Office365
Latest
Office 365's revamped web launchers put you to work sooner
Sometimes, it's not your productivity apps that need a tune-up... it's how you get to those apps that needs work. And Microsoft knows it. The tech firm has redesigned the Office.com front end and Office 365's web app launcher. There's now a recommended section that surfaces the activity that's relevant to you, so you can quickly jump to where you're needed -- say, a Word file that needs edits or your recent PowerPoint presentation. You can also search for people, apps, documents and sites right from the get-go.
Microsoft's latest Mac app is a toolbar for Office 365
Microsoft's Garage team has a new tool designed to make using Office 365 on your Mac a little easier. My Workspace is a menu bar that offers quick access to pinned documents, OneDrive files, your iCloud calendar and Skype calls. The tool sits in the system tray and is pretty unobtrusive, as you can see in the embedded video. As iMore notes, the tool was designed by interns in Vancouver who were tasked with a way to "add value to a person's day" if the person was using Redmond's productivity suite. Interested? Check out the download links below.
BMW drivers can't escape work thanks to in-car Skype access
In the age of after-hours company emails, working lunches and constant connectivity, the one place you can escape is your car, right? Not so fast, easy rider. With help from Microsoft, BMW has installed Skype for Business in select vehicles running BMW iDrive, the company's infotainment and mobility system. Just a few months ago, BMW added Microsoft's Office 365 tools to BMW's iDrive, so certain Bimmers really are turning into (very) high-speed offices.
Microsoft 365 is yet another stab at attracting IT love
Microsoft has a new pitch for businesses: Microsoft 365. It's a single offering that combines Windows 10, Office 365 and the company's Enterprise Mobility + Security package into something IT departments can easily subscribe to and deploy. Announced today at the company's Inspire partner conference, Microsoft 365 is basically just a catchier name for its "Secure Productive Enterprise," but there's more of an emphasis on companies of all sizes. It'll be available in two variants: Microsoft 365 Enterprise, which covers larger organizations, and Business, which is meant for small to mid-sized firms.
At last, you can get Microsoft Office from the Windows Store
The excellent Surface Laptop is now available in stores, and Microsoft Office is now in the Windows Store for the first time. This is a necessary step in Microsoft's plan for laptop domination, as the Surface Laptop is the first computer that runs Windows 10S -- a custom version of Windows that can only run and install apps from Microsoft's official software storefront. Of course, Microsoft's web versions of the Office apps are pretty robust at this point (and they'll work with the Surface Laptop), but some users won't be happy without a desktop app for offline access, among other features.
Microsoft's Outlook mobile apps help you edit your contacts
Believe it or not, Microsoft's Outlook app for Android and iOS hasn't let you add or edit contacts -- you've had to turn to your PC or the web for that. At last, though, common sense prevails. As of now, you can add and edit your Outlook.com and Office 365 contacts through the iOS app (Android and Google contacts are "coming soon"). You can go to the People section to add details yourself, or add people from events, messages and your company directory. Also, Outlook lets you save those contacts to your phone's native list so that you won't be surprised when they give you a call.
Microsoft opens up its Windows Insider preview for Business
Since Microsoft launched its Insider Program a few years ago, millions of people have signed up to test out upcoming versions of Windows 10 on their devices. One small issue, however, was a limitation forcing users to sign up with their personal accounts, even though many users either work in IT or have business laptops/software they need to test out. Now, following up on an announcement from February, Microsoft has opened up the Windows Insider for Business program, so people can sign in with an Azure Active Directory account (the used for stuff like Office 365).
Neverware's Chrome OS for old computers now includes Office 365
Neverware has made a name for itself with its CloudReady software, which essentially transforms any old PC or Mac into a Chromebook. But while that's a nice way to breathe new life into aging computers, it's naturally reliant on Google's online services. Now, the company is offering a new version of Cloud Ready for schools that integrates Microsoft's Office 365 online suite instead. It might seem blasphemous, but it could be useful for schools and other organizations that are already deeply integrated with Microsoft's software.
Amazon Echo can add to your Office 365 calendar
Amazon's Echo speakers and other Alexa devices can already control your Outlook.com calendar, but what about your schedule at work? You're covered there, too. Alexa now supports Office 365's calendar functions, giving you a hands-free way of checking on your next meeting or scheduling that all-important business lunch. This won't see too much use right away when most offices aren't exactly teeming with Echo speakers. However, that's likely part of the point -- this gives the corporate crowd an excuse to bring the Echo into the workplace, even if it's just in private offices (open spaces will likely require multi-voice support).
Microsoft releases an app to help you swap work shifts
If you're a shift worker, you might not have to worry about haggling for shift swaps in the near future. Microsoft has released its previously teased work scheduling app, StaffHub, and it promises to make life much easier for everyone from nurses to customer support reps. The Office 365-based software lets bosses easily manage schedules and send memos, which is helpful if you're tired of reading bulletin boards and group emails. However, the real power comes in the Android, iOS and web apps that you can use as a staffer: it's easy to trade shifts, find out who you're working with and keep everyone else up to date. If you know you can't come in one day, you won't have to spend hours trying to find someone who can fill in.
Office 365's latest updates simplify accessibility options for everyone
At the company's big Surface event earlier this year, Microsoft made a point of highlighting many of the accessibility features baked into its hardware and software. This month, Redmond continued that work, announcing new Windows 10 accessibility features like support for braille and updates to its Narrator text-to-speech program. Today, Microsoft is going one step further and introducing a few new Office updates designed to help users more easily create content that can be accessed and read by anyone.
Microsoft expands its accessibility efforts on Windows 10
Microsoft is keen on making sure people with disabilities can use their products, and next year it's only going to expand upon that directive. It starts with some big additions to Windows 10 and Narrator for the Creators Update like support for braille, some 10 news voices for text to speech and volume ducking when Narrator chimes in while you're listening to Spotify or another music program.
PowerPoint brings real-time collaboration to your slides
It's not much fun to plug away at a presentation, but Microsoft might have found a way to make the experience more bearable for Office 365 subscribers. It's updating the Windows version of PowerPoint with real-time collaboration that helps you share the workload. You can see who's editing specific slides, and see typing as it happens. You'll need to be part of the Office Insider program to use this right away, but don't be surprised if it's available more broadly in the near future.
Outlook now displays coworkers' availability on your phone
Sunrise is officially dead, but Microsoft just added a new feature to the Outlook iOS calendar that might help you forget it. In a trick borrowed from the desktop app, the iOS version of Outlook has a new scheduling assistant that makes it fairly easy to book a meeting. All you need to do is create an event and add coworkers in the "people" field, then choose the date picker.
Microsoft puts AI to work in Office 365
Microsoft isn't just trying out artificial intelligence through bots and voice assistants -- it's going all-in. The crew in Redmond has revealed that Office 365 is wielding cloud-based AI to automate many tasks. Tap for Word and Outlook surface relevant content from your company to help finish a project, for instance. PowerPoint and Sway will have a QuickStarter feature that gives you curated outlines for given topics, saving you the trouble of creating the foundation of a presentation from scratch. Excel, meanwhile, will have a way to turn raw geographic data into Bing-based maps.
Scan photos into Office 365 with Office Lens on Windows 10
Microsoft's Office Lens app has let folks upload photos from their iOS and Android devices since April 2015. But now your Windows 10-running phone, tablet, PC can snap photos — or even the Hololens, if that's your thing.
Microsoft's latest acquisition hints at AI scheduling in Office
Hate the song and dance involved in finding just the right time to hold a meeting? Microsoft does too. It's acquiring Genee, whose centerpiece is an AI-powered virtual assistant that helps you schedule events in sync with your itinerary. Email both a client and Genee while you're arranging a lunch meeting, for instance, and it'll let your contact know when you can make it. Just what Genee will do isn't clear, but it'll "accelerate intelligent experiences" in Office 365 -- as elsewhere, Microsoft wants to make AI a key part of your workday.
Microsoft Office iPhone users can doodle with their fingers
If you want to sketch or perhaps add your signature to a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document on iOS, the only option has been to use the iPad Pro's Pencil. Now, with the latest version of Office for the iPhone, you can draw directly on a document with no need for the stylus. Once you launch the app, you can "use your finger to write, draw and highlight with the tools in the new Draw tab," Microsoft says.
Office 365 gets smarter with cloud-powered features
In case you couldn't already tell, Microsoft is all about the cloud these days. Its cloud services were the highlight of its last earnings report, and now it's bringing even more cloud intelligence to the Office 365 subscription productivity suite. That includes new features for Word, Outlook and PowerPoint that'll make it easier for you to get work done.
Microsoft launches Skype Meetings, a group video chat tool
Microsoft has unveiled a free HD Skype tool for small business users called Skype Meetings. It runs on a browser and will let you meet with up to 10 people for the first 60 days, and a maximum of three after that. Users can also share screens and PowerPoint presentations, and the organizer can wield a virtual "laser pointer" or mute users. Such features are already available with Skype Business, but that app requires a paid Office 365 subscription. With Skype Meetings, however, anyone with a link can join a chat.
