Microsoft 365 announcements come thick and fast, but they share a frustrating habit: they rarely tell you whether you actually get the feature being hyped. Whether it’s a sweeping change to how Microsoft 365 updates are delivered, or Copilot gaining the ability to switch on Track Changes in Word, the company’s blog posts consistently skip the one detail every subscriber needs most: which plan are you on, and does this apply to you? This is not an accident. It is a pattern, and it is costing paying customers real time and real frustration.
Microsoft has a little game they like to play with their paying customers. It’s called “Who gets this feature?”
All too often, Microsoft announces a shiny new (or “improved”) part of Microsoft 365 and somehow “forgets” to mention which customers actually get it. So customers get the extra bonus feature of doing their own detective work to figure out whether the change will ever show up for them.
If you read a Microsoft blog, announcement or hype and wonder “do I get this new thing?”, you’re not to blame. It’s a (deliberate?) strategy by Microsoft to keep things vague.
Sometimes Microsoft isn’t clear about which customers get a feature. Other times the important detail is buried in a faint text footnote.
Guessing Game
Here are two recent examples of this delightful little guessing game.
Modernizing Change Management for Microsoft 365 Customers
This blog is about major changes to the way Microsoft 365 is updated (starting with Copilot), and in 500+ words it never quite finds the time to say which M365 plans are affected. Even the section titled “Availability” heroically avoids that detail too, opting instead for the kind of vague wording that really keeps things exciting.
Most likely the “Modern change” applies to all non-consumer Microsoft 365 plans (Business, Enterprise, Education, Government, etc.). But, of course, paying customers shouldn’t have to guess what they’re paying for.
Copilot in Word: New Capabilities for Document Workflows
This blog describes how Copilot can enable features like Track Changes and Comments directly. Sounds great—assuming you’re one of the people who actually gets it. There’s a mention of Word for Windows with the Copilot Frontier program, but that’s clearly not the whole story. References to “WorkIQ” suggest these changes might only apply to business and enterprise plans… but, as usual, only Microsoft really knows for sure.
Deliberately Confusing?
Confusing customers might be Microsoft’s aim. Why make it clear when you can make it mysterious?
The rapidly changing world of AI and Copilot means some of the vagueness could be because Microsoft itself isn’t entirely sure what’s happening either. Which is … reassuring.
Or it could be corporate arrogance: the assumption that paying customers are intimately familiar with every nuance of Microsoft 365 and Copilot plans, licensing, rollouts, rings, and secret handshakes.
Respect
Whatever the reason, it’s damn annoying and Microsoft should try treating customers with a little respect. Radical idea, I know.
Each announcement should have a clear notice about which customers will get the new or changed feature. Not just Insiders/Frontier ‘beta’ testers, but also which Microsoft 365 plans especially the basic distinction of Consumer vs non-Consumer plans.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Explained: Features, Limitations and Your Choices
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Features You Need to Know
Microsoft Kills Free Copilot Chat in Word, Excel and PowerPoint: What Happens on April 15
How to Join Microsoft Frontier: Early Access to AI in Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 Classic: The Hidden Plan for Consumers
What You’ll Need to Use Copilot with Microsoft Office
Microsoft Copilot Reaches New Levels of Marketing Hype
