Microsoft Kaizala takes work group communication to another level

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By: Oray Erkus, Collaboration Product Marketing Manager, MEA HQ

When you hear the phrase “workplace of the future”, you may think of futuristic robotic office assistants, virtual company meetings and 4D presentations. However, mobile technology is enabling businesses to digitally transform their operations and adapt to the workplace of the future in tangible, workable ways, right now.

Microsoft’s Kaizala app does exactly that – and it’s now commercially available across the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

What is Microsoft Kaizala?

Kaizala is a mobile app that improves the way your business communicates and collaborates. It’s designed for large group communication, workflow management, reporting and analytics, and it’s integrated with Office 365.

This is particularly useful for businesses that manage field staff remotely.

There are hundreds of task workers working in construction sites, manufacturing plants, retail shops and other industries across MEA. These workers typically don’t have a dedicated work space or computer. Instead, they use pen and paper, or unsecure consumer messaging apps on their personal phones, for work-related communications. For managers, this makes communicating, assigning and tracking work, and collecting information difficult and time consuming.

That’s where Kaizala comes in. Kaizala is an easy-to-use app, offering a simple and familiar chat interface. The app gives you the power to connect with large numbers of people inside and outside your organisation. No matter where your employees, customers and suppliers are, you can connect with and draw data from your entire value chain on one single platform – all on your mobile device. It only requires a mobile number to sign a user up, and is optimised to work on any network, no matter how slow.

Here are some of Microsoft Kaizala’s standout features:

  1. Communicate with and manage an unlimited number of users. This includes employees, front-line workers, customers, suppliers and citizens. Organisations can create flat, hierarchical or discoverable public groups in minutes from contact lists, directories or ad hoc sharing.
  2. Broadcast and collect information in a structured way through action cards. This includes sharing announcements; photos, videos or documents; hosting polls or surveys; assigning tasks; providing training content; marking attendance; and tracking workforces using location tracking.
  3. Gather rich insights from data with built-in analytics. Organisations can view results in real-time, organise large amounts of information with an aggregated view of user responses, and get reports at each level of the organisation.

How secure is your company’s data in Microsoft Kaizala?

Your customer’s data in Microsoft Kaizala is protected by encryption in-transit and at-rest. This means only you and the people you are communicating with can see what you have sent them. Encryption is a default feature of the app and it cannot be turned on or off. All customer data is stored in Microsoft Azure datacentres, which adhere to industry standard security and compliance certifications.

Should you upgrade to Kaizala Pro?

Microsoft Kaizala Pro has premium features that include user and group management, system integration and automation using Microsoft Kaizala APIs, advanced reporting and analytics, ability to publish custom actions, ability to create public groups, organisational profile and directory, and support.

Optimising workplace communication

Microsoft Kaizala is ideal for organisations that need to communicate with large numbers of task workers to enhance business agility, collaboration and productivity. It effectively helps the mobile workforce, customers, suppliers and partners participate in organisational workflows.

More than just a chat app – how companies are already using Kaizala

Kenyan-based solar energy company, M-KOPA Solar, now has more than half a million customers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. M-KOPA Solar couldn’t have achieved this growth without providing the underlying communication and payment technology that people can access easily by phone. M-KOPA uses the Microsoft Kaizala app to connect its sales team and provide essential resources to rural communities.

The company has grown from 5,000 customers in its first year to more than 600,000 as of January 2018—more than 120 times the original customer base. The app that helping fuel M-KOPA’s growth is Microsoft Kaizala.

Another company taking advantage of the benefits provided by Microsoft Kaizala is Well Told Story, which is using the app as a research tool, putting it into the hands of their network of young people to run surveys and interviews for them. This empowers the youth with jobs and income, while also giving Well Told Story the rich insights to fuel their youth media business.

Which devices or platforms is Microsoft Kaizala available on?

Microsoft Kaizala is currently available for free download on iOS and Android worldwide, but Kaizala Pro is now available to be purchased standalone or with Microsoft Suites (Office 365 F1, E1, E3, E5, ProPlus, Business, Business Essentials, and Business Premium, Office 365 Education A3, A5, ProPlus, Microsoft 365 F1, Business, E3, and E5, Microsoft 365 Education A3, A5)  in the above markets via web-direct and CSP, EA and EAS.

Learn more at www.microsoft.com/kaizala

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