Pait Group Blog

Loop: Microsoft's Newest Multitool

Microsoft recently released the Microsoft Loop app into Public Preview. Microsoft Loop isn't new, it has been around since 2021, but this new app unifies some of the working components that already exist in Teams, Outlook, and Dynamics 365. The Microsoft Loop app extends the components unifying them into a convenient interface. This is a Public Preview, so there are some things that are not completely smooth. The Loop app allows quick collaboration and sharing, with features of note taking and task management adapted from the tools that already use Loop components like OneNote and Teams. Even experimental features such as a Co-Pilot are quickly working into the app. 

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SharePoint Best Practices, Migration, and Collaboration

PAIT Group’s newest MVP, Joy Apple, was recently a guest on the Cloud Conversations with Ru and Pete podcast.  In this episode, Joy shared SharePoint best practices and expert tips on migration and collaboration in Microsoft 365. The unique way Joy communicates the importance of these topics is on display.  I have summed up a few highlights from the episode, but I highly recommend pressing play below.

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Why Is Anyone Talking About Yammer When We Have (and Love!) Teams?

Editor's Note: "Yammer" is now known as "Viva Engage"

Microsoft acquired Yammer in 2012 and made it available for their Office 365 customers the following year. Early in 2016, Microsoft rolled out Yammer to their Office 365 commercial customers as “on” by default.  

At the time, I was an intranet manager at an association and decided to go along with Microsoft’s “on by default” rollout of Yammer. Why stop it? I started with a pilot for a few weeks to test it out, and then I opened things up to all staff. I got lots of folks interested in using it, but many wanted “private” groups for their teams to collaborate and communicate. They also heavily used the “private messaging” option in Yammer. They contributed to the public groups for sure, and enjoyed engaging across the org, but they really were craving some “private” options. 

Imagine the confusion, then, when this “Teams” thing was suddenly all the buzz coming from Microsoft just a year later. Group spaces for people to communicate and post files? Check! “Chat” that seemed a lot like “private messaging”? Check! Option to subscribe and get email notifications for missed activity? Check! Plus, the interface was just so appealing, the chat was a much better experience than the “private messaging” in Yammer, and there were so many additional features in Teams.

Why the heck would we still use Yammer now that we have this new shiny Teams toy? 

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Calling in Teams: Collaboration Made Simple

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a wild ride when it comes to communicating with our coworkers. Instead of face to face meetings or cubicle chats, we’ve been in virtual meetings. Personally, I haven’t noticed an increase in the amount of instant messaging, but I have noticed that a lot of my messages end in a call, like this: 

Hey, I was just on a call with client ABC and we were talking about DEF. Do you have a minute to hop on a call and debrief with me? 

I’ve also been pulled into active calls as my expertise comes into scope. I’ll get a chat “hey we’re on the phone with this team and there’s a compliance question, can we loop you in?” I can join the active call immediately without having a meeting invite or starting a new call. What a world!

However, I’ve started to wonder if I am using the call features in Microsoft Teams as well as I could be? Are there features I’m not aware of yet? With so many people rapidly adopting Microsoft Teams, I can’t be the only one wondering this, so let's take a look at some of the features Microsoft Teams has when it comes to calling, including the new Collaborative Calling. 

Fellow PAIT Group colleagues, Joy Apple (aka JoyofSharePoint) and Richard Calderon, recently hosted a webinar focused on the basics of Teams Calling features. If you were not able to make the live webinar we have recorded the session.  When you have a moment in your day, please watch. It's worth it.

 

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