Appspace 8.7 Cygnus Release Notes for Cloud

• Building Health Sensor Information
• Resource Health Sensor Information (both Desktop and Mobile)
• Map Display (both Console and Employee App)

• People
• Spaces (Communities, Topics, Channels)
• Pages
• Stories
• Events
• Resource

Modify Location

• This feature allows administrators to modify the location of individual or multiple devices directly from the Devices page.

Count Bubble

• Device Status filter count bubble.
  • When a location or sub-location is selected, the Device Status count number updates to reflect only the devices within that selection.
  • This allows administrators to quickly assess device status in specific locations.
• Device Group filter count bubble.
  • The Device Group count number will reflect only the devices directly under the selected location, excluding sub-locations if a location is selected.
  • The ungrouped devices count number will show all devices under the selected location and its sub-locations if a location is selected.
  • Both the ungrouped devices and device group counts will show the devices under that specific sub-location if a sub-location is selected.
  • The count bubbles will automatically update as devices are added or removed from a group.

Resizable Columns

• Columns within the Device table are now resizable allowing for a customizable view and better user experience.
• Hovering over a column header reveals the resize indicator, allowing users to click and drag to adjust the column’s width. Columns are controlled within set minimum and maximum limits, ensuring a consistent layout.
• Preferred column widths are saved and persist across different browsers and devices.

Enhanced Device Registration

• Introducing a redesigned Device Registration modal, aimed at improving the user experience and creating a more visually appealing interface for users when registering their devices.

Frontline Worker UI Update

• A new login user interface for Frontline Workers for a better user experience.

Multiple Account Selection

• If a user’s email is associated with multiple Appspace accounts, they can now choose between public and private cloud accounts to log in to.

Automatic SSO Login

• Accounts that utilize Single Sign-On (SSO) will be automatically logged into Appspace if their SSO session is active, streamlining the login process.

To ensure consistency and clarity, the “Facilities” column in the .xlsx template is being renamed to “Amenities” across all import and export spreadsheets. This change aligns the template with what is displayed on the console, making the import process more intuitive.

The new template is available for download in this release, and Administrators exporting resources moving forward will be generated using the new .xlsx template.

However, Administrators must manually rename the “Facilities” column to “Amenities” in order to successfully import the data. This ensures that older templates remain functional with the updated system.

The Global Mentions feature in the Employee App, is designed to revolutionize interconnectivity and reference capabilities. This enhancement allows employees to seamlessly mention colleagues not only in comments but also within articles, posts, pages, stories, and resources, significantly improving collaboration and communication across the platform.

The Global Mentions feature ensures a unified user experience, making it easier for users to connect and engage with colleagues across various contexts and content types.

Location in the Admin Console:

• The Location set in the admin console will now be saved and automatically selected when the user logs in again.

Location in the Employee App:

• The User’s Home Location in the Employee App will always default to their home location. 

• Administrators can now specify an Author for each connector to be used when user identities cannot be mapped, allowing for more precise control over the authors associated with content synced through the connector.
• A new “Published Date” property has been introduced to the Intranet connector. This addition ensures that the original published date of content is retained, even when the content is updated through the Intranet connector.
• A new “Featured” property has been added, enabling Administrators to programmatically highlight content synced to the Employee App, aligning with the ability to feature content dynamically.
• Keyword search for public channels and topics is now supported in the Intranet connector, allowing Administrators to efficiently find and connect relevant Intranet content to Appspace Channels and Topics.

• Ask AI: Enables immediate responses and interactions powered by AI.
• AI Narration and Translation: Facilitates live AI-generated narration and translation in real time.
• Summary & Caption: Provides instant summaries and captions as content is being processed.
• IoT: Supports real-time data flow from Internet of Things (IoT) devices, ensuring up-to-the-moment information.

This implementation ensures that these services now operate with continuous, real-time data flow, enhancing performance and responsiveness across the platform.

Columns Customization

• A new feature allowing Administrators to customize the visibility of columns within the Devices listing table.
• Visible columns can be re-ordered via drag-and-drop functionality
• Default columns are pre-selected for first-time customization.
• Customizations can be Saved or Reset to Default, reverting the Devices table to its original state.

Tag Management (Batch Actions)

• When multiple devices are selected, the new Batch tagging modal displays only tags that are shared among all selected devices for easy removal.
• If there are no shared tags among the selected devices, the Batch tagging modal indicates this, and tags must be removed individually from each device.

Tooltips

• Tooltips have been implemented for the following cells in the columns below:
  • Device
  • Location
  • Group
  • Channel

  • Status
  • Tags
  • Updated

Action Button (Ellipsis)

• The Action button (Ellipsis) is now permanently visible, improving accessibility and ease of use.

Columns Customization

• The Device column is excluded from this customization and remains fixed (unable to be reordered)

• Application Name (Channel Name)
• IP Address
• Health Status (Device Status)
• Date Since Offline
• Sync Status
• Tags

This enhancement improves privacy by preventing the display of details for users outside the specific building, making the check-in process more secure and relevant for visitors selecting their hosts.

Spotlight Feature

Introducing Praises for Quick Posts, designed to nurture a vibrant workplace culture of recognition and appreciation. This intuitive and interactive feature allows employees to celebrate their peers’ accomplishments, aligning with our commitment to delivering a cohesive and enriching user experience.

Seamlessly integrated into the app ecosystem and equipped with robust analytics capabilities, Praises is set to drive app adoption and provide valuable insights into employee sentiment and performance.

Feature Highlights:

• Pre-Defined Praises: Offers a selection of ready-to-use compliments across diverse categories for quick and effective acknowledgment.
• Direct Praise Functionality: Employees can easily praise colleagues within the platform, with public acknowledgments visible to the team, amplifying the positive impact.
• Enhanced Engagement: Encourages positive interactions and boosts morale through regular recognition and appreciation.

Roadmap Feature

Future enhancements will include customizable praises, allowing personalization to align with organizational culture and values. This feature aims to enhance employee satisfaction, motivation, and overall morale within the organization.

Spotlight Feature

However, if the event’s timezone differs from the user’s, the default display will show the user’s timezone code. Additionally, a dropdown option will be available to display the local timezone for the event. The “View local time” option has been expanded to clearly show the event’s local timezone, ensuring users can easily understand and manage event timings across different timezones.

Left Navigation Sidebar

• The left navigation sidebar (expanded by default) has been updated with a collapsible feature when clicking the “<“ toggle at the bottom, leaving the “+” button visible.
• The “+” button in the collapsed state reveals the quick action options, such as “Register Device”.
• The “>” toggle at the bottom returns the left navigation sidebar to an extended view, allowing for access to all device navigation options.

Tags Column

• A new device Tags column has been added to the Device listings table, allowing users to search, view, and sort devices based on their device tags.
• Devices with multiple now display them in a single line, separated by commas. If Tags exceed the column width, an ellipsis will be shown.

Sync Column

• The Sync column has been enhanced with sorting capabilities, allowing users to sort devices in both ascending and descending order based on the following sort order:
  • Ascending Order Sorting: (Descending in Reverse Order)
    • In Sync
    • Out of Sync

This update replaces the default horizontal scrollbars that were previously available.

This update simplifies the process of making bulk updates.

• Stories
• Pages
• Employee App > User Settings > Language

Users will be able to select the “Hide from Employee App” by clicking the ellipsis of the selected language translation.

Additionally, the Event Capacity is displayed within the attendee section.

This can be configured be navigating to Users > Settings > General tab.

Status Column

• A new device Status column has been added to the Device listings table, allowing users to search, view, and sort devices based on their device status.

Updated Column

• The timestamps display format in the Updated column has been enhanced, with the ability to display in the following formats depending on the scenario:
  • Relative Time Format, for updates within 24 hours.
  • Full Date Format, for updates not within the current year.
  • Date and Time Format, for updates within the current year, but older than a week.
  • Day and Time Format, for updates within the past week.
• Additionally, hovering above the timestamp displays the full date and time in a tooltip.

Channel Column

• The Channel column has been enhanced with sorting capabilities, allowing users to sort devices in both ascending and descending order based on the following sort order:
  • Ascending Order Sorting: (Descending in Reverse Order)
    • Devices set to “Autoplay”.
    • Devices in “Channel Browsing” mode.
    • Devices with “No Channel”.
    • Devices with an assigned channel, that are sorted alphabetically.

• Enterprise Messaging
• Network (Locations)
• Channel Publishing

“This setting permits reservations with overlapping conditions to be marked as “Conflict.” Note that these reservations persist, but the host must adjust conflicting parameters to confirm the meeting. Disabling the toggle cancels conflicting meetings outright.”

Additionally, employees may include a conference link using the dedicated link field.

Device Licenses Filter

• A new Device Licences filter section has been added to the side panel, allowing users to filter between “Standard” and “Lite” devices.

IP Address Column

• A new device IP Address column has been added to the Device listings table, allowing users to search, view, and sort devices based on their device IP address.

Updated Column

• A new device Updated column has been added to the Device listings table, allowing users to view and sort devices based on the timestamp of the device status.

Unselected “End Date” in content schedules are indicated with the infinity symbol (∞). Conversely, selecting an “End Date” only, defaults the “Start Date” to the current date. Future schedules however will be displayed as a yellow icon, labelled “Future Schedule”, providing a visual cue for upcoming content.

• App Publishing
• Channel Import
• Live Channels
• Advanced Channels

Spotlight Feature

With adaptive algorithms and insightful suggestions, Smart Space Suggestions anticipates employee preferences and optimizes resource utilization, enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Feature Highlights:

• Time suggestions for reservations.
• Alternative resource availability.
• Quick Reserve Now option for previously booked resources.
• Notifications when a favorite colleague is in the office.

Spotlight Feature

Introducing our new AI-based multilingual Translation feature, designed to enhance content creation by offering multiple language versions tailored to users’ preferences. Leveraging artificial intelligence for contextual understanding, this system dynamically generates content in various languages, ensuring users receive information in their preferred language.

Feature Highlights:

• Multilingual UI: Implementing AI translation capabilities for various user interface items, such as the Navigation menu, App Links, Home Page widgets, and many more within the Employee App.
• Translations for Pages and Stories: Implementing AI translation capabilities for content within the Employee App.
• Content Language Setting for Authors: Authors can set a default language for their pages or stories, ensuring accurate translations and seamless transitions between languages.
• Default Language Setting for Employees: Employees can define their default language based on location, automatically displaying content in their preferred language.
• Enhanced Accessibility and Usability: Customizable language settings for both Authors and employees to cater to diverse linguistic needs and improve the overall user experience.

Roadmap Feature

This feature will be developed in multiple phases.

Channels and Topics Improvements

• When a private or public playlist channel is created using the Employee App, the Creator is automatically added as a member/follower of the channel.
• If subsequent Editors or Publishers are added who are not already members, they will also be added as members/followers.

Topics:

• When a private or public topic is created using the Employee App, the Creator is automatically added as a member/follower of the topic.
• If subsequent Editors or Publishers are added who are not already members, they will also be added as members/followers.

• This feature improvement targets content creators, particularly Authors and Editors who manage Pages and Stories and frequently collaborate with multiple contributors.

New Preview Modal

• On the Employee App’s Home screen, clicking Events, Pages, and Stories will open a preview window instead of redirecting users to the card content page.

WebP Image Support

• Appspace now supports WebP (.webp) images, allowing users to upload .webp images in the Employee App and Library.

Spotlight Feature

Feature Highlights:

• Dynamic QR Codes: Utilize built-in “Referral Link” functionality for seamless integration with the Employee App and partner applications.
• Enhanced Accessibility: QR codes provide direct access to relevant resources, improving accessibility and user engagement.
• Simple Social Reactions: When content is shared via the Employee App, Simple Social Reactions are displayed on-screen, fostering interactivity and real-time feedback.
• Seamless Integration: Combines dynamic QR generation, optimized URLs, and tracking to enhance user experience across platforms.

This feature enriches the viewing experience, promotes collaboration, and provides a comprehensive strategy for driving engagement through digital signage.

Spotlight Feature

In this Limited Release, Appspace will only support and certify upon Windows-based MTR devices, to ensure compatibility and performance as referenced here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/rooms/certified-hardware?tabs=Windows

Limited Release

In this release, we introduce the new Push Notification mechanism that ensures Appspace registered devices receive immediate push notifications when Channels are published or modified, including playlist content changes by an Author.

Leveraging on this feature, organizations now have the capabilities of controlling Appspace App device properties via BSN.cloud.

Natively supported and enabled in BrightAuthor presentations version 1.6.29 or later, but requires manual activation for custom scripts.