client still lacks the full offline capabilities of the classic Outlook app, including calendar and task access without internet. This update marks progress but underscores the ongoing feature gap between the two versions.
Wisconsin’s D.C. Everest Students Dominate 2026 MOS Qualifier, Excel Winner Heads to Nashville Nationals
D.C. Everest students made a strong showing at the 2026 MOS Wisconsin State Qualifier, with Malea Lopes-Serrao winning first place in Microsoft Excel and securing a spot at the national championship in Nashville. The school's six top-ten finishes across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint reflect a deep commitment to career and technical education, driven by the growing importance of Microsoft 365 certifications in the workplace.
Microsoft Teams Presence Fiasco: 4,500+ Users Hit by ‘Green Dot of Deception’ on June 17
On June 17, 2026, over 4,500 reports of inaccurate presence statuses hit Microsoft Teams, with the app showing users as online when they were offline and vice versa. Microsoft traced the glitch to a backend race condition and resolved it by mid-afternoon, but the incident exposed the fragility of digital availability signals. IT admins were advised to clear caches and use fallback communication channels during the outage.
Microsoft Teams Web Presence Now Tracks Activity Outside the Active Tab—Privacy Alarms Sound
Microsoft has introduced a device activity detection setting in Teams web that tracks user actions outside the browser tab to keep availability status accurate. While it solves the issue of erroneous Away statuses, the feature has ignited privacy concerns over potential workplace surveillance. Users can disable the toggle, but critics argue the default-on implementation lacks transparency and consent.
BrightWork 365 Targets Project Online Sunset with Migration Toolkit for PMOs
BrightWork has announced a new release of its BrightWork 365 platform specifically designed to help PMOs migrate from Microsoft Project Online ahead of its September 30, 2026 retirement. The update includes a comprehensive migration toolkit that imports projects, tasks, resources, and custom fields into a modern Power Platform-based solution, preserving governance and integrations while adding collaborative features like Teams integration and mobile dashboards.
New BrightWork 365 Upgrade Aims to Ease PMO Migration Ahead of Project Online’s 2026 Sunset
Microsoft Project Online will permanently shut down on September 30, 2026, forcing PMOs to migrate complex portfolios. BrightWork seized the moment with a June 17 release of BrightWork 365 v4.2, featuring a Project Online import engine, Power BI template hub, and stage-gate workflow builder to ease the transition. The article details the retirement timeline, what stops working, why BrightWork's Power Platform foundation fits the gap, and the migration playbook PMOs should adopt now.
Microsoft Teams Presence Flaw Hits UK, Europe—Users Incorrectly Shown as Available or Offline
A Microsoft Teams outage on June 17, 2026, caused presence statuses to display incorrectly for users in the UK and Europe. The incident disrupted collaboration, leading to confusion and inefficiency. Microsoft acknowledged the problem and eventually restored service, but a root cause has yet to be disclosed.
SURF Launches Nextcloud Pilot to Break Free from Microsoft 365 in 2026
SURF, the Dutch education and research cooperative, will pilot its Nextcloud-based SURF Works platform in July 2026 as an open-source alternative to Microsoft 365. The limited trial with 100 university staff underscores Europe's push for digital sovereignty and could reshape cloud productivity in higher education. Success could lead to a full rollout for over a million users by late 2027.
Microsoft Teams Wi-Fi Check-in Arrives June 2026, Sparking Privacy Debate
Microsoft is set to launch a Wi‑Fi‑based Workplace Check‑in feature for Teams and Places in June 2026, automatically updating an employee’s office location when their device connects to a corporate network. The feature promises streamlined hybrid coordination but raises significant privacy concerns about potential employee surveillance. It integrates tightly with Windows 11 and Microsoft’s hybrid work ecosystem, putting the onus on organizations to balance productivity with worker trust.
Microsoft Teams Presence Goes Dark for Hundreds on Wednesday Morning
A widespread Microsoft Teams outage on the morning of June 17, 2026, caused presence statuses to freeze on offline or away, misleading users and disrupting workplace communication. Downdetector saw a spike to 226 reports, while Microsoft’s service dashboard did not immediately acknowledge the incident. Organizations resorted to workarounds as they awaited an official fix.
D.C. Everest's Malea Lopes-Serrao Wins Excel State Championship, Advances to MOS Nationals in Nashville
Malea Lopes-Serrao from D.C. Everest High School won the Microsoft Excel competition at the 2026 MOS Wisconsin State Championship Spring Qualifier, earning a spot at the U.S. National Championship in Nashville. Multiple other D.C. Everest students placed in the top 10 across Office applications. The achievement highlights the district's strong career and technical education program and the growing value of Excel skills in the modern workforce.