Microsoft’s annual partner conference called Microsoft Inspire was held July 21-23, 2020. Bond Consulting Services (BCS) was very excited for this year’s conference and BCS team members participated in the live virtual sessions in order to learn more about Microsoft’s future direction and new products and features. The conference kicked off with key segments from Judson Althoff, Nick Parker, and Gavriella Schuster who hinted at big updates and important new features to Microsoft’s suite of apps. The following sessions and digital breakouts have explained more about what is in store with Microsoft’s new updates.

4 Major Updates to Microsoft’s Business Apps:

1. Microsoft Teams (Teams): In order to maintain security and privacy measures, Teams has incorporated a Teams Rooms Premium cloud-based IT service that enables Microsoft partners to manage the operations of their Teams rooms within the Teams Admin Center. Additionally, Microsoft launched a Power BI Personal App for Teams that will centralize data in one location for easy and quick access. Other updates to Teams include chatbots and the ability to build customized apps within Teams.
2. Microsoft 365: Beginning in late July, Microsoft 365 will incorporate the new Microsoft Lists app which includes easy-to-use templates, Power Platform integrations and customizable views. Microsoft’s Yammer collaboration app will also be updated to include new capabilities such as “featured conversations” to improve visibility of important information.
3. Dynamics 365: Dynamics 365 has many new features to improve productivity and security. Firstly, Dynamics 365 Customer Voice uses real-time feedback to present a unified view to the customers to improve customer responses. Dynamics 365 Connected Store uses data sources to deliver triggered alerts and recommend actionable steps to improve productivity. Lastly, Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection adds Account Protection and Loss Prevention features to provide additional security to its customers.
4. Power Platform: Microsoft’s Power Platform (which consists of Power BI, Power Apps and Power Automate) is now elevated due to the incorporation of advanced solutions such as Location Readiness, Location Management, Employee Health and Safety Management, and Workplace Care Management. These customizable solutions are built to protect the customer in response to COVID-19. For instance, the Employee Health and Safety Management feature enables employees to self-screen before entering their workplace, or it enables employees to check into work remotely.

To learn more about these updates, visit the Microsoft Inspire website, or visit our BCS website to schedule a free consultation.