Over the next three months, new services and functionality to MacEwan’s Microsoft 365 licensing will be added, including the introduction of phone services through Microsoft Teams, adopting Windows Defender as our anti-virus protection software and providing advanced analytic tools through the Power BI (Business Intelligence) platform.

Anti-virus Protection
University computers will be protected with Windows Defender anti-virus software, which will replace Sophos anti-virus. This change will be automatic for most users: you will notice a different icon in your task tray after the changeover. The changeover is slated for completion by March 20.

Individuals working at home must connect to MacEwan VPN between March 1 and 20 to ensure they receive the anti-virus software updates. Download and configure MacEwan VPN.

 Phone System

Avaya desk phones and Avaya Workplace soft phone application will be phased out and replaced by the Microsoft Teams application, which allows you to use Teams to make and receive phone calls using your MacEwan extension. Get a preview of the Microsoft Teams phone system. These changes will occur in phases throughout the next few months.

Power Business Intelligence (BI) Platform
Updates to our Microsoft licensing will give employees access to Power BI Desktop software that provides the means to produce interactive visualizations of data through a user-friendly interface.

To learn more about how you can use this software, see Microsoft’s Power BI documentation.

Why these changes are happening

A unified platform provides the university community and support teams with a more sustainable and collaborative work environment. With many people working remotely, these services provide flexibility for mobile use and administration. The licensing update also increases efficiencies and cost-effectiveness: migrating the phone system and anti-virus services to Microsoft platforms lowers the costs associated with licensing, maintenance and support from multiple vendors.

As the services are introduced and phased in, more information will be provided.