Microsoft 365 adds new features to make remote collaboration easier

(Image credit: Microsoft)

At a time when the entire world is working with their teams remotely, collaboration and video calling platforms have become indispensable parts of our regular workflows. To further aid this transition, Microsoft 365 has been upgraded with new features that facilitate automation and collaboration.

In the new Tasks app within Teams, users can see a unified list of upcoming assignments and events from the entire suite of Microsoft’s productivity apps (To Do, Planner, and Outlook). The list view also lets users edit multiple tasks at once. To get these features, just add the Planner app to your Teams installation.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Along with the ability to use @mentions to get your message to reach the intended person, new actions and triggers have been added as a part of Power Automation. You’ll now be able to initiate automated actions to create new teams, send notifications as well as execute other major business processes. Some suggested tasks include automating the communication for when a new person joins or leaves a team. To check these, use the Flow app in Teams.

To address every organization’s specific needs, a curated list of recommended apps for remote working has been made available. These span managing marketing campaigns and building sales proposals to solving issues with automating responses and prioritizing tasks.

If your team requires to collaborate over diagrams and charts, you might want to check out Visio. When added, teammates will be able to access the content with a single click. Some editing features are reserved for the paid subscription.

Whiteboards are synonymous with brainstorming sessions, regardless of the nature of the work. Primarily designed for users who have a stylus at their disposal, Whiteboards for Teams now also supports adding sticky notes, re-ordering objects and new drag-and-drop actions. 

According to Microsoft, the majority of work requires web browsing in some capacity. With new features on Edge, saved pages can be added to collections on OneNote. When a user accesses them later, all the formatting and annotations are retained. Another new feature is Picture Dictionary, where users can click on any word or phrase to quickly lookup information and representative images to increase comprehension. Some additional highlighting features, support for screen readers and digital signatures have also been added. 

Aakash Jhaveri

Aakash is the engine that keeps TechRadar India running, using his experience and ideas to help consumers get to the right products via reviews, buying guides and explainers. Apart from phones, computers and cameras, he is obsessed with electric vehicles.