Supercharge Your Business. Getting Small Businesses Ready for 2025 with Microsoft 365
How Microsoft 365 is Empowering Small Businesses In the ever-changing world of productivity and collaboration tools, Microsoft 365 continues to shine as a vital tool for small businesses. With a treasure trove of applications designed to boost efficiency, security, and innovation, Microsoft 365 rolled out some game-changing features in 2024, earning high praise from industry experts. Last year was a rollercoaster for business owners and their customers. They faced rising inflation, tighter budgets, and the AI revolution. Through it all, Microsoft 365 was the trusty partner that helped businesses run smoothly and operate productively. The suite introduced exciting new features, integrated smart AI capabilities, and laid out a promising roadmap to tackle current trends and challenges. Recapping An Exciting 2024 Here are some notable new features we released in Microsoft 365 -- starting with Teams and Teams Phone: We introduced the Queues App in the fall, a Teams-native solution designed to empower organizations to manage Teams Phone engagements directly from within Teams. With it, they can manage call queues, auto attendants, get real-time metrics, and see reporting – to ensure they’re conducting customer engagement efficiently. We introduced Shared Calling, which makes a single phone number and calling plan sharable by a group, so teams can better manage calls in coordination. We enhanced survivable calling with the Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA), a backup solution designed to keep your phone services running smoothly, even during network outages. It now supports call transfer, forwarding, and incoming calls during network outages. In Microsoft Excel, we added some powerful updates: The ability to automatically sync data from Forms to Excel for the web. In real-time, responses can be synced between the two apps, ensuring data is always up-to-date. There’s seamless integration so if you go to an active Form and the Responses page, you can click “Open results in Excel” to create an Excel worksheet in OneDrive to do deeper manipulation of your data. The addition of checkboxes that can drive and be driven by existing Excel functions. With Interactive Checkboxes, they automatically check or uncheck based on the value of another cell. And finally, we integrated Python into Excel for users to have the ability to manipulate data in the familiar Excel environment but now with access to powerful Python's libraries and plots to make even deeper analysis possible. We made generally available a brand new Outlook: It has an exciting, newly redesigned interface, new productivity features, and integration with Copilot. Small and medium-sized businesses currently on Microsoft 365 are already moving to it but the choice to keep using classic Outlook will still be available. To help small businesses conserve their marketing budget, we introduced Microsoft Clipchamp in the fall of 2023 and Microsoft Designer in the summer of 2024. Clipchamp is a user-friendly video editor for creating professional-quality videos without needing technical skills. In Clipchamp, we rolled out over 100 pre-built templates, transitions, noise-suppression, background removal, auto-compose, and text-to-speech – saving users tons of time in making videos that may have taken many hours to do before. Designer is a powerful, AI image-generating and graphic design tool that can help any small business create professional-quality visuals with ease – without needing technical skills. Key updates were: We integrated Designer into Word and PowerPoint so users can generate images and use those images within these apps. In addition, Designer will suggest design templates for your slides. A Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription is needed and unlocks the use of Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps. And lastly, in 2024, we empowered SMBs to see how AI could make them more productive by expanding Microsoft Copilot into our popular apps like Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams. Users can now summarize emails, generate insights in Word and Excel, and unlock powerful meeting insights in Teams. Among many new AI-powered features, we introduced Intelligent Call Recap in Teams which serves up AI-powered insights and recaps for your VoIP and PSTN calls in Teams, helping you stay on top of important details. Microsoft’s Continued Recognitions With Analysts and Customers As a testament to our excellence, Microsoft was once again crowned a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications for the sixth year in a row! Here’s what Gartner called out: Microsoft Teams is the top pick for businesses, especially when using it for internal collaboration. With a super reliable 99.999% uptime, it has solid telephony services to keep you connected. Teams is perfect for global cloud telephony, offering flexible PSTN options. Plus, Gartner called out our Operator Connect feature, which allows businesses to connect their existing telephony services directly to Teams, is now available in over 96 countries, including India. Copilot in Teams and Teams Premium brings cutting-edge AI features to meetings, chats, and calls. Gartner said that for those seeking the latest in AI, Microsoft is rapidly innovating. Teams now has over 350 million monthly active users. This growth highlights the platform’s continued popularity and widespread adoption among businesses worldwide. If you haven’t tried running your meetings on Teams, there’s no better time to. And over on G2 Reviews, Microsoft 365 currently has 4.6 out of 5 stars. Users like its ease of use, seamless integrations, and the extensive suite of tools it offers. Small businesses have praised the platform’s ability to streamline workflows and supercharge productivity. TechRadar also recognized Microsoft 365 as “the original and best office productivity suite” in December 2024, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars. We’re thrilled that they said: “What ensured that MS Office became a market leader is the comprehensive way data can be covered by different applications and moved between them, making working more efficient and hassle-free.” Transforming Operations: How ICG Build Scaled with Microsoft 365 ICG, a startup construction firm, has successfully leveraged Microsoft 365 to establish and streamline its entire operations from day one. By utilizing Excel for budgeting, Word and PowerPoint for creating branded templates, Outlook for managing emails, Power BI for data visualization, and Teams for communication and collaboration, ICG has been able to scale its business efficiently. Here are some insights from their experience: Nick Masci, Principal & Co-Founder at ICG, shares: “Having everything in Microsoft 365 makes finding information fast and easy. Microsoft 365 has been instrumental in setting up our entire operations, from budgeting in Excel to managing emails in Outlook.” Melissa McEwen, Principal & Co-founder at ICG, adds, “Using Microsoft 365, we’ve been able to create branded templates in Word and PowerPoint, which has streamlined our client presentations and enhanced our professional image.” These testimonials highlight the transformative impact of Microsoft 365 on ICG’s operational efficiency and client engagement. Navigating 2025 Together Small businesses are in for another exciting ride in 2025 as they face trends like the continued integration of AI into our lives, a shift to returning to the office, and the continued need to be as efficient as possible. Microsoft 365 is here to support you with tools that boost productivity like Copilot; Teams and Teams Phone to support all work models, and powerful features that come included in our core apps like Design Ideas in PowerPoint that gives you multiple layout and design options to help you get your new slide started. Curious to learn more? You can read more about how to choose the right plan here. Are you a small or medium business owner/decision maker currently using Microsoft 365? We'd like to hear from you! We invite you to apply to join the Microsoft 365 SMB Customer Advisory Board. Applications accepted until February 28th, 2025. See aka.ms/SMBCAB for more details.Announcing the Microsoft 365 SMB Customer Advisory Board
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Microsoft 365 SMB Customer Advisory Board (CAB), an exclusive opportunity for small and medium business (SMB) leaders to connect directly with Microsoft. This initiative is designed to foster a direct line of communication, allowing SMBs to share their insights, challenges, and feedback with Microsoft, ultimately shaping the future of our products and services. Why Join the SMB Customer Advisory Board? The SMB CAB offers a unique platform for SMB leaders to engage in meaningful discussions with Microsoft executives and like-minded peers. Here are some of the key benefits of joining the CAB: Direct Communication: Gain a direct line of communication with Microsoft leaders, providing valuable feedback and insights that will influence product development and strategy. Networking Opportunities: Connect with other SMB leaders, share best practices, and discuss industry trends and challenges. Exclusive Insights: Access exclusive research and behind-the-scenes details from Microsoft, helping you stay ahead of the curve. Influence Product Development: Provide feedback on product strategy, messaging, training content, and pricing, to help align Microsoft solutions with the needs of SMBs. Complimentary Access: Receive a complimentary ticket to the Microsoft 365 Community Conference and exclusive swag. Eligibility Criteria To be eligible for the SMB CAB, applicants must meet the following criteria: Hold a strategic decision-maker role (C-Suite, Founder, Business or IT Leader). Represent a business with fewer than 1,000 employees. Be a current customer of Microsoft 365 products. Be based in Canada, LATAM, or the United States. Application Process We are accepting applications through February 28th, 2025. Interested SMB leaders can apply by visiting aka.ms/SMBCAB. The first meeting will kick off in person at the Microsoft 365 Community Conference from May 6-8 in Las Vegas, NV. While in-person attendance is encouraged, it is not required for membership acceptance. Join Us Today! Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to shape the future of Microsoft 365 solutions for SMBs. Apply today to become a trusted advisor and make a meaningful impact on the products and services that drive your business forward. For more information and to apply, visit aka.ms/SMBCAB. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the SMB CAB v-team at SMBCAB@Microsoft.com.New features to make your Clipchamp videos more accessible
Video is essential, as you build a marketing strategy for your business. Overall video viewership on the web has increased 25% since 2019 1 , and there are more than three billion internet users accessing video content every day, so video is a medium you don't want to overlook when delivering an impactful message to your current and growing audience. That's why we released Microsoft Clipchamp last November, so that we can help you create professional-grade videos more quickly and easily. Clipchamp has an innovative interface that is purpose-built to make video creation easier, while still delivering polished and professional results. Clipchamp is available for Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers. To purchase Microsoft 365 for your business, take a look at the Microsoft 365 Plans. Autocaptions Autocaptions are a great way to ensure your audience can understand your message clearly with or without sound. Many viewers consume content in public spaces using a mobile device, which means that their audio can be disrupted, or they might be hindered from turning on sound. Captions are the perfect way to provide viewers with the full context of the video. To add autocaptions, simply import your media, then select ‘Captions’ in the right property panel. Clipchamp immediately generates captions for your video, which you can review and edit as needed. You can ensure brand consistency by customizing the font, color, and size of your captions. If you’re targeting an international audience, you can even select a different language for your audio track. Now you’ve got the ability to generate a professional-looking series of captions in minutes. Text to speech Your team can use the new text to speech feature to add voice over tracks to videos without requiring recording equipment or expensive voice layovers in post-production. Text to speech leverages AI technology, which automatically converts written text into natural-sounding speech. Just enter what you want to say, and Clipchamp generates your voice-over track. If you plan to reach customers in multiple countries with different languages, use text to speech so that you don’t have to record separate talk tracks for each language. Choose a voice, emotion and pitch for the voiceover and then Clipchamp will turn your script into an audio track. Now every video can reach the maximum number of customers quickly. In addition to choosing from a variety of languages, you're also able to browse through a library of voices that can add a unique stamp to your content. Using text to speech is simple: navigate to the ‘Audio’ tab and select ‘Text to speech’ in the option list. Then type in or upload a script. After that, simply choose a language and the voice you like most, and Clipchamp immediately brings your track to life. You can preview the track and continue editing the script as needed. Once you’re happy with the finished track, just add it to the timeline editor. Getting started Autocaptions and text to speech are both perfect examples of the features Clipchamp provides to help businesses make videos simply. They deliver sophisticated results, while still fitting in with the same intuitive interface that’s already made Clipchamp reliable for many small businesses. Clipchamp is available for Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Microsoft 365 Business Premium customers. To purchase Microsoft 365 for your business, take a look at the Microsoft 365 Plans. Review a quick overview of how to get started using Clipchamp. Resources Find the right Microsoft 365 business plan for your business. Learn more about how to set up and use your Microsoft 365 subscription and find tips and templates to help you accomplish your business tasks. Get free resources, tech training, and guidance to keep your business thriving and growing. Partners can access training resources, customer decks and deployment checklists to do more with Microsoft 365. 1. Zhang, “Short-Form, Big Impact: Why Video is Essential for Business in 2024,” VBlog
