The 3 Most Underutilized Services in Office 365

Microsoft's move into cloud solutions has been a resounding success — with more than 120 business users now taking advantage of the monthly subscription service. But as companies made the switch from packaged software to the cloud model, many employees continued to only use the features they've used before.

As useful as Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint are to daily operations, there are many other features included with Office 365 subscriptions that can help grow a business. In fact, without realizing they have them already, some businesses may be investing in cloud solutions that duplicate these features.

Although there are several underutilized features inOffice 365, here are three that could benefit organizations most. Even if you've heard of them, you might learn new ways to utilize these services.

Not Your Father's VHS Experience

Previously called Microsoft Video, Stream makes it easy for businesses to upload videos, creating a library that employees can easily access. Instead of individually training workers on your internal software, for instance, you can record your training and have it readily available to existing and new employees. Employees can also share videos in Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and other areas of the Office 365 suite.

Microsoft's video service also takes it further than other video upload services with intelligence features. Once a video has been added to the platform, it uses face detection to make it easier to locate a particular person in the video. Automatic text transcription also lets viewers search for specific text to find areas of the video where specific posts are discussed. Lastly, timecodes in the comments section help viewers skip to a specific section of the video.

Take Collaboration to the Next Level

Collaboration tools have replaced the need for everyone to be in one physical location (aka an office building) and endless streams of emails. You don't have to pay a monthly fee for a full-featured solution. In fact, SharePoint creates a space for team members to share files, chat about current products, and manage projects more efficiently.

Because it's designed to work with Office 365, it will be even more user-friendly than third-party solutions you might pay to add to your network. If you have purchased 50 or more seats of Office 365, you'll qualify for FastTrack onboarding of your team to SharePoint.

Microsoft will migrate your employees to the solution and work with you to make sure everyone is connected. You can also enjoy SharePoint training through Microsoft Virtual Academy. For your admins, you'll find plenty of SharePoint training with your CBT Nuggets subscription. Once in place, your team will be able to use the tool whether they're seated at their desk or on the go, thanks to the mobile app.

Create Personalized Experiences

Personalization is at the heart of user experience, and Microsoft has no intention of being left behind. The Microsoft product called Delve creates a personalized search experience for every user, with results delivered based on what you're doing at the moment, including the file you currently have open and the individuals collaborating with you at that time.

Delve also helps users find others within an organization with experience specific to what they need. For instance, if a team lead requires a photo for a new blog post, that lead may be able to use this search feature to locate someone in the organization who has listed that as a special skill. LinkedIn integration increases the tool's usefulness because you'll also be able to see an employee's previous career accomplishments, educational background, and industry recommendations.

Office 365 has become the foundation of daily business activity, but it's important to use it to its fullest potential. In addition to these larger solutions, there are many lesser-known features that may also prove useful as you interact with colleagues, finalize projects, and strive to help your business grow.

Take a few minutes occasionally to search for hidden features or, better yet, consider taking a training class that could ensure you're remaining productive with the tools you use every day.