Microsoft has recently announced significant changes to its Excel spreadsheet application, which have generated considerable discussion within the user community. As reported by Neowin, these updates are part of a broader strategy involving the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, which also includes extending support for Windows 10 applications until 2028 and delaying certain changes to Outlook and Teams.
One of the most noteworthy announcements concerns the discontinuation of the ‘Organization data types’ feature in Excel. This feature, which enables users to connect and visualize internal organizational data, will be phased out across all platforms—Windows, Mac, web, and mobile (iOS/Android)—effective July 31, 2025.
Microsoft has indicated that the decision to discontinue this feature is primarily due to high maintenance costs and relatively low user adoption. The company stated that continuing to develop and support the feature had become “too expensive,” leading to the decision to allocate resources elsewhere.
After the July 31 deadline, users will find that the ‘Organization’ option will be removed from the Data Types gallery on the Data tab of the Excel toolbar. While existing data that utilized this feature will remain intact, it will no longer have the capability to auto-refresh. Notably, support for Bing data types will continue uninterrupted.
For those affected by this change, Microsoft suggests transitioning to the ‘Get Data > From Power BI’ import feature available in the Data toolbar. This alternative enables users to import data from Power BI or leverage add-ins to create customized entities tailored to their organizational needs. More detailed guidance and instructions can be found in the support articles on Microsoft’s official website.
This update has been communicated via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center portal, and it is advisable for users and system administrators to prepare for this transition to avoid any disruptions in their workflows.
