Office 365 has supported ODF files for some time, but this new update makes it easier than ever for all Office 365 users to convert files into a range of ODF formats. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and all the other Office 365 tools you rely on are now fully compliant with the UK government’s ODF mandate, ahead of schedule with the commitments we made earlier this year.

Downloading your files in ODF formats could not be easier. Just open up your file, click “Save As” and select “Download as ODT” for Word files, “Download as ODS” for Excel files or “Download as ODP” for PowerPoint. Simple as that!

This new feature, along with the numerous openness and cross-platform announcements Microsoft made at Build, re-enforce our alignment with the UK Government. We are committed to helping public sector offices throughout the UK embrace a cloud-first approach that promotes productivity and value for money in equal measure.

Learn more about Office 365 for the public sector. 

This post is by Black Marble Marketing Director Linda Hogg. 

A Chief Constable’s singular vision, a constabulary’s commitment to technology and an innovative software company combined to create game-changing new software for Officers. Shown in public for the first time at the Home Office Security and Policing exhibition, the solution – built end-to-end with Microsoft technologies – created quite an impression.

The solution that is now tuServ was the result of a desire by Cambridgeshire Constabulary to allow Officers to be more productive in the field through resourceful use of mobile technology, removing the need for time-consuming trips to and from a Police Station. They approached Microsoft Partner Black Marble to realise their vision.

“I was convinced we could do something much cleverer than electronic forms,” said Robert Hogg, MD of Black Marble, “and to Cambridgeshire’s credit, they had the confidence in Black Marble to let us think about what that would look like.”

The two organisations then embarked on the tuServ journey together: Black Marble came up with a radical concept in response to Cambridgeshire’s needs and would create the software; the Constabulary agreed to take an agile approach to the solution’s development and provide real-world users and feedback to ensure the end result would benefit the Constabulary as a whole. The end result would be a product that could be offered to other forces.

tuServ has been developed in phases in order to allow rapid adoption within Cambridgeshire Constabulary, rather than waiting for the final, fully-featured product. This approach allowed Officers to gradually get to grips with the project, leaving them wanting more! Superintendent Andy Gipp is the Operational Officer responsible for tuServ and has championed this approach. “The response has been fantastic!” says Andy, “By giving them tuServ in phases, Officers are not overwhelmed by a new product, and can see the benefit to them. We’re really pleased with the enthusiasm they’ve shown, the feedback they give and the ways they are dreaming up to use tuServ to help them be better cops.”

The validation of that approach is in the response: with over a thousand Officers using tuServ since the first phase began, the feedback from Officers has been extremely supportive, plus they are keen for each new phase “I’ve seen mock-ups of it, and what it can do, and I really want that, desperately want that!”

The Constabulary is already reaping the benefits: initial estimates suggest half an hour per officer per day of time is being saved – that kind of efficiency benefit mounts up fast!

The feedback from visitors at the exhibition was overwhelmingly positive, with tuServ being an excellent example of what can be achieved with the strength of the Microsoft technology stack when combined with an innovative provider like Black Marble and a visionary customer like Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Take a look and let me know what you think in the comments: 

• Link business outcomes to information strategy.
• Establish a portfolio of apps that are device agnostic.
• Ensure you have a modern integrated identity and security platform.
• Commission compute based on value for money.
• Develop a roadmap to hybrid cloud computing.
• Retrain key staff to be able to link business outcomes to ICT strategy.
• Retrain the Procurement function to exploit IP from various sources.
• Leverage you existing infrastructure and execute a roadmap to the future.
• Establish an infrastructure that leverages APIs.
• Create a single ICT strategy for government and leverage the economies of scale that come from that.

Today, the UK government and Microsoft are both working to advance a cloud-first vision of government technology. We’re an industry leader in conforming to the government’s 14 Cloud Security Principles, and the first to meet the ISO/IEC 27018 standard. Government services such as the Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology Service, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and more use our services and we continue to listen to feedback and improve our solutions to meet the needs of government. Working with Government Digital Service and other government departments, we are committed to enhancing the capabilities of Office 365 to meet government requirements, including the UK government Open Standards policy.

While we already have great ODF support in O365, we’ve worked with GDS to understand the need to be able to create or import a document in another format and export it as ODF 1.2 and will be rolling out this new functionality to Office 365 in May. These changes ensure that Microsoft Office 365 will be compliant with the policy for sharing and collaborating on government documents and available for all public sector organisations.

Today, our UK Country Manager, Michel Van der Bel, met with the Cabinet Office Minister and Paymaster General, Francis Maude, to talk about these changes. 

Here at the Microsoft Public Safety & National Security team we are pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at the show for the first time, and will be on site for the duration of the event. Microsoft develops both global and SME Partner relationships to deliver relevant effective and scalable technologies.

Find us on stand F83

At Security & Policing 2015 we will be showcasing our digital policing catalogue, a number of customer case study videos, and a range of the solutions and Windows 8 apps currently being delivered by our partners. On the stand we will also have the following apps and devices, which our team will be glad to show to you:

Devices:

• Panasonic FZ-M1
• Panasonic FZ-G1
• TetraTab Casepad
• Dell Venue 11 with keyboard
• Dell Venue 8

Apps:

• CSIS
• Non Urgent Crime reporting
• Officer App
• Blackmarble’s tuServe

In addition to visiting the Microsoft stand and speaking to the various members of our team who will be there over the course of the three days, attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from Dylan Thomas (Industry Manager, PS&NS @ Microsoft), who will be speaking during the Industry Briefing Sessions at Security & Policing at 11:15am on Wednesday 11th March.

Dylan’s presentation is called How Microsoft’s ‘Cloud First Mobile First’ solutions can empower the Police to do more with less, and will look at how we can enable the Police to deliver modern technology to the front-line through:

• Quickly deploying modern applications for Case, Crime, and Intelligence etc.
• Gain insight from ‘big data’ through integrated solutions.
• Enable mobile policing with smart devices, body worn cameras, digital storage and Microsoft cloud productivity.

If you wish to attend Dylan’s session on Microsoft’s ‘Cloud First Mobile First’ solutions, please make sure you are at the session in for the 11:15am start time on Wednesday morning. There are plenty of other speakers lined up, including senior government and security officials, so we’d definitely recommend looking at the Security & Policing Industry Briefing Sessions schedule to plan your time at the event.

The whole Microsoft Public Safety & National Security team is looking forward to exhibiting at Security & Policing for the first time, and we hope to meet as many of you as possible on the stand over the three days of the event. If you would like to book a more formal meeting with any of our team or consultation or to discuss potential opportunities, please contact Dylan Thomas on +44 (0) 7791 100771.

We look forward to seeing you there.

- Microsoft Public Safety & National Security team

Microsoft Office 365 isn’t a one size fits all offering and there are simple tools to help identify the right fit for your users. To get a sense of what Office 365 can do and how it can benefit your office, attend one for four free, half-day workshop at our office in London.

These sessions will help you understand what differentiates Microsoft’s online service strategy, how your end users can overcome common problems when trying to work collaboratively and work in new ways and also how to license in the most cost effective manner, using analytics of your organisation’s current use of Microsoft applications.

There are a limited number of funded (no-cost) engagements that will provide you with a detailed, granular report on the usage of all applications and documents within your organisation and the potential impact of moving from your existing on-premises Microsoft productivity applications to Microsoft’s Office 365 cloud offering.

Please register your interest by clicking one of the links below ASAP as we will operate of a first come, first basis:

When & where:

31 March

14 April

23 April

28 April

9:00am - 12:00pm

Cardinal Place

80-100 Victoria Street

London, SW1E 5JL

Agenda:

• Microsoft’s cloud strategy: Understand the key differences between Microsoft and other Software as a Service vendors. -- Microsoft
• Office 365: See how the Office 365 services both allow people to overcome common obstacles to collaborative working and transform outmoded business practices. -- Content & Code
• Centrix 365iq: Learn how real world analytics from your end users can help inform licensing decisions and application portfolio. -- Centrix

Microsoft has had a strategic relationship with UK Government since 2002 under a number of non- binding framework agreements with the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), part of the Cabinet Office, and its predecessors. The last one of these agreements (PSA12) was set for a three-year period and is due to naturally expire in April 2015.

Recognising the cloud-first policy of the UK Government, both Microsoft and CCS have agreed that such commercial agreements are no longer appropriate in matching the needs of UK Public Sector customers. The PSA-style agreements were originally created in a non-cloud world and subsequent updated agreements have built on that original model so are no longer suitable for modern cloud-based IT environments.

The availability of secure cloud services (be that public or private cloud) provide significant savings over traditional technology infrastructure and enable and accelerate the transformational changes required of today’s Public Sector. Microsoft is a committed and accredited partner under CCS’s  G-Cloud agreement  allowing UK Public Sector customers the opportunity to purchase Microsoft’s Online Services alongside multiple options from other suppliers. This position is consistent with the Government’s stated intention announced in May 2013 by Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office to be ‘Cloud First’ for public sector IT: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-adopts-cloud-first-policy-for-public-sector-it.

In order to ensure UK Public Sector customers who choose to make the transformation to cloud services have sufficient time, Microsoft and CCS have agreed the following arrangements for the period following the expiry of PSA12.

• Any existing Enterprise Agreement customer will be given the opportunity to renew into an Enterprise Agreement Subscription (EAS) for a further three years, at the expiry of their current agreement at broadly comparable discount levels.
• Any non-Enterprise Agreement customers have an extended period until the end of June 2015 to commit to an EAS at broadly comparable discount levels.
• Extra discounts have been provided on Enterprise Cloud Suite (ECS) and Server & Cloud Enrolment (SCE) to support transformation and cloud adoption.

CESG’s latest platform study shows Windows Phone 8.1 is on a very strong trajectory of improvement. The new guidance provides a detailed background on the benefits of Windows Phone 8.1. The platform delivers several improvements - compared with rival offerings and Windows Phone 8.0 - which ensure the safe, convenient and rapid transfer of data for public sector staff.

What other changes to the platform do you need to know about? I’ve highlighted a selection of key features below, with the full list available here.

What improvements were made to support the new guidance from CESG?

• Malicious code detection and prevention: Now users are able to disable developer unlocking of devices - so that Windows Phone 8.1 will only run apps from the Store and authorised enterprise applications. Apps hosted in the Windows Phone Store are scanned for potentially harmful or malicious activity prior to being made available for download. Content based attacks can be filtered by scanning on the email server.

• Security policy enforcement: Disabling the un-enrolment feature from the MDM service means that settings applied to the device cannot then be modified or removed by the user. The phone can optionally also be configured to prevent the user performing a factory reset.

• External interface protection: Windows Phone 8.1 now allows Wi­Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, removable storage and USB Sync to be disabled.

• Device update policy: Windows Store apps automatically download and install updates by default, but installation of device updates relies on user interaction. The enterprise has no control whether updates that are not marked as critical are applied.

Why does this matter to me and my organisation?

Windows Phone 8.1’s improvement make for a much safer, more secure and better controlled device ecosystem for public sector bodies. Updated features now mean that Windows Phone 8.1 offers a safer path for a user’s data to travel. Moreover, apps and software are now automatically patched for rapidly changing security issues and only approved programs can be downloaded and stored on the device. In the case of an incident, the platform is now able to respond much faster to shut compromised devices down and remove sensitive data from unauthorised hands. This controlled environment means that the public sector body can rest assured that in any situation their data, devices and ecosystems are safe from threats and compromises.  

How can I get a copy of the recent CESG guidance?

The updated guidance from the CESG is wholly available on the CESG website and can be downloaded here. This provides ease of access for public sector organisations spanning the UK - so they are able to make informed decisions.

What should I do if I’m interested in Windows Phone 8.1?

Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 is going from strength to strength. If you want to discuss the platform’s new features or future direction, e-mail ukps@microsoft.com to learn more.

This article originally appeared in January 2015 edition of The MJ. 

The first MJ of the New Year is as good a time as ever to do some crystal ball gazing though for this I draw on an event that took place towards the end of 2014 called Future Decoded.

This was a forum organised by Microsoft in London’s Excel for its business partners and customers attended by some 10,000 people which gathered top thought-leaders - from Jeremy Paxman and Sir Martin Sorrell to Sir Bob Geldof and Dame Stella Rimington as well as Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella - to give their views on the future. In addition a series of workshops looked at key sectors including local government whose session was addressed by Norfolk CC managing director Wendy Thomson. Norfolk itself is also pioneering a cross-sector technology programme based on the cloud.

Technology is the key to maintaining public services through austerity and meeting the needs of a more demanding public. At Future Decoded Microsoft’s chief executive Satya Nadella predicted that future technology for both public and private sectors lies in the cloud and the mobile. His views were echoed by another speaker, Ronan Dunne, chief executive of Telefonica UK who said: ‘More people have access to mobiles in the world than to clean drinking water. The mobile will power digital Britain. Future economic growth will be driven by digital. There will also be a growth of self-service with the customer in control.’ He pointed out that the UK would need another 750,000 digitally skilled workers in the next five years and there was a need to train young people now, especially those who were out of the workforce, yet used to computers. He added: ‘We need to lobby for better digital educational connectivity to enable the next wave of change.’

As Derrick McCourt, Microsoft UK’s public sector general manager tells The MJ: ‘Our public sector customers are falling off a cliff in terms of funding. The only way they can maintain a level of service is to ensure there are appropriate digital channels. Their own customers want 24/7 not nine to five.’

The fast-evolving devolution agenda, especially the combined authorities, will drive greater greater collaboration and cross-sector partnerships sustained by technology. Microsoft is already working with UK local government through its CityNext programme. Derrick McCourt adds: ‘We’re not so arrogant that we claim to have all the answers. The typical authorities we work with have the right kind of leadership in which to invest our time and knowledge. Austerity is a common theme so the question is what support we can give to deliver cost-effective, top quality services. Every chief executive wants to ensure economic development but how does a city attract investment or young people? The challenges in western economies are very similar. A lot of learning we bring to the UK is global. The biggest cities in the UK are looking to benchmark themselves against global cities.’

Future Decoded was addressed by one of its clients, Norfolk CC’s managing director Wendy Thomson. The council is developing a cloud-based information hub from Microsoft, HP Enterprise Services and Vodaphone to transform the delivery of integrated services using technology to drive efficiencies. By using the economic and social value of the data held by Norfolk and its partner agencies, the new information hub, Digital Norfolk Ambition, aims to help the council create a local knowledge economy, improve education standards and attract further investment. It will provide a desktop, data centre and collaboration infrastructure bringing together disparate data from multiple agencies to enable staff to make evidence-based decisions, reduce costly duplication and meet rising demands for services.

Dr Thomson, who previously chaired an expert health panel on patient-based funding in Quebec, Canada, says that health systems across the developed world have the same health and care challenges. She adds: ‘Everyone has the same issue which is how to move health and care systems from dealing with acute into chronic care, from hospital into the community and IT helps you. Between the ages of 65 and 85 health often depends on the individual and we need to recognise this. We need to target the right services to the right people and we believe at Norfolk we’re ahead of the pack.’

Microsoft Office 365 isn’t a one size fits all offering and there are simple tools to help identify the right fit for your users. To get a sense of what Office 365 can do and how it can benefit your office, attend a free half-day workshop at our office in London on Thursday, 5 February.

This session will help you understand what differentiates Microsoft’s online service strategy, how your end users can overcome common problems when trying to work collaboratively and work in new ways and also how to license in the most cost effective manner, using analytics of your organisation’s current use of Microsoft applications.

There are a limited number of funded (no-cost) engagements that will provide you with a detailed, granular report on the usage of all applications and documents within your organisation and the potential impact of moving from your existing on-premises Microsoft productivity applications to Microsoft’s Office 365 cloud offering.

Please register your interest ASAP as we will operate of a first come, first basis:

When & where:

Thursday, 5 February

9:00am - 12:00pm

Cardinal Place

80-100 Victoria Street

London, SW1E 5JL

Agenda:

• Microsoft’s cloud strategy: Understand the key differences between Microsoft and other Software as a Service vendors. -- Microsoft
• Office 365: See how the Office 365 services both allow people to overcome common obstacles to collaborative working and transform outmoded business practices. -- Content & Code
• Centrix 365iq: Learn how real world analytics from your end users can help inform licensing decisions and application portfolio. -- Centrix