From communication services provided to a top Formula One team, an acquisition of a Microsoft Indirect Provider, and the cost-of-living crisis, here are extracts from popular news stories this week.
What’s New in Microsoft 365? August Update
Microsoft has introduced new capabilities in Microsoft 365 to improve connection and collaboration within the workplace.
This month sees new and improved features for Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, OneDrive, SharePoint, Viva Goals, and WorkLab Guides.
Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager, Microsoft 365 and Future of Work, said:
“In today’s shifting macroeconomic climate, Microsoft is focused on helping organizations in every industry use technology to overcome challenges and emerge stronger.
“From enabling hybrid work to bringing business processes into the flow of work, Microsoft 365 helps organizations deliver on their digital imperative so they can do more with less.”
Microsoft has also launched a preview of Experience insights, which provides an overview of user metrics for Microsoft 365.
Zoom Provides UC for Oracle Red Bull Racing
Zoom is providing communication, collaboration and ‘fan experience’ services for Oracle Red Bull Racing.
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- Zoom Execs Brand Q2 Revenue ‘Disappointing’
As the official UC provider, Zoom is supplying the Formula 1 racing team with its Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Events, and Zoom Meetings software.
Oracle Red Bull Racing will utilise Zoom’s technology across all of its communication needs, “from Free Practice 1 on Friday to the checkered flag on Sunday”. Its UC solutions will be used to connect the team to its fans, as well as on and off the track.
Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner, said: “We are very excited about partnering with Zoom.
“Their forward-thinking approach to communications mirrors our attitude to racing on track. They are fast, secure, and reliable in everything they deliver.
“Zoom’s proven track record of innovation will enhance our communication capabilities and provide us with a cohesive platform that will continue to bind the entire team together.”
Zoom Team Chat will be used by the racing team to power real-time communications, enabling the sending and receiving of instant and secure messages.
Infinigate Group Acquires Vuzion
Infinigate Group has completed its acquisition of Vuzion as the two combine to create a secure cloud value-add digital platform.
The takeover will see Infinigate’s pan-European cybersecurity footprint combined with Microsoft Indirect Provider Vuzion’s expertise in the Microsoft world.
As a result of the acquisition, Infinigate has pledged to invest in Vuzion’s UK-based operations as it looks to expand.
Klaus Schlichtherle, CEO of Infinigate Group, said: “Our acquisition of Vuzion is a strategic move that we’ve taken because cybersecurity and cloud are a natural fit.
“It enables us to ensure a more comprehensive security posture for the end customers, especially in the SMB space.
“Infinigate will be the only VAD where resellers will find the expertise to transition customers to comprehensive, secure cloud solutions.
“The acquisition will accelerate digital transformation both for Infinigate and for those we serve and combined with our key recruitment and investments, it enables us to re-invent VAD for a digital world.”
Vuzion is a cloud distributor and Microsoft Indirect Provider, serving over 600 resellers and one million cloud users.
Kaizala Users to Move to Teams by August 2023
Microsoft has confirmed that it will officially retire the Kaizala platform on August 31, 2023, and will migrate all users to Teams.
The company has stated that after the retirement date, access and support for Kaizala will be discontinued.
It follows Microsoft’s announcement in April 2019 that it plans to combine the Kaizala and Teams platforms.
A Microsoft blog post states: “Microsoft Kaizala will retire on August 31, 2023. We recommend moving to Microsoft Teams for continued connection, sharing, and collaboration. After the retirement date, access and support for Kaizala will be discontinued.
“In April of 2019, we announced plans to bring Kaizala together with Microsoft Teams. The capabilities of Kaizala complement the robust communication and collaboration capabilities of Teams, the hub for teamwork in Microsoft 365.
“Teams extends the capabilities of Kaizala – bringing together chat, meetings, calling, collaboration, app integration, and file storage into a single interface.
“Microsoft Teams will be replacing Kaizala as the primary communication client in Microsoft 365 for both internal employees and people in your extended networks.”
Kaizala was initially developed by Microsoft India as a mobile phone number-based chat application and had become extremely popular in some Asian territories.
GoTo Expects ‘Work From Anywhere Trend’ to Rise
A GoTo executive believes the UK will see the rise of the ‘work from anywhere trend’ as the cost-of-living crisis develops.
Reports in The Telegraph suggest that “employees would need to earn £900 more a year to afford working from home” as the cap on gas and electricity bills are to rise again in October.
The newspaper claims that home workers are likely to head back into the office this winter as a way of avoiding skyrocketing bills.
Sion Lewis, GM EMEA at GoTo, has stated that workers may adopt a different approach and continue to work remotely from other locations.
Lewis commented: “The cost-of-living crisis in the UK is forcing people to weigh up the pros and cons of working from home versus spending more time in the office.
“Many are expecting a mass return to the office, with predictions that home working could increase bills by a staggering £2,500.
“However, the choice between home and office is not so clear cut. Spiralling predictions of £5,000 annual home energy bills come at a time of continued rail strikes and inflationary cost increases impacting other expenses such as childcare.
“So, the ‘work from anywhere trend’ could take off even more than before, with savvy employees looking to save money by avoiding both costs of the commute and heating their homes by working from coffee shops, libraries or convenient co-working locations.”
GoTo has recently launched The Essentials bundle, which combines GoTo Connect Standard and GoTo Resolve Standard as a way of bringing IT support to Connect customers at no extra cost.
