Microsoft Teams New Features: Shifts and More

microsoft teams new features shifts and more

As technology advances, organizations find they can plan more, direct more and execute more because they have more relevant and timely information, thus allowing them to better decisions. As part of the trend of providing more effective and efficient ways to relay information, Microsoft has expanded multiple features within their Microsoft Teams app. Features that promise to connect the right people with the right information, at just the right time.

Shifts

Not every group of employees works together in a close environment. In many cases, staff members are spread out across the local landscape or perhaps even the globe, as in the case of flight crew members. Regardless of the physical location of their employees, shift coordinators need an intelligent mechanism that allows them to plan and coordinate work schedules, which in turn enables seamless delivery of services and/or products to their customer base. With the Teams app Shift tool, managers can easily create, keep track of and update an entire work schedule, thus ensuring that even employees disbursed all over the globe, know where they need to be and when they need to be there.

Updating Made Easy

Especially when employees work out in the field, they need features that will allow them to connect to and update other members of the group who made not be physically nearby. For mobile users, Microsoft’s Team app has a location sharing feature, allowing managers to keep tabs on their employees, as well as allowing employees to verify they are where they say they are. Workers can easily snap and upload photos of work-related issues and share with others, thereby garnering additional insight for problem-solving. They can also immediately text or share their comments by voice, or they can record audio or video messages for viewing at a later date.

Integrate With Current Systems

Microsoft understands that moving an entire organization over to new software takes time. That’s why they created a Graph API that enables organizations to seamlessly integrate their current workforce management system with the new features of their Teams app.

Give Recognition 

Lastly, Microsoft’s Team app allow managers and others to send out praise and recognition to individual employees, as well as project groups for a job well done. For those who often work independently, managers can use Microsoft’s Praise tool within the app, thereby helping employees in the field understand their employer truly appreciates all their hard work.

Even more tips for Microsoft Teams can be found here. If you would like to know more about the Teams app and how it can help organize and coordinate your company’s team efforts, please contact us.

Computer Tip of the Day – Using Yahoo Mail for Business

yahoo mail for business
Yahoo Mail for Business

Do you use Yahoo Mail to stay in touch with your friends, acquaintances, or business contacts? Yahoo Mail, although not as popular as Gmail, is still a great method of communication. Here are some useful tips and tricks for using Yahoo Mail.

Delete All Mail At Once

If you want to organize your inbox after not doing so for a while, you may have hundreds of emails to delete. Unfortunately, with Yahoo Mail, you can only select 50 emails at a time. This can be frustrating, but there is a workaround. Just click on the “search” button at the search tab at the top of the page without typing in any search term into the bar. You can choose to search through all of your emails or through emails in a specific inbox. As long as you leave the search bar blank when you click “search,” all emails will appear, not just 50.

Forward Your Mail

What if people send emails to your Yahoo address but you’d rather read them in another email account? Simple: Just forward your mail to that account. Go to Yahoo Mail’s Settings menu and click on Options. Click on your email address and then click on Forward. You can then type in the email address you’d like your Yahoo Mail to be forwarded to (a verification link will be sent to that address).

Create a Mailing List

If you have a number of contacts you want to add to a specific list so that you can send emails to all of them at once, just go to Contacts and click on the Assign to Lists option. Of course, you have to create the list first, which you can do in the Contacts menu. This is useful when you want to send something to several employees at once. 

For more computer and IT help, contact us today. 

Three New Things Microsoft SharePoint Has to Offer

three new things microsoft sharepoint has to offer
SharePoint Logo

Microsoft SharePoint is still the most used platform for intranets, portals, and digital collaboration. There are challenges and limited updates, but that hasn’t done much to alter the success rate of SharePoint. Microsoft has made some changes to the collaborative platform, but knowing what they are won’t explain how it will help business.

Here are three things that should be known:

Usability

When using products, ease of use is a huge part of what makes it successful. Microsoft has made great changes to improve the user-friendliness of SharePoint. One new feature, the App Launcher, is an extension that allows you to access Microsoft owned applications, like OneDrive for Business, as well as navigation between on-premises and the cloud. The App Launcher also allows the addition of favorite sites for ready access. Other features include support for increased file sizes, removal of character stipulations of file names, images and videos are more easily viewed, and folder creation. Of course, these are just a few changes to the interface.

Searching

Finding documents after adding them to SharePoint is an essential feature to any document sharing product. Utilizing SharePoint for business allows members of that network to add, view, share, and download documents. Like a large filing cabinet, it needs some kind of organizational tool to assist with locating a file quickly and efficiently. The search engine can be used to pinpoint files with certain keywords as well as the title.

Hybrid with Office 365

SharePoint can be used in conjunction with Office 365. Many features require that both applications are functioning in order for them to work properly. OneDrive redirection allows you to use the Office 365 subscription to be redirected to the online version of the application and no longer On-Premises. Sites can be saved via Office 365 and On-Premises to the App Launcher; searching is unified — meaning that searching for one document will allow it to be located either in Office 365 or On-Premises SharePoint.

To become more informed about how SharePoint can improve your business or any other technical questions, please send us a message here at AE Technology Group.

What You Need to Know About the Newly Upgraded Office 365 E5 Plan

what you need to know about the newly upgraded office 365 e5 plan

office 365 e5 plan

If your business has its finger on the pulse of software productivity, you might have heard by now that Microsoft has made a few changes in their top-tier enterprise plan.

The new Office 365 E5 plan takes the place of the old E4 plan, with many of the same features, as well as several that are new. For anyone looking to find a package that crams as much productivity software and services as possible into a single package, Microsoft has certainly hit the nail on the head.

The E5 plan includes a gamut of new features that make it more worthwhile, however, and should not be dismissed right away. Note that these features come at an extra price for anyone on the lower plans.

  • Advanced Threat Protection for secure attachments and URLs
  • Cloud PBX (Private Branch Exchange) through Skype for Business
  • PSTN Conferencing and Calling
  • Fully integrated Delve Analytics
  • Power BI Pro

The most powerful features of the E5 plan are the last two listed. Delve is a software that helps monitor the health and collaboration among groups of coworkers, clearly and beautifully displayed analysis of communications. Power BI Pro is a new tool to analyze your company’s data quickly and easily. Microsoft touts the possibilities,

“In less than five minutes you can start creating personalized dashboards and reports on your data using natural language and drag-and-drop gestures to find answers to your most important questions.”

If you have any questions or just want a bit more clarity on what this plan is all about, please contact us.

Why Use Lync: Top 5 Reasons to Consider Microsoft Lync For Your Business

office 365 amp voip phone systems on long island and new york 2

Why Use Lync?

Why use lync?Microsoft Lync has recently released updates to their program that make it an even better option for your business.

Microsoft Lync is a unified communication platform. It allows you to combine your instant messaging, video conferencing and meetings and telephone calls all in one platform. This revolutionary technology can help you streamline your business communications.

Here are our top 5 reasons why you should consider Microsoft Lync for your business:

1. High Quality Video Conferencing

Microsoft Lync allows you to hold high quality video conferences. Lync meeting allows you to see while you are video conferencing 5 different simultaneous live video streams all in HD. In addition, you will be able to share PowerPoint, applications, and screen shots in your video conference. This will allow a feeling of engagement in your video conference calls that can top real world meetings.

2. Lync – Skype Connectivity 

When you need to make a phone call or video call with a Skype contact, you do not need to switch out of Microsoft LyncMicrosoft Lync allows users to upload their Skype contacts into their Lync account. You will be able to send instant messages and have voice conversations with your Skype contacts all within the comfort of your new Microsoft Lync account. In addition, you can set up your personal status on your account settings to options such as – Available, Busy, Offline, and Away- and you will be able to see your contacts’ status as well. You will be able to combine your current Skype usage with your new Lync application.

3. Versatility 

You can use Microsoft Lync on any mobile device or computer that you like. Lync works on Windows PCs, Windows Phone, iOS, Mac and Android smart phones. No matter if your office uses Windows, iOS, or battles it out between the two, Microsoft Lync will work on either computer system. And no matter if everyone in your office all uses the same smart phone or everyone has different smart phones, Microsoft Lync will work on them all. Lync will streamline communication in your office and for your clients with its consistent and familiar layout on all digital platforms.

4. Unity 

Microsoft Lync will allow your business to streamline communication operations. You will no longer need multiple applications for instant messaging, video calls and video conferences. Now all of these can happen in one place. This will help simplify operations, training and IT support for your business.

5. Did We Mention the HD Video?

Don’t forget that you will be able to enjoy HD video with Microsoft Lync. Lync uses H.264 SVC and open standards. That means you are guaranteed a high quality video experience no matter what device you are operating Microsoft Lync on and viewing the video on.

Microsoft LyncYou should consider Microsoft Lync for your communication needs. It provides high quality video conferences, Lync – Skype connectivity, versatility, unity and awesome HD video for your business. To learn more about how Microsoft Lync can help your business, please contact us. At AE Technology Group, we strive to provide the best service to our customers and are available to help your business thrive.