Tom Arbuthnot from Modality Systems joins Patrick to discuss the latest updates for the Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business platforms in the first podcast of 2019.
To both Tom and Patrick’s surprise the winter break did not slow the rate of Skype and Teams related news with various stories emerging throughout January which the pod move onto discuss. Firstly Tom tells Patrick about the latest patches that have been released for Skype for Business and Lync Server. There are no dramatic new features other than an enhanced experience for migrating to Teams from Skype.
Then the pod moves onto discuss Microsoft’s increasing focus on specific verticals for the Teams platform. Tom explains that they have been providing new features and integrating with specialist industry software to provide greater specialisation in areas such as retail or education.
“There is a real communication gap between a retail brand’s head office and the workers on the ground who have a pulse of what’s going on and are talking to the customers.”
There is also another benefit for Microsoft when targeting the education market. If Microsoft can make their software familiar to users at a young age they are more likely to take those preferences forward into later life.
Tom also reveals that Microsoft Teams is also now being installed by default on Office 365 Business plans. Previously Teams was not one of the default applications but now it will appear alongside the more familiar applications like Word, PowerPoint and Excel on initial installation.
Finally Patrick and Tom look at some of the latest hardware additions to the Microsoft Team’s proposition. Microsoft have now certified a third Session Border Controller (SBC) option, provided in the form of a software application by Anynode. The guys also discuss the long awaited Microsoft Teams IP phones that are now becoming available from the likes of Yealink and Crestron. More releases are imminent from other manufacturers as well.
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Presenter and Tech Journalist Patrick Watson with expert guest Tom Arbuthnot.
