5 Ways That Microsoft is Making Teams The New Virtual All-in-One Office

5 Ways That Microsoft is Making Teams The New Virtual All-in-One Office

One of the cloud business solutions that’s been excelling during the pandemic is Microsoft Teams. This virtual work hub with video conferencing provides a perfect way to keep companies connected when employees need to work from home.

Teams has a distinct advantage over applications like Zoom because it’s not a “one-trick pony.” Rather, it can be used for several different areas of collaboration, with video conferencing being just one of them.

Between November 2019 and October 2020, the active user count for Teams skyrocketed from 20 million to 115 million.

Microsoft has been ahead of the pack when it comes to the virtual office, and it isn’t stopping. Building on Teams as a central gathering place for remote teams, the company has been adding multiple capabilities to facilitate the workforce of the future.

Even with offices opening, many Australians are still working from home, and this is becoming a worldwide legacy of the pandemic. It’s estimated that this year, the number of global permanent remote employees will double.

As you’re deciding which cloud tools will help you facilitate a productive remote team, you may want to consider Microsoft Teams. We’ll go through all the ways Microsoft has been improving the platform to make it the ultimate online office.

Microsoft Viva Add-on (Training, Knowledge, Wellbeing & Connection)

A major announcement this year was the launch of the Teams add-on Microsoft Viva. This tool is made up of four different components that are designed to work together to improve the employee experience (especially if that employee is working remotely). 

The four components of Viva are:

  • Viva Topics: A system that can instantly feed a user company knowledge and use AI to create topic pages that users can access.
  • Viva Insights: Designed to improve health and wellbeing and help organisations avoid employee burnout that hurts productivity.
  • Viva Learning: Connects multiple learning modules to MS Teams, so users don’t have to leave Teams to be trained or engage in ongoing career development.
  • Viva Connections: Keep your team connected no matter where they are and foster corporate culture through customised news and information feeds. 

Viva Insights from Microsoft

Microsoft Teams Connect

You can now more easily collaborate in Teams with those outside your company (vendors, customers, partners). Microsoft Teams Connect is currently in private preview and it’s designed to make it easy to invite someone to a Teams channel for activities such as:

  • Real-time document co-authoring
  • Chat
  • Online meetings
  • App collaboration

Companies maintain control of data and information, and your team can simply add a person to the shared Teams channel, so that’s all they can access.

Shared channels will show up in each user’s primary Teams tenant alongside other channels they use for a fluid experience. 

VoIP Phone System

Launched last year, Microsoft Business Voice brings VoIP phone system capabilities into Teams through an add-on. This consolidates and streamlines the communications process by combining collaboration and communication elements in a single platform.

The Teams communication universe now includes:

  • A full-featured business VoIP phone system
  • Video conferencing
  • Audio conferencing
  • Secure, channeled team messaging
  • Co-authoring of documents
  • Status updates and alerts
  • Company Wiki

With the addition of VoIP, employees can access all their communications in Teams and fluidly switch from a voice to a video call when assisting a customer.

Webinar Scheduling Capabilities

One problem that many businesses ran into when they started video conferencing more during the pandemic, is that many popular video meeting apps (Teams, Zoom, etc.) did not have tools to facilitate a webinar. Such as a registration page or attendee reporting.

That’s changing now as Microsoft brings webinar scheduling and reporting capabilities into Teams, expanding its capabilities even more. 

Users will be able to customise a webinar registration page, have the webinar link and information automatically emailed to the attendee, and access post-webinar attendee reports.

This eliminates the need to subscribe to a separate webinar cloud service.

Video Conferencing Designed for Presentations

It can be awkward to give a presentation over a video call while screen sharing. Many platforms don’t give you a lot of options, and the placement of your video feed and shared screen can be problematic.

Presenter mode in Teams is going to change that. It’s designed specifically for dynamic presentations where you want to share your screen and have your video feed seen clearly so you can make a personal connection with your audience.

You have the choice of three different presentation styles, depending upon the type of talk or training you’re giving and how large you want your video in relation to the presentation.

Presenter Mode in Teams

Presenter mode options include:

  • Standout mode: Your video feed is silhouetted over your presentation.
  • Side-by-Side mode: Your video feed is next to your presentation.
  • Reporter mode: Your video feed is larger, with your presentation over your shoulder.

Get Help Customising Microsoft Teams for Your Business

Connected Platforms can help your Brisbane area business make the most of Microsoft Teams. We can set up all the security, sharing, and other features for you to empower your remote workforce.

Contact us for a free consultation. Call 1300 866 096 or book a coffee meeting online.

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How to create secure passwords

How to create secure passwords

Weak passwords are one of the biggest security risks to your business.
Why?
Because cyber criminals are getting smarter than ever before. If they manage to crack just one password, they could gain access to your sensitive business data, financial information, or even gain control of your entire system.
Cyber criminals use automated tools to guess passwords, allowing them to try out millions of combinations in seconds. So, if you’re using something like “Password123” or “CompanyName2025”, you’re practically handing them the keys to your business.
A compromised password can lead to big issues, such as:
• Data breaches
• Financial losses
• Identity theft
• Reputation damage
But how do you create strong passwords without driving yourself (and your team) mad?
Think of your password like a secret recipe, where only you should know the ingredients. It should:
• Be at least 14 characters long (the longer, the better)
• Include a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters
• Contain a few numbers and symbols (like @, $, %, or &)
• Not contain any common words or easily guessable information (like birthdays, names, or the word “password”)
Instead of using a single word, you could try a passphrase – a short, random sentence that only you would understand. For example, instead of “Sailing2025”, try something like “Coffee&CloudsAreGreat9!”. This is much harder to crack, yet still easy to remember.
You should also steer clear of these common mistakes:
• Using personal info (your name, birthday, business name, etc.)
• Reusing the same passwords across multiple accounts
• Using simple sequences (“123456” or “abcdef”)
• Storing passwords in an easily accessible place (like a sticky note on your desk)
If remembering unique passwords for every account sounds impossible, there is another option: Password managers. These generate strong passwords, store them securely and autofill them for you.
With a password manager, you only need to remember one strong master password for the manager app itself. The rest are encrypted and stored safely, reducing the risk of data breaches.
Even the strongest password isn’t foolproof, which is why multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also important. MFA requires a second form of verification, like a one-time code sent to your phone or generated from an authentication app.
If you have employees accessing your business systems, it’s a good idea to have a password policy in place to explain your rules and why they’re important. This should include:
• Unique passwords for each system and account
• Regular security training on password best practices
• Business-wide use of MFA for critical systems
• Scanning for compromised passwords regularly
By making password security a priority, you can reduce the chances of a cyber attack creating a nightmare for your business.
And if you need help making your business more secure, get in touch.

Beware these common ‘malvertising’ attacks

Beware these common ‘malvertising’ attacks

Ever clicked an online ad and wondered afterwards if it was a scam?… most of us have – and cyber criminals want us to keep doing it. Here’s what to look out for to stop your business’s data (and profits) falling into the wrong hands…

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