Introducing Microsoft Viva

Microsoft recently announced Viva – an employee experience platform (XP) that pulls together the threads of a number of existing applications including Teams, SharePoint, Yammer, AI, Workplace Analytics, etc. to provide solutions in four key areas:

• Viva Connections:  A way of curating, centralising and personalising workforce communications that builds on SharePoint, Yammer and Stream
• Viva Insights:  Tools to bolster workforce wellbeing, both at a personal level (MyAnalytics) and an enterprise level (Workplace Analytics)
• Viva Topics : A way of harnessing knowledge ‘in line’ leveraging (what you will have previously known as Project Cortex)
• Viva Learning:  Learning content delivery ‘in the flow of work’*

In the case of Viva Learning, learning content providers Coursera, Pluralsight and Skillsoft have been quick to announce their support for the Viva platform.  You’ll also have access to content from LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn, and of course, your own content (although there’s no mention of support for importing SCORM content that we can see with Viva Learning).

Similarly, learning management solution providers Cornerstone, Saba and SAP Success Factors have announced their plans to integrate with the Viva Learning platform.

An important point here is that Viva Learning will be more about aggregating and presenting content, and not so much about managing enrolment flows and reporting.  In our experience of working with learning and HR managers, deep functionality in these areas is high on the agenda.

We’re excited to say that the LMS platform Essential delivers will extend the capabilities of Viva Learning to provide the all-important administration, tracking and management of learning content in a way that is also embedded into the Microsoft 365 platform.

“The LMS is really where critical things like compliance and professional development  happens. We do not, absolutely, mean to replace the LMS. We are not going to be in a position to have the same level of specificity that an LMS can offer. Microsoft Viva interacts and interoperates with the LMS to give people the ability to view and search their entire learning catalog right within Teams.”

Alessandro Giacobbe,
Microsoft General Manager of Enterprise Corporate Learning

*What does Learning in the Flow of Work Mean?

The Viva Learning approach is to use Microsoft Teams to deliver learning content, enabling users to organise, locate and share training in Teams chats, channels, and tabs.  That is to say: putting the learning experience right where they collaborate every day.

In fact, in describing its solution, Microsoft uses a sentiment that’s been the LMS365 mantra on the outset, namely training and development ‘in the flow of work’.

The fact is, anything that involves logging into a separate portal becomes a disjointed experience for the end user, and therefore risks being neglected.

How to get (managed) learning in the flow of work today

The timelines around when Viva Learning will launch are not solid (perhaps towards the end of the year), so it could be a way off yet.

In the meantime, our fast track implementation combined with a SaaS licence means you can start delivering your training content to your hybrid workforce today – and in a way that’s embedded in their day-to-day Microsoft 365 platform.  Simply add in Viva Learning later.

Get in touch to discover how you can embed learning into the Teams and SharePoint experience, and achieve many other things besides, such as handling the enrolment and tracking of Virtual Instructor Led Training (using Teams sessions).