Microsoft 365: Microsoft Syntex Updates Part 1

Microsoft continues to leverage AI and machine learning to develop and enhance an end-to-end Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) solution for its customers. The solution is Microsoft Syntex and through its time of development, implementation, and dynamic responses to global organization requirements, it has been receiving upgrades and expanding in new directions for greater content understanding, compliance, and processing.

Syntex is a new type of technology solution and is categorized as Content AI. Content AI not only automates workflows at scale but also empowers people using advancements in both cloud technology and AI. By combining both technologies and integrating them into the workflow of users, the creation, processing, and discoverability of content is transformed into a people-centric system making collaboration, knowledge, creativity, and sharing seamless and at everyone’s fingertips.

This fall, Microsoft announced many new updates to Syntex including Content Assembly, Translate Content, Summarization, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Taxonomy Tagging, Image Tagging, and new previews for Pay-as-You-Go users that include content queries and universal annotations. In our next article, Microsoft Syntex Updates Part 2, we will dive into the latest Intelligent Document Processing models. Syntex will help organizations enhance, connect, and manage their content at scale while providing users seamless, intuitive, and easy access to content.

Let’s review the announcements this fall of what is released and what is to come.

New Content Creation

Content Assembly

With Content Assembly, dynamic templates for a wide range of content can be created effortlessly. The format, whether it is invoices, letters, contracts, or statements of work, can be generated by existing documents and the data can be populated from a variety of sources. Microsoft Syntex can be leveraged to automatically generate repetitive and standard business documents, including contracts, agreements, letters of consent, etc. With these documents, modern templates with fewer errors can be used to generate accurate documents.

An existing document can be uploaded to create a modern template. This in turn can generate new content using SharePoint Lists as a data source or manual entries can be used.

Images, Audio, and Video Processing

One of the most common file types in Microsoft 365 is images. With close to 100,000 automatically recognized objects “out of the box”, images can now be processed and tagged.

Translation

Currently in Preview, content selected from single or multiple documents, or a folder, can be translated into one of a dozen languages that you specify.

Summarization

Important data and action items are summarized into key points by Syntex which leverages AI to generate these content summaries. This can be accomplished by the application of rules or on demand.

Syntex Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) provides easy access to a digital version of scanned text by extracting text lines, words, paragraphs, and text blocks. With Syntex OCR service, the extraction of printed or handwritten text from images, including product labels, drawings, posters, forms, invoices, articles, and reports can now be attained. The extracted information can be made for compliance features including data loss prevention (DLP) and will be indexed in search.

With OCR service enabled and images added to the document library, Syntex will automatically scan the image files. It will then extract the relevant text. Once extracted, it will make the text from the images available for indexing and searching, allowing users to quickly and accurately find keywords and phrases.

In addition to image-only files, it now includes TIFF and PDF, in SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange, Windows devices, and Teams messages. IT admins can secure these images across the platforms with DLP policies.

Syntex Taxonomy Tagging

Leveraging AI, Syntex Taxonomy Tagging labels and organized documents by automatically tagging them with descriptive keywords. These keywords are based on the taxonomy as defined in SharePoint. By enabling taxonomy tagging and applying a taxonomy column, documents are automatically tagged with keywords. These keywords are from the term store and assist with sorting, searching, filtering, and more. Categorizing, finding, and managing files in the document libraries is easier, more efficient, and labor-reducing.

Syntex Image Tagging

An AI-powered service, Syntex Image Tagging labels and organizes images with automatic tagging of descriptive keywords to the images. These tags are then stored as metadata which is then used to filter, optimize search, filter, and manage the images. Syntex Image Tagging allows faster categorization and search of a specific image.

New Features in Preview for Syntex Pay-As-You-Go Users  

Available through June 30, 2024, Syntex Pay-As-You-Go Users will have access to all Syntex features that were previously only available to customers with the SharePoint Syntex seat license.

These Pay-As-You-Go user services include:

1. Content Query: form-based interface infused with custom metadata for a powerful and advanced search.
   
2. Universal Annotation: collaborate with others by adding highlights, notes, and comments to many file types including TIFF and PDF without altering the original document.
   
3. Accelerators: preconfigured templates leveraging Syntex for end-to-end solutions for common business scenarios.
   
4. Taxonomy Services: easily import from SKOS-formatted taxonomies, admin reporting on term set usage, and the ability to push content type to a hub.
   
5. Content Processing Rules: automation of common operations including file copying, content type setting from the file name or SharePoint path.
   
6. PDF Merge/Extract: create a new PDF file by combining two or more PDF files or create a new PDF file by extracting pages from one PDF.
   

When there is content compliance, all content that is properly tagged and labeled will provide better compliance control with increased management and governance for all data, keeping it manageable and secure.

These new features are not only exciting but also set the path for Content AI. By combining technology and intelligent AI, Microsoft Syntex is creating a world of content management that is sleek, controllable, collaborative, and secure. Microsoft Syntex steps beyond the boundaries of content management with Intelligent Document Processing through the integration of AI, workflows, and knowledge as explained in our next article Microsoft Syntex Updates Part 2.