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Project Planner replacing Project Professional, Project Online and Project for the Web?

Anonymous
2024-10-10T17:57:38+00:00

I have questions:

  1. Is anyone else frustrated with the erratic behavior around Project? First Project Online was going to receive resources, then it was Project for the Web. Now I hear Planner is replacing them all. If you look at the Project roadmap https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=Microsoft%20Project , MS Planner has been integrated directly into the Project schedule.
  2. We have a team that met with MS and they were told there will be no future MS Project enhancements and resources will be funneled to Planner. Can anyone confirm this and do you have dates? With all the previous unstable behavior, what assurances to we have that Planner will be the new Project? I can't afford to sink resources into this volatile environment, I need consistency.
  3. Does anyone have a MS Planner roadmap for 2025 and beyond? I need to weigh the work we've already put into customizing Project for the Web (with Project Professional) and the further customization we have in our roadmap against the Planner schedule to decide if a move makes sense and optimize migration.
  4. Are there any other questions I should be asking about this alleged switch to MS Planner?

Thank You!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Project | For business | Windows

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  1. Dale Howard [MVP] 29,860 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2024-10-10T19:09:41+00:00

    RouteRevolutionary --

    I cannot officially speak for Microsoft as I do not work for them, but I can give you some opinions based on known facts.

    1. Five years ago, the Project product development team released Project for the Web. They claimed that this tool would totally replace Project Online and the Microsoft Project desktop application. Thus, they stopped developing Microsoft Project and Project Online, and spent all of their money on Project for the Web.
    2. Project Partner organizations stopped providing services and tools for Project Online, and started offering services and tools for Project for the Web instead.
    3. Microsoft Marketing spent the next four years telling the world that "Project Online is going away soon, so prepare to migrate to Project for the Web."
    4. Companies with sophisticated project management needs (such as integrated master projects) took one look at Project for the Web and said, "No way!" They began immediately pushing back, and they pushed back HARD! Some companies even told Microsoft that they would move to Primavera rather than switch to Project for the Web.
    5. One year ago at the last Ignite conference, the Project product development team was forced to announce that Project Online and MIcrosoft Project ARE NOT going away after all, and will not disappear until at least 2030 at the absolute earliest.

    I have used Microsoft Project desktop for 27 years, and have used MIcrosoft's PPM tools (like Project Online) for 24 years. Project for the Web is good for companies that need small simple projects that are managed by people who have little or no project management experience or training. If you need to do serious project management, Microsoft Project desktop is the tool of choice. And if you need to manage projects in an enterprise environment, then either Project Online or Project Server is an excellent choice.

    I want to encourage you to not be "snookered" by Microsoft Marketing into thinking your organization needs to switch to Project for the Web (aka Planner Premium). Hope this helps.

    Dale Howard

    Project MVP for 21 years

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-10-10T19:57:56+00:00

    Thank you so much Dale, appreciate all the info! We have complicated projects with dependencies and nuance which is why we didn't move to project for the Web, we are hope to stay the course with Project Prof and Project Online.

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