Microsoft has been paying much attention to the hybrid phenomena and, in response, has been updating its services with new features that promote better communication, collaboration, and much more!
The latest updates on Microsoft 365 help employees feel connected (with each other and with the company) regardless of where they work.
That was the goal of Microsoft Viva in the first place – enhancing the employee experience with a platform that brings together knowledge, learning, resources, insights, and, of course, communication into the workflow (as one can read here).
Microsoft Viva, it’s a service powered by Microsoft 365 and it’s delivered through Teams to bring employees closer to each other and to their organization’s mission and goals.
Recap on the latest Microsoft 365 Updates (May 22)
From Viva itself to Teams and to tools such as PowerPoint and Vision, almost all were updated with attractive features for both employers and employees.
Let’s start with Viva – when using it, users will find a new module that enables businesses to keep track of their goals. The interface looks like a project management tool but is much more complete, providing employees the possibility to record and track their progress throughout their tasks and projects.
On Viva Suite, there’s an add-on named Viva Goals. This update reflects the importance of having employees aligned with the mission and goals of their organization so that hybrid (or remote) isn’t killing corporate culture.
The current main challenge of connecting with a dispersed audience can be avoided if one relies on technology to bring a deeper connection to work, purpose, and results – that is one of Microsoft’s main drives and the reason why they are paying so much attention to these new working trends. Here’s an example on this Viva update:
Updates on Microsoft 365 – what about the tools?
Visio and PowerPoint are also powered up by new templates and other attractive new features such as live reports (PowerPoint). The best thing about this late update is that it doesn’t interfere with your presentation or affects the user experience at all.
To minimize distractions, Teams has now a notification drawer that appears on the top of your screen showcasing messages’ previews. We are pretty used to that in our daily lives, right? Nothing new in terms of format but very welcomed when it comes to Teams (and particularly useful in meetings).
There’s also a new APP available for Android to use Microsoft Lists (for Microsoft 365 commercial customers) that allows users to work on the go. One can manage events, track issues, or keep track of coordinated tasks with the new mobile App.
Mobile optimization is also the first new feature of Microsoft Forms which also includes now several templates to help with user better user experience and faster setup. Interesting (yet predictable) that most updates on Microsoft 365 include mobile optimization.
Finally, Microsoft is making cyber security services available to all and not only to big enterprises (it used to be a Premium service). Businesses up to 300 employees can now use Microsoft Defender and protect against unknown threats.
This is particularly welcomed as there were never so many cyber attacks and companies are struggling to answer this major challenge. According to Cybersecurity Magazine, a company falls victim to a ransomware attack every 11 seconds (average) and Microsoft Office documents were the most manipulated document attack target (went up by 112%).
Know more about each of these updates and get a sneak peek of how these news features look like here.
Would like to know if any of these updates on Microsoft 365 could benefit your organization or looking to implement them straight away? Get in touch with our consultants to understand the best way to do it in your business.
