Even during times when your virtual meeting seems small and manageable, there is always a moment when open discussions and effective brainstorming seem challenging. Microsoft Teams now has a helpful solution when smaller groups need to be divided from the larger meeting to facilitate better exchanges and discussions. This new tool is called breakout rooms. Breakout rooms allow meeting organizers to create separate breakout room sessions and assign attendees to those rooms. These participants are still part of the group session but can "breakout," to have meaningful exchanges, and then return to the group. For this tool to be valuable, you need to know how to create and manage these breakout room sessions. Let's take a step-by-step look at how to facilitate this in your office setting.

Are there tasks at the office that you are consistently required to complete that take “focus” time away from your day? Are there times that you have ever thought, if only these tasks could run themselves, then I could get more done with my day? Microsoft must have been listening to our inner thoughts; thus, they have developed a solution. This solution, called Robotic Process Automation (RPA), was first announced at the 2019 Microsoft Ignite Conference. At the conference, Microsoft introduced the robotic process automation as a part of the Power Automate Desktop. Since the announcement in 2019, Microsoft has doubled down on this investment and has seen the return on investment. Hundreds of thousands of organizations have accepted it and are using it to automate billions of tasks each month. You may be wondering, how do I use this technology to lighten my load of “busy work” and increase my value by allowing more time for deliberate and innovative thinking?

Microsoft held its annual Microsoft Ignite conference last month in a virtual setting. There was no lack of technology to put on this incredible event. A variety of Green Screens and a Keynote presented through virtual reality was what we witnessed, and all went off without a hitch. This year even though we could not be there in person, the conference was no less impressive. There were two common themes this year that focused on the Cloud and security. It is apparent that Microsoft is continuing to be a forward thinker in technology, and we were thrilled with the conference announcements.

By the end of next year, it is expected that remote work will increase to 77%. Although the global pandemic forced us to learn how to work remotely, the trend is not likely to decline. Alongside the change of where we work, our need for video-conferencing also increased. We have all experienced the so-called “Zoom Fatigue,” as we now have been in the thick of this global pandemic for close to a year. Due to the length of time, there is enough data to verify how video conferencing affects us and how taxing it can be on our brains. Today we will take a look at why video-conferencing is so tiring and the recommended quick fixes.

We are nearing an entire year of living with a global pandemic. Some things now seem normal, and most have gotten accustomed to working and living with our new constraints. Although, even when things start to feel normal, we still have a great deal of uncertainty surrounding many processes. One of these uncertainties is the process of receiving unemployment or stimulus money. Because there is so much money to be applied for with such great urgency, cybercriminals are taking full advantage of this easy paycheck. These attempts are paying up to $20,000 per successful attempt. A payout this large urges the cybercriminals not to worry about the extra work and are cashing in on our identities. How will you stay safe?

It is accurate that 2020 changed the way we work. Many believe that we will never go back to thinking about work as a location but instead a culture. Microsoft is doubling down on this theory and has created a platform to truly connect employees in a virtual setting. As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, “As the world recovers, there is no going back. Flexibility in when, where, and how we work will be key.” Micirosoft's solution, is newly released Microsoft Viva. Like the “Intranet” of old, Microsoft Viva is a platform that connects essential aspects of a your business in one central location. 

It is 2021, and many of us vowed to be a better version of ourselves as soon as that New Year's Eve ball dropped. I hope you have followed through with your resolutions, but even if you have not, how about if you strive to be a better Microsoft Teams user. With over 75 million active daily users, no matter where you work, there is a good chance that you are using Microsoft Teams. While you're trying to be the best you can be, why not be the best you can be at Teams as well? To be the best, you need to know the trade's real tricks to save you time and energy. Let's take a look at the top keyboard shortcuts to make your use of Teams even more useful.