Microsoft Viva Suite Enterprise Guide 2026: The Complete Employee Experience Platform
Last updated by Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
Microsoft Viva has changed from separate modules into a single employee experience platform. It improves how organizations communicate, learn, align strategies, and measure wellbeing.
This guide includes details on every Viva module:
- Connections
- Engage
- Learning
- Insights
- Goals (retired December 31, 2025)
- Amplify
- Glint
- Pulse
It also covers enterprise deployment strategies, Copilot integration, and adoption best practices from EPC Group's 200+ Viva implementations.
Microsoft Viva Suite Enterprise Guide 2026
Last updated: 2026 · Read time: 9 min
Microsoft Viva Suite is a comprehensive 9-module employee experience platform from Microsoft. It includes:
- Company intranet
- Enterprise social
- Learning
- Productivity analytics
- OKR tracking
- Communications
- Engagement surveys
- AI-powered insights
All of these features are integrated within Microsoft Teams. This information is based on over 200 enterprise deployments by EPC Group.
The 9 Viva modules
Each module targets a distinct employee experience function. Phase your rollout — start with Connections and Engage, then add Glint (Viva Goals was retired December 31, 2025).
- Viva Connections — company intranet and communications hub inside Teams. Included in Microsoft 365.
- Viva Engage — enterprise social networking (formerly Yammer). Included in Microsoft 365.
- Viva Learning — learning management and content aggregation from 50+ providers.
- Viva Insights — personal and organizational productivity analytics. Personal insights included in E3/E5.
- Viva Goals — retired by Microsoft on December 31, 2025 (no new features after December 5, 2024, no successor module); OKR tracking now needs a third-party tool.
- Viva Amplify — multi-channel corporate communications publishing from one authoring surface.
- Viva Glint — employee sentiment surveys and engagement analytics (formerly LinkedIn Glint).
- Viva Pulse — lightweight team check-in surveys for managers.
- Copilot in Viva — AI-powered insights across all Viva modules using Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Licensing breakdown
Not every module requires an add-on purchase. Several are included in existing Microsoft 365 plans.
- Viva Connections — included in all Microsoft 365 plans.
- Viva Engage — included in all Microsoft 365 plans.
- Viva Insights (personal) — included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5.
- Viva Insights (organizational) — $6/user/month add-on for managers and leaders.
- Viva Learning (premium) — $4/user/month add-on for third-party content and LMS integration.
- Viva Goals — retired December 31, 2025; no longer sold.
- Viva Suite (all modules) — $12/user/month. Best value when adopting 3+ paid modules.
Viva Learning content sources
Viva Learning aggregates content from multiple sources into a single discovery experience inside Teams. No content lives natively in Viva — it surfaces what you already pay for.
- Microsoft Learn — included at no extra cost.
- LinkedIn Learning — requires LinkedIn Learning Hub subscription.
- Third-party providers — Coursera, Pluralsight, Udemy Business, and Skillsoft via premium add-on.
- LMS integration — SAP SuccessFactors, Cornerstone OnDemand, and Workday Learning via premium add-on.
- Internal content — SharePoint-hosted content surfaced automatically.
What Viva can replace
Viva reduces tool sprawl for organizations consolidating their employee experience stack.
- Workday Learning → Viva Learning (with premium add-on).
- Lattice or 15Five → keep; Viva Goals was retired on December 31, 2025.
- Legacy Glint → Viva Glint (now built into the Suite).
- Workplace from Meta → Viva Engage.
- Legacy SharePoint intranets → Viva Connections + SharePoint Modern.
EPC Group Viva deployment framework
EPC Group phases Viva rollouts to reduce change management risk and maximize adoption.
- Phase 1 (weeks 1–6) — deploy Viva Connections and Engage. Quick win visible to all employees.
- Phase 2 (weeks 7–14) — add Viva Learning with content source integrations. Champion training program launch.
- Phase 3 (weeks 15–24) — activate Viva Insights and Pulse. Tie OKRs to company strategy in a third-party OKR tool (Viva Goals was retired on December 31, 2025).
- Phase 4 (ongoing) — deploy Glint for org-wide engagement surveys. Activate Copilot in Viva when M365 Copilot is live.
Frequently asked questions
What is Microsoft Viva Suite?
Microsoft Viva Suite is a bundle of 9 employee experience modules that costs $12 per user per month. It includes features for intranet, social interaction, learning, analytics, OKR tracking, communications, and employee surveys, all integrated within Microsoft Teams. Some modules are available for free with Microsoft 365.
Is Viva included in Microsoft 365?
Viva Connections and Viva Engage are part of all Microsoft 365 plans at no additional cost. The personal features of Viva Insights are available in E3 and E5 plans.
- Goals (retired December 31, 2025)
- Glint
- Learning premium content
- Organizational Insights
These features require either add-on licensing or the full Viva Suite.
Does Viva replace SharePoint?
No. Viva Connections sits on top of SharePoint and surfaces SharePoint content inside Teams. SharePoint remains the content backbone. Viva is the Teams-native presentation layer.
How long does a Viva Suite rollout take?
A phased rollout for an enterprise with 1,000 to 5,000 users usually takes 16 to 24 weeks.
Phase 1, which includes Connections and Engage, can launch in 4 to 6 weeks. The full suite deployment, featuring Glint and Copilot in Viva, takes 20 to 24 weeks.
What is Copilot in Viva?
Copilot in Viva utilizes Microsoft 365 Copilot to provide insights across various Viva modules. It offers:
- Viva Insights Copilot summaries
- Viva Learning course recommendations
- OKR progress narratives (third-party OKR tool — Viva Goals was retired December 31, 2025)
To use these features, a Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required.
Schedule a Viva Suite assessment
EPC Group has successfully completed over 200 Microsoft Viva deployments. Our architects can assist you with:
- Module sequencing
- Licensing optimization
- Integration with your Microsoft 365 tenant
Contact us at (888) 381-9725 or request a 30-minute discovery call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Microsoft Viva and what does it include?
Microsoft Viva is an employee experience platform (EXP) integrated into Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365. The Viva suite includes: Viva Connections (company intranet and communications hub in Teams), Viva Engage (enterprise social networking, formerly Yammer), Viva Learning (learning management and content aggregation), Viva Insights (personal and organizational wellbeing analytics), Viva Goals (retired by Microsoft on December 31, 2025), Viva Amplify (multi-channel corporate communications), Viva Glint (employee sentiment surveys and analytics), Viva Pulse (team check-in surveys), and Copilot in Viva (AI-powered insights across all Viva modules). Viva is available as individual module licenses or the Viva Suite bundle ($12/user/month).
How much does Microsoft Viva cost?
Microsoft Viva pricing has two models: Viva Suite at $12/user/month bundles all Viva modules. Individual module licensing varies: Viva Insights is included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5 for personal insights (organizational insights require the Viva Insights add-on at $6/user/month for managers and leaders), Viva Learning is included in M365 for basic features (premium content providers and LMS integration require Viva Learning add-on at $4/user/month), Viva Engage is included in M365, Viva Connections is included in M365, and Viva Goals was retired on December 31, 2025 and is no longer sold. For organizations adopting 3+ Viva modules, the Suite bundle provides the best value.
What is the difference between Viva Connections and a SharePoint intranet?
Viva Connections is the Teams-native front door to your SharePoint intranet. It surfaces SharePoint content, news, and resources directly within the Teams experience through a personalized dashboard, feed, and resources section. The key difference: employees access Viva Connections without leaving Teams, while a SharePoint intranet requires navigating to a browser. Viva Connections uses your existing SharePoint home site as the content source — it does not replace SharePoint but extends it into Teams. The dashboard supports adaptive cards for quick actions (submit PTO, check payslip, view IT tickets), and the feed aggregates SharePoint news, Viva Engage posts, and Stream videos into a single personalized stream.
How does Copilot work with Microsoft Viva?
Copilot in Viva adds AI capabilities across all Viva modules. In Viva Engage, Copilot summarizes long discussion threads, drafts posts, and suggests communities to join. In Viva Learning, Copilot recommends learning paths based on role and career goals, and summarizes course content. In Viva Insights, Copilot provides natural language queries for organizational analytics (e.g., "Show me collaboration patterns for the engineering team this quarter"). In Viva Amplify, Copilot generates multi-channel communication drafts. Copilot in Viva requires Microsoft 365 Copilot licensing ($30/user/month) in addition to Viva licensing.
How long does it take to deploy Microsoft Viva enterprise-wide?
A full Viva Suite deployment for a 5,000-user organization typically takes 3-6 months: Phase 1 (Month 1): Deploy Viva Connections and Viva Engage (lowest complexity, highest immediate impact). Phase 2 (Month 2-3): Deploy Viva Learning with LMS integration and content provider setup. Phase 3 (Month 3-4): Deploy Viva Insights with manager and leader dashboards. Phase 4 (Month 4-6): Stand up the OKR cadence on a third-party OKR tool — Viva Goals was retired on December 31, 2025. Change management and adoption programs run in parallel throughout all phases. EPC Group recommends a phased approach — deploying all modules simultaneously overwhelms users and reduces adoption rates.