Find out what's new and what's coming in this month's Microsoft Message Center and Roadmap update from ChangePilot.
September 2025 marks a pivotal moment for Microsoft 365 as OpenAI's groundbreaking GPT-5 is unleashed across enterprise environments while introducing game-changing security features that let legal teams access previously restricted content. From AI-powered workspace management that eliminates PowerShell complexity to meeting protection that turns screens black when users attempt unauthorised captures, these Message Center announcements don't just represent incremental updates—they're reshaping how organisations work, secure data, and harness artificial intelligence.
A new portal for managing Microsoft Places is coming, replacing complex PowerShell scripts with a centralised, user-friendly interface for managing buildings, floors, rooms, and desks.
The portal provides hierarchical views, advanced filtering, and role-based editing capabilities.
Key Features: Microsoft Places Management web portal
Users will need Places Administrator roles, Exchange Online admin permissions or Global Administrator access, and Teams Premium licensing is required for full functionality of the portal.
A new policy setting in Microsoft 365 Copilot will allow administrators to control user interaction with harmful content in Copilot Chat.
This feature is designed for roles that may need exposure to sensitive content, like legal or compliance teams, while keeping organisational safeguards. Assigned users will have the option to disable harmful content protection for individual conversations in Copilot Chat.
OpenAI's most advanced AI system is now in Copilot Chat for users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, enhancing response capabilities for various tasks.
Key Features: GPT-5 Available in Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft is making a change to how Message Center syncs with Planner - the ‘action by’ date field will no longer automatically populate the due date in Microsoft Planner.
This means the Message Center ‘action by’ date will no longer override the due date manually entered; however, no dates will be automatically set, meaning the burden on IT administrators increases.
Teams Premium is introducing advanced meeting protection through screen capture blocking.
Meeting organisers will be able to prevent screenshots and recordings during Teams meetings, protect sensitive content through native platform integrations and third-party application blocking.
Protection capabilities:
Documents that have been electronically signed will now be automatically recognised and tagged as “Signed” upon upload to SharePoint. This enhancement also applies retroactively as existing e-signed files will be updated with the appropriate tags.
To give users more visibility and control, there will be two optional metadata columns for document libraries:
Dynamics organisational charts are coming to Teams' user profile cards, providing contextual relationship mapping for improved collaboration.
Users will be able to quickly understand organisational relationships, identify appropriate contacts, and navigate organisational structures during meetings and chat conversations.
With AI Workflows in the Workflows app, users will have access to custom AI-powered templates to automate complex tasks and streamline daily operations. AI Workflows enhance productivity by simplifying task execution and helping users stay organised throughout the day.
Admins can enable this feature to equip users with intelligent automation tools that make managing work more efficient and intuitive.
Microsoft Intune is introducing granular role-based access controls for endpoint security workloads, enabling precise administrative permissions.
500635 - Dynamic Video Tile Resizing
Teams introduces intelligent video layout optimisation based on room occupancy detection from Teams Rooms on Android devices. The room video tile dynamically adjusts size based on the number of people in the room. When one person is in the room, the tile matches the remote participant's size. With two or more people, the room tile expands to be four times larger.
Admins can enable or disable the people count feature.
Organisations actively monitoring the Microsoft Message Center gain competitive advantages through early adoption of transformative AI capabilities while implementing enhanced security and administrative controls. Success requires balanced attention to revolutionary Microsoft Message Center AI announcements while systematically implementing security and productivity enhancements.
Managing the constant stream of M365 Message Center and Roadmap updates can overwhelm even the most experienced IT teams. Each change and update notification requires impact assessment, stakeholder communication, and implementation planning, meaning organisations need more than just awareness—they need actionable intelligence.
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