More and more people are forced to work from home to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic. But Microsoft Teams is rising to meet the needs of affected companies. This powerful tool recently underwent several changes to make it easier for its users to effectively collaborate and communicate with each other.

It’s an amazing time to start a business — not only can you take your ideas more quickly to the market, you can do so at lower costs and without the traditional barriers in hiring skilled workers. Talented contractors are now available via the “human cloud” and are ready to help you build and operate your company.

Office 365 is so chock-full of apps, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of them all. Sure, you have the most popular tools like Word and Skype for Business, but there are three tools in the lineup that seem like they could be used the same way: Outlook Groups, Yammer, and Microsoft Teams.

Yammer, Outlook Groups, and Microsoft Teams have plenty in common. They’re all Office 365 tools designed for sharing files and communicating with colleagues. So what differentiates each from the other and when should you use them? Here's a quick rundown to help you decide.

Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel form the foundation of most Office experiences. But there’s another application that doesn’t get its fair share of attention: OneNote. It’s severely underutilized considering how helpful it is, so we’re going to explain some of the basics.

Slack is a well-known, cloud-based collaboration tool that helps your team communicate better and be more productive. Microsoft Teams is Window’s own version with a twist. It’s been reported that prior to its release, a gigantic update was rolled out that equipped Teams with a bevy of features that will definitely make a difference.

As various aspects of our lives move into the cloud -- from photos to what’s in our refrigerator -- there’s an ever-increasing number of vendors to choose from. Founded in 2007, Dropbox was one of the earliest companies to popularize the term ‘cloud storage’ and since then they’ve mostly focused on perfecting that business model.

If the classic image of a startup was a couple of guys in a garage (think of Amazon, Apple, Disney), the emerging picture is a workforce of cloud collaborators using desired skills to deliver on your white-collar piecework. By eliminating barriers associated with traditional workspaces, the human cloud offers cost-effective solutions that may be a win-win for both employers and employees.