Microsoft 365 Personal Productivity Features Introduced in 2021

Microsoft 365 received several new features in the early months of 2021. Microsoft was friendly enough to round them up.

It has been almost a year since Microsoft launched the Microsoft 365 Personal and Family, and many things have changed globally.

Therefore, on April 7, the company published a slightly retrospective post, looking back at some of the work they have done and the subscription service. From updates to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, here are some of those new features and why Microsoft 365 is constantly improving.

General

• An official release of Office app on iPad;
• Schedule appointments and Send email and with your voice in Outlook for iPhone;
• Transcribe handwritten notes with Microsoft Lens;
• Get a glance at your to-do list with new iPhone widgets for Microsoft To Do;
• Backup and view iPhone Live Photos in OneDrive;
• Use Designer in Word to beautify and improve your documents.

Excel

• Set the spending goals with the new budget template (Excel);
• Stay positive with cash flow insights (Excel);
• Input manual transactions and accounts;
• Generate new insights with the help of Excel data types and innovative templates powered by Wolfram.

In parallel, Microsoft 365 subscribers will soon have access to over 100 types of data powered by Wolfram. It means that you can import and refresh data directly into Excel instead of using multiple applications or pages to copy and paste external data into spreadsheets – it is based on the intelligent template feature.

PowerPoint Presenter Coach

• Get feedback on your body language;
• Avoid repetition.

Microsoft has added things like body language feedback, tips to help avoid reputation, pronunciation training tools, and more.

Microsoft Editor

• Credit your sources with a Similarity checker;
• Save time with text predictions;
• Get writing assistance in LinkedIn, WordPress, Gmail, and Google Docs;
• Get the context on corrections and refinements.

Microsoft has also introduced new conversational AI experiences with Cortana to Outlook for iPhone. Thanks to this feature, Cortana can schedule appointments, compose emails, find files, and more.

It is probably the most notable addition – the new Office app for iPad. Microsoft previously had an Office application for the iPad, but it opened in window mode and was not optimized to use the space provided by the iPad.

Another significant improvement comes with a bit of rebranding in February 2021. Microsoft rebranded Office Lens as Microsoft Lens, with added enhancements to improve quality and performance.

The application has added the functions Picture to Table, Picture to Text, Outstanding Reader, Contact Picture, and QR Code Scan.

On the other hand, all of your essential data within the Microsoft 365 package should be protected.

Microsoft offers a backup for Office 365 under a shared responsibility model, which means they maintain the platform on time, but the user’s responsibility is to prevent data loss.

And while some businesses rely on Office 365 natural backup tools, this puts them at risk of human error, data loss, deliberate deletion, external security threats, and programming problems.

You have to prevent cyberattacks and data loss with the complete set of robust and easy-to-use Office 365 backup and cybersecurity capabilities under one user interface.

It is crucial to note that when choosing the right backup provider for you, take note of the features they offer and if the vendor provides you with a live chat.

Does Microsoft Backup Office 365 Data?

The short answer is no – Office 365 does not back up your business data automatically. It only backs up emails and syncs history files so your business can access data but cannot guarantee fast service for backup of deleted data or even full recovery.

There is a general misconception among companies that synchronizing files, emails, and documents are the same as backing up all your information securely – but it is not.

It is imperative to understand the difference in the service provided before investing in new systems to increase the engaged workforce.

7 critical features that you should look at Office 365 backup provider

Avoid Office 365 data loss

• Because Microsoft does not include natural backup options, the backup provider should help you backup and restore your Office 365 data with ease.

Back up Office 365 automatically

• Enjoy the benefits of an easy automatic backup process, freeing up thoughts and time for other tasks.

One all-inclusive price

• Your subscription should include backup, unlimited space, 24/7 support, a central dashboard, and no additional hidden costs!

Scalable

• The backup provider should be available for a minimum of ten users per annual subscription. You can reach up to tens of thousands of users.

Hassle-free, unlimited storage

• Your Office 365 backups should automatically be stored in the secure backup location of the Microsoft Azure Hosted provider.

Data security

• Your backup data is stored securely using the strongest two-factor encryption and authentication.

Disaster recovery

• Office 365 Backup Provider should be back to you to help you avoid deleting data, outages, or any other disasters.

We know that doing business takes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, staying on top of the current administration is a colossal task.

Almost all companies choose productivity applications that offer a unified approach to help staff manage workloads. Office 365 delivers just that – fast and easy access to documents, file sharing, and networking.

Many businesses assume that moving their staff to trusted platforms, such as Microsoft Office 365, means that automatic backup is included, but this is often not the case.

According to a recent study, 1 in 4 businesses believe that Microsoft Office 365 backs up all files, emails, and other information, but unfortunately, this is not true. There is still a need to have a secure backup system, i.e., to acquire a proper Office 365 backup solution.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 continues to expand in both the number of applications and the number of features. Meanwhile, Microsoft has introduced several new features for its popular applications and services.

It has a new Office application for iPad, OneDrive enhancements, and several new Excel and Microsoft Editor features.

Still, there is one thing that Microsoft Office 365 should take into consideration – Office 365 backup. 

Microsoft cannot handle the entire backup procedure, so you should look for a robust Office 365 backup provider.