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May 2020 is to be an exciting month for those of us who use Microsoft Teams with some new features that will help overcome some irritations and limitations

Some Much-Needed Enhancements for Teams – Coming Your Way in May 2020

Some much-needed enhancements for Teams – coming your way in May 2020

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May 2020 is to be an exciting month for those of us who use Microsoft Teams, with some new features that will help overcome some irritations and limitations that have become more apparent in the past few weeks with us all decamping home to work.

The big one – increase in the number of simultaneous video streams

Teams until now has had a limit of 4 simultaneous video streams. The reasoning behind this has been “focus”, and for those of us who have also been using Zoom in the past few weeks, there is some merit to that! Last week I had 58 in a Zoom meeting and it was a blur and almost impossible to focus on the speaker. It is a relief that Microsoft hasn’t gone in that direction, but we will see shortly up to 9 individuals on our screen with layout adaption based on who is speaking and their bandwidth capabilities.

EasylifeIT™ Tips and Tricks Learning Centre

How Do I Setup Office 365 Email On My Phone?

So, you have a new phone or have just migrated to Microsoft Office 365 and you want to know how to setup your email on your mobile or tablet. While both Android and Apple native email applications work just fine, by far the best experience is gained by using the Microsoft Outlook for Mobile app.

Expert Articles Learning Centre Microsoft Office 365 Resources

Can My Prospects and Customers Book Time With Me Online?

Can my prospects and customers book time with me online?

Just occasionally you encounter a piece of software or online service where you think … “where has this been all my life?”

Trying to find a mutually convenient time for a meeting and the usual rigmarole of “you send me your dates and I’ll send you mine” is enough to drive both parties to distraction. Equally, trying to engage with a new customer via a submitted website form can lead to similar issues .. sometimes you just can’t get together for that all-important initial chat! Wouldn’t it be fab if your customer or prospect could just book a time online that reflects your own diary commitments? Well .. if you use Office 365 Business Premium (now Microsoft 365 Business Standard) or some Office 365 enterprise packages then you can … for free!

Should I implement two factor authentication?

Cyber security and resilience Expert Articles Learning Centre

Why is Two-Factor Authentication Important?

Two-factor authentication (MFA) – little pain, big gain

The rise and rise of the cloud

The use of cloud computing continues to grow rapidly. Packages such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite are very widely used across businesses of all sizes for a multitude of purposes, including e-mail, file storage and file sharing.

Legislative requirements are also driving wider adoption of functionally specific software, including cloud accounting to meet HMRC’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ requirements. Many businesses will be familiar with well-known packages such as Xero and QuickBooks Online.

Popular, but also a target

Expert Articles

What Value is a Service Level Agreement?

What value is a Service Level Agreement?

Indeed, good question! Marketing gurus preach that companies such as ours should offer guarantees to their clients based on Service Level Agreements. However, having reviewed many Service Level Agreements, they are frequently so carefully worded and qualified that the headline “guaranteed response time” becomes valueless; a document that looks cast iron in an effort to win your business but in fact can let you down when you most need it. This is a tactic to which we do not subscribe nor will adopt. Here at EasylifeIT™ we do things differently.

Cyber security and resilience Learning Centre

A Windows Update Broke My Computer. Should I Turn Updates Off?

Regular Windows Updates are proven to be in your best interests.

NO! Please don’t do that. While it is true that Windows Updates can cause the occasional issue, the vast majority fix a multitude of sins and close security holes that have been identified as a threat to your PC or laptops security. On balance, leaving Windows Updates on and doing them regularly is hugely in your best interests.

Don’t forget Office updates. Microsoft Office is usually updated when you updated Windows and it is important for security that you do. Make sure that “Receive updates for other Microsoft Products when you update Windows” is enabled in Windows Updates Advanced Options.

Expert Articles Learning Centre Microsoft Office 365 Resources

Is SharePoint Online a Document Management System?

SharePoint is a Document Management System.

I am often asked if SharePoint can be used as a document management system – this is quite an odd question as that is exactly what SharePoint is…so how did we get to the point where that is questionable?

SharePoint has been through quite a revolutionary journey from petty file share to modern Intranet in a box. However, we seem to have got to a point where the visual has overtaken the reputation of the functional. So, let us clarify and answer the question asked:

So, what do we need from a Document Management system?

Expert Articles Learning Centre

Shakespeare Once Said: “To Sell or Not To Sell? That Is The question”

Ok, I know, Shakespeare didn’t actually say that, but it’s an interesting question right now, amid this Covid-19 pandemic, isn’t it?

If there is someone that wants to buy, why wouldn’t you sell?

In the first two weeks of the lockdown, the question I got asked the most was should I carry on marketing, is it crass? Well, my short answer was “yes, you should carry on marketing”. The question I am now seeing everywhere is “should I still sell?” Simply put, if there is someone that wants to buy, why wouldn’t you sell?

So many businesses are having to adapt and change their offering to stay afloat, so why would you go through all that change and then not sell?

Expert Articles Learning Centre Working from home

Dislocation, Dislocation, Dislocation

Dislocation: A look at the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on our daily lives and our businesses

No, this is nothing to do with Phil and Kirstie, just a look at the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on our daily lives and our businesses. In particular, the impact that dislocation can have on our ability to rationalise the present and plan for the future.

Dislocation is defined as ‘disturbance from a proper, original, or usual place or state’. Suddenly, our sense of normality is ruptured and, in the midst of a global pandemic, we have the added stress of worrying about family, about ourselves and about our business livelihoods.

EasylifeIT™ Tips and Tricks Learning Centre Microsoft Teams Working from home

How Do I Use Background Effects in Microsoft Teams?

A little behind its competitor Zoom, Microsoft has enhanced personal privacy of video conferencing in Teams by introducing “b...