Microsoft Product Roadmap For 2024

Microsoft is a tech giant that most of us tech nerds look up to. Each year, it brings innovation and new technologies to its list of products while rolling out updates or new versions of the products. While some products may be designed for regular home users, others are targeted toward developers, system administrators, cloud engineers, etc.

In the end, we all look forward to what Microsoft is offering and what it is currently working on. This is why I have compiled a list of Microsoft’s most common products and their roadmap.

What is a roadmap?

A roadmap, by definition, is the strategic plan adopted to achieve the goals and the milestones. Like all organizations, Microsoft also has a roadmap laid out for them to follow, but those are not only limited to every year. Instead, such large tech companies plan out for the next decades. However, Microsoft often discusses their course of action for the next year only.

This article covers the possible roadmaps for the different products of Microsoft. Note that while some actions and goals have been disclosed by Microsoft, others are based on observation and speculation, which are determined through the history of release cadence and Insider programs by Microsoft.

Microsoft Windows Roadmap for 2024

For the year 2024, Microsoft may be working on 2 different operating systems. While one is confirmed, Microsoft has yet to comment on the next major version, which is Windows 12, codenamed “Hudson Valley”.

That said, the confirmed Windows feature release for 2024 is Windows 11 version 24H2, codenames “Germanium”. This has been confirmed by the Windows Insider Channels when Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26052. This build updated the Windows version to 24H2.

Windows 11 24H2 is expected to roll out in the second half of this year. However, the exact date or the month is yet to be confirmed, since Microsoft has not commented on it. As per the release history of Windows, feature updates can be rolled out at any time between September and November.

Additionally, Windows 12 might also be in the game to play. After the release of Windows Copilot, Microsoft has been developing on top of OpenAI’s technology “ChatGPT” and incorporating it in different areas of the OS. This is likely because Windows 12 will be designed around artificial intelligence (AI). However, whether “Hudson Valley” will be called “Windows 12” or not – is still unconfirmed.

Microsoft has already added different versions of AI into Skype, Bing, Paint, Azure, Microsoft 365, and more. Hudson Valley is expected to be designed with cloud integration and AI as the primary focus. It will allow the users to increase their productivity and accessibility through AI and constant cloud connectivity.

There are also rumors that Microsoft will be shifting back to the annual release cadence, which was adopted in Windows 10‘s case, but changed to a 3-year release cadence after the release of Windows 11. This is likely after the major changes in Microsoft’s upper management.

Moreover, support for Windows 10 v21H2 is also ending in 2024. To know the exact support lifecycle for Windows, click on the link.

Microsoft .NET Roadmap for 2024

If you are a developer, then you must already know what .NET is. It is a cross-platform development platform used to develop web, desktop, and mobile applications. Microsoft launches a new version of .NET every year, which is announced and released at the .NET Conf held in the second half of the year. Usually, this conference is held in November.

In 2024, Microsoft will be announcing .NET version 9, since the .NET 9 Preview 1 has already been released.

In .NET 9, Microsoft is focusing on product quality across the layout, control features, and dependability of tooling experiences including setup, build, deployment, hot reload, debugging, and diagnostics. This information is concluded from the .NET Roadmap announcement by Microsoft on GitHub.

Microsoft is considering specific items to include, which are control access through the MAUI.Core layer, enhanced interaction between .NET MAUI and Blazor hybrid apps, and compatibility with the Swift programming language.

With .NET 9 in preview, Microsoft also rolls out .NET 8 LTS, .NET 6 LTS, and .NET 7 updates each month. These are security updates. However, .NET 6 will reach the end of support in November 2024, after which .NET 8 LTS will replace it. Similarly, .NET 7 will also reach the end of the support cycle early this year, which will most likely be replaced by .NET 9.

Read the .NET lifecycle for a better understanding of the supported and unsupported versions of the platform.

Microsoft SharePoint Roadmap for 2024

Microsoft SharePoint is an online and on-premise collaboration platform that enables businesses to securely store, organize, and share information and documents, thereby serving as a central hub for team collaboration. It simplifies workflows and enhances productivity by allowing you to create sites, lists, and libraries to manage your content, which can be easily accessed from any device and location.

SharePoint is one of the many products for which Microsoft shares the roadmap. SharePoint will get exciting new features and improvements in 2024. For one, Microsoft is introducing the Microsoft 365 Backup to SharePoint, which is an “in-place backup solution with lightning-fast restorability to ensure business continuity”.

Microsoft 365 Backup will provide the following:

• Fast backup and restore within hours.
• Full SharePoint site and OneDrive account restore fidelity.
• Full Exchange mailbox item restores or granular item restores using search.

At the moment, this feature is still in the preview. However, Microsoft is planning to roll it out to the public in the first half of 2024.

Another feature Microsoft is working on is Document translation. This is a premium feature, therefore will not be available on the free version of SharePoint. With this feature, it is possible to translate a file while maintaining its original structure and format. With the help of this tool, you can convert various file types manually, or automatically, by setting up a rule. To enhance the accuracy and coherence of your translations, you can utilize personalized glossaries and models.

Viva Engage in SharePoint, another integration to the Microsoft tool, is also expected to include a few updates this year. For one, Microsoft is revamping the interface to include buttons for adding videos and images, instead of “Stories”. Moreover, the copy-and-paste experience is getting better, but the highlight is the ability to ask questions and answer them.

SharePoint Communities now allow you to ask questions so your peers can answer them. This is a premium feature that lets you do the following:

• See related questions to avoid duplicates and save time.
• Ask questions with separate titles and details for easy scanning.
• Earn badges for answering questions in communities.
• Track question activity in communities with Answers Analytics and Global Answers Analytics.
• Reach more people with your questions through Answers feeds and digests.

Other than these improvements, Microsoft is also including a bunch of other features and changes to SharePoint in 2024. You can read all about it in their roadmap announcement.

Microsoft Windows Server Roadmap for 2024

Windows Servers are Microsoft’s line of server operating systems for managed enterprises and corporations. Like Windows (client) OS, the Servers also receive updates and new versions every few years.

Judging by Microsoft’s release history for Servers and the Insider channel updates, it is safe to assume that Microsoft Server 2025, also known as Server v.Next, will be released later in 2024.

Microsoft has already upgraded the Windows Server Insider channel with Windows Server v.Next Preview Build 26052 and also made an ISO image available, so you can download, install, and use this server today. Therefore, it is likely that Server 2025 will be made generally available in the second half of 2024.

Windows Server v.Next shares the same core as Windows 11, whereas the older Server versions shared the core with Windows 10. Microsoft plans to include new features and support with this release.

With Server 2025, users will be able to install updates as they do with the Windows client – through Windows Update, offering easy upgrade solutions. Moreover, Microsoft is planning to sell Windows Server v.Next on a traditional perpetual-license basis, as well as a pay-as-you-go subscription basis. The latter option will be made available via Azure Arc, which is Microsoft’s cloud services management platform.

Additionally, hotpatching is another one of Microsoft’s considerations for Server 2025. This will allow users to install Server updates without performing any restarts or any downtime.

The “SMB over QUIC protocol” was already available in Windows Server 2022 Azure Edition. With Server 2025, Microsoft plans to include this protocol in all Server editions, and not just for Azure users. Moreover, the page sizes for Server 2025 will be highly optimized, reducing the overall size of the OS and its optional components.

Server 2025 will also include the ability of physical GPU mapping onto a virtual machine. It also includes GPU Partitioning (GPU-P), where you can use a mapped GPU across multiple virtual machines.

Microsoft Teams Roadmap for 2024

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and quick messaging application that was developed as a replacement for Skype for Business. It is a dynamic workspace that allows individuals to collaborate on projects, seamlessly communicate with one another, and manage projects in a streamlined manner. Teams is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite.

Microsoft has big plans for Teams as it is continuously developing the application. Since it is a cloud-based solution by Microsoft, it is constantly being developed and improved, and Microsoft is rolling out new features, improvements, fixes, and security patches on the go.

Here are a few improvements you can expect to Microsoft Teams in 2024:

• Immersive spaces: By utilizing Microsoft Mesh, immersive spaces enable users to construct “metaverse” experiences for Teams meetings.
• Copilot improvements: Microsoft plans to include live meeting summarization using Copilot in teams. Copilot will be able to produce meeting notes that users can share, modify, and work together on, as well as the ability to build visualizations of meeting highlights in Microsoft Whiteboard.
• Voice isolation: AI will be used to filter out unwanted noises in the background in online calls using Teams.
• Better keyboard shortcuts: More keyboard shortcuts will be introduced to Teams for convenient control and navigation.
• Chat improvements: Teams will have additional customizability, integration with Loop, the option to forward chat messages, and the ability to set profile images for individual group conversations. There are plans to add further features to channel administration, such as channel archiving.

Microsoft Outlook Roadmap for 2024

Microsoft Outlook is an email client that is available from the web and can be installed as an app. Primarily, it uses the Microsoft Exchange Server, but can also be used with other emailing services and protocols, like Gmail.

Apart from sending and receiving emails, Outlook is also capable of managing events and calendars, therefore the preferred choice of many corporate employees and management individuals.

Microsoft announced that they will be shipping a new Outlook emailing client for Windows 11 devices starting in 2024. At the moment, Windows 1 has the “Mail” and “Calendar” apps, but these will be phased out by the end of 2024, and replaced by the new Outlook app, which will be the default emailing client.

The following improvements are expected in the new Outlook for Windows in 2024:

• Streamline accounts: Users of all emailing platforms, including Yahoo! and Gmail, will be able to access their emails using a single emailing app – Outlook.
• Stay on top of things: You can organize your appointments, share availability and events with a click, and ensure time for important people and events.
• Feel secure: The new Outlook will be more secure than ever before.
• Free Microsoft 365 apps: Outlook will include free Microsoft 365 web apps with the click of a button that will include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive.
• Stay organized: The new Outlook for Windows will allow users to file their valuable content neatly or find it simply with a universal search, manage the calendar better with multiple options and personalization capabilities, and know when the packages will arrive with convenient package tracking options.
• Unify your accounts: The new Outlook for Windows will bring several advantages when it comes to managing emails and calendars using a single app.

Takeaway

Like every year, Microsoft has great plans for its product lineup. This post highlights the upcoming features, improvements, and new releases for some of the Microsoft products.

Microsoft has a plethora of products for which Microsoft may or may not have published a roadmap. The roadmap outlined in this post relies on both known information from announcements as well as release history from Microsoft. Therefore, not everything may be accurate and may differ from the actual releases this year.