Microsoft Teams is a unified enterprise-level communications platform that offers fantastic utility to all types of organizations. Investing in Microsoft Teams provides consideration and the chance to replace aged business phone systems with a new modern integrated cloud-based communication tool. If you’re interested in ways to increase your company’s productivity, consolidating your communications structure, and enhancing internal strategizing companywide, consider the following reasons why your business may want to consider using the Microsoft Phone system with Microsoft Teams and Office 365.

Security is front and center at Microsoft, and rightfully so with now more than 180 million active users of Microsoft Office 365. Even the strong are susceptible to security attacks. The Microsoft Security Team has an extremely sophisticated threat response system in place that allows them to identify and solve security issues quickly.

As an MSP helping your clients is one of your top priorities. Questions regarding Office 365 and associated applications (like Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive) can arise early and often when a client is migrating from another system (such as G-Suite) to the Office 365 platform. Helping your clients solve their problems and answering their questions is incredibly easy with the KnowledgeWave Learning Site.

Check out a quick, two minute show-and-tell video from KnowledgeWave CEO Eric Sokolowski, detailing a recent situation where an MSP easily solved a client problem with the KnowledgeWave Learning Site in just a few steps.

After successfully completing Microsoft Office 365 migration, you thought the hard part was over. The problem is now employees are still submitting projects in the old format, or using outdated email to exchange information instead of the collaboration channels you painstakingly set up in Microsoft Teams.

What went wrong? It might be that you skimped on employee training while implementing Office 365 throughout your business. Employees need help learning and understanding new applications, communication tools and ways to work. If you notice any of these three warning signs in your office, odds are your team needs some additional training:

Combining the forces of Microsoft Office 365 SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business can give your company a powerful communication and information exchange system. You can easily share and store files, comply with security requirements, and give your enterprise the tools it needs for enhanced business processes. Migrating to Office 365 with SharePoint and OneDrive can yield several important benefits, including the following top five.

Teams is Microsoft’s answer to group chat, based off the preexisting 365 environment, and is designed to replace Skype for Business. With an Office 365 Business Premium, Business Essentials, OR Enterprise (E1, E3, or E5) subscription, your organization can enable Groups and Teams.

If you feel like you are dragging a reluctant team along into Office 365 you are not alone. Or maybe they aren’t reluctant, just indifferent. Even if your users aren’t saying it, here’s what they are thinking: 

“I’ve been using Excel for years and I’m just fine using it to get my work done…why should I care about Microsoft 365?”

“Can’t I just keep using Outlook the same way I’ve always used Outlook?”

First, it’s helpful to clarify for users the difference between stand-alone Microsoft Office vs. Microsoft Office 365.

Over the last several years I’ve had the opportunity to work with many companies that have moved to Office 365. The most common challenge they all face is user adoption related to Office 365 tools and features. Moving to Office 365 isn’t difficult. You can do it yourself or work with a partner like an MSP (Managed Service Provider) and leverage support from Microsoft as part of the FastTrack Program. Some end up using a mix. The hurdle is getting your staff to work differently and leverage the new tools available to them.

Office 365 provides a range of applications that will change how you work, communicate and collaborate. Many law firms will initially make the move to the Office 365 platform because it is the most recent version of Microsoft Office. At some point, users begin to realize there is a lot more to Office 365 then the standard applications they are use to using. Many new features in Office 365 can be and should be leveraged to increase productivity and efficiency.

While, this post does focus on using these features in a law firm setting, these new tools can be used by any business, organization, school or non-profit, to increase workflow optimization. The following are just a few of the important Office 365 applications and features that will benefit any size firm:

Microsoft Office 365 is a powerful, complex software solution. Achieving both personal and business success with Office 365 will take training – a lot of training, most likely. IT professionals may struggle with convincing stakeholders of the value that additional Office 365 training can provide for the business. If you want to successfully convince your employer Office 365 training is necessary and beneficial, follow these tips.

Businesses that have migrated to Office 365 are beginning to see and use an exciting new feature – Insights for MyAnalytics. MyAnalytics allows users to track the time employees spend on certain applications to enhance productivity and efficiency. Insights for MyAnalytics is a separate add-on that provides actionable insights for employees, which can help boost office productivity. Here’s what you need to know about this new update – and how it can help you grow your business.

Many businesses encounter challenges during Microsoft Office 365 adoption and migration, largely due to the complexity and power of the program. Office 365 is not just new software, it's a new way to work. Common obstacles include trouble converting via legacy solutions, low bandwidth, lack of support, poorly constructed pilots, and lack of a clear migration path. Here are some of the most common challenges to Office 365 migration and how to avoid them.

IT professionals and end-users often see technology from different perspectives. You’re likely to be more concerned with all the mechanics and logistics. Conversely, your clients and end-users are scratching their heads. This is a key consideration to include in your Office 365 migration planning. Including user adoption and training activities aids in bridging that chasm, and should be present throughout the migration process.

As Office 365 gains traction in the business community, it becomes even more necessary to shape a business methodology specifically for this program. The business plan should address potential challenges in adoption and training. Follow these tips to successfully craft your Office 365 business strategy.

I’d estimate that we use Microsoft Teams to handle around 90% of our internal communications and reserve email primarily for our formal communications with our clients and vendors. Recently I received an email with a couple of attachments from a vendor that I wanted to save to a Microsoft Team in order to share with my coworkers. Except the Team wasn't there...