Microsoft buys Genee to bolster Office 365 intelligence
If you are running a business (regardless of size), a certain tool can help you to achieve success -- Microsoft Office. True, there are free solutions, such as LibreOffice, but they simply don't compare. When you use Office with Microsoft's other solutions, such as SharePoint, everything just works together in a brilliant way. Office 365 in particular is such a great value for both home and business.
Today, Microsoft announces it is acquiring a company called 'Genee'. This is an acquisition which will make Office 365 even better. How? With a major focus on intelligence, it can help employees to work smarter, not harder.
"I am pleased to announce that Microsoft has signed an agreement to acquire Genee, an artificial-intelligence-powered scheduling service. Co-founders Ben Cheung and Charles Lee, who plan to join Microsoft, started Genee in 2014 to simplify the time-consuming task of scheduling (and rescheduling) meetings. It’s especially useful for large groups and for when you don't have access to someone’s calendar", says Rajesh Jha, Corporate Vice President, Outlook and Office 365.
Jha further explains that the newly acquired software, "uses natural language processing and optimized decision-making algorithms so that interacting with a virtual assistant is just like interacting with a human one. For an example of how Genee works, let’s take a look at a common scheduling problem. Say you want to meet a potential customer, Diana, for coffee. Simply send an email to Diana and copy Genee, like you would a personal assistant. Genee understands that you want to 'Find a time to meet with Diana for coffee next week' and will streamline the process by emailing her directly with appropriate options that work with your calendar and preferences. Genee will even send out the meeting invite on your behalf -- freeing up your time".
If you have ever tried to schedule a meeting in Outlook, you know it can sometimes be quite the ordeal -- especially when there are multiple invitees. Many people take breaks and lunches at different times, plus have other meetings sprinkled throughout the day. Genee could potentially take the work out of finding a meeting time that works for everyone. Just send an email and let the artificial intelligence sort things out! Hopefully this is just the first step -- there is much potential here.
What do you think of Microsoft's newest acquisition? Tell me in the comments.
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