In today’s workplace, staying connected is more than just sending updates—it’s about fostering real community, empowering employees, and helping leaders engage meaningfully with their teams. That’s why this year’s announcements at Microsoft Ignite are so exciting.
The latest updates to Microsoft Viva introduce smarter tools for content creation, new ways to streamline communication, and deeper integrations across Microsoft 365, Teams, and Copilot. Whether you’re leading campaigns, publishing updates, or sparking team conversations, these features are designed to help you connect with your people more effectively than ever.
Let’s take a closer look at what was announced!
A better way to engage employees
Viva Connections brings together news, tools, resources, and interactive dashboard cards into a single, customisable app for employees. This year, Microsoft introduced several exciting updates to make it even more powerful.
A new Spotlight section now aggregates key news, ensuring important updates are front and centre. Enhanced communication features, like the ability to pin and edit images, make it easier to highlight campaigns and announcements.
Additionally, Viva Engage announcements are now deeply integrated, along with new features like leadership corner and feed dashboard cards, designed to boost engagement and keep employees connected—all within the app.
Storylines in Teams
Updates to Copilot for communications and communities
Additionally, Q&A from public Viva Engage communities will soon be integrated into Microsoft 365 workplace search. By tapping into this rich source of collective knowledge, Copilot will deliver more accurate and consistent answers, grounded in the expertise of your organisation.
One standout feature we’re particularly excited about is answer verification. Admins will soon be able to verify knowledge and designate trusted experts, ensuring that the information Copilot provides comes from reliable and accurate sources. This enhancement gives organisations more confidence in their communications and helps employees trust the insights they receive.
These updates are set to take communication and collaboration to the next level, making Copilot an even more essential tool for organisations.
Enhanced analytics and insights to drive smart decisions
How do you know if your communications are hitting the mark? With new analytics tools in Viva Amplify and Engage, you can set campaign goals, track engagement rates, and even measure sentiment across your organisation.
In Viva Amplify, campaign owners can now set specific campaign goals and track their progress. With metrics like click-through rates and dwell time, it’s easier than ever to see how audiences are interacting with your campaigns and refine your approach for maximum impact.
In Viva Engage, AI is stepping up to help uncover key trends and themes. Using tools like sentiment analysis, theme extraction, and content summarisation, you can stay on top of the conversations that matter most. For admins, the new Network Analytics dashboard offers detailed employee retention metrics, showing how the 28-day retention rates compare between employees who use Viva Engage and those who don’t.
Keeping conversations safe
We’re excited to see Microsoft address digital safety with the announcement of new AI-powered moderation tools at Ignite. These tools give admins greater control over the content shared within their networks, ensuring that community conversations remain productive and aligned with organisational values—even during challenging times.
With these enhancements, admins can proactively search for, manage, and mute specific themes or keywords to prevent distractions or controversy. Content alerts will help identify and mitigate potentially sensitive topics, blocking them from appearing in Engage Feeds and Digests.
Microsoft is also improving keyword detection capabilities and introducing real-time analysis to ensure shared content adheres to company policies. These features reflect a strong commitment to fostering respectful, focused, and inclusive online communities, and we’re excited to see the impact these tools will have.
Ready to strengthen connections across your organisation?
We’re excited about all the updates Microsoft is bringing to Viva, designed to make communication easier, more effective, and—most importantly—more human. From smarter tools to deeper integrations, these features are set to transform how organisations connect and engage.
