Project Online is ending: What you need to know

Only Project Online is affected by this change. Specifically, this affects the following editions:

• Project Online Essentials (complete discontinuation)
• Planner Plan 1, Planner & Project Plan 3, and Planner & Project Plan 5, which are reduced in terms of the range of functions offered by Project Online.

Other Microsoft solutions in the project management environment will remain in place. The following are not affected:

• Microsoft Project (Project Desktop)
• Project Server Subscription Edition
• Microsoft Planner – both the basic and premium versions

For existing customers, this means that your current Project Online environment will continue to function unchanged until the official discontinuation date – including support.

Project Online has reliably enabled project and portfolio management for many years. However, the solution is based on an architecture that increasingly limits innovation, particularly with regard to modern collaboration, deep integration with Microsoft 365, and AI capabilities. Microsoft is therefore investing specifically in a new generation of work management solutions. The focus is on:

• Microsoft Planner
• Microsoft 365 Copilot
• The Project Manager Agent

These solutions are designed to cover both simple task management and complex project planning. However, they offer greater automation, better scalability and seamless integration with the Microsoft 365 world. In addition, certain SharePoint Online workflow design tools will be discontinued in 2026, which will further accelerate the strategic realignment.

The transition will take place gradually, with clearly defined milestones:

• April 2026: Existing customers will no longer be
able to create new Project Online tenants• 14 July 2026: Project Server 2016 and Project Server 2019 will transition to Extended Support•
30 September 2026: Official discontinuation of Project Online

Important: After 30 September 2026, it will no longer be possible to access projects or stored data within the service.

What does this mean for existing Project Online customers?

There will be no functional restrictions until the cut-off date in September 2026. Projects, integrations and user access will remain fully usable. This gives companies time. After the discontinuation, access will end permanently. Companies should therefore start quickly to define their future target platform, plan migration paths and back up data.
 

Depending on the requirements profile, Microsoft offers several transition options.

Microsoft Planner as a central platform

Planner is evolving into a unified solution for modern work and project management. The premium features included in Planner & Project Plan 3 and Plan 5 include portfolios, baselines, dependencies, and Gantt charts.

Particularly noteworthy is Project Manager Agent, currently in public preview. This is an AI-powered assistant that automatically creates tasks, generates status reports and supports project execution. In conjunction with Microsoft 365 Copilot, this opens up new possibilities for automated, context-sensitive project management.

Project Server Subscription Edition for classic PPM requirements

Organisations with complex portfolio and resource management requirements or those needing a function-oriented alternative to Project Online will find the Subscription Edition a suitable solution. It is based on the latest SharePoint Server technology and offers comprehensive planning and control functions.

Dynamics 365 Project Operations for project-based service companies

Companies with a strong focus on time tracking, resource planning and financial project management can rely on Dynamics 365 Project Operations. The solution combines project management and business processes in an integrated platform.

Microsoft Project remains available

Project Desktop – available as Project Standard 2024 or Project Professional 2024 – is not affected by the discontinuation and can continue to be used.
 

Even though the setup is automatic and no administrative intervention is required, a structured approach is recommended:

• First, internal stakeholders and users should be informed. At the same time, it makes sense to review and adapt existing documentation, process descriptions and governance rules.
• The next step should be a strategic evaluation of the alternatives. Issues such as integration requirements, licensing models, scalability and future AI usage play a central role here.
• Last but not least, timely data backup is essential. After 30 September 2026, content within Project Online will no longer be accessible.

Outlook: Project management in the AI era

With a stronger focus on Microsoft Planner and AI-supported functions, the strategic focus in the Microsoft ecosystem is shifting significantly towards integrated, cloud-based work management platforms. The aim of this development is to integrate project and task management more closely with collaboration tools and to support it through automation.

This opens up an additional option for companies: in the course of the necessary reorientation, they can not only migrate their project management landscape technically, but also develop it strategically. The integration of AI-supported functions, greater integration with the Microsoft 365 environment and the modernisation of existing processes can be used specifically for innovation.

The blog editorial team regularly reports on current topics from Telekom's Microsoft portfolio – from new products and price changes to relevant updates for business customers. We keep you informed and provide practical insights into the world of Microsoft and Telekom.