Microsoft continues to push forward with its vision of productivity powered by artificial intelligence. In its latest roadmap, the company unveiled several upcoming features for Microsoft 365 users, bringing notable updates to Outlook, Copilot, Edge, and Teams.
Outlook for Windows Gets Long-Requested Upgrades
The new Outlook for Windows is finally adding offline file attachments, a surprisingly absent feature that will be available later this month. In August, two more useful improvements will follow:
- Custom desktop notifications triggered by specific inbox rules
- Warnings when deleting folders tied to rules, helping prevent accidental disruptions in automation
These updates aim to improve both functionality and error prevention, continuing to refine the experience of the new Outlook, though some users remain skeptical, especially regarding IMAP compatibility.
Copilot Becomes Smarter and More Context-Aware
Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, continues to evolve with new contextual features. Starting this month, Copilot will offer intelligent summaries of recent edits and comments in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint — before you even open the file.
Other highlights include:
- In Copilot Chat, users will be able to limit responses to specific sources, such as certain SharePoint sites or files — helping deliver more relevant and trustworthy results.
- In PowerPoint, Copilot can now rewrite selected text or generate new slides that match the look and feel of your original presentation.
Edge and Teams Get Productivity Boosts
The Edge browser is gaining an update that allows Copilot to access multiple open tabs at once, enhancing its ability to assist with research and multitasking.
Meanwhile, Teams Rooms Pro will soon support Town Hall events and webinars running in parallel, while keeping presenter controls hidden from the audience, improving the professionalism of live sessions.
Microsoft 365 is clearly evolving, with a steady rollout of meaningful updates across its core tools. While it’s good to see Outlook addressing long-standing gaps, limitations like continued IMAP support issues remain a sore point. However, the growing contextual intelligence of Copilot and its deeper integration into Edge and Teams may offer real value for those in collaborative and content-heavy environments.
Whether all these updates arrive on time remains to be seen — but Microsoft’s roadmap suggests a clear commitment to more intuitive, AI-supported productivity.
