Project Online is ending soon. What’s next?
Your questions answered on Sensei’s 6‑week, fixed‑price migration to Altus.
Microsoft has confirmed that Project Online will be retired on 30 September 2026, after which organisations will permanently lose access to their environments and data. For PMOs and delivery leaders, this is not just a technical change, it’s a critical moment to modernise how work, projects and portfolios are governed and delivered.
To help organisations move with confidence, Sensei has created a 6‑week, fixed‑price migration offer to transition from Project Online to Altus, a modern, Microsoft‑native PPM platform designed as a true successor to Project Online. Below, we answer the most common questions we hear from organisations wanting to transition.
Q: What is included in Sensei’s 6‑week, fixed‑price Project Online migration offer?
A: The offer is designed to remove uncertainty, reduce risk and get you operational on Altus quickly, without sacrificing governance or continuity.
The fixed-price migration includes:
- Transition of your Project Online environment to Altus, deployed directly into your own Microsoft 365 tenant
- Configuration of core project, program and portfolio management capabilities
- Enablement of native Microsoft Project Desktop integration, ensuring continuity for schedule‑driven teams
- Migration of essential structures and data required to keep delivery moving
- Validation, testing and handover so teams can confidently operate in Altus
The outcome is a working, future‑ready PPM platform that preserves what matters from Project Online while positioning your organisation for what comes next.
Q: What does the Project Online migration process look like?
A: Sensei follows a structured, low‑risk approach informed by years of experience migrating organisations off Microsoft legacy PPM platforms.
At a high level, the process focuses on:
- Understanding your current Project Online usage and dependencies
- Establishing Altus as your new system of record, built on the Microsoft Power Platform
- Transitioning schedules, governance and reporting into a modern, integrated model
- Ensuring teams can continue working with familiar Microsoft tools throughout the change
Because Altus is built natively on Microsoft 365, the transition avoids the disruption often associated with third‑party platforms and keeps your data, security and governance inside your tenant.
Q: Can we add further customisations or integrations to Altus after the Project Online migration?
A: Yes, and this is one of Altus’ biggest advantages.
Altus is built on the Microsoft Power Platform, allowing organisations to:
- Extend workflows using Power Automate
- Build tailored apps and experiences with Power Apps
- Integrate with line‑of‑business systems, like finance and operations
- Expand reporting and analytics through Power BI
Many organisations start with the core capabilities delivered in the 6‑week migration, then progressively evolve their solution as maturity, needs and confidence grow. Altus is designed to scale with you.
Q: How does Altus provide a true 1:1 replacement for Project Online?
A: Altus’ in-built features make it the ideal replacement for Project Online, especially for organisations that rely on Microsoft Project Desktop.
Altus is the only PPM platform with two‑way, native integration to Microsoft Project Desktop, allowing project managers to:
- Continue using advanced scheduling features such as dependencies, baselines and critical path
- Synchronise schedules directly into Altus for portfolio visibility, governance and reporting
- Maintain productivity without retraining or workaround processes
This capability makes Altus uniquely positioned as a genuine successor, not just an alternative, to Project Online.
Q: How does Altus prepare organisations for the future of PPM past the Project Online transition?
A: Project Online is being retired because its legacy architecture cannot support modern collaboration, automation or AI. Altus is built for what Microsoft is investing in next.
Altus delivers:
- A modern, intuitive interface aligned to Microsoft 365 experience
- AI‑enabled insights through Microsoft Copilot, embedded directly into project and portfolio workflows
- Unified visibility across projects, programs, portfolios and strategy
- Global resource pool management
- Strategic portfolio management including prioritisation, what-if analysis and strategic goal alignment
- Real-time dashboards and up-to-date reports
- Continuous innovation through regular releases
Rather than simply replacing a tool, Altus helps organisations modernise how decisions are made, work is prioritised and value is delivered
Q: What are the key Microsoft technology benefits of moving from Project Online to Altus?
A: Altus maximises the Microsoft investment you already have.
Key benefits include:
- Familiar Microsoft interfaces that reduce change fatigue
- Native integration with Microsoft Teams for collaboration and visibility
- Power BI dashboards and analytics using live Dataverse data
- Secure deployment in your own Microsoft 365 tenant, not a third‑party cloud
- Direct access to Microsoft Copilot for AI‑assisted reporting, insights and administration
Your data stays within your Microsoft environment, governed by your security, compliance and identity controls.
Q: Why should Sensei deliver our Project Online migration to Altus?
A: Sensei has deep, proven experience transitioning organisations from Microsoft Project Online and other legacy Microsoft PPM tools.
Sensei:
- Is a long‑standing Microsoft Solutions Partner
- Has guided enterprise and government organisations through Project Online transitions
- Works closely with Altus as a premier delivery partner
- Brings both technical depth and real‑world PMO expertise
This is not a first‑time migration, it is a repeatable, proven capability.
Q: How is our data kept secure during Project Online migration and afterwards?
A: Data security is a core design principle of both Altus and Sensei’s migration approach, and Sensei knows this is non‑negotiable, particularly for Australian government and regulated organisations.
Altus is deployed directly into your own Microsoft 365 tenant, using the Microsoft Power Platform and Dataverse. This means:
- Your data never leaves your Microsoft environment
- There is no third‑party cloud or external data store
- Your existing Microsoft identity, security, compliance and governance controls apply
- Data is protected by Microsoft’s enterprise‑grade security, auditing and access management
During migration, Sensei works within these same tenant boundaries, ensuring data is handled, transitioned and validated inside the security perimeter you already trust.
This approach is particularly important for Australian government agencies, where requirements around data sovereignty, access control, auditability and risk management are critical. Sensei has extensive experience delivering Microsoft‑based PPM solutions in Australian government environments and understands the scrutiny applied to how project and portfolio data is stored, accessed and governed.
By moving from Project Online to Altus:
- You avoid the risks associated with legacy platforms approaching end‑of‑life
- You minimise data transition disruptions and ensure delivery continuity
- You maintain full ownership and control of sensitive delivery data
- You establish a future‑ready, AI-enabled platform aligned to Microsoft’s security and compliance postures
In short, the migration does not introduce new data risk. It reduces it, while positioning your organisation on a modern, secure Microsoft foundation.
Q: Why do we need to act to transition from Project Online now?
A: Although the migration itself takes six weeks, the window to act is closing.
- Project Online permanently retires on 30 September 2026
- After that date, data and environments will no longer be accessible
- Sensei’s migration capacity is already booking out as organisations move to avoid last‑minute risk
Delaying increases exposure to data loss, delivery disruption and rushed decisions. Acting now gives you more choice, control and confidence.
Ready to move forward?
Sensei’s 6‑week, fixed‑price migration to Altus is designed to help you exit Project Online safely and step into a modern, AI‑enabled PPM future without disruption.
Don’t wait. Secure your migration window and future‑proof your PMO today.
Get in touch to speak with a Sensei transition expert.
