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Microsoft’s sweeping OneDrive changes push AI, archiving rules and mobile-first features – with knock-on effects for workflows, compliance and print volumes.
Microsoft is ushering in a new era for OneDrive that signals a broader shift in the way businesses and individuals manage, store and access documents. While these changes promise convenience and AI-powered productivity, they also raise new questions for the print and imaging sector.
At the heart of the changes is a renewed focus on artificial intelligence. OneDrive is getting deeper integration with Microsoft Copilot, the company’s AI assistant. This means users can summarise documents, extract key information and even generate FAQs from within files – all without opening or printing them. For print providers and managed print services (MPS), this is another indicator that cloud-first workflows are replacing the traditional print-review-distribute model.
The mobile app is also getting a refresh, with a photo-focused interface and new tagging features that allow users to find images and documents using natural language queries. While welcome from a user experience perspective, this strengthens the case for digital-only records, further reducing demand for physical printing.
Perhaps the most contentious change is the new account licensing policy. From 27 January 2025, any unlicensed OneDrive for Business account inactive for 93 days will be automatically archived. Retrieving that data will come at a cost – $0.60 (£0.47/€0.55) per GB to reactivate and $0.05 (£0.04/€0.05) per GB per month to store. While designed to tidy up orphaned accounts, the policy has raised concerns around long-term access, especially in sectors with strict compliance or record-keeping obligations.
This could open the door for imaging and document management firms to offer hybrid cloud and local storage solutions, or secure print-and-store options, particularly in the legal, medical and financial sectors where paper trails still matter.
There are also broader implications for data sovereignty. As Microsoft centralises more control over storage and access, European organisations may seek alternatives that provide greater transparency and local data handling. This ties into ongoing debates around Digital Product Passports and GDPR compliance – issues the imaging sector is already grappling with.
While Microsoft’s OneDrive overhaul may appear remote from the daily realities of toner, copiers and cartridges, the direction of travel is clear: print is no longer the default. The challenge for the sector is to adapt and find relevance in this shifting landscape.
Print isn’t dead. But its role is changing – and fast.
What you can do now
For your business:
- Review your cloud storage policies: Check if any unlicensed OneDrive accounts are in use and plan for data retention costs from January 2025.
- Audit document workflows: Identify where printed output plays a key role in security, compliance or accessibility.
- Reposition your print services: Integrate secure storage, digital archiving, and print-on-demand options into your service offering.
- Stay compliant: Ensure you and your clients understand the impact of these changes on data retention, GDPR, and audit trails.
- Bring in expert support if needed: If your team lacks in-house IT skills, consider hiring or consulting an IT specialist to ensure your systems, licensing and storage solutions are robust and futureproof.
Support your customers by:
- Offering consultancy: Help clients understand Microsoft’s changes and how these affect document handling and compliance.
- Creating hybrid solutions: Package scanning, secure local storage, and printed records as part of an MPS bundle.
- Highlighting purposeful print: Encourage printing where it adds value—such as annotated drafts, legal records or presentation materials.
- Communicating early: Use newsletters or one-to-one outreach to alert customers to the OneDrive changes and the risk of data loss or unexpected charges.
If your OneDrive is blocked, ask yourself:
- Have you reviewed your Microsoft 365 licensing to ensure all users are covered?
- Has your OneDrive account been inactive for more than 93 days?
- Has your business recently migrated accounts or changed IT providers?
- Are you relying on OneDrive for long-term storage without a backup plan?
- Do you know where your critical documents are stored, and who can access them?
These questions aren’t just for IT managers. Everyone handling sensitive or business-critical files should know how and where documents are stored, and what steps to take if access is suddenly lost. If OneDrive access is blocked, printing key documents or exporting essential files to a local archive could be the short-term workaround that keeps your business moving.
Helping your customers think through these questions could position your business not just as a print provider, but as a trusted partner in document resilience.
Find more here, watch the video: https://youtu.be/fVPVyG94MjY?si=_u4WYxLby9PXDiBL.
