Microsoft Teams define modern business Collaboration

Companies going on with Skype for Business have been actively finding answers to Skype for Business vs. Teams in terms of costs, pricing, and migration. Microsoft Teams offers various features like:

• Persistent chat: Persistence chat which is retained in the form of chat logs for as far as you need.
• Group chat: You can always add multiple contacts to a chat and make it a group chat.
• Meetings feature: Meetings can be hosted via phone. This feature includes background blur option, live captions, meeting recording capabilities, whiteboard masking and much more
• Integration with SharePoint: Teams is native to Office 365 or Microsoft 365. Thus, all Major O365 apps can be integrated into Teams. You can edit files in Word and Excel on the go and collaborate on Teams at the same time.
• Guest Access: Want to connect to users who aren’t on Teams yet? You can grant them a Guest Access so they can access files and messages from your project team.

Getting started with Teams Direct Routing

Since Skype for Business end of life is nearing soon, you should know which options to opt for Teams. If you are on Skype already, chances are that you’d already have an O365 license. You are halfway through in your journey towards Calling in Teams or Teams Direct Routing. Microsoft has already made a plan for smooth and decent migration.

Related: SKYPE FOR BUSINESS IN SHUTTING DOWN – MARK YOUR CALENDARS AS MICROSOFT MAKES THE MOVE

MachPanel automation module for Microsoft Skype for Business

MachPanel provides all the necessary tools for business automation. It is equipped with major tools and cloud-based services for better management and provisioning. Its automation module for Microsoft Skype for Business provides Complete Orchestration for Hosted Skype for Business Service Providers and Enterprises. It offers a complete Enterprise Voice and flexibility and control to manage clients.

Stay in the loop with the lucrative MachPanel offerings and experience the next Gen collaboration with MachPanel Automation module for Skype4B.

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1. Walkie Talkie

With common digital business communications features like chat, video calls, voice notes, Microsoft Teams portal is soon to launch a feature titled Walkie Talkie. This push-to-talk feature implements a traditional walkie-talkie experience over the cloud resulting in a smooth and clear voice result at both ends. At the time of this writing, the feature is in Preview mode and is expected to become a part of the official Teams app in the first half of 2020.

2. Streamline Task Management

The new Teams portal features different levels of Teams collaboration. For better task management, Tasks targeting, publishing and reporting is coming to Teams which allows leadership to delegate tasks lists to relevant locations and be able to track progress. The shift workers will always have a task to do after they finish off the current task in line.

3. The introduction of “Shifts”

For shift workers, this is the basic feature that can manage their tasks well in time. Team’s users can easily plan, and create Shift schedules. As a response, employees can make shift change requests that can be catered. All in real time through their mobile phones. With Time Clock feature, managers can geofence a specific location and use to make sure if the employees are at their worksite or not.

ALSO READ: Latest Microsoft Teams Features for a better cloud user experience

4. Workforce Management System Integration

Teams provide the flexibility to companies to integrate their workforce management systems into Teams via a set of Graph APIs. So, for customers using third party Workforce Management Systems, such as JDA for scheduling and Kronos, direct integration into Teams has now become easy with Shifts Graph APIs and SDK.

5. Latest Teams controls beneficial for first line workers

A few other latest controls include Off-Shift Access controls, SMS sign-in; Shared device sign-out, Delegated user management and many others are also in preview mode and will be out in 2020 for a better digital business communications experience.

MachPanel Automation Module for Microsoft Skype for Business

MachPanel is a complete cloud automation platform beneficial for your business. Its Automation Module for Microsoft Skype for Business is a Complete Orchestration for Hosted Skype for Business Service Providers and Enterprises. With the hype all around the business space where Skype is merging into Microsoft Teams, MachPanel can help its customers merge Skype into Teams seamlessly. Whether you are looking to offer IM and Presence or complete Enterprise Voice, MachPanel gives you complete automation with multi-tenant Control Panel for Microsoft Skype for Business for an increased employee engagement.

Get on board with MachPanel and get your hands on the tools required to enhance employee engagement for better business productivity.

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Here are five latest features and benefits of Microsoft Teams that you can utilize for a better cloud business performance:

• Better Chat filtration

This one much needed feature is our favorite. This facilitates users who are used to on-going multiple conversations at the same time which is quite a norm. With this feature, users are able to track conversations from various threads at the right time. Filter a chat by typing a name of the person and add more filter properties like unread messages, or some keywords to filter by group. There you have it, your required piece of information. Chat filtration is a major benefit amongst other benefits of Microsoft Teams to cloud users.

• Turn down the noise in channels

Notifications are really handy, but hey, they can be annoying at times. Microsoft Teams has got you covered in this aspect. Whenever you need to concentrate on work, you can simply set the notifications of conversations off of unnecessary conversations and stay notified for only the conversations you need the most.

• An improved Cloud Voicemail

There’s so much in the cloud voice mail feature to offer. Now, benefits of Microsoft Teams to users include users being able to directly transfer a call to their Cloud Voicemail. Moreover, direct access to configure calls is provided to cloud users like choosing the greeting language, configuring call answer rules, customizing the TTS for the standard greeting, customizing the greeting while you are away from office and even setting up when the out-of-office greeting shall be played.

• Reverse number look up, The new Caller ID

We are all familiar with Caller IDs. Teams has given it a new experience with a Reverse number lookup feature. There’s nothing better than answering a call while you know who’s on the other end and where the conversation must head to. In Teams, if a contact calls you, the name is displayed already but if a person (not a cloud user) calls you from their PSTN number, how can you tell his or her identity? Teams has an answer to that too. The system looks for PSTN Caller’s name on the basis of Azure Active Directory data and/or the Telco provided display name for a better user experience.

• Instantly join a meeting with Meet Now

For spontaneous meeting, that aren’t scheduled in advance, you don’t have to wait for invitation process. With a Meet Now option available in Teams, you can join a Meeting instantly without an invite and simply add people to it. This offers a simplified user experience.

ALSO READ: Microsoft Teams collaboration killer feature is here

MachPanel Automation Module for Microsoft Skype for Business

MachPanel provides Complete Orchestration for Hosted Skype for Business Service Providers and Enterprises with features like Enterprise Voice, Dial Plans, Response Groups, Billing, Reporting, Phone Numbers and other features like Persistent Chat.  It supports Multi-tenancy and Segregation for Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019, 2015 & Lync 2013. MachPanel offers a robust platform. The experts behind MachPanel are more than ready to provide all the support needed for collaboration issues with Skype4B within your cloud business

Head up to MachPanel for a streamlined Cloud Provision and a smooth cloud business journey.

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Live broadcasts are very beneficial for businesses where ongoing events are a commonplace. Hosting live events facilitate the marketing aspects of business. People get to know more about your products and services and the customers can benefit from useful information regarding their subscribed services.

What is a Microsoft Teams Channel?

Since team is group of people who come together to get some work done, this can be a task, project, or maintenance of whole system, it is made up of Channels. Channels are your interactions with your teammates which includes conversations on a specific topic, project or department. Your teammates actually get the work done on a dedicated channel. You can have audio and video conversations, share files, add apps and much more to get the project completed.

How to broadcast live event for Microsoft Teams all members

For a Live event broadcast where you wish to tag Microsoft teams all members via a suitable Microsoft Teams channel, it is necessary to have an Office 365 License. Then, you can go for the Live event in a few clicks as described in following steps:

• Go to Meeting Tab and press “New Meeting”
• From the drop-down menu choose the option New Live Event
• Every Live event has to have some information related to the event, you need to fill up the form and mention the Title of the event, Location of the event and a few other details related to the event
• There is an option to set your event to be public to be shared with audience outside of your office 365 tenant or you can make it private to be shared with only Microsoft Teams all members
• Generate link to your live event as a presenter and share the link so that the audience can join your event.

A Live event can bring big business and be beneficial for in-house Microsoft Teams all members for a progressive project and, in a broader sense, cloud business.

ALSO READ: A look into Upgrading from Skype4B Online to Microsoft Teams

MachPanel Automation module for Microsoft CSPs and Microsoft Skype4B

MachPanel is a robust cloud automation platform where all your business needs are found in a unified manner. With this modern Control Panel, CSPs can automate their entire business lifecycle and manage lifecycle of their Direct or Indirect Partners. With this, CSPs are empowered to Showcase Bundle & Sell their products and Own & Control the billing. With a Hybrid Marketplace and other features like Complete Usage Calculations bird eye view, Packaging and Bundling with customized Margins, Automated subscription & Recurring Billing with Payment Processing and many other features, MachPanel is the number one choice for CSPs globally. CSPs can resell Microsoft Skype for Business Online services under MachPanel CSP program. Since Skype4B is the next up successor of Teams, CSPs opt to offer Skype for Business Services Online to stay in line with the current trends in cloud computing space.

MachPanel also provides Microsoft Skype for Business Server On-premises services. It has gained popularity all over the business space for Business Communication. MachPanel offers Hosted Skype for Business features like Enterprise Voice, Billing, Reporting, Dial Plans, Response Groups, Phone Numbers and Persistent Chat. It is a complete Enterprise Voice Solution. It offers centralized management for Providers, Resellers and Customers.

Get MachPanel for streamlined cloud business automation and stay ahead of the curve in the cloud space.

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The post Make Most out of Microsoft Teams | Broadcasting for a Cloud Business Live Event appeared first on MachSol Blog.

Security Compliance

Microsoft Teams is built on Office 365 hyper-scale, enterprise-grade cloud with the best security compliance which ensures Microsoft Teams Security. It is a Tier D compliant product having industry leading compliance commitments. This includes standards like ISO 27001, HIPAA, and EU Model Clauses (EUMC), ISO 27018, SSAE16 SOC 1 and SOC 2. It also supports Cloud Security Alliance compliance.

Security Approaches

There are many approaches included in Teams for more secured operations.  One of them is team-wide and organization-wide two-factor authentication. Another is single sign-on through Active Directory. In Microsoft Teams Security aspects, the experts have made sure that the Data storage mechanism is equipped with Encryption of data at rest and also data that is in transit.

There are a few great additions to Teams is the Auditing and Reporting Feature, eDiscovery, mobile application management and chats and files management. The information protection Architecture for Microsoft Teams is a robust architecture which ensures Microsoft Teams security with a secured data flow between Exchange and SharePoint for Teams Files and Messages.

eDiscovery

eDiscovery is an important aspect of Teams. With eDiscovery, you can identify, collect and produce electronically stored information (ESI) when a request is received for any investigations needed for a law suit. A few capabilities are: preservation of information,  case management, export of Teams data and  search, analysis of chats, messages, meetings etc. in addition to this, a summary of all meetings is made available in eDiscovery for later use.

Data Location for Security

The location of Data is important for its security. In Teams, Data resides in geographic regions that are associated with Office 365. In this way, there’s no outage during a calamity. For example, if your data resides on the east coast and a storm is coming on the west coast, the data will be transferred from data centers at east coast to data centers at west coast, resulting in a smooth delivery of service and no interruptions during your business operations.

For a more secured data control, the privacy aspects are also quite reliable. The data stored in OneDrive and SharePoint Online resides there within the tenant and Microsoft has no access to uploaded content. Even email and documents aren’t scanned for non-service relates purposes.

ALSO READ: A look into Upgrading from Skype4B Online to Microsoft Teams

MachPanel and Automation module for Cloud Services Providers

For best automation of your business, it is advisable to get your hands on a reliable Provider with best-in-line infrastructure for more secured and reliable business automation. MachPanel is one such Provider that offers the latest infrastructure needed for progressive business automation. It is a Multi-Cloud Service Orchestration & Delivery Platform (MSOP) which offers management of entire lifecycle and end-to-end service delivery to Cloud Services Providers. With security aspects built in to MachPanel, it is the most favorite and reliable platform for emerging Cloud Services Providers.

Get your hands on MachPanel and take a huge leap in the business space by smooth automation of your business taking you to the right direction.

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The post A look into Microsoft Teams Security & Compliance appeared first on MachSol Blog.

What is OAuth 2.0?

Typically, OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol is used for providing authentication to specific flows to third party apps. This is one step ahead of the original OAuth authorization protocol. It provides authorization flows for desktop applications, web applications, mobile phones, and smart devices.

The changes to be implemented

The phones will require applying a firmware update with the consent of the organization.  The Partners of Microsoft phone like AudioCodes, Polycom, Yealink and Crestron have almost finalized the new OAuth 2.0 firmware updates for Skype for Business user’s phones. In order to stay in-line with Microsoft’s implementation of OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol, IT professionals will have to apply firmware, as mentioned earlier, and they also have to agree to the terms and conditions of using the new firmware through “consent URL”. By means of a consent URL, each vendor will have to provide the consent only once and not for every phone device.

Who will be affected?

The update is applicable to those Skype for Business Users who are using phones having a 3PIP firmware using a Skype for Business Online environment and to Skype for Business hybrid w/ Modern Auth enabled. Those customers who have adopted 3PIP firmware but have an on-premises setup of Skype for Business deployed are not affected by this update. In addition to this, customers with a Skype for Business hybrid but Modern Auth disabled are also not going to be affected from this Microsoft announcement with the implementation of OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol.

ALSO READ: Get to know everything about Skype for Business 2019

MachPanel and Automation module for Skype for Business Server 2019

MachPanel is a full-fledged business automation tool which provides deployment services for Skype for business Server 2019 to its customers. It supports Enterprise Voice, Persistent Chat, Billing, Reporting, Dial Plans, Phone Numbers and Response Groups. MachPanel is a multi-tenant Control Panel that provides you all it takes for a successful Skype for business deployment and after deployment support. The complete control panel serves all Skype for Business Users: Providers, Resellers and End Customers equally.

Stick around for more latest announcement from Microsoft regarding OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol and get your hands on MachPanel for best-in-line Skype for business server 2019, news, updates and services for a progressive cloud business.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post What Changes OAuth 2.0 brings to Skype for Business Users appeared first on MachSol Blog.

With the general availability of Microsoft Skype for business server 2019, there is a hype to know what features are actually present in the final release, as promised in the public preview. Since Microsoft is showing Cloud-first approach for most of its products, this was the most awaited version for the cloud users who were promised a great many features in the public preview. Let’s dig deep into the final release of Microsoft Skype for business Server 2019.

Cloud Services for On-Premises Users

This is the most exciting part of the Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019. When this version is used in a hybrid topology, on-premises users are able to get their hands on the same apps that the cloud users can get like, for voicemail support, Cloud PBX users use Azure VM and not Exchange Unified Messaging, with Microsoft Skype4B Server 2019, users can leverage the same techniques too. A support is given for Hybrid Modern Authentication for all users. Further Hybrid aware Microsoft Office 365 Portal for Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019 is introduced which simplifies easier management for Skype for Business Online/On-Premises /Teams.

Cloud Voicemail Support

The Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019 enable all users, whether they are on-premise users or Skype4B Online users, to get access to cloud voicemail. Cloud Voicemail feature can be used when Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019 is paired with Microsoft Exchange Server 2019. The new Exchange Server 2019 is not offering Unified Messaging. This technique of Cloud Mail is an alternate to that. With Cloud Mail, voice messages will be able to get stored in a user’s inbox. However, if you don’t wish to migrate to Microsoft Exchange Server 2019, you can still continue to use the voicemail feature that is provided by Unified Messaging on your current Exchange deployment. For those who are planning an up-gradation to Microsoft Exchange 2019 should first plan to deploy Cloud Voicemail.

Cloud Call Data Connector

The Cloud Call Data Connector enables simplification of call monitoring in a hybrid environment with the help of online tools which enables monitoring of users call quality. Call Analytics is essential to every Call related system. This feature has been integrated to the core experience related to management and administration in Microsoft O365. Now, you have the ability to upload call quality data into your O365. It means there is no need to store this data on local devices. With Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019, CQD (Call Quality Dashboard) is available for on-premise users.

Migrations to Teams

Administration experience has been improved in the latest release of Microsoft Skype for Business Server to make users move from on-premise to Teams. The experience to migrate to Microsoft Teams has been further streamlined for on-premises users. This is crucial for those on-premises users who plan to shift to the cloud.

TLS 1.2 Support

This TLS 1.2 support provides additional security for the Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019 users and this version of Skype for Business Online deprecates TLS 1.0/1.1.

MachPanel Automation module for Microsoft Skype for Business

MachPanel provides a way of smooth Enterprise Voice with its Skype for Business Automation experience for its customers who offer hosted or on-premise Microsoft Skype for business Server 2019, 2015, Lync 2013 and 2010. With MachPanel, you can get an automated experience of Skype for business in your environment as a hosted service. The support and management of the automation module is persistent throughout for a hassle-free user experience at your end.  The Multi-Cloud Service Orchestration & Delivery Platform (MSOP) offers Hosters and Partners a lot of options to manage communications like Billing and Reporting, Dial Plans, Response Groups, Phone Numbers, Persistent Chat in a reliable manner. It offers professional support for 24/7. MachSol also offers complete Turnkey solution where its certified and experienced technology experts can design and deploy highly available and secure Skype for business infrastructure.

So, all you Skype for Business Online users, grab this opportunity and switch to MachPanel for an excellent Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019 experience for a better communication channel in your business.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Microsoft Skype for Business Server 2019 is Finally Here! appeared first on MachSol Blog.

Microsoft has been widely recognized worldwide as the most promising player in the UC market over last several years. It is due to the fact that it competes with Cloud service along with the necessary software to focus more established collaboration vendors. Recently Microsoft is again in the news as it has announced its Skype for business Server 2019 public preview. Let’s have a closer look at what Microsoft has to offer in the upcoming version of Skype for Business Server 2019.

Deprecated Stuff

Like all other visions, the latest version Skype for Business Server comes with a set of things that have been considered as primitive and hence they are deprecated.  The features deprecated with this version release of Skype for business are:

1. Mobility Service (Mcx)
2. Persistent Chat for Skype for Business Server
3. XMPP Gateways for Skype for Business Server
4. In-place upgrades
5. SQL Mirroring for Skype for Business Server

In place for SQL Mirroring, SQL AlwaysOn Clustering and Availability Groups is there for SQL in Skype4Business Server 2019. SQL Mirroring was a popular method of SQL HA but it was said by Microsoft for a long time that this feature will be deprecated soon and SQL AlwaysOn along with Clustering will take its place. In place of persistent chat, there is Teams already present in Skype4B. In Place upgrades also needed tweaking every time you configure them, so most users are pleased that it’s gone. The legacy Mcx Service is replaced by UCWA, that’s more popular too in Skype for business Server 2019.

Hybrid All The Way

Yes, Hybrid is needed in order to take advantage of the newest features in Skype for business Server 2019. This will also make migrations easier to Skype for Business Online or Teams.

You can still use the Standard edition. Enterprise edition is popular too. To take maximum advantage of Windows Fabric, it is ideal to have three FE’s. Office Online Server along with Office Web Apps is still used.

System Requirements

Standard Edition requires dual 6 core processors along with at least 32GB RAM. It deploys SQL Express 2016. For the Enterprise Edition, you would need, dual 6 core processors along with 64GB RAM for each EE Front End and Back End Servers. That makes it needing double the memory needed to run Skype for business Server 2015 a few years back! It can also run QL Server 2016/2017 with latest updates. For Operating systems: the only platform where it can run is Windows Server 2016.

ALSO READ
Features To Be Seen In Microsoft Exchange Server 2019

MachPanel Automation Module for Skype for Business

MachPanel is an integrated Control Panel especially designed to cater the needs for CSPs. Its Automation Module for Microsoft Skype for Business also supports Lync 2013 and 2010. It offers Enterprise Voice service, billing and reporting, Persistent chat, Service for phone numbers. There is a centralized management control panel which offers flexibility and control to Providers, Resellers and End Customers.  If you are looking for a streamlined solution to your business call handling, MachPanel Automation module for Skype for Business is the answer.

So, gear up and get your hands on this promising Automation module for a successful growth of your business.

Lets TalkRequest a Demo

The post Announcing the Skype for Business Server 2019 Preview appeared first on MachSol Blog.

Deployment Requirements

A minimum of SQL 2016 and Windows 2016 is now required to run Skype for Business Server 2019. The availability of in-place upgrades is also becoming extinct in the upcoming Skype for business server version. Further, direct roles have also been dropped out of system. The new version will not support the side by side deployment of Cloud Connector Edition (CCE). However, it will support side by side up gradation from Lync 2013 or Skype for Business Server 2015.

Standard Edition vs Enterprise Edition

The upcoming Skype for business Server 2019 will not include the option for the deployment of Standard Edition server. Rather, it will be supporting to upgrade the Enterprise edition with a single server node instead. Yes, the announcement raised a few eyebrows at the Ignite conference but the announcement is for good. An entirely separate Backend SQL server will be a basic requirement for a single server deployment. It is to encourage the customers that form the smaller market to come to the cloud option rather than keep on developing on-premises Standard Edition servers.

Cloud Services

The on-premises users will now be able to access the same apps as the cloud users do. It is, however, possible only if it is deployed in a hybrid topology.

ALSO READ
Features To Be Seen In Microsoft Exchange Server 2019

Other Announcements

1. Silverlight is deprecated
2. Skype for business Server 2019 will be backward compatible with UCWA/UCMA along with the service of smooth transition using Third-Party Add-ons and customer developed applications.
3. Enhanced interoperability and migration to Microsoft Teams. Teams are the preferred clients of Microsoft Skype for business Server 2019, as previously mentioned in a Microsoft announcement.
4. Another feature that will be deprecated is Direct Server role
5. Cloud Connector edition will coexist with the Skype for business Server 2019
6. A single portal for call reporting and analytics.
7. Auto attendants will be integrated as a standard along with voice mail and call queues. These will be integrated with reduced server dependency.

MachPanel – an efficientsolution

MachPanel offers a smooth experience of Enterprise Voice with its Skype for Business Automation that supports Skype for business Server 2015, Lync 2013 and 2010. MachPanel is suitable for service providers who want to control and manage clients and their communication infrastructure in a flexible and efficient manner. It provides a centralized control panel for the management of End customers, along with Providers and Resellers.  With MachPanel Automation Module for Microsoft Skype for Business, Selling, Billing, Provisioning, reporting, Dial plans manipulation, Phone numbers inventory management, persistent chats and response groups can be managed with comfort.

The post The all new Microsoft Skype for Business 2019 Announced appeared first on MachSol Blog.