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Wednesday, May 27, 2020
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For team members to work in concert together, they need a set of tools designed to work in concert together. Office 365, with Microsoft Teams at the center, enables real-time communication and collaboration among team members, whether they're located across the hall or across the world. And with business intelligence solutions like Microsoft Power BI hosted in Azure, data can be shared and analyzed across the entire enterprise to uncover insights that can help improve the business as a whole. Subscribe now to stay informed on how Teams, Office 365, and other leading Microsoft solutions can help elevate and transform communication, collaboration, and teamwork throughout your organization.
Microsoft Power BI Premium
If you're trying to find the best solution for your data analysis needs, read this white paper to get the inside details on what Power BI offers. Dedicated capacity, ability to work within your firewall with an on-premises server, the ability to build and distribute solutions broadly, higher dataset refresh rates and much more, including a peek at future feature sets.
6 Strategies to boost sales productivity: A guide to modernizing your growing business
This guide will give you six strategies for meeting your sales challenges. You'll get tips on how to meet customers at any point in the possibly non-linear journey, implement seamless solutions, ease onboarding and alignment, and get holistic performance insights.
92% of sales organizations rank sales engagement platforms as critical to their success.(1) You can help your customers make this critical move and find a solution that scales with their business--Dynamics 365.
(1) Craig Rosenberg, "Sales Engagement - the Definitive Guide," TOPO, accessed January 15, 2019
View: 6 Strategies to boost sales productivity: A guide to modernizing your growing business
Northrop & Johnson boosts sales and marketing efforts with Dynamics 365
Marketing technology is not something that has been widely adopted in the luxury yacht industry. Yet, targeting this niche demographic requires precision and little room for mistake.
Watch as Northrop & Johnson, a luxury yacht company, implemented Dynamics 365 Sales Pro and achieved a 70% increase on their charter sales. Dynamics 365 gave them a real competitive advantage, providing them with a window into the customer the entire way through the sales cycle.
Use this testimonial video to demonstrate to your customers how one company easily implemented Sales Pro and was able to strengthen customer relationships, predict buying behaviors, and be much more precise in their marketing activities.
Give Your Sales Team the Winning Edge: Quick Time to Value with Dynamics 365 Sales Professional
Do you struggle with outdated, legacy sales automation solutions that still place data in silos and prevent your sales team from working remotely? You're not alone! Many SMBs believe that new, cutting edge digital solutions are too expensive and out of reach.
Fortunately, there is a better way. Modern digital-first solutions like Dynamics 365 Sales Professional empower sellers to work remotely and access customer data like never before possible. It provides unparalleled customer insights and works seamlessly with the rest of Dynamics 365 and Office 365.
Use this eBook to illustrate how Sales Professional is designed specifically for SMBs and delivers improved customer experiences, a better sales process, and usable customer data. For those companies without distinct business units, Sales Professional acts as an extended team empowering businesses to deliver superior digital customer experiences.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
The Network in 2020: Faster, Closer, Smarter
It's no secret that more people, more than ever, are more digitally connected. The underlying network needed to support this connectivity must be faster, closer, and smarter, according to Forbes contributor Steve Alexander.
"On-demand content, bandwidth-hungry mobile apps, IoT devices, and new cloud-based applications are driving the need for more bandwidth and network capacity," Alexander writes. He reminds us that "fast ethernet" used to be the descriptive phrase for the network edge, and that over time we have quickly increased connectivity times—because users' needs demand it. This is no exception. "Since its inception, the internet has a been a catalyst for service providers to facilitate faster connectivity, an imperative that will increase over time," states Alexander.
Read the entire article, "The Network in 2020: Faster, Closer, Smarter" for valuable insight on why network requirements will continue to align with the need for cloud services.
The Adecco Group connects a global workforce through innovative and collaborative technologies
As a global leader in professional staffing, career transition, and talent mobility, the Adecco Group has been transforming the world of work. They help customers embrace the changing employment landscape and develop new ways of working. With 34,000 team members across the globe, they needed more effective ways to collaborate in real time and a better way to access data for driving good decisions.
Microsoft 365 equips HR leaders with the people data needed to drive business and cultural transformation. Now these leaders can tap into the idea of working out loud and stimulating employee creativity with Microsoft Teams. And with Power BI, they've unlocked data so they can get the analysis they need, right on the spot!
Check out how Adecco is creating the future of work in these two brief videos!
New Belgium Brewery and Microsoft Dynamics - The CRM Story
"We have fun. We make fun. We share fun. The future is bright," that's what we heard from the New Belgium Brewing Company. What's CRM powers all this fun? Microsoft Dynamics 365, of course!
"Technology now is a natural extension of how we do our job. And that tech must fit into the experience that we're trying to give to our co-workers and our customers," the brewer says. In this video, discover how Dynamics helps New Belgium Brewing discover the best path to reaching each and every buyer and engaging with personalized content.
AEG delivers unforgettable entertainment experiences to fans using Microsoft technologies
Why would a sports fan or music fan choose to attend a live event rather than watch the game from home or listen to their favorite band on headphones? For AEG, a global entertainment company that owns and operates 100+ facilities across four continents as well as produces concerts, festival, and special events, the answer is simple: it's the experience. More to the point, it's the whole experience—not just the event itself, but also everything else surrounding it, from ticket purchases and event access to the pomp and circumstance during the event, all for the express purpose of delivering a more visceral and unforgettable experience for fans. To achieve all of these things—as well as simplify the business side of producing and hosting a larger-than-life event—AEG relies on Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Power BI, and Azure cloud to analyze and share massive amounts of data across its diverse business units, and utilizes Surface devices and the new Surface Hub to enable employees to meaningfully interact with this data. Watch this lively video to see how Microsoft technology is helping AEG not only deliver singular experiences to fans, but also redefine the business of entertainment in the digital age.
MS Azure IaaS TEI Infographic
Curious about the ROI of Microsoft Azure Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)? Have a look at this infographic that shows Forrester's conclusions after six customer interviews and data aggregation for a five-year financial impact.
Businesses experienced reduced data center and outsourcing costs, website scale and performance improvements, ease of experimentation through virtualized environments, and developer and testers enhancements.
Want to learn more about the potential ROI that could be realized by shifting some or all of your management and operations to Azure? Contact us today.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Here Is the One Question You Need to Ask Your Sales Team
What's the one question to ask your sales team to empower them to achieve more? Check out this article from award-winning researcher, sales expert and tech entrepreneur, David Priemer. In Entrepreneur, David shares advice for selling more, faster and with less friction --encouraging organizations to unveil "blockers and blind spots lurking in the dark corners of your sales operation."
Take customer engagement to a whole new level
Engagement matters to technology buyers. Check out this infographic to see how combining Dynamics 365 for Sales, Office 365 and LinkedIn Sales Navigator helps customers break through roadblocks to better sales efficiency by bringing relationship data together for actionable insights.
Get out from under the complexity of disconnected tools, data and processes once and for all!
The Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
According to Forrester, Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance has the best ROI, with a migration payback in six months or less and a potential 212% ROI over three years.
Additionally, Azure's intelligent database offers dynamic scalability that enables your database to transparently respond to rapidly changing requirements, and you pay only for the resources you need, when you need them.
Azure works with your on-premises investments so that customers use their same skills when they migrate, using familiar tools and features. All of this, along with easy and free migration tools, makes Azure the best fit option for your cloud needs.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Leerwerkloket combats unemployment with Dynamics 365 Sales Professional
Watch this video and learn how Leerwerkloket—a Netherlands-based career counseling organization—upgraded to Dynamics 365 Sales Professional, which gave them the ability to turn data into useful insights. Leerwerkloket provides services to those who are unemployed, as well as seeking a career change. They offer personalized advice to all candidates looking for new jobs.
A significant reason they chose to upgrade to Sales Pro is that it's a cloud application running in Microsoft's own data centers, which is fully compliant with government standards, such as GDPR.
Since the upgrade, Leerwerkloket can now gather relevant and critical data to report back to their government.
Good Decision Making Requires Good Data
In our data centric times, it's easy to equate lots of data with good data. Catch this article, "Good Decision Making Requires Good Data" in Entrepreneur Magazine. Author George Deeb of Red Rocket Ventures gives personal examples of thinking he had the data thing down and then realizing the need to continue to refine their AI efforts to have accurate and meaningful data. With Microsoft's AI Builder layered onto the Power Platform, you can ensure it will be easy to build dashboards, apps, and workflows. Get the information you need to run your business, whatever your field.
How Online Collaboration Tools Could Help Your Business
It's no secret that teamwork is one of the key ingredients to a successful business. But in today's interconnected, wireless world, teams don't necessarily need to be in the same location to make teamwork work—that is, as long as each team member is equipped with the right tools for collaborating and communicating on a project. So how do you determine which tools are right for your organization and teams, and what should you look for when evaluating prospective solutions? Read this Lifewire article, "The Benefits of Online Collaboration Tools," to see what author Gabriela Warren feels are the greatest benefits of adopting such tools and, by extension, what features you should look for when shopping around.
Digital Transformation in the Oil & Gas Industry: Combining Azure Cloud-Based Services
Our third Lizo video shows how utilizing Cosmos DB, SQL Database and Cache for Redis is advantageous for a company managing large volumes of data. The outcome: increased operational efficiencies and improved visibility in predictive maintenance. Watch this video for another quick look at how Azure drives business results!
Microsoft Cortana unlocks data's full potential
Modern business is being transformed by three major trends: Big data, the cloud and intelligence. The winners will master all three. Learn how Microsoft Cortana can get you there by unlocking the full potential of your data. Remove the divide between IT and the business side of your operation and empower your whole workforce to access data and drive better decisions. Transform data into intelligent action with Power BI and Microsoft Azure.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Spend a day in the life with physician Dr. Thomas
Dr. Thomas is an oncologist whose day is divided among seeing patients, reviewing charts and x-rays, meeting with colleagues remotely and in-person, and improving patient services at his practice. With so many tasks to do and only a finite number of hours during the day, Dr. Thomas relies heavily on Microsoft Teams to prepare for upcoming appointments, review confidential patient information, and follow up with nurses and radiologists on test results. He also utilizes Power BI dashboards to visualize and address trends in his practice, like patient wait times and quality of care issues. View the infographic for a play-by-play account of Dr. Thomas' day, and how Teams and tools like Power BI enable him to more effectively focus on patient care.
Customer story: Garner Foods
Although Garner Foods is based in South Carolina, they sell hot sauce and Green Mountain Gringo brand products all over the world. With digital tools, their projects are easily managed remotely, and team members can work from anywhere.
Garner Foods chose to partner with Microsoft 365 Business to easily onboard new employees and to secure company data stored on countless devices. With employees and sales representatives traveling all over the United States, being able to securely work and collaborate from any device has played a huge role in the company's ongoing success.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
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Data locked in silos prevents your teams from fully accessing all the info they need to remain competitive. Microsoft Power BI and Azure give your team the ability to leverage a secure, simple-to-manage infrastructure to analyze data and view reports when and where they're needed --across any device, online and offline.
Make collaboration and data sharing easier and more engaging across teams with stunning visuals; plus, simple data discovery and reporting. Discover how Power BI can transform analytics with business intelligence like you've never seen before.
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From communicating and collaborating with others to simply getting day-to-day tasks completed on your own, there's no greater tool for productivity than Microsoft Teams. And with Teams as the hub for communication within Office 365, your organization can move closer to realizing the promise of the digital workplace. Subscribe now to stay informed on how Teams, Office 365, and other leading Microsoft solutions can help elevate and transform communication, collaboration, and teamwork throughout your organization.
View: Never miss an opportunity by never missing a post. Subscribe now!
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Spend a day in the life with retail store manager Alex
Alex is a retail store manager whose day is divided among attending meetings, reviewing store performance metrics, coordinating product refreshes, preparing presentations, and interviewing prospective employees. With so many tasks to do and only a finite number of hours in the day, Alex relies heavily on Microsoft Teams to get everything done--from recruiting and training staff to collaborating with vendors and developing marketing campaigns. View the infographic for a play-by-play account of Alex's day and how Teams enables him to get things done quickly and efficiently.
View: Spend a day in the life with retail store manager Alex
It's 2020. Do You Know Where Your Digital Future Is?
In most of our homes, we utilize and depend on the cloud in multiple ways every single day—think online banking and shopping, social media, email and doorbell video cameras. "It might be the first time in history that our habits at home have outpaced how we function at work," writes Tyler Bowman in his Forbes article, "It's 2020. Do You Know Where Your Digital Future Is?"
Bowman addresses three main lingering concerns in the corporate world, including generational divide. "Millennials are driving a market disruption that many CEOs are grappling to embrace," Bowman adds, however, that this difference does not need to result in irreconcilable work practices and values. His suggestions for embracing the disruption support his main point, which is it's just a matter of time before our cloud utilization at work catches up to our already existing cloud dependency at home.
Read this article for interesting perspective on the corporate cloud in 2020 and beyond.
Virgin Atlantic improves internal customer service with Power BI and PowerApps
At Virgin Atlantic, Manuela Pichler and the Business Systems Development team is focused on being the world's most-loved airline -- a goal that requires creating quick wins and tactical development solutions. To achieve this goal, Manuela adopted Microsoft PowerApps to simplify and accelerate app development by connecting business data with Power BI.
Watch this video to discover what Manuela and her team are able to achieve by using Microsoft Modern BI to simplify collaboration and data sharing and get quick access to data insights anytime and anywhere. From improving customer service to ensuring safety and compliance to sparking innovation -- Microsoft PowerApps and Dynamics 365 give Virgin Atlantic everything it needs to help business and field workers excel while bringing more love to the travel experience.
How NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports uses Microsoft Teams to win races
Unlike any other competition, NASCAR is a sport where just one second of time can mean the difference between first place and a distant tenth. As such, racing teams like Hendrick Motorsports are always searching for ways to squeeze out another fraction of a second in performance. When NASCAR changed its rules to open up access to different data streams from each car--such as speed, brake level, and throttle position, coupled with GPS location--Hendrick needed a solution for generating actionable insights from this real-time telemetry information, and for sharing this information in real time with various stakeholders. To achieve this high-speed collaboration, Hendrick turned to Microsoft Teams for its efficient communication capabilities accessible in a single, convenient location, and for the solution's enterprise-grade, end-to-end security. Watch the video to see how Hendrick Motorsports is using Microsoft Teams to translate real-time racing telemetry into lightning-fast decisions and faster race car performance.
SQL Server and Azure SQL Database GDPR Guidance Paper
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation in European law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside of these areas.
To meet General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements, Microsoft has implemented technical (tooling) and organizational measures (processes) to ensure that data processing is in accordance with GDPR privacy regulations. The actual path will be different for every organization, but general resources are available in a Service Trust Portal that Microsoft has created for customers to get started.
This white paper provides a good overview of GDPR and includes many links to sites with more specific information for associated topics. Contact us if you have questions!
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Why the cloud? Why Microsoft Azure?
Is the cloud secure for my apps? Which apps make sense to run in the cloud? Can I trust my business-critical app to a cloud vendor? You want to head to the cloud, but naturally you have questions.
You may also wonder why customers choose Microsoft Azure for their cloud migration. One reason is unparalleled innovation: you can maximize your productivity with fully managed services such as App Service, Azure SQL Database, and global on-demand Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Your focus should be driving your business priorities instead of worrying about running data centers.
Want to know the other reasons to choose Azure? Have questions? Inner-City Cubes is ready to help you!
Satya Nadella On Microsoft's New Age Of Intelligence
"Microsoft was born to do a certain set of things. We're about empowering people in organizations all over the world to achieve more. In today's world, we want to use AI to achieve that."
That's Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, crisply explaining the company's artificial-intelligence vision in an interview with Fast Company. Read the article for a look at how Microsoft aims to tie everything from Cortana to HoloLens to Office to Azure into one amazing AI experience.
6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong
All it takes to put together a winning team is finding the most talented people possible, assigning them to the same project, telling them the requirements and deadline, and then letting them run wild...right? Not so, says Sharon Florentine--in fact, far from it. In her article for CIO magazine entitled "6 ways you're getting teamwork wrong," Ms. Florentine draws a clear distinction between assumption and reality when it comes to teamwork, outlining what it really takes to assemble a truly superb group for getting the job done. Check out the full article before you put together your next mission-critical team.
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Integrating your enterprise resource planning system with customer relationship management
A priority of many businesses is integrating ERP software with their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Read this article to discover the timesaving and data-related benefits these connections provide.
Map to Your Customers' Sales Expectations
Check out this infographic to see how Dynamics 365 for Sales integrates with LinkedIn and familiar Office 365 applications like Outlook to make it easy for you to navigate common sales challenges and deliver delightful customer experiences.
Spend a day in the life with financial pro Adira
Adira is a senior project manager at a bank who works seamlessly between her laptop at the office and her tablet at home, relying on Microsoft Teams, OneNote within Teams, and Power BI dashboards to collaborate and share with team members. View this infographic to follow Adira through a typical day and to see how Teams enables her to get through her day productively and efficiently.
Spend a day in the life with financial pro Adira
Adira is a senior project manager at a bank who works seamlessly between her laptop at the office and her tablet at home, relying on Microsoft Teams, OneNote within Teams, and Power BI dashboards to collaborate and share with team members. View this infographic to follow Adira through a typical day and to see how Teams enables her to get through her day productively and efficiently.
How Modern BI Delivers Insights to Anyone, Anywhere, At Any Time.
By the 2020s, only 25% of companies on the S&P 500 will be ones that exist today. An astounding 75% will be companies not on the index today. Check out this infographic to for an overview of how Power BI helps organizations thrive in a world of change by delivering insights to anyone, anywhere at any time.
View: How Modern BI Delivers Insights to Anyone, Anywhere, At Any Time.
Digital Transformation in the Oil & Gas Industry: Collect and Monitor Sensor Data
At oil and gas facilities, data from sensors and cameras must be collected, analyzed and visualized economically in order to keep operations running smoothly. Watch this Lizo video to see how the Power BI application allows remote decision-making—significantly reducing overhead cost and achieving operational efficiency.
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