On February 4th 2021 Microsoft dropped an announcement about a brand new product platform called Viva.
The announcement was made via a new style of product launch for Microsoft whereby prerecorded videos about and featuring the product were set live simultaneously via YouTube and their own tailored landing page.
What that means is that actual hands-on experience of Viva is limited so far (although they revealed Unilever were involved in the development of Viva), but there's still plenty to glean from the information available.
Here's our take on Viva, what it is, who it's for, and if it's worth your business keeping an eye on it as it develops.
What is Microsoft Viva?
Microsoft's pitch for Viva is that it empowers people and teams to be their best from anywhere.
What that means in non-marketing speak is that Viva is a platform designed to bridge the gap between in-office and out-of-office staff.
In essence Viva brings together pre-existing Microsoft 365 apps and tools, adds a few new ones, and presents them as a single, smooth interactive experience from inside of Microsoft Teams.
In doing so it hopes give employees the tools they need to work more effectively by managing their workloads, improving their knowledge, communicating with each other, and even managing their own wellbeing.
Most importantly from a business point of view, it makes data and insights available to managers so they can properly manage their teams effectiveness, efficiency and wellbeing, wherever they are.
Key Features of Viva
At launch Microsoft Viva is made up of four different elements; Viva Connections, Viva Insights, Viva Learning and Viva Topics.
Even though some of these borrow from pre-existing Microsoft/Office 365 features, each has its own distinct features and reason for being.
For a full rundown of what each element offers take a look at the video series on Viva over at the Microsoft 365 YouTube channel, but here's a quick overview of some of the key features of each:
Viva Connections Features
Summary: Modern, interactive, first-touch intranet.
Borrows from: Sharepoint, Stream, Yammer
Key features:
- Personalised work tools
- Tailored to every role.
- Feed of relevant news, announcements, events and conversations
- Share, comment and interact with colleagues
- Communicate widely or within Teams.
- Schedule and target company or departmental news
- Share stories and videos as a team to rest of company
- Brandable experience across all devices.
Viva Learning Features
Summary: Embed learning culture within the business
Borrows from: Microsoft Learn
Key features:
- Pin Learning tab within any Teams channel
- Source courses from Linkedin Learning & Microsoft Learn or own LMS.
- Search learning library and share suggestions with team members.
- Managers can assign courses and track progress.
- My Learning view allows employees to customise their experience.
- AI delivers personalised recommendations.
- Undertake learning directly from Teams.
Viva Topics Features
Summary: Enable faster knowledge sharing and acquisition.
Borrows from: Microsoft Graph
Key features:
- Define important topics within the business.
- AI also makes topic suggestions
- Hover over a topic for info, resources and contacts related to the topic.
- Managers can curate and edit the topic cards related to each topic.
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