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Recent articles

Published 
4 min read

Containers and callouts in Visio 

<p>Containers are a convenient way to visually group your shapes together and then easily work with that group. Callouts provide a simple mechanism to attach text to a shape. We’ve improved both in the new Visio. Specifically, there are more shapes to give you increased flexibility to express your information. We also updated our old and new shapes with themes, so you have many choices for customizing the look and feel of your diagram to your audience. Lastly, we streamlined the insert menus and the heading styles menu to make it easier to find, select and customize the shape you want.</p>
Published 
3 min read

The New PowerPoint Web App 

<p>Last week we announced the release of the new Office Web Apps. Today, we’re excited to talk a bit more in depth about the new things available in PowerPoint Web App. We’ve packed a ton of new features into this release all oriented around helping you be more productive. We wanted to make it super-easy to build great presentations quickly and effortlessly on the Web and with the new PowerPoint Web App you can.</p>
Published 
1 min read

Starting from blank: Design templates in the Word 2013 

Last month, we introduced the Start screen in the new Word and discussed how templates and built-in content can be used to quickly create great looking documents. We know that over half of all Word sessions start from a blank document. These documents can end up looking very different, but in previous versions of Word they all started with the same settings. In the new Word, we have made it easier for you to create great looking documents, allowing you to focus on content instead of formatting.
Published 
3 min read

Database Notations tap the full power of Visio 

<p>Database templates have a fresh, modern look in the new Visio. In our new approach, templates focus on the on-canvas experience, which makes them great for brainstorming, free-form diagramming and collaborating on ideas. There are  four database templates:  Chen's, Crow's Foot, IDEF1X and UML. Each template can be used to model a database system in a different notation. We'll describe the components of a database diagram and then cover each of the notations.</p>
Published 
4 min read

Professional, flexible & beautiful UML content 

<p>In the new Visio, we have re-envisioned our Unified Modeling Language (UML) templates in a fresh, modern way.  We updated our five most popular UML diagrams, with all new shapes to make it easier and faster to create beautiful, professional diagrams. Our new UML templates allow you to create class, sequence, state machine, activity and use case diagrams that match the UML 2.4 standard.  The templates focus on a freeform, on-canvas experience. Each template takes advantage of the full capabilities of Visio, including shape effects and themes, as well as collaboration and commenting to share your diagrams across your organization. In this article we'll introduce each of the new UML diagrams and present a few tips about using the new model.</p>
Published 
2 min read

Office 365 University for Higher-Education Students 

<p>Today, we're introducing a new offering for university and college students called Office 365 University. Available in the first quarter of 2013, Office 365 University will be offered online, at retail locations and at Microsoft Stores in 52 markets worldwide. Starting today, eligible students can buy Office University 2010 or Office University for Mac 2011 and receive a free subscription to Office 365 University when it becomes available. </p>
Published 
2 min read

PowerPoint 2013: Eyedropper 

<p>One of the best ways to build a professional-looking presentation is to use a consistent color scheme. Making sure various elements on your slide are the same color ties them together and creates visual unity for your content. With the new PowerPoint 2013, we’ve introduced a handy feature called the Eyedropper that makes matching color a cinch. Plus, not only can you match colors within your presentation but between formats, such as a website and your slides. </p>
Published 
3 min read

UML and Database diagrams in the new Visio 

<p>Developers and IT professionals frequently use Visio to design and document software and database systems. They recognize the benefits of visualizing complex systems to understand relationships and dependencies, and Visio makes it easy to communicate and socialize designs across the team. As a result the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and Database diagrams in Visio are widely used today by an enthusiastic audience, and our developer and IT community provide invaluable feedback on these diagram types. We have addressed this feedback in the new Visio with a significant refresh of the UML and Database templates. </p>
Published 
6 min read

SharePoint Public Websites in Office 365 

Update: Starting in January 2015, Microsoft is making changes to the SharePoint Online Public Website feature. Office 365 customers who currently use the feature will continue to have access to the feature for a minimum of two years following the changeover date. Microsoft will offer alternate solutions from industry leaders to enable Office 365 customers