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Webinar Series Highlights – Advancing Modern Work Through Microsoft Teams Part 1

CMMA Blog

Webinar Series Highlights – Advancing Modern Work Through Microsoft Teams Part 1

The way we work has changed forever. To adapt our old ways of working to the modern workplace, Microsoft Teams has become an integral tool to create seamless collaboration and communication experiences across locations and devices.

In our latest webinar series, Advancing Modern Work Through Microsoft Teams , Microsoft MVPs and Kollective experts explain how to get the most out of Microsoft Teams to increase communication, collaboration, and productivity. Hosted by Alistair Pugin , Microsoft Azure and M365 Apps & Services MVP, the four-episode series covers a range of topics:

Episode 1: Optimizing Your Network for Microsoft Teams
Episode 2: Empowering Collaboration with Microsoft Teams Devices
Episode 3: Developing Inclusive Communications Through Microsoft Teams
Episode 4: Supporting Neurodiversity with Microsoft Teams

In this article, we will briefly recap episodes one and two and highlight invaluable tips shared by the experts on how to optimize your workflow and efficiency within Microsoft Teams.

Episode 1: Optimizing Your Network for Microsoft Teams

Video communications are key to enabling modern work. Unprepared networks struggle to deliver high quality Microsoft Teams meetings, live events, and webinars.
In this episode, Alistair is joined by Nicolas Blank , Microsoft Azure and M365 Apps & Services MVP, and Kollective’s VP of Product, Garrett Gladden to discuss:

  • Preparing your connectivity options
  • How Teams handles audio and video calls
  • Where bottlenecks occur
  • How to analyze what your network looks like

Tips for Flawless Teams Video Communications

  1. Understand your network – Whether you are about to roll out Teams or your current user experience is not up to par, it is crucial to understand your network’s capabilities and if it is set up to deliver a quality experience through Teams.
  2. Understand what you need from Teams – Not all devices are created equal, and endpoint performance issues may cause poor user experiences. Examine the devices that are consuming Teams video on your network and understand the platform’s impact on the hardware.
  3. Utilize the tools from Microsoft – Microsoft’s Call Quality Dashboard shows you organization-wide call and meeting quality, and you can leverage Power BI to analyze that data.
  4. Know your options – Understand your access points and trace what PoP (point of presence) you are connecting through.
  5. Measure, change, then measure again – Analyze network performance, make changes, and measure again to see if there has been an improvement. Microsoft 365’s network connectivity test is an easy way to measure your network’s performance repeatedly. Be sure to compare the performance on home networks versus corporate networks versus a branch site to gain a complete picture.

Episode 2: Empowering Collaboration with Microsoft Teams Devices

Creating inclusive Teams meeting experiences when only some are physically present is a challenge for businesses offering hybrid or remote work options. Episode two focuses on the latest capabilities and features of Microsoft Teams-enabled devices to bridge the gap between the office and home.

Tom Arbuthnot , M365 Apps & Services MVP and Microsoft Communications Certified Master, takes you through:

  • Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro
  • IntelliFrame
  • Hotdesking
  • And more device ecosystem updates

In the clip below, Tom emphasizes the need for businesses to budget for reasonable devices for those working from home.


“Don’t scrimp on home devices. People are spending so long at home that if you’re impacting the meeting experience, you’re impacting everybody’s productivity.” – Tom Arbuthnot

Tips to Improve Work-from-Home Teams Meeting Experiences

  1. If you are on a tight budget, invest in audio over video.
  2. Logitech 930e webcam and a decent headset (wired or Bluetooth) is a great place to start. If you are looking to upgrade, consider Logitech’s Brio 4K webcam.
  3. Pay attention to your lighting set up. If you have poor lighting, consider a ring light to improve visibility.

Microsoft Teams has unlocked many doors for the modern workplace and allowed us to quickly adapt to changes in where, how, and even why we work. Navigating the Teams ecosystem and the options available can be daunting. The Microsoft MVPs who joined us for this series are a font of knowledge in all things Team related.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we recap episodes three and four or take a deep dive into each topic by watching the episodes on-demand.

The post Webinar Series Highlights – Advancing Modern Work Through Microsoft Teams Part 1 appeared first on Kollective Technology .

To view our Partner blog, click here

Introducing the World’s Only Smart ECDN

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Introducing the World’s Only Smart ECDN

Machine learning is revolutionizing modern business, improving efficiency while decreasing costs and increasing profits. According to a 2021 McKinsey survey , 56% of organizations today are using machine learning in at least one business function. In the same study, 27% of respondents attributed at least 5% of their earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to AI and machine learning.

At Kollective, we understand the power machine learning offers businesses, which is why we developed the world’s first and only Smart ECDN. In this article, we explore the specifics of our new intelligent solution and detail how simple managing your network has become.

What is Kollective’s Smart ECDN?

Kollective’s Smart ECDN was developed for one purpose – to radically simplify ECDN onboarding and management so that your network – consistently achieves peak performance. There’s not just one feature that makes this possible, but instead, a suite of intelligent solutions that work harmoniously to make the world’s first and only Smart ECDN. Five core features define Kollective’s Smart ECDN:

  1. Easy Activation
  2. Self-Service Network Topology Management
  3. Network Modeling
  4. Anomaly Detection
  5. Suggestive Analytics

Stress-Free Onboarding

Abstracting difficulty out of complex situations is a core function of a “smart” system. Kollective’s new onboarding wizard achieves this in spades, providing a fast and stress-free process for clients to configure their setup in five simple steps:

  1. Create an Account – Log in and authenticate with your Microsoft or G-Suite account.
  2. Configure Integrations – Select your integrations from an extensive list of the world’s leading front-end video applications and Kollective’s tool will walk you through how to quickly configure each to work with our ECDN.
  3. Define Network Configurations – While Kollective has terrific out-of-the-box settings that work well for most networks, our wizard allows users to customize their network settings quickly.
  4. Manage Privacy Settings – Enable custom privacy settings to control what data is collected.
  5. Invite Users & Complete Setup

Self-Service Network Topology Management

Whether your business is large or small, you understand that networks are complex. That is why Kollective has revolutionized how clients view and manage global network settings. Users can import all their network locations into our system to create self-service delivery parameters and unique network policies and behaviors for each.

With Kollective’s Smart ECDN, controlling your network has never been easier. Have offices in the DACH region that require different security settings than your offices in the Americas? Navigate to the “Network Locations” tab in the “Network Settings and Configuration” dashboard and create a unique policy for those locations.

Network Modeling

With any investment your business makes, it is crucial to understand the value you receive in return. That is why Kollective developed the Rapid Network Test (RNT) – to allow businesses to simulate how Kollective performs when networks experience a high volume of concurrent video streams.

While the RNT reveals if your network is ready to peer, Kollective’s Smart ECDN ensures that your network performs at its peak efficiency by running silent tests that construct a detailed model of your optimal network, providing the data it needs e to improve continuously. With Kollective’s Smart ECDN, you don’t need to be an IT expert to configure your network to stream flawless live videos. Model your network before running your first event and stream with confidence.

Smart Diagnostics

While Kollective’s network modeling optimizes your network before an event, our diagnostic dashboards provide ongoing support to identify and resolve issues as they arise. Our smart ECDN achieves this by using anomaly detection and machine learning to surface insights from past events to make future ones perform better.

Kollective’s solution delivers excellent results out-of-the-box, but we do not settle anything but the best. Our intelligent diagnostics stems from our broader philosophy to constantly refine and improve our processes to deliver the best product on the market. By detecting anomalies in your network through our diagnostics dashboard, Kollective’s Smart ECDN ensures that your network will be ready to meet the challenges as your business continues to evolve and grow.

What is Anomaly Detection?

One of the most powerful factors of Kollective’s smart diagnostics is its ability to recognize anomalies in your network. Our machine-learning protocols examine patterns of data playback that meet certain expectations. When something unexpected happens on your network, our anomaly detection algorithms recognize aberrant behavior based on indicators versus normal behavior and flag the event. These reports are the final pillar of our Smart ECDN, suggestive analytics.

Suggestive Analytics

When an event is flagged for aberrant behavior in Kollective’s smart diagnostics dashboard, our system analyzes the precise cause. It then alerts you to where the problem occurred in your network, what users were affected, and how to solve it so it does not happen again. Below are a few examples of problems that might occur and how quickly Kollective’s Smart ECDN will identify and solve them through the power of automation.

  1. Bitrate Thrash – One locality is having a poor event because too many bitrates were requested (e.g. 10). Kollective’s system would flag the event in the diagnostics dashboard, identifying that location with the recommendation that bitrate is pinned on that area of your network.
  2. Excessive Stalling – One locality is experiencing lengthy buffering during an event because peering nodes are stalling. Kollective would flag this event, and our suggestive analytics would recommend adjusting the performance settings in that location to “peering,” so more segments of a stream are built up before the video is peered to others on the node.

Experience the World’s Only Smart ECDN

Machine learning and AI adoption continue to climb as businesses steadily uncover their potential. Kollective’s Smart ECDN is our first step into this realm as we continue to seek new and innovative ways to create the best possible experience for our customers. Try Kollective today and experience the power of the only ECDN that constantly optimizes your network for peak performance.

The post Introducing the World’s Only Smart ECDN appeared first on Kollective Technology .

To view our Partner blog, click here

What to Know Before Engaging Independent Contractors in High Risk States

CMMA Blog

Hiring independent contractors can be a great way to advance your business goals without hiring additional employees for the long term. Often, contractors are the best bet for accomplishing specific, creative tasks like rebuilding a website. However, if you engage independent contractors in any of the high-risk states, it’s important to take extra care to protect your business from the associated liability. 

Which States Are Considered High Risk And Why?

Laws around documentation and classification are complicated and in certain states, it’s even more so. There are federal rules around engaging independent contractors and each state has its own regulations as well. What’s more, the rules change often and, in some cases, they even contradict each other. Even so, it’s still possible to guard against the major concerns that accompany engaging workers in these states. 

Some companies dedicate entire departments to the task, but those without an internal team/human resources department that is equipped to address those needs should partner with a company that specializes in handling them. The best partners will be aware of these risks and on top of the changes as they happen. 

The following states are considered high-risk for engaging independent contractors:

  • California
  • Washington
  • Oregon
  • Indiana
  • Illinois
  • Wisconsin
  • Maryland
  • Pennsylvania
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Massachusetts
  • Connecticut

What Risks Will Employers Encounter?

Misclassification

While we tend to hear only about the major lawsuits against the big players (like Instacart ), many companies misclassify workers without even realizing it. Moreover, a standard, objective test to determine whether a worker should be classified as an independent contractor or an employee doesn’t exist. That’s in part because each state has the power to determine some of its own rules.  

As we know, claiming ignorance is not an adequate defense strategy. Misclassifying workers can lead to fines, liability for unpaid wages and overtime, liquidated damages equal to the amount owed in unpaid wages, treble damages, attorney’s fees, tax and benefits liabilities, and more.

Audits

Even if you come out on the other side of an audit clean, it will be incredibly inconvenient and will divert resources and attention away from your business. Employers can quickly get themselves on the government’s radar by misclassifying workers. Having airtight processes–from the up-front paperwork all the way through payroll–is a good way to ensure workers are correctly classified and that they receive the corresponding benefits and accurate pay. 

Additional Training Requirements

In some states, workers are required to have additional training, which can be part of what contributes to their status as high-risk states. For example, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, and Maine all require Sexual Harassment Training at various intervals and job levels. While these are among the states that require such training, other federal regulations and court decisions make it clear that best practice is for all employers to provide anti-harassment training. Legal decisions at the federal level have demonstrated that failing to provide harassment prevention training makes companies extra vulnerable when issues come up. Precedent shows that employers without training may lose their ability to raise an affirmative defense in a harassment lawsuit. 

Would Engaging a Partner Benefit Your Business?

Engaging a partner whose core business addresses compliance concerns related to engaging workers in high-risk states has many advantages. If you think your company would benefit from having access to workers who are outside of your nexus, eliminating headcount changes, and mitigating risks, it’s time to consider engaging a partner like PayReel. Our system has defined processes for worker classification, payroll, and more. The system takes into account federal, state, and agency rules and includes a checks and balances process to ensure a solid precedent. Bottom line: We take compliance seriously! Contact us to talk about how this might benefit your business. 

The post What to Know Before Engaging Independent Contractors in High Risk States appeared first on PayReel .

To view our Partner blog, click here

How Does Recruiting Work?

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At the heart of every successful business is a dedicated and talented team of employees. But recruiting the right people for the job can be a daunting and challenging task. Knowing how to recruit effectively is key to building an effective and motivated workforce, as well as staying competitive in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. Therefore, it’s important to understand what recruiting is, why it’s essential for any organization, and how the process works. 

This blog will provide an overview of the recruitment process, from assessing job requirements to selecting successful hires. It will also explore the benefits of having a robust recruiting strategy and how it can impact your business’s success.

What is Recruiting?

Recruiting is the process of finding, interviewing, and hiring new employees. Recruiting aims to source, select, and engage the best-qualified candidates for a job role, taking into account the company’s culture and values. Companies use various methods, such as online job postings, career fairs, and employee referrals, to attract potential applicants. Recruiting teams are responsible for screening resumes, conducting interviews, and assessing the skills and qualifications of candidates.

How Does the Recruiting Process Work?

A robust recruitment strategy enables companies to select talented and qualified candidates who can help them achieve their long-term goals. Additionally, it can help companies build a diverse team of employees with different perspectives and skill sets that can enhance collaboration and innovation. An effective recruitment strategy also prevents costly hiring mistakes due to poor screening processes or inadequate training programs.

The recruiting process involves several steps designed to identify the best possible recruits for a job role. These include:

1. Job Requirements Assessment – Companies first assess their current needs by examining the job description, qualifications, and experience required for the role. Drafting a comprehensive job description is needed to ensure you have clearly defined and communicated the requirements of the position.

2. Recruiting Resources – Companies select the recruitment methods and resources to attract potential applicants, such as job postings on online job boards, leveraging sourcing tools or networking to find or employee referrals. Staffing agencies often build robust talent warehouses that cover either very specific industries or general pool of professionals across multiple functions within an organization.

3. Screening – The recruiting team screens resumes to identify suitable candidates and invite them for an interview. During the screening process , a recruiter will discuss all required qualifications with a candidate and determine if the candidate is to be presented to the hiring manager for consideration.

4. Interviews – Interviews are conducted to assess a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience. Companies leverage multiple interview mediums to meet with candidates. With remote or hybrid work now an option for many companies, interviews can be conducted by employers over video conferencing tools like Teams or Zoom. Many employers still prefer to conduct interviews in person.

5. Selection – The internal or client hiring manager selects the best-suited candidate for the job after all the interviews have concluded and presents terms of employment. Once terms are agreed to and a candidate accepts the opportunity, the onboarding process may be scheduled with the new employee.

Why Should Your Organization Consider Outsource Recruiting?

Outsourcing your recruiting needs to a workforce management company like Maslow Media Group can be a cost-effective and efficient way to find the right talent for your business. With our great talent warehouse, robust tools and seasoned recruiting team, you can discover better-qualified people to help your business. It also takes some of the burdens off internal staff, freeing time to focus on other essential industry-related tasks. Additionally, you can reduce internal recruiting costs (software, employees, subscriptions) and leverage a recruiting team that contains recruiters that specializes in multiple areas of expertise.

Recruiting is essential to any business’s success, and an effective recruitment strategy is key to finding the right people for the job. By understanding how recruiting works and the benefits of a comprehensive approach, companies can ensure they are hiring the best talent to help them reach their business objectives. Call Maslow Media Group today to help you find the perfect candidates for your team!

The post How Does Recruiting Work? appeared first on Maslow Media.

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