New enhancements help customers reopen with confidence using Power Platform
Since we launched the Microsoft Power Platform return to the workplace solution in July, it has been deployed by more than 1,900 organizations in 48 countries. Throughout this period, Microsoft has been working closely with customers across the globe to support their efforts. Together we have learned so much about what it takes to reopen safely and with confidence. Today, we are announcing the latest updates of the return to the workplace solution, including manual contract tracing, improved access control, and enhanced insights and reporting. We are also excited to share many of these lessons in a guidebook to help every business and school in their effort to reopen.
For a limited time, promotional offers are available to eligible customers in addition to standard pricing. The Microsoft Power Apps per app and per user plans are available for USD3 per user/app/month and USD12 per user/month, respectively. Minimum purchase and other conditions apply—see below for more information.1
New workplace portal provides safe access for all visitors
The return to the workplace solution has always included applications to enable employees to safely return to buildings. However, to fully address safety, the solution must be inclusive of vendors, guests, students, and guardians—essentially anyone managed outside of the organizations primary identity system but who also need to access the same buildings. With this update, we have introduced a new Power Apps Workplace Portal, which will enable location managers to offer safe access to third parties. A third party can choose a facility, attest to being symptom-free, and receive a personalized day pass for entry. Key resources such as FAQs, guidelines, and restrictions can also be shared with these visitors through the application.
Through the portal, an accountable third party can also register others from their organization. The experience has been optimized for different devices, for example, mobile phones. Occupancy dashboards have been updated to include third parties.
Enhanced safety management through manual contact tracing
The capabilities for manual contact tracing—through a team of human contact tracers—have been important for sustaining safe working environments for essential businesses. With this update, contact tracers can quickly identify case contacts through a suggested list, interview and evaluate contacts, and open a case if needed.
Through powerful dashboards, health and safety leaders can view case clusters and associated metrics to assess risk of an outbreak and take immediate actions. In addition, a new view for case managers has been introduced to help them prioritize their case workload.
Manage facility access for employees
Safety and health will continue to drive business continuity especially as more people return to the workplace. This includes creating an environment where risk of an outbreak can be reduced by managing facility access and notifying employees of required actions (periodic testing) and information (facility shutdowns). Facility or case managers can now manage facility access for employees and provide them guidance through the app, a push notification, email, or text.
COVID-19 virus activity now available at a county level for the United States
In the rapidly evolving pandemic, business leaders need to be equipped with data and insights at the most granular level. In this release, we have provided COVID-19 data and insights at a county level for the United States, including new metrics such as confirmed cases per 100K and fatal cases per 1M population.
Screen at building entry using Teknikos Communify
We are proud to announce that Surface Go is positioned to play a role in helping businesses and schools re-open when it is safe to do so. Microsoft has partnered with Teknikos to integrate their self-service, touch free, gating kiosk on Surface to provide an additional level of screening prior to building entry. Communify Greet provides a centrally managed software platform that provides entry scanning and offers customizable signage for safety reminders. An individual uses the day pass QR code generated by the Microsoft solution to identify themselves at the kiosk. The kiosk then reads the temperature and records a visit back in the solution to monitor occupancy. Learn more about how to Communify app helps get businesses back to work.
Analyze occupancy and environments in 3D with BuildingMinds
Managers of real estate portfolios face the challenge of managing complex facility related data. BuildingMinds has partnered with Microsoft to offer a connector which allows the Microsoft solution users to leverage the BuildingMinds platform to create a 3D digital twin of the facility and integrate data from various data systems, including occupancy data from the Microsoft solution and data from IoT-sensors, for advanced building analytics, KPI tracking, and ultimately, data driven building management. Learn more about how BuildingMinds is revolutionizing building management.
Learn more
Watch these short videos for an overview of the return to the workplace solution. Our ecosystem of partners is building and extending cloud capabilities of the return to workplace solution for each customer’s needs to provide better employee experiences and improve safety and health.
- Learn how to reopen responsibly, monitor intelligently, and protect continuously with solutions for a safer work environment
- Learn how to customize the return to the workplace solution to meet your needs
1 Promotional pricing is available for commercial offers from December 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. The Power Apps per app plan is priced at USD3 per user, per app, per month (minimum purchase of 200 licenses) via volume licensing (VL) and cloud solution provider (CSP) channels. The Power Apps per user plan is priced at USD12 per user, per month (minimum purchase of 5,000 licenses) via VL. Other conditions may apply. Contact sales to learn more.
