M365 Weekly Newsletter
Issue #177
☁️Productivity & Modern Workplace
Pivot Table Excel | Step-by-Step Tutorial. This video walks you through creating a pivot table in Excel to simplify data analysis. It covers organizing your data into a table, inserting a pivot table, and customizing it by dragging fields to different areas, summarizing values, and applying filters.
Design ideas is now available in Microsoft SharePoint. SharePoint’s Design Ideas feature enhances your page aesthetics with smart layout and formatting suggestions. Available to all users, it offers instant design recommendations for text and image webparts with no admin setup needed. Effortlessly make your content stand out with improved visual appeal and readability.
☁️Copilot & AI
Here are our Top 10 tips for using Microsoft 365 Copilot every day. Microsoft 365 Copilot simplifies tasks with easy, beginner-friendly actions, acting like a personal assistant. It helps with summarizing emails, recapping Teams meetings, drafting emails, and creating presentations, saving you time and keeping you organized. You don’t need to be a tech expert to benefit from its intuitive design, making it a great tool for busy professionals.
Prompt like a pro: Powering effective communication with Microsoft 365 Copilot in Teams Phone. Microsoft 365 Copilot in Teams Phone is revolutionizing communication by integrating intelligence into calls, whether through VOIP or PTSN. It helps you manage conversations by summarizing discussions, tracking unresolved questions, and generating action items and feedback summaries.
Build a prompt library with Microsoft Lists. Creating a centralized Prompt Library with Microsoft Lists boosts productivity and consistency, especially with AI tools like Microsoft Copilot. Organize prompts into a shared repository for various tasks like content creation and coding, and customize it with specific columns and formatting.
☁️Sysadmin Stuff
Azure Free Stuff. Azure provides several free options to explore its services cost-effectively. New users can create a free account with $200 in credits for the first 30 days and access 12 months of specific free services. Students receive $100 in Azure credits annually, renewable each year, and there are always free services available for all users to help manage and optimize expenses.
Bulk Sender Insights to Optimize Email Management in Microsoft 365. Managing bulk emails effectively is crucial for ensuring smooth communication and reducing security risks. Microsoft Defender’s bulk sender insights feature helps you identify and categorize emails from large-scale senders, allowing you to adjust thresholds for blocking or allowing these messages based on the Bulk Complaint Level (BCL).
☁️Security & Data Governance
3 ways to set up guest access for SharePoint Site or Teams. Sharing content externally in SharePoint and Teams is crucial for collaborating with clients and vendors. You can provision external users with company accounts, which is simple but risky, or allow users to invite guests directly, which can lead to errors. Inviting via Microsoft Entra ID offers better control but requires more IT involvement.
Getting started with email security in Microsoft 365. Phishing emails, like the infamous Nigerian prince scam, remain a major threat, with over 90% of cyberattacks starting this way. To enhance your Microsoft 365 email security, consider implementing policies like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which authenticate emails and help prevent impersonation and spoofing. Leveraging tools like Defender for Office 365 can provide advanced protections, including safe links and attachments while balancing security and user productivity.
Microsoft Security Defaults vs Conditional Access Policies. As organizations shift from passwords, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is crucial. Microsoft offers two main methods: Security Defaults and Conditional Access policies. Security Defaults provide a simple, no-cost setup ideal for smaller organizations, while Conditional Access, available with Entra ID Premium licenses, offers advanced, customizable security based on user behavior, location, and risk level.
☁️Noteworthy (long)reads
Where Does Email Fit in the Modern Workplace? Email remains a cornerstone of modern professional communication, adapting to incorporate AI, automation, and enhanced productivity features to stay relevant. Microsoft Outlook exemplifies this evolution, transforming from a simple inbox into a versatile productivity hub that integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 tools like Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
☁️Classifieds
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☁️On a Less Serious Note
☁️ Last but not least …
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