Buying is a journey

Go beyond transactions and interactions to give your buyers unique experiences that build trust. Transform the sales experience with Dynamics 365 Sales. Features include enabling smarter selling with contextual AI, increasing sales profitably with advanced insights, and improving coaching and sales performance.

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Sign Here: How e-Signatures Make Sales Teams More Productive While Reducing Risks

Manual and paper-based sales processes can be costly and compromise productivity. They pose security and compliance risks and can frustrate customers. With paper processes, sales teams often spend valuable time waiting--on emails, phone calls, and approvals. And they waste valuable resources printing, scanning, and manually sending contracts back and forth. But with e-signature technology, sellers can make up for lost time and missed opportunities. Check out this article for more on how sales teams can minimize lag time, close deals faster, and manage multiple accounts securely and remotely.

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Security Fortify infographic

Maximize threat detection during attack stages with Microsoft's comprehensive suite of security solutions. Unmatched volumes of data inform Microsoft security solutions. Learn how you can harness decades of security experience with Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection.

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Unify workplace collaboration

Subscribe now and unify your workplace collaboration with @Microsoft Teams.

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Security intelligent infographic

Identify and repel more threats than ever before with Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Security, and Azure Sentinel. Take a look to learn more about intelligent security solutions for your entire enterprise.

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The Changing Face Of Digital Transformation

What is digital transformation? How has it changed? Who drives it? Digital transformation is more than just a tech upgrade. It requires an understanding of internal users and end customers. And for many businesses, it means changing the way they do business to serve a new generation of consumers. Check out this article to explore these questions further.

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Security Power

Securing your systems with a data driven, human guided security approach allows you to detect and respond to attacks more quickly and accurately. This infographic outlines how the global network of real time threat intelligence from Microsoft continues to evolve, anticipate, and stay ahead of risks.

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BP deploys Microsoft 365 to improve user experience and security

Every day, BP manages the difficult business of finding, producing, marketing, and moving energy around the globe. Core to success is the modernization and digitization of the business, while being able to defend a vast digital perimeter against cyberattacks. This video shows how BP is migrating its work environment to Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 to take advantage of a platform approach.

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Go Digital with DocuSign | The Odigo Group

The Odigo Group, a marketing agency based on Whidbey Island near Seattle, uses DocuSign to run their digital business. Its founders have grown their 2-person family business to a 25-person agency with employees across the country and clients around the world. They use cloud-based collaboration tools like Office 365 to stay connected and use DocuSign to manage employee onboarding, HR, compliance, client contracts, and many other aspects of their fast-paced business. The Odigo team credits digital tools with helping them to grow and scale their business, deliver top-notch service, and maintain work/life balance.

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Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and subscribe for news, articles, tips, and tricks on Microsoft Security solutions.

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Security beyond Microsoft products

With Microsoft, security can be simple once again. Microsoft 365 provides an intelligent security hub that works seamlessly across platforms, going far beyond Microsoft—to Linux and Mac, to AWS and beyond, so you can manage mission critical workloads with the right tools at your fingertips. Watch the video to learn more.

Enabling your remote workforce infographic

More organizations are using virtual environments to increase productivity and save money. Learn about the benefits of Windows Virtual Desktop below.

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5 Technological Innovations Changing Medical Practice

Game-changing technological innovations are having profound repercussions in almost every industry across the world. The health sector in particular is embracing innovations that offer significant business opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. And with tech developers, engineers, and researchers regularly breaking new ground and achieving what was once thought impossible, it seems that the question to ask now is not if a given breakthrough can be achieved, but when. Read this article to learn about the five key areas in which digital transformation is enabling providers to drive breakthroughs in healthcare and deliver improved patient experiences.

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The AI Revolution Is Here - A Podcast And Interview With Nate Yohannes

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the catalyst for the fourth industrial revolution, the most significant technological advancement thus far. AI has the potential to solve incredible challenges for all of humanity, including climate change, education, design, customer experiences, governance, and food. That said, among the biggest concerns regarding AI is the potential for unexpected and unintended consequences in building and deploying AI products. According to Nate Yohannes, Principal Program Manager for Mixed Reality and AI Engineering at Microsoft, having appropriate representation at decision-making tables when building AI products is critical to help prevent these unfortunate scenarios. From his perspective, representation will go a long way toward preventing the unexpected consequences of AI products, and it will also guarantee that the products that are created will have the widest consumer base possible: everyone. Listen to this podcast for an inspiring conversation about how to make the possible a reality by approaching AI with a new mindset that takes into consideration its full potential for improving the lives of everyone.

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Construction giant gains competitive edge with zero-trust approach to security

When The Walsh Group—one of the largest construction contractors in the United States—moved to the cloud, it realized it needed better ways to manage who accesses its systems. The company set up identity as the control plane—with Microsoft Azure Active Directory at the center and a zero-trust security stance to better protect access to all its resources. Now, The Walsh Group CIO says the company leads the industry in securing access to its hybrid environment, giving it a competitive advantage. Read the article for more.

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50 Percent of Emails and Texts are Misunderstood, But There's an Easy Way to Change That

Digital communication permeates every aspect of the modern workplace, from emails to texting to messaging to the chat feature in Microsoft Teams. Unfortunately, "people think others understand their messages 90 percent of the time, but the actual statistic is only 50 percent," according to Nick Morgan, author of "Can You Hear Me? How to Connect with People in a Virtual World." How do we make sure our messages aren't misunderstood half the time? In his article, "50 Percent of Emails and Texts are Misunderstood, But There's an Easy Way to Change That," Ryan Jenkins states there's a simple solution: use emojis. Not only is emoji acceptance in the workplace growing (61% of emoji users use them at work), but research demonstrates that the same part of the brain that processes human faces also processes emojis. "When an emoji conveys a human emotion, it can be transferred in a text. Therefore, emojis help communicators manage the emotional tone of digital messages. And emojis help recipients interpret the tone of digital message," writes Jenkins. The modern workplace includes increased digital communication as well as increased emoji use—read this article in its entirety to understand the benefits of using emojis at work 😊

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Largest and most trusted

Microsoft 365 guards your data as a valuable asset. With security built-in, not bolted on, integration and deployment are simplified. Subscribe now to learn more.

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Security Solution Overview

With data growing increasingly valuable and harder to protect, Microsoft provides security solutions across identity and access management, information protection, threat protection and security management. Harness integrated, comprehensive security with Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Security, and Azure Sentinel to identify and repel more threats than ever before and safeguard your organization, without sacrificing productivity.

Go The Extra Mile - It's Never Crowded

The competition is bubbling with businesses trying to replicate successful products and services. What's not easy to copy is a unique, stand-for-something brand that customers associate with your company. This article shares three fundamental topics to help you navigate toward unique: Does your brand and core value permeate your staff, culture, and communication? Do you have an in-depth understanding of your target market? How is your brand differentiated from competition? Read Andrew MacKenzie's "Go the Extra Mile-It's Never Crowded" for insight on finding your clear differentiator—one that your customers will recognize and appreciate—and then be willing to go the extra mile for them.

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Stop Marketing to Millennials or Gen-Z and Start Marketing to Tribes

This year, "Gen-Z are set to overtake Millennials as the biggest generation globally," writes Kian Bakhtiari of CMO network. He adds, however, that we shouldn't think of young people as a marketing segment, because they're not: "The digital age has enabled the creation of modern tribes, united by a shared mindset, rather than age or location." Demographic information alone is no longer as important. Add in different behaviors, attitudes and needs of young people, along with the fact that they are often "invisible" and populate social media platforms—and you have a more complicated yet authentic way of understanding your customer base. The fact that Bakhtiari's byline in Forbes magazine states he writes about marketing through a "Millennial and Gen-Z lens" is proof of his message. Read his entire article, "Stop Marketing to Millennials or Gen-Z and Start Marketing to Tribes" to better understand this mindset shift.

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Why Promoting Healthier Workplace Habits Will Boost Your Business

Too many existing workplace environments lack adequate value when it comes to mental health and physical fitness, according to Sam Corcos in his Entrepreneur article, "Why Promoting Healthier Workplace Habits Will Boost Your Business." Corcos acknowledges, "we're living in a fast-paced era with higher stress levels than ever," so it's crucial you show your employees you care about their health and well-being. Half of millennials and 75% of Gen Zers have left a job for mental health reasons, according to a recent study by Mind Share Partners, Qualtrics and SAP. Combine this high exit rate with the fact that according to the Centers for Disease Control, depression reduces cognitive performance one-third of the time—and you have a petri dish of too many unnecessarily-high unhealthy work environments. "To help your employees mitigate these health risks and improve mental clarity and motivation, become part of the solution," writes Corcos. An example of what you can do? Improve the nutritional quality of the food and drink offered in the building. Vending machines and office parties with snacks and drinks high in sugar not only provide an eventual crash in energy levels and mental clarity after consumption, but they also contribute to long term health problems. Instead, Dr. Casey Means suggests offering glucose-stabilizing snacks such as nuts, seeds, berries, sliced veggies, hummus, olive tapenade, bean dips, nut butters, grain-free nut-based crackers, roasted seaweed and roasted chickpeas. She says that, "these types of snacks tend to generate less of a glucose spike, thereby helping employees maintain energy levels and mental clarity while also providing their brains and bodies with health-promoting nutrients." At the same time, encourage employees to monitor their glucose levels and corresponding daily energy and mental sharpness, as well as overall physical and mental health. Corcos includes other solutions to a healthier workplace, so be sure to read the entire article. Ultimately, the modern workplace needs to value the physical and mental health of its employees.

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Teams quick start guide

Whether you are new to Teams and need to learn the basics or you are using Teams and want a handy reference, this Quick Start Guide for Teams is a must-have-close-by-tool. It includes start up necessities, such as buttons, tabs and channels, but also includes the how-to tasks you need to know only when you're ready to do them: start an impromptu meeting, make video and audio calls, share a file, add apps, and search for stuff, for example. Keep this guide handy and share it with other users!

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Modern Cloud

Optimize your cloud experience while lowering costs for your Windows Server desktops and apps. Don't miss out on all the amazing features Windows Virtual Desktop has to offer and subscribe now.

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How AI is transforming healthcare

Artificial intelligence (AI) is driving massive innovation in the healthcare and life sciences industries. It's expediting advances in drug research and discovery, allowing for better and faster diagnoses, and enabling far greater efficiency in business processes. Considering how many can benefit from AI advancements in the healthcare industry, it's a sector where technology stands to have the one of the biggest impacts on society. Read this article to learn how #AI, machine learning, and robots will continue to shape the future of the healthcare industry and enhance patient experiences in the upcoming decades.

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Security Azure Infographic

Securely harness the power of the cloud with Azure Advanced Threat Protection. This infographic outlines how your organization can trust Azure Advanced Threat Protection as it provides real-time security at enterprise scale, detect threats quickly, and allows your business to stay focused on what's important.

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Move and modernize your Microsoft workloads with Azure

Hand in hand with digital transformation, cloud technology has seen outstanding growth. Because of the rapid pace of adoption, it has overtaken traditional on-premises hardware. Given the cloud's huge potential across industries, verticals such as manufacturing, railways, banking, retail, education, and healthcare are switching to cloud services to optimize their reach and performance and increase their flexibility. But moving to the cloud is a strategic move, and it requires organizations to make careful internal analysis in choosing the features that will allow them to get the most out of their cloud migration. By reading this infographic, you'll learn more about the most important benefits and features of Microsoft Azure. You'll also discover how the Microsoft cloud is helping businesses enjoy unparalleled cost savings, easily plan migrations, avoid the complexity of multivendor support, and modernize existing cloud applications.

View: Move and modernize your Microsoft workloads with Azure

The leading South African law firm steps up digital innovation to build the legal practice of tomorrow

With over 150 years of history and experience in the legal market, Webber Wentzel has become one of South Africa's most prominent law firms, operating at the forefront of legal services and home to the country's longest-standing pro bono practices. The firm aims to act as a beacon of innovation for the industry. In this video, see how Webber Wentzel has taken advantage of the capabilities of Office 365 to create a more efficient and collaborative workplace for its teams, while facilitating and securing client interactions.

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Thought Leadership: Teams Future Features

This article describes various new features in Microsoft Teams, including enabling calls in separate windows and pinning meeting controls to the top of your screen.

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Themes for sales success

This infographic provides 4 key themes for sales success, including building and strengthening relationships with key prospects and engaging with the whole buying committee. It also notes that success is all about scale and cross-platform is key.

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How AI will change the way we work in 2020

Thanks to AI, business applications will soon be able to answer complex questions, help users navigate interfaces, and enable cloud vendors to reduce support from personnel to manage their loads. AI is also being used in various software applications to help decision-makers identify and automate repetitive tasks, improving employee productivity. Increased understanding of how to better implement AI in business applications likely will lead to the emergence of new features, such as natural-language processing (NLP), that can help managers interact in more-intuitive ways with AI-powered apps. In this article, you'll learn about the innovative features powered by AI and machine learning (ML) that you can expect to see in business applications in the next five years.

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5 ways to lead effective virtual meetings with your remote teams

With virtual meetings, your team can connect from across the globe. In this article, read five tips to help you ensure high productivity and efficiency during your virtual meetings. You'll also learn techniques for keeping cameras on, connecting with your people with empathy, asking if there's anything they need, ensuring there's space for attendees to share their thoughts, and setting an agenda with an outline.

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The intelligent, connected cloud introduces both opportunity and risk

As organizations embrace the opportunities presented by cloud and mobile computing to connect with customers, build remote workforces, and optimize operations, they also expose themselves to new risks. No technology is a completely foolproof, and as businesses become more and more digitized, they increase the risk of someone stealing their data or compromising their credibility. In this infographic, you'll get a glimpse of both sides of cloud technology. On one hand, it provides immense opportunities for innovation and mobility; on the other, it comes with risks that businesses must consider to safeguard the continuity of their operations in the digital world.

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Top 10 devices you need to secure in 2020

As IoT devices become increasingly more intertwined in our modern lives, we must come to terms with the fact that each device represents a potential risk for stolen or compromised data. Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new targets to exploit, and unprotected IoT devices are an especially vulnerable way for hackers to tap into our personal and business accounts and cause major damage. It's critical for organizations to minimize potential security breaches by leveraging enterprise-grade network security and protecting employee-owned devices through secure BYOD programs. In this article, you'll learn about the top 10 devices that hackers can potentially use to compromise your business. You'll also get insights into how these devices can be shielded against prying eyes.

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How a cloud-native approach enables frictionless, scalable security

The cloud has profoundly transformed the way organizations operate by simplifying delivery, scale, and management to drive innovation. Cloud technology also greatly empowers development teams by allowing them to shorten development cycles and re-envision the nature of business operations. No technology is without its unique challenges, though. Security and IT teams sometimes struggle with the adoption of a cloud-native approach because of the friction it can generate with existing applications, some of which lack the requirements for scalable cloud integration capabilities. Read this article to learn about the three main characteristics that network detection and response (NDR) solutions must have to ensure scalable, frictionless security and native integration with industry-leading solutions such as Microsoft Azure.

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Retail in the 2020s: The death of consumerism?

Thanks to new technologies and rising customer expectations, retailers have become experience hubs for millions of shoppers around the world. It's no secret that retail has fully embraced digital transformation, leading many experts to speculate about where the industry is heading next and what to expect from retail experiences going forward. In this article, you'll learn about the six main forces that will play key roles in determining this decade's retail technology.

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A modern focus on enterprise protection

Moving to the cloud is crucial for today's businesses to get the most out of digital transformation. However, the increased integration of mobile and cloud technologies creates a higher risk for data to be stolen or compromised. This at first led enterprises to dedicate an increasing number of resources to IT security in an effort to keep their organization safe from evolving threats, which led to over-sized departments and snowballing IT maintenance costs. Thankfully, the cloud has evolved to become businesses' greatest tool for reducing cyberattacks and has allowed them to enable more agile IT departments while keeping their information more secure than ever. In this infographic, you'll learn about Microsoft 365 E5's comprehensive approach to security and how it empowers organizations by giving them complete control and oversight of their enterprise data.

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A modern focus on enterprise protection

Moving to the cloud is crucial for today's businesses to get the most out of digital transformation. However, the increased integration of mobile and cloud technologies creates a higher risk for data to be stolen or compromised. This at first led enterprises to dedicate an increasing number of resources to IT security in an effort to keep their organization safe from evolving threats, which led to over-sized departments and snowballing IT maintenance costs. Thankfully, the cloud has evolved to become businesses' greatest tool for reducing cyberattacks and has allowed them to enable more agile IT departments while keeping their information more secure than ever. In this infographic, you'll learn about Microsoft 365 E5's comprehensive approach to security and how it empowers organizations by giving them complete control and oversight of their enterprise data.

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The retail industry is evolving

It's no secret that the retail industry has evolved significantly since the turn of the century. Heavily influenced by the digital business revolution that took every industry by storm, retailers have seen perhaps one of the most drastic changes in their customer base than any other type of business. So, what are the defining factors that have driven change in the way the retail industry operates? Find out by reading this infographic.

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The Benefits Of SaaS For Managing Cloud Security Threats

As business become more digitalized, they must learn to contend with the increasing number of cloud security threats and incidents. Therefore, investing in the tools that can give them the ability to deal with and overcome these issues is quickly becoming every modern organization's primary concern. These tools, however, must ensure the security of enterprises' data while allowing them to remain flexible, productive, and efficient. In this regard, software-as-a-service (SaaS) has become the top choice for today's leading organizations thanks to its ability to safeguard information while reducing costs and providing employees with intuitive applications. In this article, you'll learn how SaaS models like Microsoft 365 have become key in helping businesses' IT departments keep information secure in today's highly connected world.

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The four pillars of Microsoft 365 enterprise security

In the era of cloud-first and mobile-first technology, productivity and security go hand in hand. This means that when utilizing digital tools, the fact that your data remains secure, encrypted, and in the right hands is just as important—if not more so—than the increase in productivity obtained by using them. Therefore, choosing the correct applications involves a careful understanding of their features so you can avoid leaving your business unprotected or putting a strain on productivity with secure but stiff software. With this infographic, you'll gain a better understanding of how Microsoft 365 not only empowers your employees with tried-and-true productivity features, but also delivers on four key security pillars that ensure enterprise-wide security.

View: The four pillars of Microsoft 365 enterprise security

62% of enterprises sacrifice mobile security for speed

According to Verizon's Mobile Security Index (MSI) 2020, 39 percent of organizations admitted that they've experienced a security compromise involving a mobile device. This becomes much more concerning when you consider that the average loss from a successful business-email compromise attack is nearly $130,000. However, despite the risk and huge losses, only 13 percent of enterprises have adopted regular security screening, data encryption, need-to-know access, and no default passwords corporate wide. So why are companies actively putting themselves at such risk, and what solutions are currently available to protect them from the latest security threats? Learn the answer to these questions and obtain greater insights into today's mobile cybersecurity landscape in this article.

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Three important information security predictions for 2020

As digital transformation evolves with each passing year, so too does the information security landscape. For organizations that leverage cloud technology, this means staying updated on new ways to prevent and counter cybersecurity threats while relying on trustworthy sources of information for insights into future potential security developments and circumstances. In this article, you'll learn about three critical cybersecurity predictions for 2020, the impact each may have on the digital business landscape, and how your business can act to avoid being affected.

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6 risks and opportunities of the intelligent, connected cloud

No technology is a hundred percent failproof, and as businesses get more and more digitalized, they're also unwillingly increasing the risk of someone stealing their data or compromising their credibility. Therefore, before taking their business to the cloud, organizations must carefully choose the platforms that ensure the safety and compliance of their data while enabling them to seize the opportunities available to them. In this infographic, you'll catch a glimpse of both sides of cloud technology: on one hand, the immense opportunities it provides in terms of innovation and mobility; and on the other, the risks that businesses must be aware of to safeguard the continuity of their operations in the digital world.

View: 6 risks and opportunities of the intelligent, connected cloud

Take advantage of three emerging technologies driving change in retail

Now, more than ever, consumers expect convenience when it comes to buying products and obtaining services. For retail businesses, this means accurately predicting what customers want before they even set foot in the store, and delivering it in a way that requires the least amount of effort on their part. Thankfully, digital has empowered retail stores with innovative tools that can deliver relevant offers while creating memorable experiences that generate great customer reviews. In this infographic, you'll learn about three emerging technologies available within Microsoft Dynamics 365 that are driving the evolution of retail experiences.

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When it comes to artificial intelligence, throw away that tired old tech rulebook

Emerging technologies always demand new approaches to risks and opportunities. They often force us to rethink and modify our existing methodologies in favor of more integrated and interconnected processes. In this regard, artificial intelligence is definitely no exception. However, there's still a lot of mysticism around what implications AI might have for today's businesses and what measures organizations must take to ensure the successful execution of their AI initiatives. In this article, you'll learn about four ways in which ways AI is poised to turn the enterprise landscape on its head and how your business can better prepare for its ventures into artificial intelligence.

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Grade assignments in Teams

This video shows teachers how to save time by grading students' assignments in Teams. Specifically, it addresses how to efficiently leave comments, quickly insert personalized feedback, and grade with already-provided rubrics (that total scores for you). Watch this short video to learn the essentials of how to streamline grading in Teams.

Kroger success story: teaser video

It's time to go grocery shopping: you've built your list—a critical requirement and pro move—and written down everything you need. Before digital transformation, you simply got into your car and drove to the supermarket of choice. But what was that choice based upon? Distance, price, product selection? Most likely it was a combination of the three, but rarely was it the uniqueness of your experience with the store's brand. In other words, if two supermarkets offered the same price ranges, product selections, and were right next to each other, most people wouldn't mind shopping at one or the other. This was an obvious problem for grocery stores. But without digital, the dynamics of grocery shopping were pretty much set in stone. In this video, you'll see how Kroger—the United States' largest supermarket by revenue and the second-largest general retailer—embraced digital transformation, and learn about their vision for using the tools available to offer new services and experiences to their customers.

The City of Houston Success Story: Video teaser

For local governments, digital transformation isn't just a means of optimizing their daily operations or becoming more efficient—it's also about potentially saving and improving the lives of thousands (even millions) of citizens. In other words, it's about leveraging accurate, predictable data to be prepared for events such as an increase in population or a natural disaster. Thankfully, the increased availability of digital tools and a growing integration between devices and systems is bringing cities closer than ever to this reality. In this video, you'll learn about the City of Houston, Texas' vision for becoming an interconnected hub for technological advancement and innovation, thanks to the tools provided by always-on digital technology.

How We Saved Our Culture of Collaboration: Tech Was the Means for Easing the Pain of Rapid Growth

What qualifies as a successful collaboration tool? The short (and kind of obvious) answer is: one that gets people to use it. In other words, your large investment in a new platform may have proven useless unless that platform resonates with your workforce. This is why today's leading platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Workplace by Facebook have put customization and convenience at the top of their to-do list. And it's paying off immensely, with the industry expected to reach a value of $60 billion by 2023. So what's the secret sauce behind the success and massive adoption of these platforms? Read this article to gain spot-on insights into how modern collaboration software has evolved to earn its place in the hearts—and devices—of today's millennial workforce.

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Catholic Education WA (CEWA) fires up Teams and Office 365 for Virtual School Network, expands student opportunities | Microsoft EDU

Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) uses Microsoft Teams to promote equity of access to learning opportunities for students. This online school originated out of needs associated with distance and limited class offerings at small schools—but shortly after opening, they discovered that it was also beneficial for several other categories of students, such as elite athletes who frequently traveled or students experiencing health concerns and needed to work remotely. After only two years of operation, CEWA sees a continued demand for its service. Though the schools looking at online education due to the COVID-19 outbreak did not originally intend to offer virtual learning, it will likely lead to a discovery of benefits that may not have been previously considered. This blog provides an insight into what CEWA experienced during its transition, the advantages and peculiarities of virtual learning, and how Teams made communication and collaboration possible: "We believe that when you have strong relationships between students and teacher you get a great connection, and with a great connection you get great collaboration. Teams gives us the flexibility to collaborate in one spot," shares CEWA program manager Meredith Roe. Share this blog with educators for insight into what it's actually like in remote learning classrooms.

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Lizo | Digital transformation in the oil & gas industry: seamless scaling and automatic updating

Our final video in the Lizo series shows how a business can push the boundaries of what's possible for a data-driven company. To do this, they needed to be as agile and informed as possible. See how companies can move to Azure to enjoy the freedom and possibilities of the cloud.

Keep your citizen and patient information secure with the power of the cloud. Learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Accurate client information is the holy grail of customer service. And it's no secret that keeping your customer service teams' data constantly updated is key to securing happier customers and brand loyalty. Less talked about, however, is the fact that people feel comfortable sharing their most intimate problems because they trust that their data is being kept safe and far away from prying eyes or cybercriminals. Subscribe now to stay updated on how the Microsoft cloud is empowering governments and health providers to keep their citizen and patient data secure while enabling their growth, trust, and digital transformation.

View: Keep your citizen and patient information secure with the power of the cloud. Learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Office 365 Empowers a School to Take a Different Approach

In this clip, AZ Datacom, LLC takes a look at how technology is transforming learning and preparing students for the future at Broadclyst School. Microsoft Office 365 and devices form the foundation for a rich curriculum that teaches children important skills they'll need as they enter the workforce and move through life. Let us show you how Office 365 can help your business take the same forward-looking approach to empower your future.

5 Things to Avoid While Using a Team Messenger

Team messenger apps are a great addition to the workplace, especially in today's environment where working from home and flexible work schedules are the norm. However, it's easy to forget that just like unbulleted emails and leaving used Tupperware in the company fridge, there are some behaviors that are frowned upon when using office communication tools. In this article, you'll review 5 basic rules that professionals must be mindful of when using a team messenger application in the office or remotely. Always keep them in mind to avoid awkward situations and the office blacklist.

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Empower your entire organization with Microsoft Teams

You've just arrived at the office, booted up your computer or laptop, and filled your first cup of coffee. You sit back down, take a sip, and what do you see? Chances are it's a login screen. Hastily, you type in your username and password and get on with a productive day. At least that was the idea, until you remember you forgot to send Karen from HR your vacation request form. You try to reach her by email but to no avail, so you boot up the informal messenger that everyone in the office uses because the legacy messenger set up years ago crashes when you send so much as an emoji. But of course, you once again need to type in your login info, only to see that Janice is not online. So ultimately you end up making two trips to HR (on the first trip, you forgot to staple your vacation balance because the document is stored in a separate internal SharePoint) to finally get your vacation approved. Ready to throw your computer out a window yet? We don't blame you. This scenario may seem comical, but it's a reality that thousands of employees must endure thanks to the lack of a single, unified digital workspace. Preferably one that can be implemented across your entire organization and serve as a hub for all documents and teams to collaborate, within and across projects. After reading this infographic, you'll learn how each department within your business can utilize Microsoft Teams to become more efficient, store documents securely, and collaborate seamlessly with any peer or colleague.

View: Empower your entire organization with Microsoft Teams

Bringing Apps and Start-ups Together

More frequently than ever, consumers are utilizing apps for news, food, information, social networking and more. Of course, the cloud forms the core of the app economy and small to medium businesses need service providers that support their financial needs and requirements. In his article, "Bringing Apps and Start-ups Together," Prabhakar Jayakumar writes that 90% of all data used over the last two years was created using an optimized data management tool. For digitization to progress, modern app development requires efficient data management and processing. The app must engage users and generate content, "and then process the data generated to garner insights, which can enhance the performance of the app or brand," writes Jayakumar. He adds that this is where cloud service providers can be of great help, in setting up databases to be quick and fail-proof. In short, Jayakumar sees service providers can help SMBs deploy applications quickly and cost-effectively: "Less coding, limitless scalability, exceedingly fast deployments, and fool-proof security are the pillars of tomorrow's app economy, powered by the cloud." Read Jayakumar's entire article and contact us for cloud migration support.

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J Walter Thompson Unlocking creativity with Microsoft Teams

Creativity is like a living organism. It requires the right conditions to appear, careful nurturing to become more capable, and a diverse ecosystem to thrive. However, just like any organism, it can disappear in an instant if its environment doesn't provide the conditions it needs to grow and reach its full potential. Ironically, nothing generates the mass extinction of creative ideas faster than alienating cubicles. So organizations quickly began to change from the inside to create environments that foster innovation and dynamic work methodologies. With the advent of digital, they realized that not only did physical spaces need to change, but also their digital counterparts. Let's face it—when was the last time you read a company-wide email reply and thought it was a good thing? In this video, you'll learn the inspiring example of how J. Walter Thompson—one of the largest communication agencies in the world—has mastered the art of digital collaboration thanks to Microsoft Teams. From collaborating with the world's leading experts in prosthetics to give a veteran the ability to once again swim with his family, to simply networking and having fun, you'll see how Teams is much more than a work tool—it's a hub for inspiration and creativity.

J Walter Thompson Unlocking creativity with Microsoft Teams

Creativity is like a living organism. It requires the right conditions to appear, careful nurturing to become more capable, and a diverse ecosystem to thrive. However, just like any organism, it can disappear in an instant if its environment doesn't provide the conditions it needs to grow and reach its full potential. Ironically, nothing generates the mass extinction of creative ideas faster than alienating cubicles. So organizations quickly began to change from the inside to create environments that foster innovation and dynamic work methodologies. With the advent of digital, they realized that not only did physical spaces need to change, but also their digital counterparts. Let's face it—when was the last time you read a company-wide email reply and thought it was a good thing? In this video, you'll learn the inspiring example of how J. Walter Thompson—one of the largest communication agencies in the world—has mastered the art of digital collaboration thanks to Microsoft Teams. From collaborating with the world's leading experts in prosthetics to give a veteran the ability to once again swim with his family, to simply networking and having fun, you'll see how Teams is much more than a work tool—it's a hub for inspiration and creativity.

How CRM Improves Your Customer Service & Overall Customer Experience | CustomerThink

Customer experiences are everything. Here's the thing: it doesn't matter what you think they are, it matters what the customer perceives them to be. This means that accurately obtaining feedback from them is vital to keeping your business alive and consistently delivering the service that your clients expect from you. In theory, this is what customer services is for. But your customer services teams are only as effective as the data you give them to work with. You could have the best resources in the world, but if they can't quickly and accurately access your clients' data the moment they need it, they're dead in the water. And so, too, is your business in the long run. In this article, you'll learn 5 ways in which CRM software can empower your customer-facing teams with tools to better address client issues and draw insights to create a more empathic service. You'll also learn how it lowers the cost of each customer interaction by lowering the need to address recurring issues, and how it can become crucial to other departments such as sales, marketing, and development.

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The Future of Productivity: Teamwork and Collaboration

Long gone are the days when the bulk of office communication was made via lengthy, often incomprehensible email threads. Also going extinct—thankfully— are the colossal company-wide emails that were often responded to by recipients using the "reply all" button. Today's corporate communication is evolving—not to the Orwellian, drone-like future portrayed in the movies, but toward a more multimedia-focused and casual approach. Nowadays, boring project management software is losing traction to intuitive digital tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams which enable communication and collaboration to happen from a single platform. In this article, you'll learn about the major trends that are transforming office communications around the world. You'll also gain insight into how several industry leaders envision the future of collaboration, and what tools they're using within their organizations to push forward projects worldwide.

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The Top 10 Reasons Why SMBs Should Invest in the Cloud

Cloud adoption is well underway but when it comes to making the move, Microsoft research shows that SMBs lag behind enterprise counterparts. In fact, 96% of enterprises are using the cloud, whereas only 78% of SMBs are following suit. As you know the cloud can be a game changer for businesses--big and small! This week's infographic demonstrates the ten most crucial benefits that SMBs report after investing in cloud solutions.

View: The Top 10 Reasons Why SMBs Should Invest in the Cloud

The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces

Not so long ago, it was believed that for teams to be productive, they required long hours confined in a physical office space with constant face-to-face interaction. To be fair, given the primitive state of digital collaboration tools at the time—which was pretty much limited to emails—there wasn't really a solid alternative to this scheme, so companies worked with what they had. Today, digitalization has made it possible for several people to seamlessly work together while being halfway across the world from each other. Exponential advancements in virtual workspaces have not only enabled teams to work as well as they did when they spent all day in the office, but have also proven that people are actually more productive the less they have to deal with alienating cubicles and two-way trips along traffic-congested highways. Not all digital workspaces have been equally effective, however. Yet decades of iterating and optimizing have finally given us a solid idea of the most important characteristics these spaces must have to reach their full potential. So what are they? Read this infographic to find out.

View: The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces

Why Remote Work Trumps Being in the Office

It's no secret that when implemented with the right vision and control mechanisms, remote collaboration provides outstanding benefits for both employees and organizations. Workers enjoy greater flexibility plus the satisfaction of better work-life balance, while organizations obtain unparalleled scalability and increased efficiency across projects. In this article, we'll put you in the shoes of a passionate work-from-home advocate to discover the main reasons why this benefit is sought after by professionals in every industry. You'll also learn why, in these digital times, remote collaboration is not only an option, but THE best option for companies that wish to empower and motivate today's diverse and inclusive workforce.

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Staying productive while working remotely with Microsoft Teams

With the COVID-19 outbreak turning a massive amount of the global workforce to remote work, everyone is adjusting to meetings, chatting, and collaborating exclusively online. This blog post shares the top tips from the team behind Teams on how to make working from home productive and healthy.

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A single digital workspace that connects ideas, projects, and people. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft Teams.

As the world becomes increasingly connected, continuous product innovation in the Modern Workplace provides growing opportunities for today's organizations to deliver customized business solutions to their customers. In this digital landscape, the demand for unified solutions is stronger than ever, with 88 percent of Microsoft customers agreeing that having all their solutions together in one place saves them time. These same companies also estimate that they've saved nearly $5 million over three years from not having to switch back and forth between apps. So how exactly are organizations adapting to these trends? Subscribe now to get the answer to this question and many others regarding Modern Workplace, digital collaboration, and Microsoft solutions.

View: A single digital workspace that connects ideas, projects, and people. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft Teams.

Leading the IoT: Gartner insights on how to lead in a connected world

The IoT is changing today's organizations into digital businesses. It's also creating innovative business models, boosting efficiency, and fostering engagement in both employees and customers. Change is not always smooth, however. Sometimes the only way to adapt and stay relevant is by radically reinventing the way things have been done in the past, which can be a painful process for some companies. There are other barriers to entry for IoT as well: most enterprises don't know where to start implementing the technology; moreover, if strategies do exist, there's almost always a conflict regarding who owns them. During these discussions, it's the job of the CIO to fill the resulting IoT leadership void. This book provides CIOs and IT leaders with a solid foundation for starting business conversations, developing initiatives, and creating successful IoT strategies with a quick time-to-market. Subscribe now to download your copy.

View: Leading the IoT: Gartner insights on how to lead in a connected world

Leading the IoT: Gartner insights on how to lead in a connected world

The IoT is changing today's organizations into digital businesses. It's also creating innovative business models, boosting efficiency, and fostering engagement in both employees and customers. Change is not always smooth, however. Sometimes the only way to adapt and stay relevant is by radically reinventing the way things have been done in the past, which can be a painful process for some companies. There are other barriers to entry for IoT as well: most enterprises don't know where to start implementing the technology; moreover, if strategies do exist, there's almost always a conflict regarding who owns them. During these discussions, it's the job of the CIO to fill the resulting IoT leadership void. This book provides CIOs and IT leaders with a solid foundation for starting business conversations, developing initiatives, and creating successful IoT strategies with a quick time-to-market. Subscribe now to download your copy.

View: Leading the IoT: Gartner insights on how to lead in a connected world

Unblocking Teamwork: four tools and strategies to improve collaboration

This Microsoft eBook goes into detail about key tools and strategies to help customers overcome blockers and improve collaboration using Microsoft Teams. These tips can easily be adapted and applied to remote work. Suggestions include streamlining tools and apps, making virtual meetings more efficient, and improving version control.

View: Unblocking Teamwork: four tools and strategies to improve collaboration

Reinvent Business Productivity with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Office 365

To get ahead of the competition, SMBs realize they need to break down silos, work from connected systems and make every customer engagement count. In this thought-provoking, easy-to-read eBook, discover how Business Central integrates with Office 365 to provide an all-in-one solution to drive success. Using three, day-in-the-life scenarios, visualize how Business Central brings insight and efficiency to daily routines. Specifically, this eBook illustrates the life of a business owner, a sales rep and an accountant, and shows how Dynamics 365 transformed their jobs.

View: Reinvent Business Productivity with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Office 365

9 ways to make working from home more joyful - The Aesthetics of Joy

This article offers nine ways to create a workspace and routine to make working from home a more joyful, sustainable experience. Suggestions range from self-care to workspace set up to breaks. Read the article for all the ideas.

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Wild & Wolf (video 3)

Fast growth is great for business but can also prove to be difficult to navigate. Doubling in size in just five years, Wild & Wolf had to quickly move out of their comfort zone and adapt to rapid change. In this third video of the series, watch how this innovative business overcame their growing pains and rose to the challenge to achieve great success. In order to remain successful, Wild &Wolf knew that keeping their systems up-to-date and efficiently moving data around their business would help them provide a more customer-centric experience. Dynamics 365 Business Central enabled them to stop reacting to fires, and to proactively anticipate the needs of their customers.

SMB Group's 2020 Top 10 SMB Technology Trends

SMBs today are eager to find success and are discovering how digital technology impacts business. But, did you know that SMBs investing in digital transformation are 1.9 times more likely to forecast revenue increases than their counterparts? When it comes to technology, 2020 will be transformative year. This article from the SMB Group highlights ongoing conversations with SMB decision-makers, vendors, and channel partners on the latest digital transformation trends. It unveils insights on what SMBs need to know to successfully navigate today's digital transformation journey. Share this informative article from the SMB group on your social media accounts to attract new followers and encourage engagement.

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Incredible Real-World Applications Prove the IoT Is Here to Stay

As author Peter Daisyme accurately puts it, "While many people debate whether little computers in wrist devices, clothing, refrigerators and vehicles will truly change our lives, actionable change is already occurring on the business application side of the IoT." Regardless of which side of the argument you're on, the impact the IoT is having in our societies at a macro level is undeniable. While you're reading this, devices that measure and predict air pollution, vehicle traffic levels, machine failure rates, fire warnings, and crime rates are being employed to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. And as cities and businesses become more interconnected by the hour, we'll find more and more useful ways in which the IoT can help us better utilize our resources and lift the burden we put on our environment. In this article, you'll gain deeper insights into how IoT devices are being used by companies and governments alike to obtain accurate data across many potentially life-saving use cases. You'll also learn about what the future holds in store for us as cities powered by artificial intelligence become near-sentient beings capable of reacting in real time to the habits and living conditions of their inhabitants.

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J. Walter Thompson breaks new ground with Microsoft collaboration tools

This video shows how a global leader in marketing communications uses Microsoft Teams to increase collaboration across their entire organization. Teams helps them create a global, modern workplace so the company can innovate at the speed of culture. With this tool, they can stay connected and easily collaborate across different geographies.

The 3 phases of an effective IoT strategy

IoT is quickly becoming the most important business revolution of the digital age, with its implications being felt across all industries worldwide. However, unlocking the true potential of IoT requires not only a clear roadmap with specific objectives, but also a solid front-end and back-end infrastructure that's capable of making sense of the data obtained. It's for this reason that both public and private organizations sometimes struggle when implementing a successful IoT strategy and fail to reach the desired return-on-investment (ROI). To address the risks you may encounter with IoT, we've created this short, insightful infographic. After reading it, you'll have a better idea of the tools and actions you should be executing during each of the three stages of IoT implementation to overcome challenges and maximize effectiveness. You'll also obtain a straightforward checklist that your teams can refer to when establishing or optimizing their strategies.

View: The 3 phases of an effective IoT strategy

How to maintain your mental health while working from home

During this uncertain time, it's increasingly important for people to take care of their mental health. This article from Fast Company offers suggestions to maintain mental health while working remotely. Tips range from acknowledging the impact to streamlining work, and more.

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It's 2020. Do You Know Where Your Digital Future Is?

In most of our homes, we utilize and depend on the cloud in multiple ways every single day—think online banking and shopping, social media, email and doorbell video cameras. "It might be the first time in history that our habits at home have outpaced how we function at work," writes Tyler Bowman in his Forbes article, "It's 2020. Do You Know Where Your Digital Future Is?" Bowman addresses three main lingering concerns in the corporate world, including generational divide. "Millennials are driving a market disruption that many CEOs are grappling to embrace," Bowman adds, however, that this difference does not need to result in irreconcilable work practices and values. His suggestions for embracing the disruption support his main point, which is it's just a matter of time before our cloud utilization at work catches up to our already existing cloud dependency at home. Read this article for interesting perspective on the corporate cloud in 2020 and beyond.

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Why aren't your customers listening to you?

"Why are my customers not listening to me?" is a question frequently asked by frustrated marketers and decision-makers. To address this question, author Carly Driscoll asks two crucial follow-ups: do you truly know who your customers are, and are you really delivering them an impactful message? At first glance it may seem intuitive or even simple, but successfully answering these questions requires a marketer to truly empathize with their audience—a task much easier said than done. Fortunately, there's a time-proven way to not only interest your customers, but also convert leads into revenue-generating relationships that will drive growth and brand prestige: great content. In this eye-opening article, you'll learn about the successful R.I.D.E. methodology for content creation, and how to effectively inform your customers with solid content marketing at each stage of the buying process.

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A digital workspace that transforms ideas into revenue. Subscribe now to learn more

Innovative ideas are an organization's greatest asset. Yet these assets need the appropriate space to grow, evolve, and transform into revenue-generating initiatives. Whether digital or physical, today's workplaces need to harness the synergy of everybody involved and empower them to share and collaborate in an environment that fosters productivity. These workplaces also need to adapt to everybody's needs and remain intuitive for the entire team, regardless of age, background, or gender. Subscribe now to stay current on the latest digital workplace trends, and discover how you can foster inclusion and innovation across your business with the help of Microsoft.

View: A digital workspace that transforms ideas into revenue. Subscribe now to learn more

3 characteristics that define the modern workplace

Today's diverse and intergenerational workforce is most productive when it has adequate channels to collaborate in a seamless and effective way. There's a catch, however: teams are far more diverse and remote than ever before, and each organization requires its own distinct approach to digital collaboration. In other words, your workplace tools and applications must be customized based on your teams' diversity, location, and work methods. With this infographic, you'll learn about the three main characteristics that define our modern workplace and gain insight into what drives productivity and efficiency in today's organizations. After reading it, you'll have a better understanding of current trends and can keep these in mind when creating or modifying your organization's work environment.

View: 3 characteristics that define the modern workplace

Customer story: Presentation Studio

Sydney-based company Presentation Studio specializes in writing and designing sleek, professional presentations across the Asia-Pacific region. As the company expanded in proportion to the demand for its product, company leaders at Presentation Studio knew they needed to upgrade to a secure, cloud-based platform, so they partnered with Microsoft 365. They are using productivity and collaboration tools that allow employees to work remotely and work together across a multitude of apps and devices, plus enterprise-grade security features keep sensitive data safe from cyberattacks.

Small Job Business Satisfaction: SMB Employees Want This...

In today's dynamic workplace, many SMB employees are dissatisfied with their work environment, largely due to inadequate technology. This finding, as revealed in a Lenovo global study on workplace satisfaction, indicates that technology provisioning could be the root of the problem. Employees expect to have access to the technology and tools that enable a mobile workforce, flexible working, and access to the cloud. And unfortunately, small to medium sized businesses are having a hard time keeping up. Share this insightful article from ChannelE2E on your social media accounts to attract new followers and encourage engagement.

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Dealing with security issues in-house?

Illustration of fact revealing 62% of small businesses lack the in-house skills to address security issues.

J. Walter Thompson creates a global collaboration hub with Microsoft technologies

J. Walter Thompson, one of the world's largest advertising and marketing firms, needed a way for its geographically dispersed teams to effortlessly collaborate, produce great work, and increase efficiency. The agency also needed its workforce to have access to the newest digital workplace technology while enabling integration with existing Microsoft Office 365 tools and applications. Watch this video to learn how Microsoft Teams empowered J. Walter Thompson to drive projects across locations by allowing it to seamlessly add members, create and share content, and deliver on the unique value proposition that the agency has been known for since 1896.

A day in the life of the remote worker

This infographic outlines a day in the life of a remote worker using Microsoft Teams to collaborate, create, and be more productive while working at home. See how this employee uses multiple features to stay connected with the team and work efficiently.

View: A day in the life of the remote worker

Our commitment to customers during COVID-19

This post from Microsoft's leadership team details our commitment to customers during the COVID-19 crisis. It outlines how Microsoft's top priority is the health and safety of employees, customers, partners, and communities. It also explains how Teams is available for everyone and what Microsoft is doing to keep the application running smoothly.

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4 tips for working from home with Microsoft Teams

This blog outlines four best practices for working from home and using Teams to make your remote work productive. Tips include details on making the most of your virtual meetings, reminders on being inclusive, advice on using chats to collaborate, and information on customizing your workspace.

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Introducing Microsoft Teams

How do you empower great ideas across a digital workspace so that they evolve in a fluid and organic matter? This is a critical question to answer for any company with a remote workforce—and with teams growing more diverse and intergenerational every year, it's becoming increasingly complex. In this video, you'll learn how Microsoft Teams complements the already-robust applications found in Office 365. You'll also discover how both solutions together are enabling some of the world's leading companies to create frictionless digital workplace experiences for their employees.

Series trailer: Innovating the future

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. The focus is typically on innovation, imagination, and alternative perspectives—all of which result in groundbreaking ideas and projects. Right now, Microsoft's focus is offering assistance to people and organizations in the midst of the COVID-19 situation. CEO Satya Nadella acknowledges the need for everyone who is able, to step up: "No one company is going to solve a challenge like this alone, and it's going to take the private and public sectors working together to turn the tide on COVID-19," he wrote in an email to employees. He added that the corporation views its responsibilities seriously, and that it will continue to use the tools and digital capabilities to address the widespread challenges. It's inspiring to see how so many organizations and individuals have determined ways in which they can help humankind. They are empowering others to achieve more—and right now, that means helping others operate while their daily lives are drastically altered. Watch this short video. What types of alternative perspectives can help us during this disruption? Are innovation and imagination more valued now than ever before?

Remote work checklist

Remote working, virtual learning, online living—the COVID-19 situation has required a shift from all of us. For many, this includes working from home. While a few space and routine necessities might seem obvious to some people, chances are we haven't thought of everything. Chances are we need reminders. Check out this infographic for nine factors to help you stay healthy while working remotely. Whether you've done it for years, or this is your first time occasionally working in pajamas, we're convinced there is something on this list you haven't thought of. Have a look.

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Seven tips to manage your mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak

We're living in extraordinary times—there's no denying that for most people around the world, life is different since the introduction of the coronavirus. These are increasingly stressful times, yet humans have persevered throughout history. It's what we do, how we're designed. Besides our press-on spirit, never before have we been so well-equipped with tools to help us through this challenge. Clinical psychologist Desiree Dickerson shares her professional insight on best ways we can take care of ourselves in her article, "Seven Tips to Manage Your Mental Health and Well-being During the COVID-19 Outbreak." One of Dickerson's tips is to manage expectations. Routines are changing, and while some people might have more time to increase productivity, many others will experience new challenges: "Difficulty concentrating, low motivation and a state of distraction are to be expected," states Dickerson. She cautions to "not underestimate the cognitive and emotional load" that COVID-19 brings. Adapting to a new rhythm—one that includes remote work and fewer real-time connections—will take patience and effort. Read Dickerson's entire article for suggestions on taking care of your mental well-being during this difficult time. We think this is a topic that every person should discuss--please consider sharing this article with organizations, neighbors, friends—everybody could benefit.

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Responding to COVID-19 together

As the world responds to the outbreaks of COVID-19 in various ways, many people and organizations are doing what they can to help others. Microsoft is working to ensure the safety of its employees, protect the health and well-being of its communities, and provide technology and resources to its customers—many of whom are now working remotely. Have a look at the compilation of resources that address the four areas in which Microsoft has prioritized its assistance: remote working, education, community support, and technical support. If you have extenuating needs right now, be sure to look for support that might be available.

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Promoting Workplace Mental Health in the Age of COVID-19

There's plenty of information—everywhere—on how to safeguard our physical health during this COVID-19 situation. But what about mental and emotional health; how do we make sure we're addressing those needs? Elizabeth Bille and Erin McClintock, in their blog for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), share solid strategies both for organizations and for ourselves. One important element in alleviating stress with your employees is maintaining flexibility in the workplace. "One of the biggest stressors for many employees is the well-being of those they may care for. Those with children are likely concerned about how to handle school or daycare closures; employees who care for older adults may have increased responsibilities given the CDC's advice that those populations stay home," writes Bille and McClintock. Help employees navigate these concerns by providing flexible work arrangements, such as virtual check-ins, telecommuting, flex-scheduling and other plans that may help relieve them of some of their worry. These are extenuating times—look to offer extenuating flexibility and support to your employees. As with any global health scare, it's natural that people may experience an increase in fear and anxiety. We know from previous epidemics that quarantine has impacted people's mental health, and thus we have a responsibility to address this topic—to make it just as vital and attention-garnering as the physical health component. Read the rest of this article to learn about more ways you can support mental health in the workplace during especially stressful times.

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Security Is Not Privacy

Do you know the difference between security and privacy? Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they are quite different. And both are crucial to business longevity. Check out this thought leadership article to help you get started.

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Technology: How it Benefits Small Business

The role of technology in business has led to tremendous growth in trade and commerce. Business concepts and models have been revolutionized from today's innovative technologies. What business doesn't want to streamline accounting, manage costs better, and connect with customers in a more immediate and authentic way? In this article, you'll learn about a wide range of new technology solutions that can be key enablers of growth and expansion.

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How Online Collaboration Tools Could Help Your Business

It's no secret that teamwork is one of the key ingredients to a successful business. But in today's interconnected, wireless world, teams don't necessarily need to be in the same location to make teamwork work—that is, as long as each team member is equipped with the right tools for collaborating and communicating on a project. So how do you determine which tools are right for your organization and teams, and what should you look for when evaluating prospective solutions? Read this Lifewire article, "The Benefits of Online Collaboration Tools," to see what author Gabriela Warren feels are the greatest benefits of adopting such tools and, by extension, what features you should look for when shopping around.

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Investing in a CRM solution? Follow these 7 steps for a successful implementation.

For many organizations and their management teams, the mere mention of customer relationship management (CRM) inspires immediate fear and disillusionment. Far too numerous are the stories from companies across all industries about failed implementations, wasted money and time, and overly frustrated sales executives. But it doesn't have to be that way, according to a Forbes article entitled "Seven Steps For Successful CRM Implementation." In the article, author Marc Emmer asserts that past frustrations and failures with CRM implementation have little to do with technology, and more to do with the culture of the organization attempting to implement it. Read the full article to discover what Mr. Emmer feels are the seven keys to successfully deploying and utilizing CRM.

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Millennials Trade Benefits for Flexible Work Options

Graphic highlights a statistic showing that most millennials favor flexible work options over benefits.

6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong

All it takes to put together a winning team is finding the most talented people possible, assigning them to the same project, telling them the requirements and deadline, and then letting them run wild...right? Not so, says Sharon Florentine--in fact, far from it. In her article for CIO magazine entitled "6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong," Ms. Florentine draws a clear distinction between assumption and reality when it comes to teamwork, outlining what it really takes to assemble a truly superb group for getting the job done. Check out the full article before you put together your next mission-critical team.

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What Does Teamwork Look Like For You Today?

Illustration showing what teamwork looks like for today's SMBs.

5 Ways to Inspire Creativity and Innovation in Your Employees

Scott Duffy, entrepreneur and author of the book "Breakthrough," let us in on how to foster creative teamwork by breaking your staff out of the office mindset. In this Entrepreneur Magazine article, he shares tips to help you build experimentation in your team and create comfort around risk. Read on to learn how to foster inspiration and innovation!

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Guide to Creating a BYOD Policy for Small Business

Allowing employees to access company data from personal devices can be essential to creating work-life balance, but employee-owned devices can also pose security threats. Check out this article for an overview of the risks and benefits of implementing a bring-your-own-device policy. Contact us for more information on how to help your company secure company data accessed from personal devices.

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Dynamic team structures will become the norm

Graphic shows finding from 2018 Upwork small business report indicating owners understand that dynamic team structures will become the norm.

Forrester Wave: Sales Force Automation Solutions

In this in-depth examination, Forrester compares various Sales Force Automation providers using 35 criteria divided along the axes of current offerings and strategy. Discover what makes a successful SFA platform and who leads the market in offerings.

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Safeguard company data across apps and devices with Microsoft 365

Safeguard company data across apps and devices with Microsoft 365

View: Safeguard company data across apps and devices with Microsoft 365

A Day in the Life of a Construction Pro with Microsoft Teams

Sofia is a construction company superintendent who works at multiple sites and uses Teams to keep her schedule and projects all in one place. View this infographic to get a glimpse of a day in Sofia's life -- and how she uses productivity, collaboration, BI and enterprise mobility tools in Teams to stay on track.

View: A Day in the Life of a Construction Pro with Microsoft Teams

The Importance of Teamwork and Collaboration

We live in a world of constant disruption where business models are undergoing constant change. This article explores the impact of these trends on collaboration and teamwork and the most important skills for the 2020 workplace.

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3 ways modern sales productivity technologies drive results for high-growth SMBs

This article explores the ways in which sales productivity technologies help SMBs move toward higher automation for simplified tasks and what it is that makes some tools more effective than others.

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Global Workforce Trends

Graphic highlighting statistic on global remote work trends.

A new generation of communication tools for a new generation of Alcoa workers

At the Alcoa plant in the distant coastal town of Fjardaal, Iceland, employees relied on a magnetic board to assign and trade shifts, while standard email was used to communicate critical information from one shift to the next--both of which required people to be physically present to retrieve messages or confirm changes in shift assignments. The adoption of Microsoft Teams transformed these otherwise manual tasks into a workflow better suited to a new generation of digitally savvy Alcoa employees who all carry smartphones. With Teams, company-wide announcements are now made with the confidence that everyone will see them via their devices, regardless of location, while operational information is quickly disseminated and passed along from one shift to the next to improve processes, safety, and efficiency. Watch the video to see how Teams is delivering the future of communication to a new generation of Alcoa plant personnel.

Modernize sales productivity

Discover how you can empower sales teams to close more deals and boost productivity with Microsoft 365 Dynamics for Sales Professional. Watch this video for an overview of the integrated tools in Dynamics 365 that enable sales teams to cut through complexities, collaborate from any device on the go, and stay focused on what's most important. Tailor the software to suit your needs, processes, and goals. With Dynamics 365 for Sales Professional, modernizing sales productivity has never been easier.

A Day in the Life - Compliance

Meet Diego, a Compliance Officer who works closely with his company's IT team to ensure employees abide by internal policies and regulations set by regulatory bodies. Check out this infographic to see how Diego uses productivity and collaboration tools in Teams across his devices throughout the day to review, define, enforce and report on compliance policies to prevent unethical, illegal, improper and under-use of resources.

View: A Day in the Life - Compliance

How to prevent business secrets from walking out the door

This graphic highlights a quote from a security professional, describing how a threat moved through the network encrypting files.

4 Sales Trends That You Need To Know About In 2019

From technology shifts to generational shifts, check out the changes coming down the road that sales professionals will need to embrace in order to have the most productive 2019.

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Open up a new line of communication. Subscribe now.

Teamwork is more important than ever for today's businesses--and Microsoft Teams makes it easier than ever for your business to begin realizing the promise of a digital workspace. Subscribe now to stay informed on how Teams, as the hub in Office 365, can elevate and transform communication, collaboration, and teamwork throughout your entire organization.

View: Open up a new line of communication. Subscribe now.

Is Your Technology at Risk?

Conceptual graphic on cybersecurity risk.

How Younger Generations are Reshaping the Future Workforce​

Slide showing fact from the Upwork survey, Future Workforce 2019: How Younger Generations are Reshaping the Future Workforce.

State of Remote Work

Companies who allow remote work experience 25% less employee turnover than companies who do not.

Cybersecurity: A Small Business Guide

You already know that small businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, but what can you do about it? How familiar are you with the common security pitfalls for small businesses, and do you know how to avoid them? Check out this article for an overview of the most common types of cyberattacks. It also details cybersecurity best practices targeted at protecting small businesses against data breaches. And if you need help protecting your business and customers, we're here for you

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