Consistency is the name of the game, and when it comes to naming, Microsoft is King. Unfortunately, with such similar names as Office 365 and Microsoft 365, there is a great deal of confusion on the differences between the offerings. This month, we will compare and contrast Office 365 vs. Microsoft 365. We will break down the high-level differences between the two Microsoft offerings, the difference in pricing, which product will benefit your business, a glossary of terms involved with both offerings, and an essential Q and A regarding both Microsoft 365 and Office 365. Today, we will stay high-level and look and the key differences between the two Microsoft offerings.

The definition of “Team” is a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport. That is precisely what Microsoft Teams is, a group backing you up and helping you compete in this "game" called life. There are so many aspects of Teams that can help you get that winning edge. One point is that it brings all of your functions together into one centralized location to help with ease and efficiency. There is a multitude of examples of this within Teams. One shining example is the ability to integrate all of your external apps alongside your Microsoft apps within one centralized location; your Teams home experience.

Audio conferencing is a non-negotiable in today’s workplace. Today, more than 70% of the professional work-force works remotely at least one day per week. Because so many employees are working outside the office, the logistics of meetings has changed drastically. Many organizations have used audio and video conferencing for quite some time, although the options for conferencing haven't incorporated our current applications. This is why we are so excited about the improved functionality of Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing.

There are times when 24 hours in a day doesn’t seem like enough. Days where you feel like you never stop running from one thing to the next. What if you could review emails while you were dealing with another task like driving? Microsoft has once again offered us a helping hand and has released a tool that will help us do just that. Now through the Microsoft Outlook app, the lovely Cortana can read aloud your emails.

Last month at the Microsoft Ignite conference, there were many announcements with the focus on better security and higher efficiencies. The announcement that we are bringing to the forefront today takes this two idea to the next level. Microsoft Productivity Score considers the endpoint user and making his/her overall work experience more productive and seamless.

Working from anywhere is the newest office trend, and honestly, some are even trying to make it a “right.” In some industries, it is more common than others, but we are starting to see more companies get on board with the movement. In a recent study, it was found that 66% of companies allow their employees to work remotely. Additionally, there are a growing number of businesses with multiple office locations? Many times, we struggle to connect with a productive meeting as our employees are all in different places. Travel is expensive and can sometimes be a waste of time to make sure everyone is in one location just for a meeting. There is a multitude of ways to host meetings that can incorporate other sites and even ways to customize your background to hide your messy office. Unfortunately, many times, the employees at remote locations or satellite offices do not feel connected to the actual team meeting. It is hard to stay focused when you are unsure of who is currently speaking, making it a challenge to understand what is being said and not welcoming to chime in from your location. Owl Labs wants to Inspire the work from Anywhere movement and thus have an incredible solution. The Meeting Owl is a cost-effective and straightforward solution to remote meeting dilemmas.

Using technology to help us manage our technology is the theme this month. Last week we took a look at the data compiled of Pendello President, Mike Jackson's work habits. If you might remember, it wasn't pretty. His work/life balance was definitely blurred, and his ability to recharge was lacking. This week we are taking a look into what Mike learned from his compiled MyAnalytics data and how he used this to "work smarter."