Microsoft Teams advice guide

Posted on July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by IT Support Essex

Unless you have been living on another planet, you have noticed that things have been a little… strange, lately. Covid has changed the way we do pretty much everything. Our Microsoft Teams advice guide will improve how you work. It looks as though it will be some time before things go back to the way they were. If at all.

On the up side, you may have discovered that your business can be more flexible with the way your people work, than you’d imagined. With many people working from home to some extent, remote working has become a viable, permanent option for many organisations. If your people are getting on well with it, what’s not to like?

People can work in a way they’re comfortable with. You could make a big financial saving on office space and travel. As well as giving your people the gift of time, because they no longer have to commute. However, the important thing to always keep in mind is how you’re going to continue to collaborate as a team.

Improve how you work with our Microsoft Teams advice guide

We are going to look at it, step by step, click here to download our latest Microsoft Teams advice guide.

How will meetings look if remote working becomes a permanent fixture?
What is the best way to keep team motivated and morale up? If your once “all in one place” team don’t see each other from one week to the next?
How will documents be shared, added to and refined?

It’s likely that you’ve already looked at some of these potential issues during lockdown. Have you found the best solution for your people? If not, it’s time you looked really closely at Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams has it all when it comes to uniting your business and helping you to get the job done. Make use of our Microsoft Teams advice step by step PDF guide.

Microsoft Teams, also referred to as simply Teams, is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Teams is Microsoft’s take on chat-based communication for business; Teams is also Microsoft’s answer to competing platforms such as Slack. Slack stock continues to lose value, despite a good revenue flow–analysts cite Microsoft Teams as part of that decrease. In July 2019, Microsoft Teams slid by Slack with 13 million daily users; as of April 2020, Microsoft Teams has 75 million daily active users.

Summary

What is Microsoft Teams? A chat and collaboration platform for Microsoft 365 customers designed to simplify group work.
How do I use Microsoft Teams? As well as the chat-based communications, Teams’ integration with other Microsoft services allows users access to shared files and calendars, collaborative editing, and easy switching between voice, video, and text chat.
Who does Microsoft Teams affect? The service is available to most subscribers to the cloud-based Microsoft 365 suite.
When and where is Microsoft Teams available? Microsoft Teams is available to Microsoft 365 customers and supports 93 languages and dialects.
How do I get Microsoft Teams? Microsoft Teams is enabled by default for most organizations using Microsoft 365.

Still need help?

There’s a massive help section if you’re ever unsure, and even a training tab full of how-to videos and guides to get you up to speed. Find it in the left corner of Teams.

Really, the new generation of working from home should be full of positives for your business. With the right tools, there should be little disruption to your business and projects. And communicating can become more precise and fruitful.

Give Teams a go and see how it could work for your business. As ever, we’re always on hand should you need any help. Just contact The LIS Help Desk for advice or guidance on this, or any other aspect of your business’s IT and data security.

Our friendly and knowledgeable team have a wealth of experience. Let us be part of your team! Don’t forget to download our FREE Microsoft Teams advice guide.

#MicrosoftTeams #FreeGuide #WorkBetterTogether

Robots that anticipate what you need

Posted on June 26, 2020June 26, 2020 by Network Support Essex

Think robots are a thing of the future? Think again. Ocado Technology has created robots that anticipate what you need. Thomas Roszak was working as a maintenance technician at Ocado. Based in their giant warehouse in Hatfield when he received a very unusual assignment.

His regular job involved repairing and maintaining the online supermarket’s automated sorting and packing system. The system puts together grocery orders from customers. It can be physically demanding work, manipulating heavy panels and working with other pieces of bulky machinery.

Research and Development

In a project designed to ease that burden, Ocado Technology, had been developing robots. They anticipate what you need. Can recognise when a technician might need help. As well as stepping in with either the right tool or help with lifting.

Mr Roszak was asked to help test the machine. He saw it for the first time and was taken back to his childhood. He said “I grew up on movies like The Terminator. So, when I saw that robot, I was actually impressed with what it looked like. You can actually imagine it looks like a man.”

For Mr Roszak, the robot’s strength was a real asset. One test job involved removing a heavy metal plate from above head height. A human would struggle to hold the plate for more than two or three minutes. However, the robot found it “easy” to hold the plate in place, while Mr Roszak undid the bolts.

Read the full article from the BBC news team at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52547331

Experimenting with robots for grocery picking and packing

Ocado Technology often hits the news under headlines of innovation in the field of AI and robotics. Over the past couple of years, we’ve announced our involvement in several high-profile research projects. Including the SoMa soft manipulation system and the SecondHands technician robot. This is because our robotics research team faces a remarkable challenge. To develop smart and generalised robotic solutions. Systems capable of picking the 50,000 different items available on Ocado.com safely and reliably.

While humans can quickly learn and develop all manner of strategies for grasping various items based on what they intend to do with them, robots need to be taught these strategies and that’s why AI plays such an important role too.

Since this ever-growing range of products has different form factors and physical properties, the SoMa and SecondHands projects will help us develop a new suite of robotic grippers and grasping strategies in partnership with Europe’s leading technical universities. While making significant progress on those projects, we are also developing more immediate in-house solutions using off the shelf components that can pick a significant proportion of our products.

Today we’d like to introduce one of these new and exciting breakthroughs in robotic picking developed by Ocado Technology. The system has been designed by our robotics research team. To pick a range of groceries from our highly automated warehouses called Customer Fulfilment Centres.

How can we help?

We can’t build robots that anticipate what you need. However, LIS can help your business. with your IT requirements. Do you have a new idea that is in the research and development stage? If so, this would be an ideal opportunity to contact the LIS Help Desk. The business world is changing, and we are all relying on the latest technology. Make sure you stay ahead of the competition. Our friendly an experienced team are more than happy to help.

#RobotColleague #ThisIsCool #ThinkingRobot

Staff prefer working from home

Posted on June 23, 2020June 23, 2020 by Network Support Essex

Do your staff prefer working from home? It seems that 9 out of 10 workers would like the option to work from home. Take a look at this article https://www.verdict.co.uk/working-from-home.

The spread of home working is opening up a new range of possibilities for the way businesses can work and structure themselves.

As well as opportunities and benefits, home working brings new responsibilities for the employer and employee. Employees with 26 weeks service have a statutory right to request flexible-working arrangements such as home working and you have to seriously consider such requests.

Your staff can be just as effective working from home. Make sure they have the correct set up, access to data and communications to contact clients and colleagues.

So, do your staff prefer working from home? We compare working from home to working in the office.

Advantages of employees working from home

With increasing numbers of employees working at home – or using home as a working base for at least part of the week – it’s clear there are a number of benefits for business, such as:

Improved employee retention – home working can help retain employees with an otherwise long daily commute.
Access to a wider pool of applicants – for example, such as those from more geographically remote areas, or people who may prefer to work from home.
Possible productivity gains – due to fewer interruptions, allowing more focused work.
Increased staff motivation – with staff having a better work/life balance.
Financial benefits – savings on office space and other facilities.
Convenience – ability to locate sales staff near clients rather than in your premises.
Better work/life balance – employees working from home can lead to improvements in health and well-being.

Advantages of employees working from the office

Though there are some benefits to employees working at the office:

Monitoring performance – it is easier to manage office workers and monitor their performance.
Cost of working from the office – costs will be lower for each employee to work at the office. No training and providing suitable equipment will be required. This includes adaptations to meet health and safety standards within the home office environment.
Staff development – easier to maintain staff development and upgrading skills.
Information security risk – less risk of data leakage.
Reduced isolation – home working can be lonely.
Increased staff morale – it is easier for a team to bond in the same location.
Some jobs can not be done at home.
Better work/life balance – employees working away from home can lead to improvements in health and well-being.

A shift towards home working doesn’t mean employees have to work only at home. Often splitting time between home and the workplace is the most productive solution and you may want the homeworker to attend meetings to keep them fully involved and informed.

LIS are here to assist you with the transition of home working. Our experienced IT professionals can advise on improving remote worker capabilities and keep critical systems working. We can also advise on the best way to keep ICT equipment clean and hygienic for hot desking and shared areas. Contact us for more information.

#WFH #WorkingFromHome #NewNormal

Work from home forever?

Posted on June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 by IT Support Essex

Would you allow your staff to work from home forever? How’s working from home going for your business? Would you make it a permanent option for some staff? Twitter has taken a bold step and allowed its people to work from home forever if they want to. Read the full story about how one of the world’s leading social media platforms are revolutionizing working from home forever.

Twitter have advised employees they can work from home forever. What does the future hold? Credit: PA

Other companies planning to work from home forever

Shopify

Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify (SHOP), announced that the world of work has been turned on its head. “Office centricity is over,” he tweeted. “As of today, Shopify is a digital by default company. Shopify is an ecommerce platform for small businesses and therefore will keep its offices closed until 2021. This year, Shopify will rework its physical spaces for this new reality. As a result, most employees will be working from home on a permanent basis.

“Until recently, work happened in the office. We’ve always had some people remote and will use the Internet as a bridge to the office. This will reverse now,” Lutke tweeted. “The future of the office is to act as an on-ramp to the same digital workplace that you can access from your #WFH setup.”

Groupe PSA

French automaker PSA announced a “new era of agility,” in which its non-production staff will work remotely from now on. “Given the positive experience and efficient measures already taken in the context of the Covid-19 crisis. In other words they have decided to strengthen teleworking and make it the benchmark for activities not directly related to production”.

PSA will reduce its real estate footprint by redesigning its offices and allow for in-person collaboration when. Above all the main plan for our colleagues is to achieve a better work-life balance and have easier commutes.

In conclusion, the new work from home plan will start in the summer said PSA, the maker of Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall.

Contact the LIS Help desk to make sure your team have the same facilities as the workplace. We can set up secure access to all your data, provide IT support remotely and make sure your business is fully functional.

#Twitter #WFH #NewHomeOffice

Admin Forwarding

Posted on June 11, 2020June 11, 2020 by IT Support Essex

We announced last month that Lodge Information Services (LIS) launched its latest product The Office 365 Security Package. This is part three of the package, focusing on Admin Forwarding.

One of the biggest concerns within any business is IT security. The rising use of the cloud and mobile devices has bought with it cost savings. As a result, there are increased data security risks. Take a look at our latest video below for more information.

Get notifications when a new admin account or changes are made to Office 365 accounts with admin forwarding. This ensures you are in control of your data and documents. Impressive!

LIS act fast, with a simple click of a button the LIS helpdesk will advise you of any changes that are detected. We will also email you weekly reports about any admin changes to your accounts

Our Office 365 Security Package is a bundle of software tools

The package works continuously on Microsoft Office 365 accounts. They provide genuine protection benefits that EVERY business ought to have. We manage EVERYTHING for you. It’s all in our hands, which is exactly how it should be. Giving you peace of mind to allow you to concentrate on your business.

Download our Office 365 A Risky Business booklet to find our more.

Track admin login access for your employees. With admin monitoring you do not need to remember when they have logged out. Do not worry if you have not turned permissions off as we will alert you. Your team will have access to data at the right time, ensuring your company files are safe and secure.

LIS can help your company to protect your IT system. As a result, making sure the outside your team have the right access. Giving you peace of mind that your files are safe. We take care of your IT security to enable you to concentrate on your business!

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