Office 365 is so chock-full of apps, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of them all. Sure, you have the most popular tools like Word and Skype for Business, but there are three tools in the lineup that seem like they could be used the same way: Outlook Groups, Yammer, and Microsoft Teams.

Business owners and managers are bombarded with large volumes of data on a daily basis and are increasingly having trouble making sense of it all. Today, they need cutting-edge solutions to generate reports and gain actionable insights to make smarter decisions.

Yammer, Outlook Groups, and Microsoft Teams have plenty in common. They’re all Office 365 tools designed for sharing files and communicating with colleagues. So what differentiates each from the other and when should you use them? Here's a quick rundown to help you decide.

Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel form the foundation of most Office experiences. But there’s another application that doesn’t get its fair share of attention: OneNote. It’s severely underutilized considering how helpful it is, so we’re going to explain some of the basics.

Slack is a well-known, cloud-based collaboration tool that helps your team communicate better and be more productive. Microsoft Teams is Window’s own version with a twist. It’s been reported that prior to its release, a gigantic update was rolled out that equipped Teams with a bevy of features that will definitely make a difference.

Communication might be the key to personal relationships, but collaboration is the key to business connections. That’s why many small- and medium-sized businesses are looking into Office 365, a productivity and collaboration-enhancing software that allows employees to stay productive on-the-go.

If you thought Office 365 couldn’t get any better, Microsoft was not of the same mind. Late last month the company announced a new feature that allows users to invite guests to interact with 365 groups and their content. Whether they’re international business partners, local customers, or infrequent clients, you can involve them regardless of their 365 subscription.

As various aspects of our lives move into the cloud -- from photos to what’s in our refrigerator -- there’s an ever-increasing number of vendors to choose from. Founded in 2007, Dropbox was one of the earliest companies to popularize the term ‘cloud storage’ and since then they’ve mostly focused on perfecting that business model.

SMBs see a lot of benefits to utilizing browser-based software, but generally avoid implementation for privacy and security concerns. Microsoft has finally addressed these issues by allowing businesses to host Microsoft Office locally. Popular pieces of software that usually take up a lot of space can now be securely accessed through a private cloud.

If the classic image of a startup was a couple of guys in a garage (think of Amazon, Apple, Disney), the emerging picture is a workforce of cloud collaborators using desired skills to deliver on your white-collar piecework. By eliminating barriers associated with traditional workspaces, the human cloud offers cost-effective solutions that may be a win-win for both employers and employees.