Microsoft have been very busy this year and over the last few weeks we have been showered with new features and updates for the Microsoft Team's platform. Enterprise Connect 2019 took place at the end of March and provided the perfect platform for a host of announcements. In total there were 8 new features announcements for Teams which are summarised and reviewed in this podcast. The pod also looks ahead to the next big event on the horizon which will be UC Expo in May.

The start of 2019 has been incredibly busy when it comes to Microsoft Teams news! Usual expert guest Tom Arbuthnot covers off all the main headlines including a new certified SBC, custom Microsoft Teams devices, Teams support for Safari browsing and bespoke industry vertical Team's templates. As well as discussing all the news items Patrick and Tom also look at the migration timeline for the transition from Skype for Business to Teams. Many people are asking about the deadline date for migration and although there is no definite date set the guys speculate on what the timeline might look like over the next few years.

2018 was a big year for Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business and 2019 promises to be even bigger! To kick off 2019 Patrick and Tom run through all of the latest news items for the platforms. There are some new patches for Skype for Business Server but there are loads more updates for Teams. Microsoft are placing more of a focus on adding specific functions that will make Teams even more suitable for different industry verticals like retail or education. As well as focus areas Microsoft have also now made Teams part of the default installation options on Office 365 Business. Finally the pod discuss the latest pieces of Microsoft Teams hardware that are now available like the range of IP devices.

This is the last episode of the Microsoft monthly podcast for 2018. The usual team examine some of the latest December news for the Microsoft communications and collaboration platforms including some new voice features for Microsoft Teams. Microsoft have also unveiled some new Office application icons which will be on show next year and Patrick reveals his favourite. As well as reviewing all of the other December news the guys look ahead to what might be in store for 2019. Predicting the future isn't easy, but Patrick still tries to tempt Tom into making some outlandish predictions for the development of the Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business platforms.   

The calendar year is drawing to a close but the news still keeps on coming from Microsoft when it comes to communication and collaboration. In this episode the usual team review all of the latest updates including the release of a new mobile application for Office 365 and the new Microsoft Team's Academy. As well as a raft of the usual updates, news has also surfaced that some Skype for Business Online customers are in the process of being migrated to Microsoft Teams automatically. Although not a widespread procedure the ramifications could be interesting so the pod discuss Microsoft's latest approach.

Collaboration platforms are becoming more and more vital within organisations around the globe. Microsoft realised this as they began their development of the Microsoft Teams platform several years ago. Now Teams is gaining popularity around the world many organisations are now going through the processes of migrating to the platform, whether that is from Skype for Business or other applications. Not many people consider that Microsoft also need to transition internally themselves. In today's episode of Out Loud we hear from Microsoft about their own journey from Skype for Business to Microsoft teams.

A month on since the Microsoft Ignite show Patrick and Tom review all of the news for Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams. The main news is that Skype for Business Server 2019 is now generally available from Microsoft. The latest edition doesn’t offer a huge amount in terms of new features but is still a crucial platform for many customers worldwide. There is also the usual raft of Microsoft Teams updates, including organisation wide teams, the death of T-Bot and a future features request option. 

Microsoft Ignite is one of the biggest events in the calendar and today a very special episode of Out Loud comes to you from the Ignite expo floor. 30000 people will be attending the event and Patrick and Tom are there to bring you all of the latest news from the world of Microsoft Communication and Collaboration. As you can imagine, Microsoft Teams has been one of the main focuses during the event. Patrick and Tom take a look at all the new features and discuss some of the new previews that have been released for the platform.

Our expert guest Tom Arbuthnot takes us through July's monthly update for Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business. As always there is loads of news for Microsoft Teams with a host of new features that Tom runs through for us. The biggest news however is that Skype for Business Server 2019 has been made available in public preview. It will be the next stage for customers looking to continue their Skype for Business use on premise and Tom updates us on any new features and changes from the last version. 

Our expert guest Tom Arbuthnot take us through June's monthly updates for Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business. It's been another busy month in the world of Microsoft collaboration and communication news. Teams is now available on US government tenants, meeting the compliance standards required opens up a new landscape of public sector users to the world of Teams. There are also further updates in terms of Teams availability on the Microsoft Surface Hub and some news about Skype for Business and Teams calling plans.