I recently had the opportunity to watch a broadcast from the Enterprise Connect Conference that took place in Orlando, Florida. Wow, I was excited about Microsoft Teams before, but now with some of the features showcased, I’m really pumped. The new Microsoft Teams capabilities will continue to drive teamwork and build on the vision of an intelligent workplace for ALL employees.

I thought a recap of highlights would be helpful, and if you’re interested in watching the recording, we’ve embedded a video at the bottom of this post. There’s nothing like seeing these highlights in action for yourself.

Windows 7 has long been the preferred operating system for many businesses, even after the release of Windows 8 and Windows 10. Many business owners and IT decision-makers heard of Windows 8’s detractors and adopted an “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” mentality regarding upgrades. As a result, a number of businesses continue to hold onto Windows 7, despite the fact that Microsoft’s support for the operating system has dwindled since 2015. So why should Windows 7 users make the switch to Windows 10?

If your business is still using a previous version of Windows, you may be considering an upgrade. You should – Windows 10 is now the default operating system, and future software releases are not likely to include previous versions of Windows. However, diving into a critical upgrade without a strategy could prove disastrous. Consider these seven tips while outlining your business’s upgrade strategy:

Office 365 is a toolkit from Microsoft that is designed to allow you to access Office applications on any device at any time. Office 365 provides the opportunity to drive team work. The Web-based toolkit receives regular updates and allows you to share documents and connect easily with colleagues, enabling multiple users to view and edit work in real time. Every minute counts when it comes to getting work done on a deadline, so it is important to make the most of these online features in the Office 365 interface.

Office 365 One Drive for Business is a cloud service that stores all files in a secure, shared space accessible across all devices. It gives businesses the power to create and share work-related documents, avoid data breaches, and clean up outdated processes. Migrating to OneDrive could be the chance your organization needs to stay on top of changing tech trends and optimize productivity. Here’s what you need to know... 

It isn’t enough to decide that Microsoft Office 365 is the correct choice for your company. Your must plan and tackle deployment head on, with as much knowledge as possible about what to expect during implementation and adoption. The more preparation you do prior to migrating to Office 365, the easier your transition will be for you and your users. One of the best ways to prepare your employees for the switch is to recognize and avoid these four common deployment mistakes:

Microsoft's Office 365 is designed to enable users to access Office applications on virtually any device—anytime, anywhere. But without the knowledge of its vast applications and features, you may be missing out on a valuable opportunity to increase business efficiency across your organization. To optimize the business use of 365 applications, check out these four tips:

Microsoft Office 365 is a feature-rich software that can significantly boost collaboration, communication, and information security for your organization. It has gained traction in the past few years thanks to advanced cloud capabilities and a suite of tools that optimize and drive teamwork (including Microsoft Teams). If you know Office 365 is the platform for your enterprise, don’t fumble your way through deployment and migration. Get the most value for your investment using this step-by-step guide for pain-free adoption. 

When done correctly, migrating your business's documents, email and collaboration platforms to the cloud can result in a huge number of benefits, including a centralized system of record, easy updates and an increased chance of recovery. That said, migrating to Office 365 is often easier said than done, as there is planning that needs to occur and prerequisites that need to be fulfilled. In order to alleviate the risks associated with migrating to Office 365 and minimize the pins your team needs to juggle, we have compiled our top three tips to make the migration go as smoothly as possible.

You’ve done your research and concluded that deploying Microsoft Office 365 would be in your organization’s best interests. The cloud capabilities might have attracted you, or maybe it's the ability to replace other software that's in use at your business with new Office 365 tools that will provide better collaboration. Either way, the next steps you take are critical to the success and adoption of Office 365 at your enterprise. Migrating to new technology can feel overwhelming until you break it into smaller tasks. It is important that your business plans for the transition to Office 365. KnowledgeWave's checklist can help to reduce the stress of your Office 365 deployment while also helping to increase user adoption and improve business ROI.

2019 is the year to rethink the way your employees work. The right business platform migration could eliminate harmful data leaks, save time, and facilitate easier collaborations. Office 365, a major component of the Microsoft 365 suite, offers a powerful, reliable, integrated experience with apps and services to help organize and grow your business. 

Don’t expect your staff to meet a Microsoft Office 365 migration with perfect enthusiasm and seamless adoption. Resistance to change is a common outcome of a new program roll-out. Prepare your staff for implementation by tackling this potential problem head-on with proper migration communication planning. Take the following steps to prepare your staff to switch to Office 365 before launching the new platform for the best possible transition.

KnowledgeWave is best known for our business software training and we are very proud to provide a variety of training modalities that meet the needs of our clients.

*Update (5/25/22)*: We have recently written an updated post on this topic. You can find that new blog post here: Automatically Send Responses to a SharePoint List Using Power Automate.

When enabled by an organization that has deployed Office 365, Microsoft Flow provides end-users with the ability to create automated workflows between applications and many different services using connectors. Microsoft applications and an ever-growing list of third-party services are available to link together. Microsoft Flow lets employees create simple to more complex workflows that can provide efficiencies for businesses around their workflow needs. It's an end-user option, that in most cases does not require a developer for workflows.

Deploying Microsoft Office 365 is bound to fall flat at your workplace if you don’t pair the launch with proactive employee training. One mistake many organizations make is assuming implementation equals adoption. In reality, these are two separate feats and they require the same amount of attention from the implementation team. If the Office 365 engagement rate dissatisfies your boss and you were the one in charge of migration, take the following steps to get your team on board with the new platform.