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<\/p>\nAs the world is engulfed in panic and several people have moved in self-isolation, there\u2019s a growing need for digital solutions to help bridge the gap between people and organizations. There\u2019s a rise in digital services and not just productivity ones.<\/p>\n
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Educational institutes have turned to video conferencing for holding online classes. Other organizations have moved to work from home.<\/p>\n
If you have been affected, then continue reading our blog to make the most out of your isolation. The purpose of this blog is to introduce services that can help you stay connected and also give you a few tips on how to make the most of your time.<\/p>\n
Teams is Microsoft\u2019s solution for collaboration in the workplace. It lets you stay connected with your peers who are working remotely or collaborate with other organizations. Teams has experienced a surge in the number of users lately; as many as 12 million new people joined in just seven days.<\/p>\n
You can establish conference calls \u2013 both video and audio \u2013 even call people who are not using Teams, send group and private texts, and keep a check on the flow of work.<\/p>\n
It gives you the option to be more exclusive. So, for example, Project A can have multiple channels based on the individual aspects of the project, such as Design or Engineering. Colleagues need only to be added to the channels they are responsible for. There\u2019s a Files section where you can view all the content that has been shared.<\/p>\n
Microsoft\u2019s Office365 is integrated in Teams. Documents shared between people can be edited in realtime, and events can be saved in your Outlook\u2019s calendar.<\/p>\n
Zoom is designed for group calls and text chats. It\u2019s a powerful tool that combines all that you need from a video conferencing tool, and it\u2019s free too. It is why when the current pandemic took the worst form \u2013 forcing people to work remotely \u2013 more people have discovered the platform.<\/p>\n
The free nature of the product meant that anyone could jump in, and up to 100 participants can talk to eachother live. However, Zoom offers multiple options for those seeking a more comprehensive solution, such as increased meeting duration and cloud recording.<\/p>\n
Skype remains one of the go-to platforms for online calls, group meets, and text-based chats. There\u2019s also the option to buy Skype credits and call local and international landlines. In essence, it\u2019s a convenient way, and the credit packages\u00a0\u00a0 The emojis integrated into Skype give it a more casual touch than other such online communication platforms, but that\u2019s not to say it\u2019s not popular among businesses.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s free to begin with, making it accessible instantly to anyone looking to connect with people during this lockdown.<\/p>\n
Skype for Business was a paid option but is now succeeded by Microsoft Teams.<\/p>\n
Meet is Google\u2019s answer to the growing online communication platforms. It\u2019spart of G-Suite, which is aimed at businesses looking to leverage the cloud for productivity. G-Suite is an amalgamation of Google\u2019s services: Gmail, Calendar, Hangouts, Meet, and Drive.<\/p>\n
The individual services are available for free to everyone, but G-Suite allows you to leverage the cloud for access to bigger storage spaces (30GB for each user), personalized emails, andadministrative controls.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s fit for organizations that want to create personalized emails and bring their colleagues into a mailing service. Google Docs expands productivity by giving you access to documents and spreadsheet apps that can be edited in realtime by participants.<\/p>\n