Digitally transforming public services to make them accessible to everyone who needs them as quickly as possible is key to building trust in public agencies. But to do so effectively, governments need to ensure that their applications and websites remain as accessible and user-friendly as possible, which requires that they streamline processes, choose stable platforms, and follow the best development methodologies. If these new apps are adopted correctly, they can provide governments with universally accessible two-way channels for interacting with citizens that lessen reliance on physical interaction, while providing government employees more and better information about their cases.

Watch this video to learn how an agile approach to app development combined with Microsoft Azure is changing the way the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Victoria, Australia, is delivering IT to its department and the entire state.

For the New South Wales Department of Education, getting students excited about technology started with ease of use. Students were empowered through using technology they were originally unfamiliar with and over time creating professional quality work. Teachers saw increased confidence levels as well as authentic interest from students wanting to learn more.

We want devices and technology that are easy to use, whether it be students in an educational environment or employees in the modern workplace. Ease of use must be a priority, and Microsoft Teams was built for this. View this video for a quick glimpse of this.

Microsoft is improving the Windows Virtual Desktop management experience, Teams, and more. Microsoft continues to make changes to improve the overall Windows Virtual Desktop experience for users—those working remotely and in-office. Check out the new features and what’s next for Windows Virtual Desktop here.

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Digital communication permeates every aspect of the modern workplace, from emails to texting to messaging to the chat feature in Microsoft Teams. Unfortunately, “people think others understand their messages 90 percent of the time, but the actual statistic is only 50 percent,” according to Nick Morgan, author of “Can You Hear Me? How to Connect with People in a Virtual World.”

How do we make sure our messages aren’t misunderstood half the time? In his article, “50 Percent of Emails and Texts are Misunderstood, But There’s an Easy Way to Change That,” Ryan Jenkins states there’s a simple solution: use emojis.

Not only is emoji acceptance in the workplace growing (61% of emoji users use them at work), but research demonstrates that the same part of the brain that processes human faces also processes emojis. “When an emoji conveys a human emotion, it can be transferred in a text. Therefore, emojis help communicators manage the emotional tone of digital messages. And emojis help recipients interpret the tone of digital message,” writes Jenkins.

The modern workplace includes increased digital communication as well as increased emoji use—read this article in its entirety to understand the benefits of using emojis at work 😊

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