6 Office 365 Updates to Boost Productivity

In today’s fast-paced working environment, you want to get as much out of each day as possible. Microsoft Office 365 updates can help. The new productivity-boosting updates mean businesses of any size can have a company-wide platform, accessible by all employees, anytime and from any device. Frequently used applications, such as instant messaging, email, contact lists, calendars and document management tools are brought together under the same Office interface.

Boost Productivity with These 6 Office 365 Updates

1. Office Document Inking

Windows and iPad users discovered the amazing Office inking capabilities earlier this year. With a finger or stylus, users can annotate charts, text or images in Word, OneNote, PowerPoint and Excel. Instantly review and comment on any type of document anywhere and from any device.

• Ink math assistant in OneNote. Simply write an equation, and OneNote will convert it into text and guide you through the steps needed to solve the problem. Combined with Editor, Word’s intelligent writing assistant, you are well on your way to a great learning experience.
• Replay inking. Ink rewind and replay helps you understand the meaning behind the words. Easily review instructions, follow the order in which notes were written or examine the markups of a colleague.
• Ink effects. Inspired by feedback from students, ink effects allow your creative juices to flow. The new silver, gold, galaxy and rainbow ink options help your drawings come alive and make learning more engaging.

2. Flow

The Flow Office 365 update allows you to create automated actions, such as synchronize files and collect data. You can connect to an app or start with a premade flow. Each template has a specific purpose such as backing up files or sending text alerts. These templates are just the beginning, designed to inspire you to customize flows of your own. To create a flow:

1. Sign in to your account.
2. Sign in to the service type you want to use.
3. Explore the events that trigger the flow and the actions that result from those events. Adjust the settings and add or delete actions to create a unique flow. When you have it just right, select “Create flow,” then verify or hit “Done.”

You are now ready to get creative and build a flow from scratch, using data from sources such as an Excel file in a cloud storage account, a Google sheet, a SharePoint list or an SQL Azure table. Explore different approaches like:

• Schedule a task
• Create an approval flow
• Create flows with multiple steps
• Watch a flow in action
• Publish a template

Download the iPhone version of Office 365 updates to monitor the activity of a flow, enable it, disable it or view its actions from anywhere, anytime.

3. Windows Information Protection

This app prevents accidental data leakage while allowing users to maintain control over personal data. It is now supported in mobile apps on tablets and iPhones. Simply designate apps as “personal” or “work.”

4. In-app Assistance

With this Office 365 update, users are able to chat in real time with Microsoft support agents without closing the Office app they are working with (currently only available to U.S. subscribers). The Tell Me feature allows users to easily find the help documentation needed.

5. Outlook Travel and Deliveries

Easily track all travel-related information, such as alerts, flights, car rentals and hotel reservations from one place, without searching and opening several emails. This feature is currently only available in Outlook online and Outlook for Mac but will soon be coming to Android, Windows and iOS.

6. Office Planner

The Planner introduces a new and improved way for businesses, organizations and schools to organize, collaborate, set due dates, update status reports and share files. The visual dashboard and email notifications keep everyone informed. As with all 365 tools, Office 365 updates don’t require an individual log in to access related tools.

Looking to leverage your Office 365 investment to be more productive? Learn how Agile IT’s cloud consulting services can help you discover all the cloud has to offer.