As a partner conference Microsoft Inspire, does not generally have a lot of
product & feature announcements. 
However, there are a few interesting points for those of us interested
in Microsoft 365 and Viva.

As Satya Nadella said in the Keynote, every organisation needs a digital fabric
that enables hybrid work, connecting people across locations and working
patterns, covering all 4 quadrants of the diagram below.

![](/images/Inspire01.png)

 

Microsoft Teams innovations such as annotations on shared content in teams meetings, [Excel Live](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/announcing-excel-live-transform-microsoft-teams-meetings-with/ba-p/3573371?WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-5004583) as well as camera improvements for meeting rooms which help to make the experience of the virtual and in person attendees more equitable.

A summary of the news from Microsoft Inspire is available in the news blog  [From enabling hybrid
work to creating collaborative experiences—here’s what’s new in Microsoft 365 |
Microsoft 365 Blog](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2022/07/19/from-enabling-hybrid-work-to-creating-collaborative-experiences-heres-whats-new-in-microsoft-365/)

## The latest Viva news

Of note for Microsoft Viva are three main points. 

Viva Goals will be generally available from 1st August.  Viva Goals is included in the Microsoft 365 Suite license, though stand alone licensing will also be available.

 

Viva Engage is a new Viva tool.  Late in August the Viva Engage app will replace the Yammer Communities app in Microsoft Teams and offers an updated and enhanced Yammer experience from the context of Microsoft Teams.  Enhanced features include improved people search and Storyline, which provides a personal story sharing location for employees.  Making Yammer, even more like an internal social network. Viva Engage will be available with all Microsoft 365 licences and will not require separate licensing.

More details on Viva Engage is available in the following Microsoft blog:

[Yammer Tech Community Blog on Viva Engage](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/yammer-blog/introducing-viva-engage/ba-p/3571377?WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-5004583)

[Announcing Viva Engage](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/announcing-microsoft-viva-engage/ba-p/3571382?WT.mc_id=M365-MVP-5004583)

 Finally, Viva Learning now has a Content Sync API which may not mean much to non-developers but what it allows is the ability to bring any Learning Management System (LMS) into Viva Learning, opening up tools like Moodle and Kallidus or whatever you are using to be integrated into Viva Learning. You could even bring in your bespoke apps created at your organisation.

[Use the employee learning API to integrate with Viva Learning - Microsoft Graph beta | Microsoft Docs](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/viva-learning-api-overview?view=graph-rest-beta)



Looking forward the following is promised, so lots to look forward to.

![](/images/Inspire-VivaRoadmap.png)

 

And finally, added to the [Roadmap](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=\&searchterms=93410) for Microsoft Viva today were a few other gems and confirmation of the
announcements:

·       Meeting category insights coming to the Viva Insights app in Teams, due for release in August and part of the personal Viva
Insights functionality [Roadmap Entry](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=\&searchterms=93410)

·      Yammer Storyline in Viva Engage due September [Roadmap Entry](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=\&searchterms=93407)

·      A redesigned Viva Insights App in Teams and Viva Insights on the M365 App launcher due August 2022 [Roadmap
Entry](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=\&searchterms=93346)

·      Viva Engage due August [Roadmap Entry](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=\&searchterms=93409)

If that was the exciting updates for Inspire, just imagine what Ignite in the Autumn will bring!


Viva Inspiration from Inspire

Viva vision #1 Connections engage employees

The quote above, possibly a version of a quote about Education by Albert Einstein, might not be exactly as he said it. A quick google-search gave me [this reference](https://www.quora.com/Did-Einstein-say-Education-is-not-the-learning-of-facts-but-the-training-of-minds-to-think) to the origin of the quote. This might be a bit more closer to quoting him correctly, for those interested in that:

> *“It is not so very important for a person to learn facts. For that he does not really need a college. He can learn them from books. The value of an education in a liberal arts college is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks.”*

Education, knowledge, competency and learning

Four words that touches upon the same thing; enabling and empowering people with more insights and skills today than they had yesterday.

![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f3eb.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f4da.svg)However we look at education, knowledge, competency and learning, I think one of the core intentions is to enable and empower people to make better choices, to work easier, to do things better, to develop and innovate, to find new solutions and to think for themselves. ![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/2728.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f4a1.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/2728.svg)

![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f4ab.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/267e.svg)️We are all learning every day and that is what keep us evolving. I want to learn, and always seek to learn, explore and understand more. Learning is a lifelong activity. Of course, it is entirely up to each and every one of us what we want to learn and how and when we do it. At the same time, I think many experience that there is so much to learn, especially in these times and days. It might be challenging if they found themselves working from home, and perhaps not being prepared for that, during the last couple of years with the pandemics. And with the current digital transformation many companies are going through, how can we ensure we are staying up to date and know how to navigate in this digital jungle?![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1fa82.svg)

![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f9d1-1f3fd-200d-1f3eb.svg)Learning and training is not something new![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f469-1f3fd-200d-1f4bb.svg)

Most companies have learning and competency journeys in place, and regularly send their employees on training and courses. However, in these days and times it might not be that easy sending people on training and courses. And, using a full week on training can be a bit too much to process and it could take away too much time and focus of work productivity. At the same time, we are different and the way we learn is different. Even though going to classes to learn something is a good way to run training, it might not always be the best options and not for all kinds of learning. Doing the “shortcut” with e-learning is also good, still, it many times just give an introduction, or scratches the surface of what is needed to learn. Sometimes it is useful to train a group of people the same content, especially it is beneficial to gather a group that work together to train them and at the same time discuss how this affect their every day work. Still, many times, effective learning can just as well happen in the context of what I am working on right now. Perhaps I need just a quick video to explain a specific thing, or maybe I need to deep dive into a topic on my own. Multichannel learning is helping organizations to train their managers and employees to gain skills for tomorrow. Many companies already have LMS solutions, perhaps even several.

The challenge for many is to find the training they need in the moment, and find where it is, which system and how to search for it. It might take time to find the specific session, and where you stopped last time you were studying.

Microsoft Viva Learning brings the learning objects to you

![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/2728.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f9b8-1f3fd-200d-2640-fe0f.svg)Microsoft Viva Learning can merge your current learning solutions with Microsoft Teams and bring the learning items straight into the context where people are working. As a manager I can set obligatory learning for my team and track their progress. As a manager and as a co-worker I can recommend learning for my colleagues. As it is available in the Teams interface, it is available for a larger part of the organization, and across any device; whether it is via a pc, laptop, pad or smart phone. Training can be available at your fingertips, when and where you need it. ![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f680.svg)

Microsoft Viva Learning

Viva Learning is one of the modules in the Microsoft Viva suite and it brings learning straight into your Teams rooms.

Viva Learning Tips & Tricks blog

In this blog post I would like to share a few little tips and tricks about [Microsoft Viva Learning](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-viva/learning)/[Overview of Microsoft Viva Learning | Microsoft Docs](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/viva/learning/overview-viva-learning). And will update this blog post whenever I learn something new.

I have previously written about Microsoft Viva Learning in this blog: [24 days of collaboration celebrations – No. 1 – MeretheStave (merethesharepointstave.com)](https://merethesharepointstave.com/2021/12/01/24-days-of-collaboration-celebrations-no-1/) and my awesome and visionary colleague Lesley Crook shared her thoughts on Learning on one of her advent blogs: [Viva vision #5 Make Learning part of personal development – MVP, Lesley Crook is a Viva Visionary](https://vivavisionary.uk/2021/12/06/viva-vision-5-learn/)

And, as we see, learning and investing in our best assets; our people, is nothing new, as one of the shining stars and my big inspiration Tracy van der Schyff wrote: [#Microsoft365 Day 354: To learn new things, we first have to un-learn the old bad habits. – Tracy van der Schyff](https://tracyvanderschyff.com/2018/07/22/to-learn-new-things-we-first-have-to-un-learn-the-old-bad-habits/) and as I many times say to my customers; to hit target, we need to know where we are when shooting.

Where are you now…?

Have you run a mapping of current digital competency in your organization? If not, it might be a good idea to do it. And the E.U. Framework for digital competency can be a good place to see where it is expected that every digital worker should be today: [The Digital Competence Framework 2.0 | EU Science Hub (europa.eu)](https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/digcomp/digital-competence-framework) Use the 5 areas mentioned in the framework and ask your employees questions to map where they are on a scale from 2-10 on this 5 areas. —> Another blog will give more resources and good practice related to Adoption and Training (work in progress ![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f607.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f913.svg)).

![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/21aa.svg)Back to Viva Learning… ![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f4a1.svg)

What type of content does the Microsoft Viva Learning support?

**Currently Viva Learning supports the following document types:**

*   **Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF**

*   **Audio (.m4a)**

*   **Video (.mov, .mp4, .avi)**



Read more about it here: [Add SharePoint as a learning content source for Microsoft Viva Learning | Microsoft Docs](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/viva/learning/configure-sharepoint-content-source)

What about SharePoint pages?

I love to work on SharePoint pages and these can be excellent for training purposes. However, currently, SharePoint pages are not supported as learning “items” for Viva Learning.

![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f4a1.svg)**Tip of the day!** If you have created a SharePoint page that you want to use for Viva Learning, you can right click the SharePoint page and save it as a PDF. This PDF document you can then upload to the learning content folder for that specific training and link to the folder in the Learning App Repository. – PS! I have not yet tried out this tip, it is just an idea. Let me know if you have tried it and it worked! ![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f60a.svg)

PS! Printing the SharePoint page to a PDF can be a ok temporary solution, however, it might be a challenge if the SharePoint page is updated, then you need to “print” to PDF again, and if you have links on the SharePoint page these will not work on the PDF.

![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f4ab.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f51c.svg)More tips will follow ….

**Ask me a question!**

`Thank you to those who have gave me their suggestions. If YOU would like to nominate a topic, please feel free to do so completing `[`this form`](https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Cj6c2QRa2kuVodoMJLcx7ki5wYdkCpdEvPiBWcH3\_OdUN0ZPRFRTMlFMUUFEUUNWOUEzUFNMQVMyRS4u)`, or scan the QR-code added on this page.`

You can also contact me directly either via SoMe and/or via my employers contact form on our web page: [Workshops – Cloudway](https://cloudway.com/workshops/).



![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f4a1.svg)![](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/13.1.0/svg/1f970.svg)PS! This blog is my personal opinions and sharing. I am working in a fantastic team in CloudWay and **we are running great workshops** covering these topics. We can help you, and your partners, to remove blockers on your way to the cloud! We love to share what we know – to help everyone having secure productivity in the cloud!![](https://i0.wp.com/merethesharepointstave.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-4-Viva-pillars.png?resize=750%2C270\&ssl=1)*Viva Learning is one of the four pillars of Microsoft Viva* – Empowering people and teams to be their best![](https://i0.wp.com/merethesharepointstave.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Microsoft-Viva-Learning-in-Teams-illustration.png?resize=750%2C373\&ssl=1)*You can find Microsoft Viva Learning in the left side menu in Microsoft Teams (if not, click the 3 little dots and I’ll guess you’ll find it there – and you can pin it to the left side menu in Microsoft Teams)*. It can also be available from your smartphone.![](https://i0.wp.com/merethesharepointstave.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/QuestionMarkThinkingGIF.gif?resize=498%2C498\&ssl=1)`Have you got a question for me?`![](https://i0.wp.com/merethesharepointstave.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Scan-QR-code-to-ask-a-question.png?resize=750%2C499\&ssl=1)`Scan the QR-code to ask me a question!`



Bring Learning to the front with Microsoft Viva Learning

Did you catch the launch of Microsoft Viva? If not you might want to have a look at the [Viva homepage](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-viva) and the [Viva blog on Tech Community](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/bg-p/MicrosoftVivaBlog).

Viva Topics is the second product (after SharePoint Syntex) which has come out of Project Cortex and is available as a 30 day trial now from <https://aka.ms/BuyVivaTopics>.

Call me curious, but I wanted to have a go. According to comments in the Viva Tech community it takes 2 hours to 2 weeks before Viva Topics is ready to go. It did take 2 days before my first suggested topic showed up, and I’m still at just the one suggested topic. So I’m not quite able to write a blog about how it works yet. But I thought I’d share the set up experience.

Having signed up for a trial and assigned my admin user a licence, I started in the [Microsoft 365 Admin Center](https://admin.microsoft.com/#/homepage) under Settings – > Org Settings -> Services and captured the screens as I went. I’ve also shared the information links shown on these screens.

Learn about Viva Topics <https://support.microsoft.com/office/53620e12-ae00-4523-87cf-e935ae77d541>

Review site search settings <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-GB/sharepoint/make-site-content-searchable>

Automate content understanding – Links to another set up page in your tenant

Learn more <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-GB/sharepoint/make-site-content-searchable>

Learn about excluding topics <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-GB/microsoft-365/knowledge/set-up-knowledge-network>

When you first visit the Topics dashboard (i.e. the SharePoint site you created) it will be blank and you may think it hasn’t worked. Just leave it to do it’s thing for at least 2 hours and then you’ll see the Get Started page and Manage topics page populate with the webparts. Here’s the Get Started page and it’s links.

Learn about the 3 steps: <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2135146>

Intro to Knowledge Network: <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2135200>

Understanding Topic Discovery: <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2135147>

Manage Topics: <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2134948>

Eventually, your home page will start to show you recommended topics but these will take a bit longer to have more information in, so I’ll return with another post when I have more to see.[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-9.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-9.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-5.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-5.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-1.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-1.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-7.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-7.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-3.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-3.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-2.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-2.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-6.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-6.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-4.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-4.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-10.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-10.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-1-1.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-1-1.png)[![](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-8.png?w=1024)](https://sfennah.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/image-8.png)



Getting started with Viva Topics

Read next

Viva Inspiration from Inspire

Viva vision #1 Connections engage employees

Bring Learning to the front with Microsoft Viva Learning