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In a bid to boost Yammer collaboration, Microsoft is connecting all the dots in terms of mobile device support.
Microsoft product manager Carlos Bohórquez Marín announced new Yammer updates on Feb. 3 that are aimed at enabling users to stay in touch across a wider variety of devices. And, in the case of Apple fans, the company has made shifting their Yammer conversations from iPhones and iPads to Macs (Mac OS X Yosemite) a little more seamless.
The Yammer app for iOS 8 now sports a “Handoff” feature that allows users to pick up where they left off as they move from one device to another. “Yammer now works across your Apple devices like never before. Start collaborating with Yammer on your Mac and—with one swipe—seamlessly continue on your iPhone or iPad,” he stated in blog detailing the new functionality. “Instantly transition from your iOS device back to your Mac with one click and keep going right where you left off on Yammer.”
Building on Microsoft’s growing wearables software slate, Bohórquez Marín also announced Android Wear support. The Android Wear platform from Google, which officially landed in the hands of developers last year, powers a growing number of wearable devices, including LG’s G Watch R and Sony’s SmartWatch 3.
“Glance at your wrist to quickly read and ‘like’ team messages and even reply using voice commands—directly on your smartwatch,” he said. “To get started, just install Yammer on your Android phone and Yammer is seamlessly extended to your Android Wear device.”
Regardless of whether users tote iOS or Android devices, Yammer now offers both camps new features that help make it easier to stay informed and share their workday discoveries.
Yammer notifications on both iOS and Android are now interactive. “Engage with your team even faster by ‘liking’ posts directly from the redesigned Yammer notifications on your iOS or Android devices,” said Bohórquez Marín.
Interfaces have also been tweaked to improve usability. As part of the new user-centric enhancements, “notifications roll up by threads, the Yammer icon appears on all notifications, and we even flash the LED on your Android phone to announce incoming notifications,” he noted.
Sharing content discovered using non-Yammer apps has also been made easier. “Multiply your impact wherever you are by sharing links, photos and more into a Yammer group directly from Safari, Chrome and other apps,” he said.
Microsoft is working on more Yammer updates while 2015 unfolds, he added, as evidenced by the company’s Office 365 road map. For example, the company is currently in the midst of rolling out Office 365 sign-in for Yammer.
“With Office 365 sign-in for Yammer, users can access Yammer with their Office 365 credentials and work across Office 365 applications with ease. Office 365 users will be able to seamlessly access Yammer from their Office 365 navigation bar, providing immediate access to their existing Yammer account,” pledged the company.