Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Never miss a post—never miss an opportunity. Subscribe today.

For team members to work in concert together, they need a set of tools designed to work in concert together. Office 365, with Microsoft Teams at the center, enables real-time communication and collaboration among team members, whether they're located across the hall or across the world. And with business intelligence solutions like Microsoft Power BI hosted in Azure, data can be shared and analyzed across the entire enterprise to uncover insights that can help improve the business as a whole. Subscribe now to stay informed on how Teams, Office 365, and other leading Microsoft solutions can help elevate and transform communication, collaboration, and teamwork throughout your organization.

View: Never miss a post—never miss an opportunity. Subscribe today.

Social Asset B: Curate an end-to-end digital buying experience with AI-generated customer insights

Learn how to curate an end-to-end digital buying experience with AI insights. Subscribe now!

View: Social Asset B: Curate an end-to-end digital buying experience with AI-generated customer insights

Transform your organization with the power of Business Intelligence. Get started with Microsoft Dynamics 365.

The business landscape has changed. Thanks to integrated data platforms and IoT devices, companies are successfully extracting every byte of information from business processes and using it to empower decision makers with accurate information they can use to make strategic decisions. This is how modern enterprises are capable of predicting market trends with pinpoint accuracy or quickly adapt to those they cannot foresee, and how small and medium-sized businesses are innovating at breakneck speed to rise above the competition to claim their piece of the global market. Regardless of their size, the common takeaway is that transforming data into actionable intelligence has become the top priority of modern organizations. Subscribe now to stay updated with the latest digital transformation trends and how you can tap into your organization to unlock the power of actionable insights and business intelligence with Microsoft.

View: Transform your organization with the power of Business Intelligence. Get started with Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Transform your organization with the power of Business Intelligence. Get started with Microsoft Dynamics 365.

The business landscape has changed. Thanks to integrated data platforms and IoT devices, companies are successfully extracting every byte of information from business processes and using it to empower decision makers with accurate information they can use to make strategic decisions. This is how modern enterprises are capable of predicting market trends with pinpoint accuracy or quickly adapt to those they cannot foresee, and how small and medium-sized businesses are innovating at breakneck speed to rise above the competition to claim their piece of the global market. Regardless of their size, the common takeaway is that transforming data into actionable intelligence has become the top priority of modern organizations. Subscribe now to stay updated with the latest digital transformation trends and how you can tap into your organization to unlock the power of actionable insights and business intelligence with Microsoft.

View: Transform your organization with the power of Business Intelligence. Get started with Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Why Migrate with Azure?

With Microsoft Azure Migration Program (AMP), customers receive prescriptive guidance for a step-by-step approach for a path to the cloud from start to finish. The program delivers technical skill building to ensure your organization can successfully adopt Azure; best practices for a step-to-step approach from start to finish; Azure engineering support for data and infrastructure foundations; expert guidance from specialized migration partners; free Azure tools to help you efficiently execute migrations; and cost effective offers to help you save money before, during, and after migration. All of this, available to all Azure customers, scaled through specialized migration partners. Contact us for more information or assistance in migrating.

View: Why Migrate with Azure?

Why Migrate with Azure?

With Microsoft Azure Migration Program (AMP), customers receive prescriptive guidance for a step-by-step approach for a path to the cloud from start to finish. The program delivers technical skill building to ensure your organization can successfully adopt Azure; best practices for a step-to-step approach from start to finish; Azure engineering support for data and infrastructure foundations; expert guidance from specialized migration partners; free Azure tools to help you efficiently execute migrations; and cost effective offers to help you save money before, during, and after migration. All of this, available to all Azure customers, scaled through specialized migration partners. Contact us for more information or assistance in migrating.

View: Why Migrate with Azure?

Measure  value, efficiency, and cost effectiveness with accurate, real-time data. Subscribe now to learn more about Microsoft Azure IoT.

Data is everything in today's digital world. Simply put, those businesses without the means to accurately extract data from their processes adapt more slowly than those that do. And in a world with increasing customer expectations and constantly evolving technology, gaining access to this information is no longer just a choice. There is a bright side to this situation, though. As technology becomes more accessible, so do your options for implementing and creating successful digital strategies. Today's leading platforms like Microsoft Azure IoT are not only easier to deploy, but also more flexible in their requirements and maintenance, giving your company the choice of executing them in the way that best aligns with your objectives. Subscribe now to learn how digital transformation and the IoT can put you in total control of your business, as well as how you can get started with Microsoft.

View: Measure  value, efficiency, and cost effectiveness with accurate, real-time data. Subscribe now to learn more about Microsoft Azure IoT.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Five soon-to-be trends in artificial intelligence and deep learning

To truly become a game-changer, artificial intelligence (AI) can't be limited to a one-time effort. It requires a constant influx of data and the right expertise to teach machines how to analyze and react to user behaviors. This means that while immediate or short-term ROI from AI initiatives is a rare occurrence, when it does begin to pay off, the resulting innovations and efficiencies can drive an organization's growth for years to come. Taking the time to analyze trends and establish the right vision for your organization's AI roadmap is a critical but frequently overlooked step toward adopting this technology. In this article, you'll learn about five soon-to-be AI trends that are expected to influence this technology in a major way.

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Protect your agency's database and citizen information by moving to the cloud. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Cloud technology has enabled faster services, increased productivity, and happier workers for organizations of all sizes. But perhaps the most important characteristic of the cloud is its ability to keep your data safe from cyber attacks or physical hardware damage. And given the obsolete software and large amounts of paperwork still in use by public institutions today, this ability becomes critical. Subscribe now to learn more about how your organization can use Microsoft for Government to increase security while empowering its employees, services, and citizens.

View: Protect your agency's database and citizen information by moving to the cloud. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft for Government.

AEG delivers unforgettable entertainment experiences to fans using Microsoft technologies

Why would a sports fan or music fan choose to attend a live event rather than watch the game from home or listen to their favorite band on headphones? For AEG, a global entertainment company that owns and operates 100+ facilities across four continents as well as produces concerts, festival, and special events, the answer is simple: it's the experience. More to the point, it's the whole experience—not just the event itself, but also everything else surrounding it, from ticket purchases and event access to the pomp and circumstance during the event, all for the express purpose of delivering a more visceral and unforgettable experience for fans. To achieve all of these things—as well as simplify the business side of producing and hosting a larger-than-life event—AEG relies on Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Power BI, and Azure cloud to analyze and share massive amounts of data across its diverse business units, and utilizes Surface devices and the new Surface Hub to enable employees to meaningfully interact with this data. Watch this lively video to see how Microsoft technology is helping AEG not only deliver singular experiences to fans, but also redefine the business of entertainment in the digital age.

5 Things to Avoid While Using a Team Messenger

Team messenger apps are a great addition to the workplace, especially in today's environment where working from home and flexible work schedules are the norm. However, it's easy to forget that just like unbulleted emails and leaving used Tupperware in the company fridge, there are some behaviors that are frowned upon when using office communication tools. In this article, you'll review 5 basic rules that professionals must be mindful of when using a team messenger application in the office or remotely. Always keep them in mind to avoid awkward situations and the office blacklist.

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5 Things to Avoid While Using a Team Messenger

Team messenger apps are a great addition to the workplace, especially in today's environment where working from home and flexible work schedules are the norm. However, it's easy to forget that just like unbulleted emails and leaving used Tupperware in the company fridge, there are some behaviors that are frowned upon when using office communication tools. In this article, you'll review 5 basic rules that professionals must be mindful of when using a team messenger application in the office or remotely. Always keep them in mind to avoid awkward situations and the office blacklist.

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Seattle Seahawks play to win with smart data and intelligent insights

Every professional athlete's worst fear is a career-ending injury. And each match and training session becomes a gamble in which they risk everything to leave their name in the pages of history. Thing is, having an injury-free career is almost impossible, and as the years pass, the question becomes when they'll happen instead of if they'll happen. Such was the case of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Deshawn Shead, who in the Divisional Round of the 2016 playoffs suffered a torn ACL while playing against the Atlanta Falcons. In this video, you'll learn the compelling story of how he managed to overcome his injury thanks to the help of incredibly talented medical professionals aided by real-time data collected during his therapy sessions. After watching it, you'll gain insights into how modern sports teams are using digital tools like Microsoft Azure to complement their medical teams and ensure their athletes enjoy long, successful careers.

FINNING | Providing measurable customer value increased operational efficiancy and consistent growth with IoT

Many companies would view competing in industries where labor-intensive tasks, disconnected data sources, and paper-based processes are the norm as a hard challenge. Others, like Finning—the world's largest Caterpillar dealer—saw this as an opportunity to disrupt and innovate within the construction industry through digital transformation. Watch this video to learn how Finning collaborated with a Microsoft Gold Partner to enable the unification of disparate data sources using IoT devices, and how this strategy allowed the company to substantially upgrade its customer service experience.

Microsoft's four guiding principles for artificial intelligence

Digital transformation and the Internet of Things (IoT) together have enabled businesses worldwide to gain deeper understanding of their customers. They've also allowed organizations to obtain data from previously untapped sources to better understand how processes can be optimized, but obtaining this data is only part of the equation. To transform massive amounts of raw information into meaningful insights, businesses must leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that offer the flexibility and power they need. In this infographic, you'll learn about the four Microsoft guiding principles for AI that make Azure AI a top choice among today's leading enterprises.

View: Microsoft's four guiding principles for artificial intelligence

How to enhance government services with Microsoft Dynamics 365

So far, we've extensively covered the topic of how digital transformation enables governments to become more efficient and increase the scope of their services. We've learned how digital allows them on a general level to better manage their budgets, protect their taxpayers' data, increase their productivity, integrate siloed information to gain accurate insights, and eliminate paperwork. But what about the people who use these digital collaboration tools on a daily basis? In this video, you'll step into the shoes of Raymond, a social worker who spends most of his time in the field solving complex cases that require careful analysis to make the right choices for the city's most vulnerable citizens. You'll also learn how the New York Administration for Children's Services office uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 to give their workers access to accurate insights that allow them to successfully care for the wellbeing of the city's children.

Lizo | Digital transformation in the oil & gas industry: seamless scaling and automatic updating

Our final video in the Lizo series shows how a business can push the boundaries of what's possible for a data-driven company. To do this, they needed to be as agile and informed as possible. See how companies can move to Azure to enjoy the freedom and possibilities of the cloud.

Empower your entire organization with Microsoft Teams

You've just arrived at the office, booted up your computer or laptop, and filled your first cup of coffee. You sit back down, take a sip, and what do you see? Chances are it's a login screen. Hastily, you type in your username and password and get on with a productive day. At least that was the idea, until you remember you forgot to send Karen from HR your vacation request form. You try to reach her by email but to no avail, so you boot up the informal messenger that everyone in the office uses because the legacy messenger set up years ago crashes when you send so much as an emoji. But of course, you once again need to type in your login info, only to see that Janice is not online. So ultimately you end up making two trips to HR (on the first trip, you forgot to staple your vacation balance because the document is stored in a separate internal SharePoint) to finally get your vacation approved. Ready to throw your computer out a window yet? We don't blame you. This scenario may seem comical, but it's a reality that thousands of employees must endure thanks to the lack of a single, unified digital workspace. Preferably one that can be implemented across your entire organization and serve as a hub for all documents and teams to collaborate, within and across projects. After reading this infographic, you'll learn how each department within your business can utilize Microsoft Teams to become more efficient, store documents securely, and collaborate seamlessly with any peer or colleague.

View: Empower your entire organization with Microsoft Teams

Empower your entire organization with Microsoft Teams

You've just arrived at the office, booted up your computer or laptop, and filled your first cup of coffee. You sit back down, take a sip, and what do you see? Chances are it's a login screen. Hastily, you type in your username and password and get on with a productive day. At least that was the idea, until you remember you forgot to send Karen from HR your vacation request form. You try to reach her by email but to no avail, so you boot up the informal messenger that everyone in the office uses because the legacy messenger set up years ago crashes when you send so much as an emoji. But of course, you once again need to type in your login info, only to see that Janice is not online. So ultimately you end up making two trips to HR (on the first trip, you forgot to staple your vacation balance because the document is stored in a separate internal SharePoint) to finally get your vacation approved. Ready to throw your computer out a window yet? We don't blame you. This scenario may seem comical, but it's a reality that thousands of employees must endure thanks to the lack of a single, unified digital workspace. Preferably one that can be implemented across your entire organization and serve as a hub for all documents and teams to collaborate, within and across projects. After reading this infographic, you'll learn how each department within your business can utilize Microsoft Teams to become more efficient, store documents securely, and collaborate seamlessly with any peer or colleague.

View: Empower your entire organization with Microsoft Teams

Monday, September 28, 2020

Grant Thornton closes new opportunities faster with Dynamics 365 Sales Insights and AI

To best serve its clients, Grant Thornton must tie its extensive knowledge of macro-level economic and industry trends to the micro-level business needs, motivations, and challenges faced by individual executives within its client base. The global accounting and consulting firm does this by using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, Microsoft Azure, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to "connect the macro with the micro" and deliver that information quickly and accurately to geographically distributed team members. They also use Dynamics 365 Sales Insights to understand the health of client relationships and where new opportunities may lie, take actions based on those insights, close new opportunities faster, and win more deals.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Increase oversight and control of farming operations. Get started with Microsoft Azure IoT.

No one can control the weather, but thanks to increased adoption of IoT devices, farmers can now measure and control nearly every aspect of their holdings. Further, by using advanced platforms like Microsoft Azure IoT, farmers can use their mobile devices to get information and to control their operations from virtually anywhere in the world. Subscribe now to learn more about how devices can leverage the power of Microsoft Azure IoT to enable smart farming and ensure productive oversight.

View: Increase oversight and control of farming operations. Get started with Microsoft Azure IoT.

Bringing Apps and Start-ups Together

More frequently than ever, consumers are utilizing apps for news, food, information, social networking and more. Of course, the cloud forms the core of the app economy and small to medium businesses need service providers that support their financial needs and requirements. In his article, "Bringing Apps and Start-ups Together," Prabhakar Jayakumar writes that 90% of all data used over the last two years was created using an optimized data management tool. For digitization to progress, modern app development requires efficient data management and processing. The app must engage users and generate content, "and then process the data generated to garner insights, which can enhance the performance of the app or brand," writes Jayakumar. He adds that this is where cloud service providers can be of great help, in setting up databases to be quick and fail-proof. In short, Jayakumar sees service providers can help SMBs deploy applications quickly and cost-effectively: "Less coding, limitless scalability, exceedingly fast deployments, and fool-proof security are the pillars of tomorrow's app economy, powered by the cloud." Read Jayakumar's entire article and contact us for cloud migration support.

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Selling successful process

Today, success is about quality over quantity, replacing the days of cold calling and cut-and-pasting of boilerplate email copy. This infographic provides 3 key themes to each part of a successful sales process.

View: Selling successful process

Selling successful process

Today, success is about quality over quantity, replacing the days of cold calling and cut-and-pasting of boilerplate email copy. This infographic provides 3 key themes to each part of a successful sales process.

View: Selling successful process

How Online Collaboration Tools Could Help Your Business

It's no secret that teamwork is one of the key ingredients to a successful business. But in today's interconnected, wireless world, teams don't necessarily need to be in the same location to make teamwork work—that is, as long as each team member is equipped with the right tools for collaborating and communicating on a project. So how do you determine which tools are right for your organization and teams, and what should you look for when evaluating prospective solutions? Read this Lifewire article, "The Benefits of Online Collaboration Tools," to see what author Gabriela Warren feels are the greatest benefits of adopting such tools and, by extension, what features you should look for when shopping around.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Tips to avoid drowning in data

With the coming of digital transformation and IoT, businesses have begun a race to obtain more data from their customers and business processes. This may seem like amazing news until you realize that out of the 7.5 septillion bytes of data produced each day, most of it provides little or no value to generate actionable intelligence that can influence or alter a company's bottom line. This means that carefully selecting and curating data is just as important as building the infrastructure needed to obtain it. Read this article to learn how collecting unnecessary data can negatively impact your business and to gain insights into how you can better filter data to enable the creation of revenue-generating opportunities.

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Tips to avoid drowning in data

With the coming of digital transformation and IoT, businesses have begun a race to obtain more data from their customers and business processes. This may seem like amazing news until you realize that out of the 7.5 septillion bytes of data produced each day, most of it provides little or no value to generate actionable intelligence that can influence or alter a company's bottom line. This means that carefully selecting and curating data is just as important as building the infrastructure needed to obtain it. Read this article to learn how collecting unnecessary data can negatively impact your business and to gain insights into how you can better filter data to enable the creation of revenue-generating opportunities.

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Transform your business from local to global with digital collaboration. Get started with Microsoft Teams.

How do you increase the scale of your business without compromising your teams' work structure and methodologies? Truth be told, there is no single answer to this question, but there is one solution that has been proven to yield outstanding results for today's leading enterprises: digital collaboration. However, the real challenge lies in choosing the correct platform on which to build your modern workplace—one that provides the flexibility, efficiency, and customizability that complements your work methodologies and empowers your employees. Thankfully, one such platform exists, and is currently being utilized by today's industry leaders to complete fascinating, intricate projects around the world. Subscribe now to learn how Microsoft Teams can become the best tool for your workforce to reach its full potential, and how your business can go from local to global with Microsoft cloud.

View: Transform your business from local to global with digital collaboration. Get started with Microsoft Teams.

Spend a day in the life with physician Dr. Thomas

Dr. Thomas is an oncologist whose day is divided among seeing patients, reviewing charts and x-rays, meeting with colleagues remotely and in-person, and improving patient services at his practice. With so many tasks to do and only a finite number of hours during the day, Dr. Thomas relies heavily on Microsoft Teams to prepare for upcoming appointments, review confidential patient information, and follow up with nurses and radiologists on test results. He also utilizes Power BI dashboards to visualize and address trends in his practice, like patient wait times and quality of care issues. View the infographic for a play-by-play account of Dr. Thomas' day, and how Teams and tools like Power BI enable him to more effectively focus on patient care.

View: Spend a day in the life with physician Dr. Thomas

8 Ways IoT Devices Can Improve Your Business Office

By now, you're very aware of the hugely successful IoT implementations some companies have released into the market. Wearables, smartphones, smart cars, and even smart traffic lights have made headlines across the world. But what about the stuff that doesn't make headlines? Some IoT applications—such as those we use around the office—may not be as exciting as others, but that doesn't mean they aren't as useful or interesting. In this article, you'll learn about IoT applications that are revolutionizing the workplace and how each of them can add value to products and services we didn't even know could be automated. From coffee machines to smart office heat mapping, these are 8 ways your office could be getting smarter in the near future.

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Move to the connected AI business cloud

Not so long ago, siloed client data was the norm. Client relationship management (CRM) software was usually used by sales teams to track their meeting data, but it was often only installed in onsite computers and keeping it updated was often a multi-task endeavor. Sales and customer services teams in the field had to keep their notes in separate documents until they were able to upload them into the database. This meant that businesses were regularly using incomplete client information to make decisions and had no way of knowing if the available data truly showed the latest interactions. Thankfully, that all changed with the advent of cloud technology. In this decade, businesses empower their customer service teams with devices they can use to update their databases in real time and applications that integrate information directly into their client's profile. And in this regard, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is leading the industry with a connected AI business cloud that fosters innovation and efficiency. Read this infographic to learn about the unique aspects that make Dynamics 365 the hero brand of cloud-based business applications.

View: Move to the connected AI business cloud

How CRM Improves Your Customer Service & Overall Customer Experience | CustomerThink

Customer experiences are everything. Here's the thing: it doesn't matter what you think they are, it matters what the customer perceives them to be. This means that accurately obtaining feedback from them is vital to keeping your business alive and consistently delivering the service that your clients expect from you. In theory, this is what customer services is for. But your customer services teams are only as effective as the data you give them to work with. You could have the best resources in the world, but if they can't quickly and accurately access your clients' data the moment they need it, they're dead in the water. And so, too, is your business in the long run. In this article, you'll learn 5 ways in which CRM software can empower your customer-facing teams with tools to better address client issues and draw insights to create a more empathic service. You'll also learn how it lowers the cost of each customer interaction by lowering the need to address recurring issues, and how it can become crucial to other departments such as sales, marketing, and development.

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Producing a high yield and better quality of life

Sustainable energy and digital transformation can combine to provide new avenues to success and increase convenience for people in isolated areas. This is especially true in places without a modern electrical infrastructure where residents rely on labor-intensive tasks. Innovative solutions can help them automate simple tasks, often making the difference between mere survival and prosperity. In many parts of Africa, for example, farmers lack access to running water. Instead they rely on wells to sustain their families, water their crops, and support their livestock. In this video, you'll see how Monica, an independent farmer in Kenya, increased her yields and quality of life by implementing a solar-powered irrigation system based on Microsoft Azure IoT.

Why governments trust Microsoft with their digital transformation

Public sector initiatives are more often than not highly complex and carefully planned endeavors. And, to be fair, they have every reason to be. Millions of people depend on public services to make their lives better, and even a brief interruption can affect thousands of citizens. This doesn't mean that governments should postpone or cancel their digital initiatives, however—they just have to avoid as much risk as humanly possible. A significant part of this involves making the right choice when partnering with a provider and choosing the correct platform. It's critical, therefore, to pick one that guarantees flexibility, security, and cost-effectiveness, but more importantly, ensures the continuity of public services. In this infographic, you'll learn why Microsoft has become the partner of choice for governments across the world, and what characteristics have helped Microsoft's products become a staple for public digital initiatives.

View: Why governments trust Microsoft with their digital transformation

Discover the benefits of modernization and save with Azure SQL Database Managed Instance

Check out the ways in which Azure SQL Database Managed Instance is designed to provide you with exactly what your business needs so you can save money without missing a beat.

View: Discover the benefits of modernization and save with Azure SQL Database Managed Instance

Create a connected business powered by Microsoft

Imagine you've worked hard to plan and strategize your IoT roadmap. You've finally established what devices you want to connect and how you're going to use that data to drive growth for your business. You've also convinced the board and other stakeholders about your strategy and have gotten the green light to begin ASAP. So you're all set, right? Well, not exactly. What's missing is one of the most challenging and crucial steps for most companies—one that can completely make or break your entire initiative: choosing the correct platform on which to execute your IoT program. Ideally, you want a platform that allows devices to connect seamlessly —of course—but you also need flexibility, scalability, security, and the ability to transform data into dashboards to obtain insights. In this infographic, you'll learn how Microsoft IoT Central meets all of these requirements while delivering an intuitive and highly customizable UI that can and will adapt to your business, not the other way around.

View: Create a connected business powered by Microsoft

Monday, September 21, 2020

Romanian healthcare provider improves customer experience and business operations with Microsoft

Regina Maria is a leading provider of healthcare services in Romania. Microsoft equips them with technology to optimize business processes and maintain a high level of patient care. Microsoft Teams unifies their communication applications into a single system, allowing them to reduce the approval process time and increase speed and rate of response to customer feedback. With Microsoft tools, Regina Maria's database is 20% more accurate and complaint management is 50% faster.

J Walter Thompson Unlocking creativity with Microsoft Teams

Creativity is like a living organism. It requires the right conditions to appear, careful nurturing to become more capable, and a diverse ecosystem to thrive. However, just like any organism, it can disappear in an instant if its environment doesn't provide the conditions it needs to grow and reach its full potential. Ironically, nothing generates the mass extinction of creative ideas faster than alienating cubicles. So organizations quickly began to change from the inside to create environments that foster innovation and dynamic work methodologies. With the advent of digital, they realized that not only did physical spaces need to change, but also their digital counterparts. Let's face it—when was the last time you read a company-wide email reply and thought it was a good thing? In this video, you'll learn the inspiring example of how J. Walter Thompson—one of the largest communication agencies in the world—has mastered the art of digital collaboration thanks to Microsoft Teams. From collaborating with the world's leading experts in prosthetics to give a veteran the ability to once again swim with his family, to simply networking and having fun, you'll see how Teams is much more than a work tool—it's a hub for inspiration and creativity.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Never miss an opportunity by never missing a post. Subscribe now!

From communicating and collaborating with others to simply getting day-to-day tasks completed on your own, there's no greater tool for productivity than Microsoft Teams. And with Teams as the hub for communication within Office 365, your organization can move closer to realizing the promise of the digital workplace. Subscribe now to stay informed on how Teams, Office 365, and other leading Microsoft solutions can help elevate and transform communication, collaboration, and teamwork throughout your organization.

View: Never miss an opportunity by never missing a post. Subscribe now!

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Spend a day in the life with retail store manager Alex

Alex is a retail store manager whose day is divided among attending meetings, reviewing store performance metrics, coordinating product refreshes, preparing presentations, and interviewing prospective employees. With so many tasks to do and only a finite number of hours in the day, Alex relies heavily on Microsoft Teams to get everything done--from recruiting and training staff to collaborating with vendors and developing marketing campaigns. View the infographic for a play-by-play account of Alex's day and how Teams enables him to get things done quickly and efficiently.

View: Spend a day in the life with retail store manager Alex

Social Asset A: Strengthen customer relationships with a unified customer data profile and predictive insights

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View: Social Asset A: Strengthen customer relationships with a unified customer data profile and predictive insights

Microsoft Azure IaaS has the data to back it up

It's one thing to predict financial benefits during a switchover, but it's another thing to provide the data to back up actual savings. Forrester Research interviewed six customers, aggregated data, and produced a report of the five-year Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Azure IaaS. Forrester concluded that there were four main challenges solved by Azure IaaS: continuously growing IT costs, limited ability to scale infrastructure, complex global expansion issues, and high process costs. Over five years, the ROI was 435% with $27.6 million in total benefits! For a more detailed look at the data, read the entire report here: The Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Azure IaaS

View: Microsoft Azure IaaS has the data to back it up

Keep your citizen and patient information secure with the power of the cloud. Learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Accurate client information is the holy grail of customer service. And it's no secret that keeping your customer service teams' data constantly updated is key to securing happier customers and brand loyalty. Less talked about, however, is the fact that people feel comfortable sharing their most intimate problems because they trust that their data is being kept safe and far away from prying eyes or cybercriminals. Subscribe now to stay updated on how the Microsoft cloud is empowering governments and health providers to keep their citizen and patient data secure while enabling their growth, trust, and digital transformation.

View: Keep your citizen and patient information secure with the power of the cloud. Learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Keep your citizen and patient information secure with the power of the cloud. Learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Accurate client information is the holy grail of customer service. And it's no secret that keeping your customer service teams' data constantly updated is key to securing happier customers and brand loyalty. Less talked about, however, is the fact that people feel comfortable sharing their most intimate problems because they trust that their data is being kept safe and far away from prying eyes or cybercriminals. Subscribe now to stay updated on how the Microsoft cloud is empowering governments and health providers to keep their citizen and patient data secure while enabling their growth, trust, and digital transformation.

View: Keep your citizen and patient information secure with the power of the cloud. Learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Where Artificial Intelligence Will Disrupt Next

With so many possible artificial intelligence (AI) applications, predicting trends can be challenging, especially in an age when innovation reigns supreme and new breakthroughs occur every day. So, in an effort to gain further insights into the future of AI, researchers from Stanford University and the Brookings Institution analyzed keywords in patents to identify where the technology will have its greatest impact on jobs and companies in the years ahead. Read this article to learn about their predictions about the future of AI and gain insights into what industries will be most impacted by artificial intelligence and its applications.

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Leading the IoT: Gartner insights on how to lead in a connected world

The IoT is changing today's organizations into digital businesses. It's also creating innovative business models, boosting efficiency, and fostering engagement in both employees and customers. Change is not always smooth, however. Sometimes the only way to adapt and stay relevant is by radically reinventing the way things have been done in the past, which can be a painful process for some companies. There are other barriers to entry for IoT as well: most enterprises don't know where to start implementing the technology; moreover, if strategies do exist, there's almost always a conflict regarding who owns them. During these discussions, it's the job of the CIO to fill the resulting IoT leadership void. This book provides CIOs and IT leaders with a solid foundation for starting business conversations, developing initiatives, and creating successful IoT strategies with a quick time-to-market. Subscribe now to download your copy.

View: Leading the IoT: Gartner insights on how to lead in a connected world

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Lizo | Digital transformation in the oil & gas industry: improving on-site safety

Safety is a priority for companies, especially those working in industries where a few seconds can mean a significant deficit for thousands of customers. This time we show how companies such as Lizo partner their apps with Microsoft Azure for instant status updates of facilities and equipment that are vital for site operators to maintain safety around the globe. Their customers funnel real-time data from multiple sources into a single platform. Their facility oversight is improved, their operations are more efficient, and the workplace safety is right where it should be—at the top. Watch this video to see how other data-driven companies could partner with Microsoft Azure to offer cloud-based software solutions to customers who need real-time response.

Enable digital, efficient, and trust-building services. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Efficiency is especially important when other people's lives depend on your services. Today's governments now have the digital tools at their disposal to empower their citizens with intuitive, accessible applications that eliminate the need for paper, manual tasks, and long wait times. Subscribe now to learn how your organization—public or private—can increase its ability to deliver fast, timely services that will improve end-user satisfaction and help you build trust with your target audience.

View: Enable digital, efficient, and trust-building services. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Providence St. Joseph Health provides a personalized patient experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Call center representatives in the medical industry have a crucial role to play. Not only must they solve the caller's issue, but they must do so while conveying empathy, assertiveness, and confidence to the person on the line using only their voice. But to do all of this effectively, they must be armed with the information they need, and must be able to easily and intuitively access it while helping patients obtain a resolution to their problem. Furthermore, they must be able to add new information based on their interaction quickly and efficiently, so if the call breaks or the patient needs to call again, their information is updated and readily available within the system. Watch this case study to learn how Providence St. Joseph Health has solved all of these challenges by employing Microsoft Dynamics 365 to provide their Patient Engagement Center Liaisons with a holistic view of patients and their needs.

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Providence St. Joseph Health provides a personalized patient experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Call center representatives in the medical industry have a crucial role to play. Not only must they solve the caller's issue, but they must do so while conveying empathy, assertiveness, and confidence to the person on the line using only their voice. But to do all of this effectively, they must be armed with the information they need, and must be able to easily and intuitively access it while helping patients obtain a resolution to their problem. Furthermore, they must be able to add new information based on their interaction quickly and efficiently, so if the call breaks or the patient needs to call again, their information is updated and readily available within the system. Watch this case study to learn how Providence St. Joseph Health has solved all of these challenges by employing Microsoft Dynamics 365 to provide their Patient Engagement Center Liaisons with a holistic view of patients and their needs.

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How NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports uses Microsoft Teams to win races

Unlike any other competition, NASCAR is a sport where just one second of time can mean the difference between first place and a distant tenth. As such, racing teams like Hendrick Motorsports are always searching for ways to squeeze out another fraction of a second in performance. When NASCAR changed its rules to open up access to different data streams from each car--such as speed, brake level, and throttle position, coupled with GPS location--Hendrick needed a solution for generating actionable insights from this real-time telemetry information, and for sharing this information in real time with various stakeholders. To achieve this high-speed collaboration, Hendrick turned to Microsoft Teams for its efficient communication capabilities accessible in a single, convenient location, and for the solution's enterprise-grade, end-to-end security. Watch the video to see how Hendrick Motorsports is using Microsoft Teams to translate real-time racing telemetry into lightning-fast decisions and faster race car performance.

The Future of Productivity: Teamwork and Collaboration

Long gone are the days when the bulk of office communication was made via lengthy, often incomprehensible email threads. Also going extinct—thankfully— are the colossal company-wide emails that were often responded to by recipients using the "reply all" button. Today's corporate communication is evolving—not to the Orwellian, drone-like future portrayed in the movies, but toward a more multimedia-focused and casual approach. Nowadays, boring project management software is losing traction to intuitive digital tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams which enable communication and collaboration to happen from a single platform. In this article, you'll learn about the major trends that are transforming office communications around the world. You'll also gain insight into how several industry leaders envision the future of collaboration, and what tools they're using within their organizations to push forward projects worldwide.

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FINNING | Challenges and Opportunities with IoT Apps on Azure Cloud

Every role within an organization needs specific tools and data to do their job as best they can. This task is more complex than it sounds, though. Without the required scalability and customization options, even small businesses can struggle when obtaining relevant information, let alone large, multinational corporations. If done right, however, the payoff is well worth it. Companies gain access to previously untapped data sources and the ability to filter such data according to each person's role within the organization. When combined with the right integrated productivity tools and digital collaboration software, this allows for unparalleled levels of adaptability, efficiency, and risk management. In this video, you'll learn how Finning has utilized IoT to connect its entire organization, enabling each person to view relevant data depending on their role within the company.

FINNING | Challenges and Opportunities with IoT Apps on Azure Cloud

Every role within an organization needs specific tools and data to do their job as best they can. This task is more complex than it sounds, though. Without the required scalability and customization options, even small businesses can struggle when obtaining relevant information, let alone large, multinational corporations. If done right, however, the payoff is well worth it. Companies gain access to previously untapped data sources and the ability to filter such data according to each person's role within the organization. When combined with the right integrated productivity tools and digital collaboration software, this allows for unparalleled levels of adaptability, efficiency, and risk management. In this video, you'll learn how Finning has utilized IoT to connect its entire organization, enabling each person to view relevant data depending on their role within the company.

A step forward in the age of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way, especially in recent times. In the past five years, adoption of AI-driven technology has significantly increased among the world's enterprises, leading to smarter machines and a validation of AI's role in these organizations. As more businesses adopt AI, it becomes more important as a potentiator of human talent. Businesses also gain increasing access to unparalleled levels of innovation. In this infographic, you'll get a glimpse into how Microsoft-powered AI features have been making businesses around the world smarter and more efficient.

View: A step forward in the age of artificial intelligence

A step forward in the age of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way, especially in recent times. In the past five years, adoption of AI-driven technology has significantly increased among the world's enterprises, leading to smarter machines and a validation of AI's role in these organizations. As more businesses adopt AI, it becomes more important as a potentiator of human talent. Businesses also gain increasing access to unparalleled levels of innovation. In this infographic, you'll get a glimpse into how Microsoft-powered AI features have been making businesses around the world smarter and more efficient.

View: A step forward in the age of artificial intelligence

The 7-step partner mini-guide to onboarding customers

Organizations don't make the jump to digital collaborations overnight. It takes months—or even years, depending on their size—of careful planning and strategy to come up with a transition plan that doesn't compromise operations while everybody gets onboarded. It's our job, then, to guide our clients and partners as to the best way they can make their digital plans happen. Of course, this isn't always easy—some organizations have highly rigid and complex structures that can take a while to adapt and integrate new technologies, while others may have multiple stakeholders who need to be consulted during each stage of the process. Either way, a clear and well-established roadmap goes a long way toward ensuring the process goes as smoothly as possible. That's why we've created this infographic—to provide you with 7 time-tested steps that can make your customers' Microsoft Teams adoption as seamless as possible. Use it as a handy cheat sheet for yourself or your sales teams, or bring it along to executive meetings for a visually impactful way of presenting a solid implementation strategy that's recommended by Microsoft.

View: The 7-step partner mini-guide to onboarding customers

Fortnum and Mason delivers memorable customer experiences with Microsoft Dynamics 365

Fortnum and Mason uses Dynamics 365 to support efficiency and growth for the future. The system provides important insights such as how often a customer shops with them and what their spend is, giving Fortnum and Mason the tools to make sure they are offering customers the products and services they want. Overall speed and usability, as well as closer control on costs, allows Fortnum and Mason to be proactive about achieving goals and serving their customers.

Department for Education confidently moves to the Cloud with Microsoft Unified Support

Modern-day governments are complex institutions with hundreds of tasks and a short amount of time to complete them, which creates a constant sense of urgency since the well-being of their citizens often times depends on their level of efficiency. In this regard, The Department of Education was no exception. In this video, you'll learn how the department has succeeded in harnessing digital transformation with Microsoft Unified Support.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Increase yields with smart, solar-powered farming solutions. Learn more about Microsoft Azure AI.

Optimizing resources is a top priority in the farming industry. As farmable land gets more utilized and population increases, the need to do more with less becomes a crucial competitive advantage. Luckily, today's farmers have various digital tools at their disposal such as automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence that allow them to increase yields while lowering their water and electricity consumptions levels. Subscribe now to learn how independent farmers around the world are leveraging Microsoft technology powered by solar energy to increase and stabilize their income, and how you, too, can get started with Azure AI.

View: Increase yields with smart, solar-powered farming solutions. Learn more about Microsoft Azure AI.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Turn prospects into engaged customers

Today's B2B buyers have high expectations, and those expectations will not be met if B2B buyers are accustomed to sophisticated consumer interactions in their personal lives. Executive B2B buyers are not impressed by marketing driven by large, relatively impersonal data analysis that leads to inconsistent and conflicting interactions or sales outreach that doesn't cater specifically to their needs at the right time. This blog recommends taking a new approach that unifies relationship data across the full customer lifecycle.

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Turn prospects into engaged customers

Today's B2B buyers have high expectations, and those expectations will not be met if B2B buyers are accustomed to sophisticated consumer interactions in their personal lives. Executive B2B buyers are not impressed by marketing driven by large, relatively impersonal data analysis that leads to inconsistent and conflicting interactions or sales outreach that doesn't cater specifically to their needs at the right time. This blog recommends taking a new approach that unifies relationship data across the full customer lifecycle.

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6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong

All it takes to put together a winning team is finding the most talented people possible, assigning them to the same project, telling them the requirements and deadline, and then letting them run wild...right? Not so, says Sharon Florentine--in fact, far from it. In her article for CIO magazine entitled "6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong," Ms. Florentine draws a clear distinction between assumption and reality when it comes to teamwork, outlining what it really takes to assemble a truly superb group for getting the job done. Check out the full article before you put together your next mission-critical team.

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6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong

All it takes to put together a winning team is finding the most talented people possible, assigning them to the same project, telling them the requirements and deadline, and then letting them run wild...right? Not so, says Sharon Florentine--in fact, far from it. In her article for CIO magazine entitled "6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong," Ms. Florentine draws a clear distinction between assumption and reality when it comes to teamwork, outlining what it really takes to assemble a truly superb group for getting the job done. Check out the full article before you put together your next mission-critical team.

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Customer Data Platforms: Striving for a Single View of the Customer

The ability to collect, store and normalize large volumes of data while creating a way to persistently identify profiles across digital touchpoints has been the holy grail for many marketers. Traditionally, Data Management Platforms (DMPs) have been used to fulfill this role, but their reliance on anonymous IDs, the lack of personally identifiable information (PII), and their focus on paid channel optimization has led marketers to look for other alternatives. This is where Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) come into play. Thanks to their usage of known IDs, PII, and their focus on owned channel personalization, they might just provide the coordinated action across all touchpoints and channels that marketers have been seeking all along. But as more and more companies look to brand themselves as CDPs, a little research can go a long way to avoiding potential frustration and going with the wrong option. In this article, you'll learn about the CDP field as it stands today, and how to differentiate CDPs that started on the digital AdTech side from those that started on the PII MarTech side, as well as the differences in both their strengths and weaknesses.

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Customer Data Platforms: Striving for a Single View of the Customer

The ability to collect, store and normalize large volumes of data while creating a way to persistently identify profiles across digital touchpoints has been the holy grail for many marketers. Traditionally, Data Management Platforms (DMPs) have been used to fulfill this role, but their reliance on anonymous IDs, the lack of personally identifiable information (PII), and their focus on paid channel optimization has led marketers to look for other alternatives. This is where Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) come into play. Thanks to their usage of known IDs, PII, and their focus on owned channel personalization, they might just provide the coordinated action across all touchpoints and channels that marketers have been seeking all along. But as more and more companies look to brand themselves as CDPs, a little research can go a long way to avoiding potential frustration and going with the wrong option. In this article, you'll learn about the CDP field as it stands today, and how to differentiate CDPs that started on the digital AdTech side from those that started on the PII MarTech side, as well as the differences in both their strengths and weaknesses.

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The Network in 2020: Faster, Closer, Smarter

It's no secret that more people, more than ever, are more digitally connected. The underlying network needed to support this connectivity must be faster, closer, and smarter, according to Forbes contributor Steve Alexander. "On-demand content, bandwidth-hungry mobile apps, IoT devices, and new cloud-based applications are driving the need for more bandwidth and network capacity," Alexander writes. He reminds us that "fast ethernet" used to be the descriptive phrase for the network edge, and that over time we have quickly increased connectivity times—because users' needs demand it. This is no exception. "Since its inception, the internet has a been a catalyst for service providers to facilitate faster connectivity, an imperative that will increase over time," states Alexander. Read the entire article, "The Network in 2020: Faster, Closer, Smarter" for valuable insight on why network requirements will continue to align with the need for cloud services.

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Engaging at scale

This infographic represents successful companies' consensus about which sales tools are most effective in enabling their sales teams to engage at scale with target accounts.

View: Engaging at scale

A single digital workspace that connects ideas, projects, and people. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft Teams.

As the world becomes increasingly connected, continuous product innovation in the Modern Workplace provides growing opportunities for today's organizations to deliver customized business solutions to their customers. In this digital landscape, the demand for unified solutions is stronger than ever, with 88 percent of Microsoft customers agreeing that having all their solutions together in one place saves them time. These same companies also estimate that they've saved nearly $5 million over three years from not having to switch back and forth between apps. So how exactly are organizations adapting to these trends? Subscribe now to get the answer to this question and many others regarding Modern Workplace, digital collaboration, and Microsoft solutions.

View: A single digital workspace that connects ideas, projects, and people. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft Teams.

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Spend a day in the life with financial pro Adira

Adira is a senior project manager at a bank who works seamlessly between her laptop at the office and her tablet at home, relying on Microsoft Teams, OneNote within Teams, and Power BI dashboards to collaborate and share with team members. View this infographic to follow Adira through a typical day and to see how Teams enables her to get through her day productively and efficiently.

View: Spend a day in the life with financial pro Adira

Microsoft for Government: narrative, scenarios, and solutions

Public institutions provide hundreds of services, and each of them represents an opportunity to use digital to increase their efficiency and reach. But so many options can seem overwhelming, and crafting a compelling, insight-filled narrative can go a long way to effectively transmitting the real benefits that governments can experience with digital transformation. In this infographic, we'll provide you with the most common scenarios that provide opportunities for governments to go digital with Microsoft for Government. We've also included examples of impactful solutions for each scenario that have allowed public institutions to obtain outstanding results with digital. After reading it, you'll be better equipped to craft attention-grabbing pitches for all branches of government institutions including Civilian Government & Public Safety, and Defense & Intelligence.

View: Microsoft for Government: narrative, scenarios, and solutions

Empowering independence for farmers

Modern technology has enabled farmers to obtain impressive yields that sustain entire populations while allowing them to become as efficient as possible with their available resources. However, most of this technology is dependent upon stable electrical grids, large-scale aqueducts, and a steady fuel supply, all of which are not readily available to millions of farmers around the world. One of these farmers is Monica, who depended on a water well located on her property as her only water source to sustain both her farm and her family. To make matters worse, climate change made rain increasingly scarce in her region of Kenya, Africa, which further decreased her available water supply and forced her to work harder just to maintain her current yields. Thankfully, just as things seemed impossible, digital transformation provided her with the solution she needed to secure a better future. In this video, you'll learn about Monica's story and how, thanks to solar-powered Microsoft technology, she was able to automate her entire irrigation system, gain access to accurate weather forecasts, and obtain more income year round.

Empowering independence for farmers

Modern technology has enabled farmers to obtain impressive yields that sustain entire populations while allowing them to become as efficient as possible with their available resources. However, most of this technology is dependent upon stable electrical grids, large-scale aqueducts, and a steady fuel supply, all of which are not readily available to millions of farmers around the world. One of these farmers is Monica, who depended on a water well located on her property as her only water source to sustain both her farm and her family. To make matters worse, climate change made rain increasingly scarce in her region of Kenya, Africa, which further decreased her available water supply and forced her to work harder just to maintain her current yields. Thankfully, just as things seemed impossible, digital transformation provided her with the solution she needed to secure a better future. In this video, you'll learn about Monica's story and how, thanks to solar-powered Microsoft technology, she was able to automate her entire irrigation system, gain access to accurate weather forecasts, and obtain more income year round.

Incredible Real-World Applications Prove the IoT Is Here to Stay

As author Peter Daisyme accurately puts it, "While many people debate whether little computers in wrist devices, clothing, refrigerators and vehicles will truly change our lives, actionable change is already occurring on the business application side of the IoT." Regardless of which side of the argument you're on, the impact the IoT is having in our societies at a macro level is undeniable. While you're reading this, devices that measure and predict air pollution, vehicle traffic levels, machine failure rates, fire warnings, and crime rates are being employed to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. And as cities and businesses become more interconnected by the hour, we'll find more and more useful ways in which the IoT can help us better utilize our resources and lift the burden we put on our environment. In this article, you'll gain deeper insights into how IoT devices are being used by companies and governments alike to obtain accurate data across many potentially life-saving use cases. You'll also learn about what the future holds in store for us as cities powered by artificial intelligence become near-sentient beings capable of reacting in real time to the habits and living conditions of their inhabitants.

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MS Azure IaaS TEI Infographic

Curious about the ROI of Microsoft Azure Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)? Have a look at this infographic that shows Forrester's conclusions after six customer interviews and data aggregation for a five-year financial impact. Businesses experienced reduced data center and outsourcing costs, website scale and performance improvements, ease of experimentation through virtualized environments, and developer and testers enhancements. Want to learn more about the potential ROI that could be realized by shifting some or all of your management and operations to Azure? Contact us today.

View: MS Azure IaaS TEI Infographic

How to Give People What They Want Online

What do customers really want out of their online interactions with your company? Answering this question correctly can mean the difference between increasing revenue and joining the group of businesses that, combined, lose upwards of $1.6 trillion each year by not living up to consumer expectations. Truth be told, there is no single correct answer to this question, and yours will ultimately depend on your product, service, or industry. However, there are four general principles that every business can integrate into their customer experience strategy that have proven to yield exceptional results, regardless of the nature of their business. Read this article to learn how you can leverage these trends in your favor and increase brand loyalty among your customers.

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Worldwide logistics provider connects the dots, boosts ROI with Dynamics 365 Marketing

How does a global company connect its salespeople to customers in an efficient yet personal way? Rotterdam-based Broekman Logistics decided to add the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Marketing app to the company's existing Dynamics 365 Sales app to make it even easier and more efficient to find and develop high-quality leads and nurture customer relationships. As a result, Broekman Logistics not only increased its sales, but also gained valuable insights that it uses to sharpen sales management. The real engine behind global logistics? It's all about a smooth collaboration between sales and marketing.

The 3 phases of an effective IoT strategy

IoT is quickly becoming the most important business revolution of the digital age, with its implications being felt across all industries worldwide. However, unlocking the true potential of IoT requires not only a clear roadmap with specific objectives, but also a solid front-end and back-end infrastructure that's capable of making sense of the data obtained. It's for this reason that both public and private organizations sometimes struggle when implementing a successful IoT strategy and fail to reach the desired return-on-investment (ROI). To address the risks you may encounter with IoT, we've created this short, insightful infographic. After reading it, you'll have a better idea of the tools and actions you should be executing during each of the three stages of IoT implementation to overcome challenges and maximize effectiveness. You'll also obtain a straightforward checklist that your teams can refer to when establishing or optimizing their strategies.

View: The 3 phases of an effective IoT strategy

5 reasons to empower governments with digital transformation

Delivering the best services possible to citizens while managing tight budgets is an everyday struggle for public institutions. Although this is also true for many privately owned companies, a slight delay or inefficiency in public services can spell disaster for entire families. Yet keeping up with digital transformation can be difficult for such institutions thanks to nightmarishly long bureaucratic processes and archaically old existing architectures. This means that once a digital strategy gets approved, there's little to no room to get things wrong. When things do go the right way, however, governments and public institutions are empowered with unparalleled efficiency that translates into a better quality of life for all citizens. In this infographic, you'll learn how digital transformation strategies can greatly improve the effectiveness of public services and significantly enhance taxpayers' overall perception of the institutions that implement them.

View: 5 reasons to empower governments with digital transformation

HRI uses Microsoft Teams to streamline research

Medical researchers have one of the most critical jobs in the world. It's imperative, therefore, that every second of their workday is dedicated to discovering new ways to improve human health. Likewise, enabling researchers to effortlessly share their work with colleagues around the world can make a huge the difference. Watch this video to learn how Health Research Institute (HRI) is using Microsoft Teams to enable its researchers to seamlessly communicate, collaborate, and help each other in over 150 international projects per year.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Put your finger--and business--on the pulse of the modern workplace. Subscribe today and never miss a beat.

With today's increasingly global business environment comes the need for increasingly global collaboration tools. Microsoft 365, with Teams at the heart of communications, provides the tools and capabilities today's organizations and businesses need to not only collaborate with colleagues and peers across the world, but equally important, to also take that first critical step toward transforming their traditional workspaces into modern digital workplaces. Subscribe now to stay informed on how Teams at the center of Microsoft 365 can help elevate and transform communication, collaboration, and teamwork throughout your entire organization.

View: Put your finger--and business--on the pulse of the modern workplace. Subscribe today and never miss a beat.

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Protect your agency's database and citizen information by moving to the cloud. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft for Government.

Cloud technology has enabled faster services, increased productivity, and happier workers for organizations of all sizes. But perhaps the most important characteristic of the cloud is its ability to keep your data safe from cyber attacks or physical hardware damage. And given the obsolete software and large amounts of paperwork still in use by public institutions today, this ability becomes critical. Subscribe now to learn more about how your organization can use Microsoft for Government to increase security while empowering its employees, services, and citizens.

View: Protect your agency's database and citizen information by moving to the cloud. Subscribe to learn more about Microsoft for Government.

The Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance

According to Forrester, Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance has the best ROI, with a migration payback in six months or less and a potential 212% ROI over three years. Additionally, Azure's intelligent database offers dynamic scalability that enables your database to transparently respond to rapidly changing requirements, and you pay only for the resources you need, when you need them. Azure works with your on-premises investments so that customers use their same skills when they migrate, using familiar tools and features. All of this, along with easy and free migration tools, makes Azure the best fit option for your cloud needs.

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The Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance

According to Forrester, Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance has the best ROI, with a migration payback in six months or less and a potential 212% ROI over three years. Additionally, Azure's intelligent database offers dynamic scalability that enables your database to transparently respond to rapidly changing requirements, and you pay only for the resources you need, when you need them. Azure works with your on-premises investments so that customers use their same skills when they migrate, using familiar tools and features. All of this, along with easy and free migration tools, makes Azure the best fit option for your cloud needs.

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Digital selling insights

Orchestrating data from multiple sources is important when compiling an accurate "big picture" to inform strategic action. This infographic offers 5 keys to provide insights and recommendations to your team.

View: Digital selling insights

Forget the ROI: With artificial intelligence, decision-making will never be the same

The benefits of AI are undeniable, yet the technology itself is still not widely seen as a surefire investment by a large percentage of today's decision makers. As a matter of fact, a recent study revealed that only 40 percent out of 1,500 executives have stated that they're currently executing one AI initiative, or are in the process of doing so. There are multiple reasons for this— among them, a shortage of AI professionals, plus challenges when calculating profitability —but the real silver lining is that the fight for greater inclusion of AI-driven projects starts by bringing solid arguments to the boardroom. In this article, you'll read about four evidence-based and time-proven cases you can use to push forward the execution of your artificial intelligence initiatives.

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Digital Transformation in the Oil & Gas Industry: Combining Azure Cloud-Based Services

Our third Lizo video shows how utilizing Cosmos DB, SQL Database and Cache for Redis is advantageous for a company managing large volumes of data. The outcome: increased operational efficiencies and improved visibility in predictive maintenance. Watch this video for another quick look at how Azure drives business results!

Social Asset 2: Subscribe now

Streamline your sales collaboration with Microsoft. Subscribe now!

View: Social Asset 2: Subscribe now

Social Asset 2: Subscribe now

Streamline your sales collaboration with Microsoft. Subscribe now!

View: Social Asset 2: Subscribe now

Replace labor redundancy and manual tasks with digital efficiency. Subscribe now to learn more.

Digital technology has forever changed the dynamics between customers and companies. Companies must continually reinvent their business by going one step ahead of ever-evolving digital trends or risk becoming silent observers while their industry is led by other businesses more adept at digital transformation. Subscribe now to learn how your business can leave behind inefficient processes, duplicate tasks, and a reliance on physical workplace tools to become an active player in today's digital game.

View: Replace labor redundancy and manual tasks with digital efficiency. Subscribe now to learn more.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Microsoft Teams delivers healthy, real-time global collaboration for Heart Research Institute (HRI) in Australia

Cardiovascular disease is the world's leading cause of death, a statistic that Australia-based Heart Research Institute (HRI) is working diligently to change. Dedicated to saving lives and minimizing the impact of heart-related illnesses on patients globally, HRI is involved with over 150 international research projects each year which require frequent collaboration with other researchers from around the world--a necessity often hampered in the past by the institute's outdated, unsecure, and largely underused collaboration tools. All that changed when Microsoft partner Dimension Data deployed Microsoft 365 across HRI, with Teams at the heart of the organization's communications. With Microsoft 365 and Teams, HRI can now compare results, share data, and collaborate on documents in real time with researchers in different countries and hemispheres, representing a critical first step for HRI toward realizing the promise of the modern workplace. Watch and share this short video to learn how Microsoft 365 and Teams are enabling cutting-edge communication for a cutting-edge research facility.

How to enhance government services with Microsoft Dynamics 365

So far, we've extensively covered the topic of how digital transformation enables governments to become more efficient and increase the scope of their services. We've learned how digital allows them on a general level to better manage their budgets, protect their taxpayers' data, increase their productivity, integrate siloed information to gain accurate insights, and eliminate paperwork. But what about the people who use these digital collaboration tools on a daily basis? In this video, you'll step into the shoes of Raymond, a social worker who spends most of his time in the field solving complex cases that require careful analysis to make the right choices for the city's most vulnerable citizens. You'll also learn how the New York Administration for Children's Services office uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 to give their workers access to accurate insights that allow them to successfully care for the wellbeing of the city's children.

Empower your organization—public or private—with Microsoft Dynamics 365. Subscribe to learn more.

Efficiency and productivity can mean the difference between remaining relevant and fading into obscurity. For both the private and public sectors, digital transformation has proven invaluable when it comes to leaving behind archaic technology, fragmented data sets, and insecure processes. It's also proven to be a crucial tool for increasing collaboration and improving employees' work satisfaction with flexible, intuitive, digital tools that enable seamless knowledge transfer regardless of location. Subscribe now and gain access to the latest news, relevant case studies, and industry trends that will help you plan, develop, and deploy effective digital strategies with Microsoft.

View: Empower your organization—public or private—with Microsoft Dynamics 365. Subscribe to learn more.

Begin your artificial intelligence journey with Microsoft

Today, artificial intelligence is becoming essential to the daily operations of the world's leading enterprises. This integration has allowed subsequent breakthroughs in AI to trickle down into other industries and smaller-sized businesses, allowing them to reap the benefits of technological advancement and automation. Thanks to this snowball effect, artificial intelligence is no longer the work of science fiction, but a relevant and necessary tool that can help you achieve previously unattainable business opportunities and increase efficiency like never before. In this infographic, you'll learn more about the history of Microsoft's AI breakthroughs to gain a better perspective on how your current initiatives can be complemented or enhanced by Azure AI.

View: Begin your artificial intelligence journey with Microsoft

Why Remote Work Trumps Being in the Office

It's no secret that when implemented with the right vision and control mechanisms, remote collaboration provides outstanding benefits for both employees and organizations. Workers enjoy greater flexibility plus the satisfaction of better work-life balance, while organizations obtain unparalleled scalability and increased efficiency across projects. In this article, we'll put you in the shoes of a passionate work-from-home advocate to discover the main reasons why this benefit is sought after by professionals in every industry. You'll also learn why, in these digital times, remote collaboration is not only an option, but THE best option for companies that wish to empower and motivate today's diverse and inclusive workforce.

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Sell smarter with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Office 365

In this video, you'll see how Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales and Office 365 go beyond sales force automation to leverage CRM, engagement data, and insights to help your enterprise break down silos, drive more efficient sales, and win more revenue.

FINNING | Digital Transformation on the Azure Cloud

In 2015, Finning decided to upgrade its customer experience strategy. The goal: to double down on interconnectivity and integration by using IoT devices to obtain data from all available touchpoints. Watch this video to learn how Finning managed to overcome two of the construction industry's main challenges—disconnected data and paper-based processes—and reap the benefits of digital transformation with Azure IoT.

How Chesterfield County streamlines workplace experiences with Microsoft Dynamics 365

When you think digital transformation, what typically comes to mind? For most people, it means rapidly changing technology within the context of enterprise and consumer-oriented private services. Many don't realize that digitalization and efficiency is just as crucial in the public sector as any other industry. Here, digital transformation can mean the difference between effectively improving someone's life or making them waste months—or years—in bureaucratic limbo. In this video and case study, you'll learn how Chesterfield County replaced its 20-year-old mainframe application with a cloud environment based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 that enabled easier knowledge transfer and increased efficiency—and most important, allowed the county to deliver on its promise of helping over 340,000 citizens live better lives.

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The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces

Not so long ago, it was believed that for teams to be productive, they required long hours confined in a physical office space with constant face-to-face interaction. To be fair, given the primitive state of digital collaboration tools at the time—which was pretty much limited to emails—there wasn't really a solid alternative to this scheme, so companies worked with what they had. Today, digitalization has made it possible for several people to seamlessly work together while being halfway across the world from each other. Exponential advancements in virtual workspaces have not only enabled teams to work as well as they did when they spent all day in the office, but have also proven that people are actually more productive the less they have to deal with alienating cubicles and two-way trips along traffic-congested highways. Not all digital workspaces have been equally effective, however. Yet decades of iterating and optimizing have finally given us a solid idea of the most important characteristics these spaces must have to reach their full potential. So what are they? Read this infographic to find out.

View: The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces