Prepare for upcoming changes to the Excel Exchange connector

🚨 The Signal: New Excel Power Query connectors for Exchange Mail and Calendar are replacing older ones due to EWS retirement. Existing workbooks require manual updates, and older Office versions must upgrade to maintain connectivity, impacting data access and potentially introducing security risks if not managed.

The Impact

Admins and users using Excel Power Query with Exchange data are affected, with a low security risk if not properly managed during the transition.

• Admins: Must plan for Office upgrades and connector transitions.
• Users: Will need to reconfigure existing Power Query connections.
• Security Team: Needs to ensure data access remains secure post-transition.
• Organisations: Risk of data access disruption if not proactively managed.

The Action

1. Identify all Excel Power Query workbooks using the existing Exchange connector.
2. Plan for upgrading Office versions to Microsoft 365 Apps or Office 2024 where necessary.
3. Communicate the upcoming changes and required actions to affected users.
4. Develop a transition plan for reconfiguring Power Query connections to the new connectors.
5. Validate data access and security post-transition to the new connectors.

Domain: M365-Apps · Impact: low · Workload: M365 Apps