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Microsoft Is Changing How Searches  Will Work

By October 10, 2018June 3rd, 2022Cybersecurity

Change is coming to the way Microsoft handles search across its ecosystem.  If you use the home edition of Office, you’re not likely to notice, but if you use Office 365, the changes will be significant.

Here’s what’s happening:

First of all, the search bar will get bigger, taking a more prominent and visible place on your screen’s real estate.

Second, anywhere the company utilizes a search box (from their Bing search engine, to the OS itself, to Teams, Office and more), the plan is to provide a unified and consistent look that is intended to improve the overall user experience.

The box itself is getting a makeover and will soon start offering suggestions based on your previous search behaviors.  For instance, it may present you with a list of frequently used email contacts or documents that you’ve recently edited, with the list updating dynamically as you begin typing a term into the search field.

In addition to that, you’ll soon be able to search for commands within a given application, so instead of hunting around on the menu bar for the function you’re looking for, the search box will take you right to it, showing it among the search results.

If you’re signed into your Office 365 account, the search results will also include any documents you have saved in OneDrive or SharePoint and relevant conversations in Yammer and Teams if you use those.  It also may feature contacts from your company directory.

Most significantly, since the Bing search engine is itself a search box, those results will be displayed alongside relevant webpages.

If you’re curious to see it in action, it is currently available today as an opt-in beta/preview mode for corporate users.  It’s also available in both Outlook and SharePoint mobile apps.  The general public will be able to see it in action as soon as the second quarter of 2019, when the new functionality will be expended to Office Home, Office Desktop and Windows 10 itself.

Jason Manteiga

Jason J. Manteiga, Vice President of Olmec Systems, has been part of the company for over the past 20 years. He believes that having a great work environment and supportive team, is the ultimate key to success. Since being in the IT realm for over 25 years, Jason, along with Olmec Systems, has been on the Inc. 5000 “List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” and Channel Futures MSP 501 “Top Managed Service Providers in North America,” along with other awards and nominations. Jason earned his Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds certifications in Microsoft MCSE, VMWare VCP, and Cisco CCNA. In his spare time, Jason is a contributor for The Center for Social & Legal Research (Privacy Exchange) and a member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies include cycling and kayaking. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and son.