The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 13: Autumn 2019 | Page 32

TECHNOLOGY IS MICROSOFT TEAMS YOUR NEXT BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEM? Microsoft has announced that Skype for Business will be retired in July 2021. Will Wood, Head Of Pre-Sales Datasharp Integrated Communications “It’s the fastest- growing product ever released by Microsoft and one of the leading solutions for collaboration software today.” The announcement, made this summer, has been on the cards since they first hinted at it back in 2017. There is now a major incentive for both new and existing Office 365 customers to move to Microsoft Teams. From September 2019, all new Office 365 customers will be onboarded to Microsoft Teams with the option of selecting Skype for Business Online removed. Existing Skype for Business Online customers will have two years to plan, prepare and execute their migration to Microsoft Teams. James Skay, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, said, “We now feel we’re at the point that we can confidently recommend it as an upgrade to all Skype for Business Online customers”. The changes do not affect the consumer version of Skype, and there are no current plans to retire the on-premises server version of Skype for Business. WHAT IS MICROSOFT TEAMS? Microsoft Teams is cloud-based team collaboration software that is part of the Office 365 suite of applications. The core capabilities in Microsoft Teams include business messaging, calling, video meetings and file-sharing. It’s the fastest-growing product ever released by Microsoft and one of the leading solutions for collaboration software today. IT’S BIGGER THAN SLACK In July 2019, Microsoft announced that the number of daily active users for Microsoft Teams had reached 13 million with over 19 million people using it every week. Over 200,000 organisations have already adopted it. Its closest rival Slack has 10 million daily active users, making Microsoft Teams the most popular team collaboration tool on the planet. it might be time to take a serious look at Microsoft Teams with Direct Routing. Your business could gain all the benefits of using Microsoft Teams as a collaboration tool and a phone system to boot. TALK TO US ABOUT MICROSOFT TEAMS Datasharp Integrated Communications can help your business get all the benefits available from a move to Microsoft Teams as your business phone system. THE GREAT ISDN SWITCH OFF In case you missed it, BT will no longer be selling ISDN lines from 2020 and by 2025 it will have been completely replaced. So, if you’re planning an upgrade to your business phone system in the next 6-12 months, [email protected] 08000 328 274 For more info: datasharp-ic.co.uk 1st Office introduces Scanshare NEW DIGITAL MARKETING WORKSHOPS FOR SMES Today’s marketplace is all about data and capturing data which allows everyday workflow processes to be put in place. The challenge that lots of businesses face is how to do this quickly, efficiently and most importantly securely. Every day, employees of businesses all over the world process millions of incoming primary documentation. In the majority of cases, this is a manual process costing time and money. Andrew Jones, Sales Director of 1st Office Equipment believes that Scanshare is the answer to the problem. “Scanshare is an easy to use software solution which when embedded into a multi-functional device acts as a bridge, allowing The Business Exchange has teamed up with digital marketing experts Varn, to host a series of training courses aimed at SMEs. you to integrate your paper documents and inbound emails into your own systems and database. “Scanshare receives documents into a server- based folder, it then processes and aids the storage of the document. By using a simple interface panel, Scanshare prompts the user through the storage process, storing the document correctly and securely. Document extraction couldn’t be easier or quicker as the document has been correctly stored in the first instance. “Businesses can create and build their own workflows specifically to meet the needs of their own processes and these workflows can be modified whenever needed. “If you’re looking to Andrew Jones upgrade your current document management system and want a cost effective, secure and easy to use technology then please contact us. We would be delighted to help you explore the options that our marketplace currently offers and advise on the best solution for your business.” 0845 688 6868 [email protected] 32 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019 Tom Vaughton, Managing Director, Varn, said, “We want to empower SMEs by providing them with the knowledge they need to ensure their digital offering is working hard for them. Companies often come to us with queries that with a bit of knowledge they could solve themselves. By investing in one of these courses and learning the basics, businesses can make their resources go further, allowing them to achieve more with their marketing budget.” Director of The Business Exchange, Anita Jaynes, added, “With increasingly tight marketing budgets, people are doing as much as they can in-house to ensure there is enough money in the coffers for a diverse range of marketing activity. Upskilling is a great way of investing in the future, saving you money over time and giving you a better understanding of what works in terms of engaging clients, prospects and generating sales,” The training sessions are limited to 8 places and during the day you will learn: • The SEO essentials needed to ensure your site is search engine friendly. • Insights into how Google sees your website vs. potential customers. • Which of the latest Google Algorithm updates are the most important and how they affect where a site is ranked. You will get three hours of hands-on training, by technical SEO experts along with useful hints and tips to take away and implement Refreshments are included. Cost: £250+VAT To find out more and to book call: 01225 562600 or email [email protected]