Shortly before Christmas, Microsoft announced that they would be automatically transitioning all Outlook users over to the latest version, which was scheduled to start on January 10th, 2025.
While updating to the latest version of your software is usually a good idea, this latest version of Outlook introduced several challenges that led us to make the rare decision to block this update for our clients.
Why We Blocked the Upgrade
After investigating the new Outlook client, we noticed several issues that we thought could cause issues for our customers.
- New Interface
The redesigned interface would have presented a steep learning curve, in turn slowing productivity and leading to more mistakes being made by those who had grown familiar with the existing Outlook client. - Plugin Compatibility Issues
Many of our customers rely on plugins and integrations with other pieces of software, which might have been broken by the new Outlook client’s lack of compatibility with them. - Workflow Disruptions
Previous customisations were missing or altered, leading to disruptions for customers who relied on them.
We decided to prioritise our customers’ productivity and stability and proactively block this update for the time being.
How We Blocked the Upgrade
We used Microsoft-approved tools to prevent the new Outlook client being installed, namely:
- Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPO):
For our few clients that still use on-premises servers, we implemented specific Group Policy settings to block the update from taking place. - Microsoft Intune:
For our clients with cloud-managed environments, we used Microsoft Intune device compliance policies to prevent the update.
By using these tools, we were able to stop the installation of the new version of Outlook and ensure our clients were able to continue using the version of Outlook they were familiar with, which was already customised for their productivity.
Why Our Clients Were Protected
Because our clients had invested in the correct Microsoft licensing and support packages, we were able to do all this remotely with no downtime and without disrupting their operations.
By having the recommended licences and support packages, our customers allow us to;
- Deploy device and application management policies remotely.
- Respond to changes like new software versions in a prompt manner and have time to assess them before the changes are pushed out automatically.
- Make updates and adjustments without disrupting their existing tools or workflow.
At Carden IT Services, we review each and every software update that our clients are due to receive and check that it is necessary, safe, and will not disrupt their business’s current workflow.
Moving Forward – What Happens Next?
We are examining the upcoming updates to Outlook (and other Microsoft software). Once the update has been deployed for a while and we are confident that it can integrate with our customers’ existing software and workflow, we will revisit our decisions and begin to deploy it across our supported customers’ devices. We will do this incrementally so that we are able to monitor the deployments closely and catch any issues immediately.
Our goal is always to balance innovation with reliability, ensuring our clients benefit from improvements without compromising productivity.
If you have any questions about how we protect your business from disruptive software updates or want to learn more about our IT support services, contact Carden IT Services today.
Stay secure. Stay productive. Stay supported.
