As always, the annual Microsoft Ignite event was packed full of exciting updates, with some of Microsoft’s most popular apps and services benefitting from highly requested improvements.
With video now a popular way for businesses to connect, communicate and collaborate, Microsoft Stream is one service that received a lot of attention, as the company outlined its plans for the app’s exciting transformation.
This vision for Microsoft Stream will bring intelligent video creation, sharing and viewing to all parts of Microsoft 365, elevating video as a primary content type that will be managed in the same way as other files.
Building on the rich content management features of SharePoint and utilising the intelligence of Microsoft Graph, these long-awaited features will facilitate external and anonymous sharing, whilst implementing new controls for security and compliance.
In this blog, we’ve taken a closer look at the recent announcements, analysing the proposed journey for Stream and what it will mean for our clients.
Integrated experience
As video content becomes increasingly popular within organisations, employees require an accessible and integrated experience that allows them to create and share videos efficiently.
During the Ignite event, Microsoft announced that users would now have the tools needed to create exciting video experiences through SharePoint, with ready-made templates available for sites and portals. This will give users with limited editing experience the tools needed to create communications through a combination of video and other media.
Meanwhile, Microsoft are bringing improved video capabilities to mobile applications across Microsoft 365 in addition to the Stream app for iOS and Android. Once implemented, users can create engaging content on-the-go, safe in the knowledge that their files will be securely stored.
Another key update is the integration of Microsoft Search and Office 365, which allows users to find videos using name/metadata, with new video-specific search experiences to follow in the coming months.
Sharing and permissions
Of course, having the capabilities to create engaging video content is one thing, but it’s crucial that businesses are then able to share these communications freely, without issues arising.
Therefore, all videos will follow the same sharing and permissions model as any other file in Microsoft 365, giving businesses the option to share files with internal and external users, depending on the sharing policies of the organisation.
Administrative settings, controls, reports and other actions that usually apply to your files will also apply to the videos created. SharePoint admins will also retain the ability to act on content in any site or a user’s OneDrive for Business.
Ultimately, video has become an important way for businesses to communicate, and to do this effectively, users must be given the permissions needed to disseminate information with ease.
Retention policies
Understandably, businesses are extremely careful when it comes to information governance and retention policies, as they must ensure sensitive data is managed and stored correctly.
Therefore, Microsoft will be implementing the same information governance controls to Stream, as they have for other Office documents. All video files will inherit information governance features in Microsoft 365, and later this year, Teams meeting recordings saved on SharePoint will also get automatic retention labelling with appropriate licensing.
In most organisations, Teams meeting recordings usually comprise the bulk of videos stored in Stream, so Microsoft have confirmed they will be introducing automatic policies to help businesses manage these files better.
In general, information governance and retention policies are areas that Microsoft will be investing heavily in over the coming months, adding specialised support around meetings and videos, so businesses can ensure their continued compliance.
Bring clarity to your communications…
As most of you know from our previous blogs, Microsoft are not an organisation that like to stand still, as they’re constantly looking for new ways to improve popular services, helping businesses access the support they need to deliver better results.
In recent years, video content has become a popular way for businesses to communicate with their employees, as well as their audience and potential customers.
For this reason, the range of Microsoft Stream updates should get people excited, as they now have the tools needed to build engaging content and share it with others.
Not only this, but information will be stored securely, ensuring businesses maintain compliance moving forward and do not fall foul of any regulations.
If you’d like to access Microsoft Stream and see how it could benefit your business, then contact out in-house team and find a solution that meets your requirements.