WHAT'S HAPPENING?
On 16th October Microsoft will be rolling out an automatic update to Yammer that will see all subsidiary networks associated with one Office 365 tenant merged into a single network. Whilst businesses will see several benefits from this update, they also run the risk of losing all data from the merged networks. Furthermore, Microsoft have positioned the merge as not only mandatory but final. As such, once it occurs, any lost data will be gone forever with no option for recovery.
can i delay or opt out of the update?
No. The update has been pushed back from the 26th September to the 16th October but all communication from Microsoft shows this update is going to happen to everyone automatically and without exception. As such, businesses should start planning early to ensure they have the time to perform a full and comprehensive migration of their data.
when should i start migrating?
The sooner the better. We have seen a noticeable increase in enquiries as we get closer to the deadline but despite this our initial insights show many businesses are still to make the move. With this in mind, We are predicting a 'wave' of requests that are yet to land. With such a hard deadline from Microsoft and many businesses still to switch, we are advising clients contact us no later than July to ensure they have reserved their slot before the studio is fully booked.
is there anything else i should know about?
With any significant change there is the opportunity for engagement to fall. As many of the networks your teams used to work on will no longer exist there is a very real possibility they will not welcome the move. With the right plan in place, however, change can lead to increased engagement and adoption from corners that have historically lagged behind.
Whilst change is always a challenge we are encouraging our clients to see this as an opportunity to re-launch Yammer into their business, revitalise interest and increase engagement and adoption rates.