Microsoft Pulls the Plug on Viva Goals: Here's What You Need to Know

In a surprising move that has left many in the tech world talking, Microsoft has announced it will retire its Viva Goals application effective December 31, 2025. This strategic decision comes as the company reassesses its offerings in the productivity and employee engagement landscape.

The Purpose of Viva Goals

Viva Goals was designed to help businesses track their progress against organizational objectives, ensuring that teams remain aligned and focused. Many customer experience management teams gravitated towards this solution, appreciating its ability to integrate data, provide insightful reporting, and allow for dashboard displays that highlight critical outcomes. However, despite its popularity among certain groups, the application has failed to attract a broader user base.

The Future for Users

With a year to transition away from Viva Goals, Microsoft is encouraging its users to explore competitive alternatives such as Profit.co, Lattice, and Asana. To facilitate this migration, Microsoft is providing several options, including APIs, Excel, and PowerPoint exports, to ensure a smooth transfer of data and processes.

In the announcement, Microsoft acknowledged the upcoming discontinuation but reassured customers that full support, including availability and security of the product, would remain intact until its official retirement.

An Unexpected Turn of Events

The discontinuation of Viva Goals comes as a shock, reminiscent of Michael Jordan’s unexpected first retirement from basketball in 1993. Just weeks prior to Microsoft’s announcement, Viva Goals was still being highlighted as part of the company's product roadmap during the Ignite event, leading many to speculate that the decision may have been made abruptly.

Industry commentators like Ståle Hansen, CEO of Cloudway, noted that an update was anticipated, hinting that this could have been a last-minute pivot from Microsoft. Tony Redmond, owner of Redmond & Associates, echoed similar sentiments, describing the retirement as a "complete surprise" and attributing it to a struggle in gaining sufficient traction among users.

What's Next for Microsoft and Its Customers?

This shift does not signal a retreat from the Viva suite as a whole; Microsoft remains committed to the other components of Viva. Nevertheless, this decision reflects the tech giant’s ongoing effort to streamline its offerings amid intense competition in the productivity space.

In related news, Microsoft is not alone in its overhaul; the company recently announced the impending discontinuation of the Customer Service Hub within Dynamics 365 Customer Service for new enterprise customers starting February 2025. Users already benefiting from enterprise licenses will need to transition to the Customer Service Workspace as a replacement.

Moreover, Microsoft’s collaboration with SAP to integrate their respective virtual assistants is another indication of the company’s strategy to innovate and enhance user experience within its ecosystems.

Stay Informed!

As Microsoft pivots away from Viva Goals, current users should keep an eye on upcoming announcements and be proactive about exploring alternative solutions that fit their organizational needs. The countdown has begun, so don’t get left behind!