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Microsoft Releases New Yammer Conversations for SharePoint Online

The new Yammer Conversations Web Part for companywide chats is now generally available for SharePoint Online users, Microsoft announced this week.

Organizations will automatically get upgraded to the the new Yammer solution from the existing the Yammer Conversations Web Part, according to the announcement. The new Yammer Conversations Web Part also can be added to a SharePoint Online tenancy from the Web Part gallery.

This Web Part uses the so-called "new" Yammer. Microsoft had explained what was new about it back in May, when it was at the preview stage. It has a new interface, and chats now happen in "communities" rather than "groups." It pulls user profile information now from Azure Active Directory. Company logo branding is possible. End users can send questions, praise and polls.

IT pros can customize the "All Company Network header," according to a "New Yammer FAQ" document, accessible at this Yammer Resources page. Most of the enhancements, though, are for end users. IT pros will just see the same old admin interface.

"The admin panels for each community are an area we will tackle last," Microsoft's FAQ explained. "For the initial experiences, Admins will see the admin pages in Yammer legacy look and feel."

The new Yammer experience is already available in current versions of Android and iOS mobile apps. It'll also be coming to Outlook desktop and mobile apps at some point. Arrival time for the new Yammer Desktop Application is less clear.

"We don't have timelines for updates for the new Yammer experiences within the Yammer Desktop app," Microsoft's FAQ explained.

The new Yammer Conversations Web Part likely will get gradually distributed or "rolled out" to Microsoft 365 subscribers, and IT pros don't have to do anything to get it. In the meantime, Microsoft provides a collection of administration documents for IT pros overseeing Yammer at this page.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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