New Viva Topic Cards Now Accessible on Outlook Web

Microsoft Expands its Viva Topics capabilities

Recently, Viva Topics, a component of the Microsoft Viva suite, announced the addition of the highly anticipated Topic Cards to its Outlook Web Client. This technical feature represents a leap forward in the ongoing challenge of knowledge management by improving the ability to share and reuse curated knowledge.

Microsoft has consistently worked to enhance the core components of Viva Topics, with remarkable improvements made to the Topics Center since its initial release. However, one outstanding issue remained unaddressed until now - the challenge of integrating topic cards within Microsoft 365 apps.

Previously, client support for Topic Cards was exclusive to SharePoint Online news items, Microsoft search results, and Office Online apps. However, the availability of Topic Cards on these platforms is now being expanded with their integration into the Outlook Web Application. Announced via a recent blog post, this development paves the way for their potential introduction to Teams chat in April 2022.

Topic Cards serve as special pages within the SharePoint Online site that doubles as the Viva Topics center. Each topic is allocated a page, controlled by knowledge managers to ensure that information about the topic remains up-to-date and accurate. These pages drive the generation of topic cards within applications.

Take, for instance, editing a Viva Topics page preparing it for publishing to make it accessible to users. This process usually takes several hours or even days.

Moreover, Viva Topics leverages AI to discover relevant resources within SharePoint sites, assistance in understanding topics, and gathers more information about them. Further, the upcoming update in April 2022 will enable knowledge managers to pin links to external pages outside of SharePoint Online, marking a significant improvement in accessibility.

With the introduction in the Outlook Web Client, users can incorporate topics into their messages via the composer by typing a hashtag and some text. Viva Topics then attempt to match the text with its catalog of topics and their alternate names.

On receiving the message, you can click on the highlighted topic to reveal the Topic Card, and if incomplete, you, as the Knowledge manager, can add explanatory text. Additionally, users with Viva Topics licenses can insert a topic card into messages or view topic cards.

However, it should be noted that Viva Topics' system isn’t for everyone. It is exceptionally suited for enterprise Microsoft 365 tenants with an urgent need for better knowledge management. But, it also requires commitment, financial and manpower-wise, to function effectively. Despite this, the integration of Viva Topics into Outlook and Teams chat has, indeed, moved things forward in a hugely positive way.

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Learn about Viva Topic Cards Now Available on Outlook Web

Are you familiar with the Viva suite? One of its components that caught my interest is Viva Topics. Here, I’m captivated by the immense possibilities it offers to boost knowledge management based on my nearly 30 years of experience in the field. Sharing and reusing knowledge just got a lot more straightforward.

A key challenge previously faced with Viva Topics had to do with the unavailability of Topic Cards within Microsoft 365 apps, but this situation is changing for the better. The recent revelation that Topic Cards now have backing on OWA plus an upcoming debut in the Teams chat is reason for optimism. However, details regarding whether federated (external) chat backs these Topic Cards remain unclear.

Topic cards double as separate pages on the SharePoint Online site reserved as the central hub for Viva Topics. Each Topic gets a dedicated page for its accurate representation and latest info, thanks to knowledge managers. However, the creation and updating of cards before they become user-accessible could take several hours or even days.

The discovery process, powered by the AI capabilities of Viva Topics, assists users in understanding topics while giving knowledge managers the opportunity to draw readers attention to more specific details on a topic. A notable forthcoming enhancement that will enable knowledge managers to link external pages will add even more value.

To use a topic in OWA, simply type a hash sign (#) followed by text. Effectively, Viva Topics will match the text against its topic database. Upon selection, the topic integrates into the message. The recipient can click on the highlighted topic to see the topic card. Also, if the card appears incomplete, knowledge managers or even public sources can supply missing details.

Access to Viva Topics demands license ownership. Users without license won’t see the topic suggestions upon typing the # character and would only see hyperlinks to topic pages. For the recipients of messages with topic cards sent via non-supported Viva Topics clients, the same experience applies.

Despite the fascinating tech behind Viva Topics, it may not suit everyone. Its best fit might likely be enterprise Microsoft 365 tenants with strong dedication to knowledge management. Also, licensing budget and dedication on both the parts of the management, and patience for mining, refining, and deploying topics, are prerequisites.

However, the recent backing of Viva Topics in OWA and Teams chat is a significant boost. For entities that are unsure about the value-add of Viva Topics, a free 30-day trial is available. During this period, your organization can thoroughly assess the benefits and drawbacks of this innovation.

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Viva Topic Cards Available in OWA

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