With hybrid working as the new normal, people have come to rely on Microsoft 365 and Teams to keep on track of day-to-day business needs. Teams is also increasingly being used to automate business processes. Read more on the Microsoft website here.
Microsoft have created new categories and innovations across Microsoft 365. Additionally, they have eliminated the licensing tax that has held businesses back from enjoying the integrations that are possible within Teams.
In this blog post we will lay out all changes and updates to Microsoft Teams and across Microsoft 365 that have been announced during the Microsoft Inspire 2021 event and are aiding in a seamless transition to a hybrid workplace.
Dynamics 365 in Microsoft Teams
Dynamics 365 users can now invite anyone from their organisation to view and collaborate on customer records right within the flow of a Teams chat or channel. This saves time switching from different apps and data sources.
Adding a Teams meeting when creating an appointment is now available in Teams for Dynamics users. This makes customer information easily accessible during the call, and any notes taken are automatically saved. Although only users with permission can access this data to ensure data protection.
When employees collaborate on records, stakeholders will be automatically notified to keep them up to date with any changes. These notifications can be sent through any chosen chats or channels, and the frequency of these can also be controlled. Adaptive cards can also be sent based on the notification type.
In addition to the collaboration of Dynamics 365 and Teams, there have also been numerous other integrations announced across Teams. These include collaborative apps such as Atlassian Confluence, SAP Sales Cloud, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Workday.
Independent software vendors will also soon be able to sell their apps directly within Microsoft Teams. This makes the purchasing of apps across organisations easier and more accessible.
Windows 365 Cloud PC
Microsoft have introduced Windows 365, which is a cloud service that changes the way you experience Windows 10, or the recently announced Windows 11. It will be available on August 2nd, 2021. Windows 365 creates a new category called Cloud PC. This uses both the power of the cloud and the capabilities of the PC to personalise your Windows experience, from wherever you are.
Windows 365 users can stream all their apps, tools, data, and settings across any device, anywhere in the world. It is also built on Zero Trust and is therefore secure by design. It uses multifactor authentication. This means that a verification is required with any login or access attempt to a Cloud PC.
MFA can also be paired with Windows 365 conditional access policies within Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which will assess the login risk for each session for extra security.
Microsoft Viva
Earlier this year Microsoft announced several Viva Partner integrations and have recently added 21 more including Workday, Qualtrics, and ServiceNow. Find the full list of new partner integrations here.
Microsoft have also announced that Viva Connections API’s will be available later this year. This will enable the integration of content from learning providers, as well as assigned content from learning management systems. These can they be found in Teams, Office, SharePoint, and Microsoft Search in Bing.
Viva has helped employers understand their employee’s behaviour and trends, so that they can tailor their work to be more inclusive and personalised.
Security
Microsoft have announced that Microsoft Lighthouse is now available for preview. Lighthouse will provide one central hub with security configuration templates to secure devices, data, and users. This is available for small and medium businesses that are using Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
Additionally, the scope of Azure AD has been extended to include any fraudulent activities by integrating Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection with Azure AD business-to-customer.
App Governance has also been included as an add-on feature to Microsoft Cloud App Security. This enables partners to monitor all Microsoft 365 applications so that any possible threats can be identified and dealt with immediately.
Insider Risk Management priority user groups have been extended and this now includes role-based access control. This means that alerts and cases can be assigned to specific individuals rather than an entire group.
To find out more about the effects of Hybrid Working on employers and their employees, click here!
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