Microsoft has done it again. SharePoint Premium is no more. In what has been the fourth rebranding of these services, SharePoint Premium is now called “document processing for Microsoft 365.” So, what led to this change and how might it impact your company? Let’s look at the history of SharePoint Premium and how we got here to start.

A Brief History of SharePoint Premium

SharePoint Premium was originally launched as Project Cortex in 2019. It used “advanced AI to deliver insights and expertise in the apps you use every day, to harness collective knowledge and to empower people and teams to learn, upskill and innovate faster”. It then evolved into SharePoint Syntex, which was touted as “content AI integrated in the flow of work.” It introduced features like content assembly, OCR, and image tagging, but its branding was confusing to users. Microsoft responded by rebranding yet again to SharePoint Premium in 2023 which aligned it more clearly with the SharePoint stack.

This rebranding wasn’t just cosmetic, however. It was a shift toward intelligent content services that integrated deeply with Microsoft 365, especially Teams, OneDrive, and Copilot. SharePoint Premium was organized under three pillars for advanced document processing, governance, and AI-driven experiences.

The SharePoint Premium Shuffle

Document Processing for Microsoft 365

And now in 2025, SharePoint Premium has been retired and split into several different features for companies to utilize based on needs and their maturity level. The first is document processing for Microsoft 365 which according to Microsoft “brings AI, automation, and added security to your content experiences, processing, and governance. Microsoft 365 delivers new ways to engage with your most critical content, managing and protecting it through its lifecycle. It also helps you maximize content value with security and structure – and prepare it for Microsoft 365 Copilot”.

This is a set of pay-as-you-go services that use advanced content AI to provide end-to-end intelligent document processing solutions for your company. It includes autofill columns, document translation, eSignature, and OCR as Microsoft’s main focus moving forward with content assembly, tagging and other features still available, but seen as older tools. There hasn’t been talk about deprecating these older features but now would be a good time to explore new tools like Copilot and autofill to replace them.

Backup, Archive, and SharePoint Advanced Management

The governance tools available in SharePoint Premium like Backup, Archive, and SharePoint Advanced Management have been moved to standalone products with their own pricing models.

Microsoft 365 Archive is a cost-effective, long-term storage solution for inactive SharePoint content that maintains the same searchability, security, and compliance standards as active data.

Microsoft 365 Backup is designed to ensure your organization’s data is always protected and easily recoverable. With the ability to back up all or select SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts, and Exchange mailboxes, Microsoft 365 Backup provides comprehensive coverage for your critical data.

SharePoint Advanced Management (SAM) is a comprehensive governance solution for SharePoint and OneDrive. With SAM, you can efficiently manage content growth, secure access, and monitor changes across your organization. These capabilities help you maintain control over your digital workspace and prepare your environment for Microsoft 365 Copilot.

What’s Next for SharePoint Premium Users?

As of today, nothing specific is changing if you are using older SharePoint Premium tools for document processing. You still have access to those tools but should consider upgrades to newer tools in the Microsoft 365 stack within the next couple of years. This will align with Microsoft’s focus moving forward related to document processing, including further integrations and enhancements with Copilot.

In general, your organization should:

  • Evaluate licensing as document processing with Microsoft 365 is pay-as-you-go.
  • Train your teams on new document processing features available to them.
  • Look into Copilot readiness which entails knowing what you have and making sure your information is clean, updated, and properly secured.
  • Select specific use cases that align with your business goals and priorities and determine how Copilot can assist you with those using pilot test groups where appropriate.
  • Keep updated on Microsoft’s rollout of new features and tools by following their roadmap.

Need help transitioning away from SharePoint Premium?

Compass365 is here to assist you in all of your Microsoft 365 needs. Explore our Modern Work services or contact us today to schedule a free Microsoft 365 strategy session.