New Outlook Begins Inching Its Way Into Commercial Microsoft 365 Deployments

The new Outlook remains controversial with Microsoft’s corporate customers, but it just took another quiet step in their direction: All new commercial Microsoft 365 deployments now include the new Outlook by default unless admins actively work to prevent that.

“Starting with [the current version], new deployments of Microsoft 365 desktop client apps on Windows devices will include the new Outlook app by default,” the Microsoft Learn site explains. “Admins might choose to exclude classic or new Outlook, or to have both installed side-by-side.”

The new Outlook has already replaced the old universal Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 10 and 11 and is now included with those systems by default. But Microsoft has moved more slowly with its corporate customers, most of which would never consider deploying the new Outlook until it matches its predecessor’s vast and esoteric feature set.

So Microsoft has offered to support classic Outlook for several years. But it keeps pushing on the new version of the app, too. In January, for example, it began migrating users on Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium subscriptions to the new Outlook, though it does notify them first and let them opt out. And users who don’t like the new Outlook can still return to the classic version.

Admins interested in excluding the new Outlook from new Microsoft 365 deployments can find out how on Microsoft Learn.

Thanks to Neowin for the tip.