Introducing cloud.microsoft: A Unified Domain for Microsoft 365

Microsoft announced the launch of cloud.microsoft, a unified domain for Microsoft 365 services. This new domain aims to simplify the user experience by providing a single endpoint for accessing all Microsoft 365 services, such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams.

cloud.microsoft is a global endpoint that replaces the previous regional endpoints, such as outlook.office.com and office.com, which were used to access different Microsoft 365 services. With this change, Microsoft 365 users will have a more consistent and simplified experience, as they will be able to access all their services from a single URL: cloud.microsoft.com.

One of the main benefits of this unified domain is that it will provide a single sign-on experience across all Microsoft 365 services. This means that users will only need to enter their credentials once to access all the services they are authorized to use. This will improve the security of Microsoft 365 services by reducing the need for users to enter their credentials multiple times.

Another benefit of cloud.microsoft is that it will simplify the management of Microsoft 365 services. With a single endpoint, administrators will be able to manage all the services their organization is using more easily. They will also be able to control access to these services more efficiently.

The domain is currently available for preview (May 2023), and Microsoft plans to roll it out to all Microsoft 365 users in the coming months. However, it is important to note that while cloud.microsoft will replace the existing regional endpoints, these endpoints will continue to be supported for a transition period.

In conclusion, this is a significant development for Microsoft 365 users, as it will simplify the user experience and improve the security of Microsoft 365 services. To learn more about how Microsoft 365 can benefit your organization and this new unified domain, reach out to the 4Sight SureStep Ambassadors for Microsoft 365 at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. today!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What about workloads beyond Microsoft 365?

The current announcement is limited to Microsoft 365. Microsoft will share plans for other services in the future.

2. Why not microsoft.com?

The microsoft.com domain currently hosts a wide variety of content: not just Software as a service (SaaS) apps, but also marketing, support, e-commerce, and more. Keeping SaaS experiences isolated in their own domain space establishes a clean security boundary for Microsoft’s compliant authenticated experiences and enables simplified endpoint allow-list management for admins. There are also anti-spoofing and integrity benefits to hosting such experiences on an exclusive, purposefully-managed TLD like .microsoft vs. a generic TLD like .com.

3. Is microsoft.com going away?

No. Microsoft.com will continue to be used for non-product experiences such as marketing, support, and e-commerce. Only authenticated, user-facing product experiences will be hosted on cloud.microsoft.