Hello, and welcome to February!
As we are already halfway into February, let's take a moment to look back at predictions that came true in the first 6 weeks of the year. Notably, our foresight in predicting Microsoft's removal of Copilot's 300-seat requirement was spot on. We're also keenly observing the evolving synergy between Outlook and Teams, and expect exciting developments from SharePoint.
Copilot Updates
We recently saw the launch of Copilot Pro to go head-to-head with Chat-GPT Pro. Pro gives you the added benefit of custom Copilot GPTs to add even more power to your Large Language Model Magic.
Sales Copilot also saw the addition of greater capabilities, including the integration into Teams Meetings regardless of where the meeting was scheduled from. You can also choose a language for email drafts and replies.
Microsoft Copilot for Service went into General Availability promising increased productivity and efficiency for your customer-facing teams.
Copilot also surfaced in another super-hot property, Microsoft Loop, giving me a chance to pull out the old “You got Copilot in my Loop” joke. (A courtesy laugh would not be out of order, just sayin’.) For those who spend time in Teams meetings, you can now use Copilot in meetings even when it isn’t being recorded or transcribed. Before I move on to Teams, there will be a session on Copilot at this year’s Business Technology Summit. It is a free way to rub shoulders with (and ask questions of) some of the world-class Microsoft technology experts. Register here for your free ticket.
Microsoft Teams Updates
Next on our agenda is Teams, and it continues to receive big investment efforts from Microsoft.
You can now change your camera and audio settings in just a couple of clicks. Another welcome change is the ability to take collaborative notes in Teams meetings. This is still rolling out, but many now have this feature.
Because the notes are a Loop component you will find they are always up to date and synced. Assigned tasks will also now automatically sync to Planner and To Do.
For those who carry Android phones and own a car, the news that the Team app in Android Auto is getting an upgrade is exciting. At least, it will be for some of us who want to be in production both at rest and in motion. The timing of this update will depend on your mobile carrier, but it is here for some. With this update, you will be able to join meetings more easily, and leverage Teams to call your speed-dial contacts. Remember to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel!
The new default view shows those on camera and those who choose not to be on camera in the same size box. Using the magic of AI, those who are speaking or have their hand raised will be placed higher in the window, so they won’t be missed.
You can also choose to hide your video for yourself, (who wants to watch themselves while speaking!) Lastly, for those who use Together Mode, the layout has been improved when content is being shared.
Viva Updates
Next on our hit list is Viva, starting with Viva Connections.
The Viva Connections Desktop Experience is found in Teams, and is your place to post organizational news, adaptive cards, and partner cards allowing team members to find everything they need to be successful in one place.
This month the Desktop Experience was updated allowing announcements, a hero section, a new dashboard layout, resources, Viva Suite Links, and a new Full Page News Feed.
Also improved are the branding options, allowing Connections to look like the rest of your intranet. The News, People and Events cards placed there were also enhanced.
Furthering the goal of Copilot everywhere, Copilot in Engage also went into public preview in January.
Copilot in Connections will help you find “opportunities to engage in your organization” by finding communities that matter to you or Engage Campaigns that align with your interests. It will help you communicate on Storyline to improve culture and productivity. You can even use it to help write, edit, get feedback on, and polish an Engage post.
SharePoint Updates
In SharePoint land the big news is SharePoint eSignature, allowing you to get a document electronically signed without it ever leaving your tenant. It proves to allow you to streamline the document signing process with all the approval and signature audit logs in the same place. This service will be consumption-based, meaning you only pay for those documents you get signed.
Stream also now lives in SharePoint and has added the ability to embed a survey, quiz or poll in the video at a specific time. This allows you to create a video explaining a new company policy with a short quiz at the end to make sure everyone understands it. You can do the same thing with a hyperlink allowing you to give your viewers easy access to related information.
The last new capability we’ll talk about is still rolling out, but those of you that have more than one language in your organization will love it. SharePoint Premium now allows you to automatically translate documents from one language to another with the click of a button. It will maintain the original format and structure of the source document, and you can create your own custom glossary to improve the quality and consistency of the translation.
*This does require a SharePoint Premium subscription, but if you have pay-as-you-go billing setup, Microsoft will let you try out this and other Syntex features for free.
JourneyTEAM’s Pro Tip of the Month
This month’s Pro Tip is going to change your life! I’ll start by describing how I used to work with text. Whether I am working on a killer PowerShell, Power Automate script, or SharePoint site I find myself moving text around a lot. To make it work I would frequently keep VS Code open so I could copy text into and out of it as I work. Someone watched me do that as I moved text back and forth for a minute and asked me to press the Windows Key and V at the same time.
You now have a rolling log of everything you paste onto your clipboard, and easy access to emoticons, gifs, and fancy characters like ⅓, ∑, ↩ or Â. You can pin something you are going to use a lot to lock it in place, so it is ready for you whenever you need it.
If you work with text, it will make your life oh-so-much easier.
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Article by: Kevin Zollinger, Senior Solutions Architect on the Modern Work and Security Team