Back in 2019, Microsoft introduced its Scheduler service for Microsoft 365. It is a rebranding of Calender.help with additional features. After a launch delay, the service made its debut in 2021. Microsoft says it will now discontinue Scheduler.
According to the company, the availability of Microsoft Scheduler will cease on Sept. 1, 2023. The closure was announced on the Office Message Center. Although, it does not seem Microsoft will abandon the feature set of Scheduler entirely.
In fact, it seems Microsoft “may bundle some of these [Scheduler] features with another offering in the future.“
If you're unfamiliar with Scheduler, it uses Cortana at the core of the service to schedule meetings. It was designed to save time for users looking to create meetings. By putting Cortana in control, the AI bot can automate schedules through conversational computing. The service brings together efforts from Microsoft Research, Outlook, and Cortana.
Closing
Once an email is sent, Cortana automatically checks your calendar to check your schedule. Learning a schedule, the digital assistant will then send invites based on the times you are available. Invitees who respond will be managed by Cortana until a shared available time for the meeting is agreed on.
The Scheduler will remain an add-on for some Microsoft 365 licenses for the next year. It is available through a Microsoft Exchange Online plan at a cost of $10 per user per month when paying annually. Alternatively, customers can pay $12 per month on a monthly contract.
However, it is probably not worth bothering with the service considering Microsoft's plans to shutter it.
Tip of the day: Windows lets you use Cortana to translate sentences, words, or phrases, with the results read back to you automatically. This makes it particularly useful for group scenarios, but you can also type if you're unsure about pronunciation. Cortana translation sports an impressive 40 languages and utilizes machine learning to provide natural results in many cases. Check our full guide to learn how to use Cortana for quick translations.
