Lync Online is a next-generation cloud communications service that connects people in new ways from anywhere by using presence, instant messaging, audio/video calling, and rich online meetings with audio, video, and web conferencing. Lync Online transforms interactions with colleagues, customers, and partners from today’s hit-or-miss communication to a more collaborative, engaging, and productive experience.
Office Web Apps are convenient online companions to Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft OneNote that offer you an easy way to access, view, and edit documents directly from your web browser.
Why Office 365?
The railway recently identified that improved communication would be vital if it was to achieve certain core objectives over the next few years. In particular, there is a need to bring together in one IT system key personnel, some of which are paid and some volumteer, and provide them with advanced communication methods and acces to a single set of corporate resources. These people need to be able to access and work with the system from 'anywhere'.
A considerable amount of preparatory work has gone on over the last few years, and in particular over the last 12 months, in areas such as diaries and documentation, and we now need to be able to deliver these resources online (but subject to permissions).
After some preliminary work on SharePoint last winter, a project propsal was prepared earlier this year and presented to the Board.
The two main objectives of this project are 'to provide a real-time collaboration facility for key personnel, and to provide a method of communicating information to vounteers in general'.
If you want to learn more about Office 365,
click here.
In my next article I'll tell you more about the project, and what it intends to deliver.
Bill Griffiths
October 2011