This guide provides information to those who are affected by Microsoft’s changes to Basic authentication.  Please check with your IT department if you are unsure about whether you are affected.

If you use Google Mail, or Bromcom’s SMTP service this guide will not apply to you.

See also: 

How to configure SMTP to send from Bromcom 
How to Purchase Email Credits
Bromcom SMTP Service FAQs

What changes are taking place for Bromcom sites that use Office 365 to send Emails? Microsoft is turning off support for the Basic authentication protocols connecting to external services that use this method to send out Emails. This may mean that current SMTP settings (Config > Setup > System Settings) stop sending out Emails if they are using Basic authentication.

Please see this article from Microsoft

Why is Microsoft turning off support for Office 365 Basic Authentication?
Microsoft wants external services to use authentication protocols that support multi factor authentication such as Oauth 2.0. O365 SMTP settings will continue to work providing it is not using Basic authentication.

When will Microsoft turn off support Office 365 Basic Authentication?
Official Basic authentication support ended at the end of December 2022 and Basic authentication may be turned off before the end of March 2023.

What is the impact of Microsoft removing support for O365 Basic authentication?
Emails that are sent using O365 SMTP settings may not be received. If current O365 SMTP server settings stop working this will impact communication to contacts, staff, students, referral recipient Emails, behaviour Emails, watchlists and scheduled reports.

O365 SMTP settings will continue to work providing it is using Basic authentication.

What alternatives are available to Office 365 SMTP for sending Emails?
If you have issues with your SMTP settings, you may wish to use Bromcom’s own SMTP service or change your current SMTP settings (Config > Setup > System Settings). Each school gets 3000 free Emails a month using this service and more monthly messages can be purchased for an annual fee.  

Our prices can be found below, if you wish to purchase the Bromcom SMTP please see How to Purchase Email Credits

You can also configure your outgoing SMTP server settings to use a different SMTP provider. See also: How to configure Bromcom SMTP

Why is Bromcom sharing information about SMTP changes now?
Bromcom has no commercial wish to steer sites towards it’s paid SMTP service. We wish to raise awareness about changes initiated by Microsoft and let schools and trusts know that we offer an SMTP service. 3000 emails a month is free of charge and meets the messaging needs of many small primary schools. We want to inform customers about their SMTP Emailing options.