6 Awesome Microsoft 365 Apps You Didn’t Know You Had

If you’re paying for extra apps on top of your Microsoft 365 subscription, it’s time to consider the tools you may not even realize you have. Here are some of the best-kept secrets within Microsoft 365 apps that can help you save money and work smarter.

Microsoft 365 is packed with powerful tools that can drive productivity, streamline workflows, and keep teams connected. Yet, many users only scratch the surface, sticking to familiar apps like Outlook, Word, and Teams.

If you’re paying for extra apps on top of your Microsoft 365 subscription (we’re looking at you, Calendly 👀), it’s time to consider the tools you may not even realize you have. All discussed apps are included in the Microsoft Business Basic subscription, so chances are you already have it!

As an extra bonus, for each app, we even threw in a “little-known trick” that highlight extra features to help improve your user experience.

The Microsoft 365 Apps You Didn’t Know You Needed

Personal Task Management: Microsoft To-Do

What It Is: Microsoft To-Do is a simple yet powerful app for organizing daily tasks, setting priorities, and keeping on top of personal to-dos.

Key Features:

Organize tasks by due date, priority, or project.
“My Day” feature to set daily goals and maintain focus.
Seamless integration with Outlook for task management.

Use Cases: Great for individual team members managing daily tasks and organizing personal workload without needing external task management software.

Little-Known Trick: Despite being designed primarily for individual task tracking, you can share lists with others in To-Do, allowing for collaborative task management. Great for shared projects or planning with colleagues or family members.

Where to Access: https://to-do.office.com or through the desktop app.

Project and Team Task Management: Microsoft Planner

What It Is: A lightweight project management tool, perfect for task delegation and tracking within small to medium-sized teams.

Key Features:

Kanban-style boards for visual task tracking.
Integration with Teams for collaboration.
Color-coded task labels for easy organization.

Use Cases: Great for teams that need a simple tool to manage workflows without the complexity of traditional project management software.

Little-Known Trick: You can add comments on tasks in Planner, and team members receive notifications in Teams and/or via email. It’s ideal for quick feedback without needing a separate chat.

Where to Access: https://planner.cloud.microsoft.com

Cloud Storage and File Sharing: Microsoft OneDrive

What It Is: Microsoft’s cloud storage solution for secure file storage, sharing, and collaboration.

Key Features:

Automatic syncing across devices for seamless access.
Integration with Office apps for real-time collaboration.
Advanced security features, including file recovery and version history.

Use Cases: Essential for teams needing a centralized location for document storage and collaboration, especially for remote work.

Little-Known Trick: You can view and restore previous versions of files, which is especially helpful when working collaboratively and needing to revert changes.

Where to Access: https://onedrive.live.com or in your File Explorer if you already set it up.

Survey and Data Collection: Microsoft Forms

What It Is: An intuitive tool for creating surveys, quizzes, and polls. It’s designed with a simple drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to create professional forms in just minutes. The data collected is available in real-time, with options to export results to Excel for deeper analysis. Microsoft Forms integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 apps, allowing you to embed forms in Teams, SharePoint, or Outlook, making it ideal for both internal feedback and customer engagement.

Key Features:

Simple drag-and-drop interface to create forms quickly.
Real-time response tracking and reporting.
Integration with Excel for easy data analysis.

Use Cases: Perfect for gathering customer feedback, conducting employee engagement surveys, or collecting RSVPs for events.

Little-Known Trick: Forms offers branching or “conditional” logic, allowing you to create surveys and forms that adapt based on responses. It’s great for crafting custom survey flows or collecting segmented data.

Where to Access: https://forms.microsoft.com

Personal Productivity and Wellbeing: Microsoft Viva Insights

What It Is: It provides users with valuable insights into their work patterns, helping you identify ways to enhance focus, well-being, and productivity. It provides data-driven recommendations on how to manage work-life balance, allocate focus time, and reduce time spent in unproductive meetings. With weekly and monthly reports, users gain a clear picture of their productivity habits and receive actionable suggestions to optimize their workday and avoid burnout.

Key Features:

Weekly reports on productivity patterns, including focus time and meeting hours.
Recommendations for improving work-life balance.
Goal-setting options for minimizing distractions.

Use Cases: Ideal for professionals who want to enhance their work habits, reduce stress, and better manage their time.

Little-Known Trick: Schedule focus time directly from Viva Insights, which will turn on “Do Not Disturb” in Teams, helping you work uninterrupted.

Where to Access: https://insights.cloud.microsoft

Appointment Scheduling: Microsoft Bookings

What It Is: An online scheduling tool that enables clients, customers, or team members to book appointments with you easily. It offers a customizable booking page where users can select available time slots, book services, and receive automated confirmation and reminder emails. Designed to integrate with Outlook and Teams, Bookings helps keep your calendar organized, reducing the risk of double-booking or missed meetings, making it an excellent alternative to external scheduling software (that’s right Calendly 👀).

Key Features:

Customizable booking page for easy appointment scheduling.
Automated reminders and confirmations to reduce no-shows.
Syncs with Outlook and Teams for efficient calendar management.

Use Cases: Excellent for businesses that need to set client appointments or manage team meetings, from customer support calls to service consultations.

Little-Known Trick: Bookings allows you to set up group appointments, making it easy to schedule sessions for multiple people, such as classes or team meetings.

Where to Access: https://outlook.office.com/bookings

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Final Thoughts and How We Can Help

We hope we’ve shown you a few extra apps in Microsoft 365 that you didn’t even know you had! Exploring these tools can save you time, improve collaboration, and cut back on extra software costs.

If you’re curious about making the most of your Microsoft 365 apps or just have questions, feel free to contact us—we’re here to help.

If you’re looking for a deeper dive, we also offer more practical training to help you use your Microsoft 365 subscription at its full potential. You can read more about it at the following link.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Cyber Insurance in Montreal

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

Cyber insurance helps protect your organization financially if you’re hit by a cyber incident.

Picture this: a hacker targets your organization, or sensitive customer data is compromised. The costs of getting back to business as usual can be staggering. Cyber insurance steps in to cover those recovery costs and possible legal fees. It’s a way to keep your organization moving forward, even when things go sideways.

KEY BENEFITS OF CYBER INSURANCE

Beyond covering immediate expenses like recovery and legal fees, cyber insurance also supports organizations in managing public relations and customer communications, protecting both reputation and client trust. Especially in regions with strict data privacy laws like Quebec, with Law 25 now in full effect, cyber insurance helps organizations stay compliant and better prepared to respond to incidents without taking on the full financial burden alone.

Financial Protection

Cyber incidents can hit hard on the finances. From restoring systems to handling legal fees and fines, the expenses can add up fast. A good cyber insurance policy can help absorb these costs and keep your organization stable during recovery.

Business Continuity

If a cyber incident causes downtime, you could lose sales, frustrate customers, and set back your operations. Cyber insurance can provide support to keep things running, even if it’s just temporary solutions to stay operational while you’re working through the issue.

Reputation Support

A data breach or cyber attack doesn’t just affect your bottom line; it can harm the trust you’ve built with clients. Many cyber insurance policies offer crisis management and PR support, helping you communicate with customers and protect your brand.

What to Look for in a Cyber Insurance Policy

Choosing a cyber insurance policy can feel overwhelming, especially without a highly technical background, so here are some key things to keep in mind:

Scope of Coverage

Make sure the policy covers the types of incidents your organization is most at risk for—things like data breaches, ransomware, or system outages. Understand what’s included and what isn’t, so you’re not caught off guard later.

Policy Limits and Deductibles

Take a close look at the maximum amount the policy will cover and the deductible amount you’d pay out-of-pocket. These will impact how much protection you actually get and what it might cost if you do have to file a claim.

Risk Assessment Support

Some policies offer added resources like cybersecurity assessments or even training for your team. These proactive measures can help strengthen your defenses and may reduce your premium too.

Steps to Take Before You Apply For Cyber Insurance

Before applying for cyber insurance, it’s essential to have some foundational cybersecurity practices in place. Not only will these help protect your business day-to-day, but insurers will often look for evidence of solid security measures when assessing your policy.

You can also contact us to help you perform a full cyber insurance assessment to make sure you check all the necessary boxes before applying.

Here are some key steps to take before you request cyber insurance:

1. Implement Basic Cybersecurity Controls

Start by securing your systems with essentials like firewalls, antivirus software, and regular updates for your software and hardware. Insurers want to see that your business has a baseline level of security in place. See our cybersecurity checklist for a complete list of cybersecurity controls to help you get approved for a cyber insurance policy.

2. Enforce Strong Password Policies and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Password management and MFA are crucial in preventing unauthorized access. Ensure all staff use strong, unique passwords and enable MFA, especially for sensitive accounts and systems.

3. Establish a Data Backup Plan

Regular backups are essential in case of data loss or ransomware attacks. A solid backup strategy, ideally with off-site storage or cloud backups (see the 3-2-1 backup strategy), shows insurers that you’re prepared to recover quickly from data loss.

4. Train Your Employees on Cybersecurity

Human error is one of the biggest risks in cybersecurity. Regularly training employees on phishing, social engineering, and safe online practices demonstrates a proactive approach to minimizing risks.

5. Create an Incident Response Plan

Having a documented and tested response plan for potential cyber incidents is a big plus for insurers. It shows that you have a clear process for containing and managing breaches, which can reduce the impact and cost of incidents.

How We Can Help

As an managed service provider, we play a crucial role in helping our clients obtain and maintain cyber insurance coverage:

We Assess Your IT Readiness

We conduct thorough IT security assessments to determine your current security posture and identify any gaps that need to be addressed before applying for cyber insurance:

This may include:

Evaluating existing security controls and policies
Identifying vulnerabilities in networks and systems
Assessing data backup and recovery capabilities
Reviewing incident response plans

We Implement Required Security Measures

Many insurers now require specific security controls to be in place before providing coverage. As an MSP, we can help you implement critical measures like:

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Regular security awareness training
Robust backup and disaster recovery solutions

Ongoing Compliance Support

Once you obtain cyber insurance, we can provide you with ongoing support to ensure your remain compliant with policy requirements. This may involve:

Continuous monitoring for new vulnerabilities
Updating security policies and procedures as needed
Providing documentation of security controls to insurers

Final Thoughts

Cyber insurance is quickly becoming a must-have for organizations looking to stay resilient in today’s world of constantly evolving digital threats. For Quebec businesses, cyber insurance also helps in meeting compliance requirements like those in Law 25, which can otherwise lead to significant fines and liabilities.

If you’d like us to guide you through the process of acquiring cyber insurance, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help you ensure your organization is well-protected!

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What as an IT Service Level Agreement (SLA) in Managed IT Services

by James Hutchinson

As the Virtual CIO of Info-Tech Montreal, I understand the challenges that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face when managing their IT infrastructure. Imagine the relief and peace of mind your business could experience by offloading your business IT tasks to a reliable third-party vendor. Well, Info-Tech Montreal is a managed service provider (MSP) that takes care of these tasks for you through what we call Managed IT services.

Managed IT services cover essential functions such as network management, cybersecurity, data backup, and cloud computing services. Such services can significantly reduce the costs associated with additional staff and resources and prevent potential downtime.

No matter whether you choose to do business with Info-Tech Montreal or another IT service provider, you need to ensure that you have a detailed, formal Service Level Agreement (SLA). In this article, I will walk you through some of the essential things to consider when discussing your SLA with your service provider.

WHAT IS AN IT SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (SLA)?

A Service Level Agreement is an engagement of service between your selected managed service provider (such as Info-Tech Montreal) and your business. SLAs are usually written by the managed service provider following an IT assessment of your business and a discussion around your managed IT service needs.

Service Level Agreements are an industry standard that most reputable MSPs will adhere to. The complexity of the SLA and what it includes depend on each service provider. An effective IT SLA clearly defines the level of service your MSP will provide and specifies response times for various situations.

As a client, it’s important that you get the agreed level of service. An SLA brings clarity and predictability to your service relationship. SLAs ensure that everyone has the same understanding of requirements and standards, protecting both the service provider and the client. By clearly defining expectations, they help prevent misunderstandings and disputes. In addition to an SLA, I believe that what’s even more important is to establish a relationship of trust with your managed IT services provider so that you can rely on their expertise, whatever the IT problem.

SERVICE LEVEL, RESPONSE & RESOLUTION TIME

As previously mentioned, a well-designed Service Level Agreement (SLA) forms the backbone of a trusting partnership between your company and your Managed Service Provider (MSP). This agreement can contain many different elements, generally varying according to your business’s size and IT service requirements.

However, the most important element of the SLA is, in my opinion, the detail of the expected level of service according to the urgency and severity of IT problems. Response and resolution times are typically associated with each priority. This ensures that critical problems, such as network outages or cybersecurity breaches, are dealt with as a priority and that less urgent problems are resolved within a reasonable timeframe.

Here are a few examples to help you better understand.

Example #1

Problem: One of your company’s network printers is not working, but you have two other printers that are accessible and functional for printing jobs.
Priority level: This problem is considered low priority since it has little impact on your company’s productivity. It will usually be dealt with within 8 hours.

Example #2

Problem: Your email system is completely down, affecting your company’s internal and external communications and paralyzing business-critical operations.
Priority level: This problem is considered a high priority because it affects the smooth running of your business. It should be addressed and resolved within 2 hours.

Example #3

Problem: Your company is experiencing problems with a slow Internet connection affecting certain users.
Priority level: Since the problem is not a complete outage, it is considered medium level and should be addressed within the next 4 to 8 hours.

By setting clear expectations, an SLA guarantees that your IT infrastructure remains operational and secure, minimizing downtime and ensuring smooth business continuity. As a Montreal IT company, we believe that a detailed SLA, combined with a foundation of trust, ensures you receive consistent, high-quality IT support that grows with your business needs.

WHY DO YOU NEED AN SLA IN MANAGED IT SERVICES?

In light of the information I’ve shared so far, I think you’re now a little more aware of the importance of having an IT service level agreement (SLA) with your managed IT services provider. Here’s a quick summary.

AN SLA ESTABLISHES CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

An IT SLA sets precise expectations by outlining incident priorities and expected resolution timeframes. This clarity helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that you and your IT service provider are on the same page. Knowing how quickly services will be delivered and the expected standards helps businesses like yours plan and operate smoothly.

AN IT SLA INCREASES SERVICE CONTINUITY AND RELIABILITY

An IT service level agreement typically includes anticipated resolution times for potential IT issues. This ensures that your IT infrastructure is reliable and any problems are addressed promptly, minimizing downtime and its associated costs.

IN CONCLUSION

An SLA is the foundation of a trusted and transparent partnership between your business and your managed IT service provider. It sets clear expectations, ensures service reliability, establishes a framework for accountability, and facilitates communication. By choosing a dependable MSP and implementing a comprehensive SLA, you’re investing in your business’s technological future.

Is your business seeking reliable managed IT services to boost efficiency and performance? As a leading Montreal IT company, we specialize in providing tailored IT consulting services that cater to your unique business needs. Secure your IT infrastructure with exceptional service quality and responsiveness.

Contact Info-Tech Montreal today for expert IT consulting and discover how our managed IT services can transform your business operations.

Total Security with Microsoft 365 Email Encryption

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

Executive’s Guide to Cybersecurity

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

10 Questions to Ask a Potential Co-Managed IT Firm

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

Basic Security: Protect Yourself

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

Some steps you can take to protect yourself, click below;

How to Organize Your Google Drive

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

“Over time, with some neglect and potential laziness, your Google Drive can accrue tons of files and become a mess to find anything. Here’s how to organize your Drive to find everything fast and make sure it stays in order.How to Increase Battery Life”

What to Do When Your Mac Won’t Shut Down

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

“Macs are like any other computer. Sometimes they won’t start up, and sometimes they won’t shut down. If your Mac is refusing to shut off, here’s how to shut it down anyway—and, hopefully, permanently fix the problem.”

What’s the Best Way to Backup Your Computer?

by Alessandro D'Ambra-Violi

“Everyone loses data at some point in their lives. Your computer’s hard drive could fail tomorrow, ransomware could hold your files hostage, or a software bug could delete your important files. If you’re not regularly backing up your computer, you could lose those files forever.”

Contents

The Microsoft 365 Apps You Didn’t Know You Needed

Personal Task Management: Microsoft To-Do

Project and Team Task Management: Microsoft Planner

Cloud Storage and File Sharing: Microsoft OneDrive

Survey and Data Collection: Microsoft Forms

Personal Productivity and Wellbeing: Microsoft Viva Insights

Appointment Scheduling: Microsoft Bookings

Stay in the Know with Our Weekly Tech Tips

Final Thoughts and How We Can Help

CONTENTS

KEY BENEFITS OF CYBER INSURANCE

Financial Protection

Business Continuity

Reputation Support

What to Look for in a Cyber Insurance Policy

Scope of Coverage

Policy Limits and Deductibles

Risk Assessment Support

Steps to Take Before You Apply For Cyber Insurance

How We Can Help

We Assess Your IT Readiness

We Implement Required Security Measures

Ongoing Compliance Support

Final Thoughts

WHAT IS AN IT SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT (SLA)?

SERVICE LEVEL, RESPONSE & RESOLUTION TIME

Example #1

Example #2

Example #3

WHY DO YOU NEED AN SLA IN MANAGED IT SERVICES?

AN SLA ESTABLISHES CLEAR EXPECTATIONS

AN IT SLA INCREASES SERVICE CONTINUITY AND RELIABILITY

IN CONCLUSION

GET IN TOUCH

ADDITIONAL INFO