Awin, the global affiliate marketing network, has a competitive edge over its rivals because it uses Microsoft technology, according to the company’s IT director.
Alex Taylor said it was critical that his staff are able to communicate and collaborate, wherever they are in the world, at any time. That requires working with Microsoft partner Cisilion to roll out cutting-edge technology such as Office 365, Windows 10 and Teams, he added.
“We look after more than 1,000 users in 15 locations across the globe, so we have to be agile and on the cutting edge of technology,” Taylor said. “Our mission is to ensure that anyone can work anywhere, at any time, and that means we have to ensure that we’re using the latest and greatest technology. We make sure we’re running the latest versions of Windows 10 and Office 365. Teams is perfect, too, because people’s files are accessible in the cloud, wherever they are; it brings everything under one roof.”
Awin connects businesses with customers in more than 180 countries in the retail, telecommunications, travel and finance sectors. The company generated revenues of £9.5 billion for its advertisers and £706 million for its publishers in the last financial year.
Staff have continued to work as usual during the pandemic, using Teams to collaborate and SharePoint to share news and updates. In the past few weeks Taylor said he’s seen a 112% increase in Teams chat usage, a 456% increase in Teams calls and a 320% increase in Teams meetings.
Taylor said the chat and gif functions in Teams appeal to the younger members of Awin’s workforce, along with the ability to use the program on phones and tablets. Staff can pick up group chats where they left off the day before, removing the need to restart dozens of chats, while drag-and-drop file sharing and the simple interface are also popular.
“Teams really has transformed the way we operate,” added Taylor.
Nick Hedderman, Microsoft UK Director of the Modern Workplace Business Group, said: “Microsoft Teams is changing the way people communicate and collaborate around the world. The technology provides a canvas for people to work in a more modern and open way, bringing them closer together and ultimately helping them to achieve more. It’s great to see Awin embracing a truly digital-first culture and leveraging the full power of Microsoft 365. It’s especially impressive to see how Awin are leveraging Teams as a platform, building unique ways to meet their business needs.”
