Working on team projects is a challenge not only with those in your division but especially with those in other divisions. But work is underway that will offer comprehensive and powerful tools and resources for all employees who want and need to work together. It starts with a shared domain for email, HII.com, and enterprise collaboration capabilities, utilizing a cloud-based platform that incorporates Microsoft Office 365 applications including Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint and Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Watch this video with Chris Soong, executive vice president and chief information officer, as he discusses what it all means and the plans ahead to make HII a more connected, secure, and collaborative place for all employees.

Centralizing these collaboration services in the secure cloud will provide always-available, fast and reliable email, chat, voice, video conferencing, and team-working capabilities on any HII device with access to work with anyone at HII.

“Our goal is to optimize the enterprise to empower our divisions in fulfilling their missions,” Chris said. “To do this our IT strategy is founded in our enterprise shared core services roadmap with our first program focused on cyber defenses and Microsoft Teams collaboration across HII.“

What this means for you:

For the first time, all HII employees will have an “@hii.com” email address. This change to a common address will improve overall cohesion of the HII brand. Rest assured that prior to this change, communications and training will be provided, and we will provide necessary information regarding the migration of existing email, contacts and other data.

You will instantly know if another HII user is available, and easily chat or conference with team members in any division. This is possible using Microsoft Teams. MS Teams is cross-functional and persistent, meaning, when you go on vacation, you can easily catch up on your team’s progress by reviewing work within the Teams application when you return.

Teams is a feature-rich application and includes file sharing, data protection, co-authoring and planning capabilities. Teams is integrated with the Microsoft suite of applications – including SharePoint and Outlook – and the combined experience will feel seamless to the user. These capabilities also can be leveraged with HII’s external suppliers, thereby improving efficiency at the work team, division and enterprise levels.

Microsoft Teams

As mentioned, Teams is a collaboration platform developed by Microsoft, designed to facilitate communication and teamwork within organizations. It provides a centralized hub for team members to collaborate in real-time, whether you are working at the same location or remotely. Teams integrates various communication and collaboration tools into one platform offering features, such as:

• Chat – Team members can have individual or group chat conversations, supporting both text and multimedia content.
• Meetings – Teams allows for virtual meetings with audio, video and screen-sharing capabilities, fostering collaboration among remote and distributed groups.
• Channels – Teams can be organized into channels, providing a structured way to categorize discussions, files and tasks based on specific topics or projects.
• File sharing – Integrated with Microsoft 365, Teams enables seamless sharing and collaboration on documents through SharePoint and OneDrive integration.
• Integration with Microsoft 365 Apps – Users can access and collaborate using MS 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote directly within Teams.
• Overall, Microsoft Teams serves as a comprehensive collaboration solution, fostering communication, document sharing and project management within a unified and user-friendly platform.

Microsoft OneDrive

• OneDrive will replace your personal drive and is a cloud-based file storage service developed by Microsoft, designed to allow you to store, access, and share files and documents from various devices. Here are key features and aspects of OneDrive:

• • Cloud Storage – OneDrive provides you with online storage space in the cloud, allowing you to store documents, photos, videos, and other types of files securely.
  • Accessibility – You can access your OneDrive files from any device with an internet connection, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. This ensures flexibility and ease of access, enabling you to work on your files from virtually anywhere.
  • Integration with Microsoft 365 – OneDrive is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), facilitating seamless collaboration on documents using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • File Synchronization – OneDrive offers file synchronization features, automatically updating files across all linked devices when you make changes. This ensures that you have the latest version of your files available on every device you use.
  • Collaboration and Sharing – You can easily share files and folders with others, controlling the level of access (viewing, editing, or commenting) granted to each collaborator. OneDrive also supports real-time co-authoring, allowing multiple users to work on a document simultaneously.
  • Version History – OneDrive keeps track of changes made to files, providing a version history that allows you to restore previous versions if needed. This feature is particularly useful for tracking changes and recovering from accidental edits.
  • Security Measures – OneDrive employs security measures such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and compliance with industry standards to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of stored data.
  • Backup and Recovery – OneDrive serves as a backup solution, helping you safeguard your important files by providing a cloud-based copy. This contributes to data recovery in case of device failure or loss.

What we need from you:

The rollout of new email addresses and collaboration tools will bring a significant shift to your workflow on company devices. Right now, we are looking into the learning requirements and preparing a training plan. As we get closer to the migration, we will provide you with detailed updates, keeping you posted on our activities. We will ensure you are provided with strong support, guidance and instruction.