How can we bridge the chasm of Private 5G?

Private 5G offers many benefits for industries that require low latency, high reliability, and large bandwidth, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation. However, despite the potential, its industry adoption has been slower than expected, mainly limited to early adopters in the industrial and academic innovation sectors. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the reasons for this slow adoption and how they can be overcome.

The Challenge  

One of the main reasons for the slow adoption of private or dedicated 5G networks is the lack of trust in 5G as a new technology. Many enterprises need more evidence of its reliability, especially when it involves sensitive data or critical operations, specifically in an industrial setting. The value of installing or upgrading networks to 5G seems to be mostly appreciated, but still, enterprises are falling back on proven network types for critical use cases.   

Another reason for the slow adoption of private 5G networks is the lack of industrial devices that support 5G connectivity. Although 5G-enabled smartphones and tablets are becoming more common, many industrial devices, such as sensors, cameras, robots, and AMRs, are still using legacy technologies. This limits the use cases and applications that can benefit from private 5G networks.  

A third reason for the slow adoption of private 5G networks is the lack of understanding regarding the benefits of 5G versus the capacities of existing technologies, such as Wi-Fi 6 or LTE. Many enterprises may not see the need to switch to private 5G networks if they are satisfied with their current wireless solutions or do not have demanding requirements. However, many enterprises do not have the tools or experience to understand which network type would best suit their current or future needs. Are Wi-Fi handover issues a challenge for the model of AGV planned? Is 5G needed to support new ML vision systems with onboard computing?   

Private 5G networks have great potential to transform industries and enable new levels of productivity, efficiency, and innovation. However, their adoption in the industry has been slow due to various challenges, such as lack of trust, lack of devices, and lack of understanding. To overcome these challenges, enterprises need to be educated on the opportunities and Industry 4.0 use cases that can be unlocked by not only 5G technology but hybrid deployments of 5G, Wi-Fi and other network technology.   

The Solution  

Often the critical element driving network planning is the accurate projection of the enterprise's future use cases and their impact on the network. It requires a full understanding of both capabilities of the various network options and demand-side data throughput patterns.   

The Zinkworks Networked Device Simulator (NDS) is built to address this challenge. It enables CSPs and connectivity resellers to rapidly, simply, and cheaply model single or multi-network deployments, such as Private 5G and Wi-Fi 6, and showcase their performance and suitability for a client's current or proposed industrial use cases.   

By combining data on both network capabilities and use case demands in a single 3D simulation, Sales Teams can easily drag and drop network infrastructure and networked equipment to visually demonstrate the impact of robots, vision systems, time-sensitive manufacturing systems, safety-critical applications, etc., in a virtual replication of a client's facility.   

Through using a bespoke, relatable, and accurate visual model of an enterprise's network needs, trust can be established that the proposed network solution is the right fit for their needs.   

If you would like to learn more about Zinkworks Networked Device Simulator send us a request on our contact page and our team will get back to you: www.zinkworks.com/contact/ 

Written by James McNamara.

.


Zinkworks partners with Irish Manufacturing Research to further develop new use cases for private 5G networks

Zinkworks announces its partnership with Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), providing Zinkworks access to IMR's 5G standalone mobile private network (MPN) testbed. This will allow the future exploration and development of new use cases and advancements within private networking for Industry 4.0.

 

The IMR facility offers a space where Zinkworks can develop and demonstrate innovative new use cases.

The private 5G market is expected to see significant growth in ports, manufacturing and logistics hubs. These facilities require a network which can communicate and track hundreds of pieces of equipment within a secure environment. Private 5G offers this while also providing high-speed connectivity, low latency, and energy efficiency, all of which will be required as part of Industry 4.0.

Zinkworks specialises in private 5G technology and invests in developing new use cases to support this growth. AT IMR in Mullingar Zinkworks will be initially testing its Networked Device Orchestrator [NDO] application on its private 5G network. NDO has been purpose-built for areas such as smart factories and ports. It enables the orchestration of connected equipment, predicting and avoiding demand spikes before they impact the network, and empowering enterprise users to align their internal business rules to the available network capacity.

Paul Madden, CEO at Zinkworks, “Zinkworks will have the ability to connect to IMR’s MPN to future test and develop our NDO application on cutting-edge robotics, production lines, cameras and other equipment, giving us the chance to really challenge our solution by replicating some of the most complex real-world environments.”

Barry Kennedy, CEO at IMR welcomed the partnership by saying “We are extremely excited to have Zinkworks join our private 5G testbed to further develop new uses cases for industry 4.0. At IMR our aim is to identify new and emerging technologies like Zinkworks NDO application. I am excited to see what future developments come from this.”

The partnership between Zinkworks and Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is set to drive the discovery and creation of new applications for private 5G networks, which are predicted to experience substantial expansion in the near future. As leading players in this revolutionary technology, Zinkworks and IMR are poised to shape the future of business operations through their developments in private 5G.

For more information about Zinkworks, visit www.zinkworks.com or information about Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) visit www.imr.ie.

About Zinkworks
Zinkworks is a global leader in innovation, headquartered in Athlone, Ireland, with offices in three locations worldwide. Zinkworks utilises the latest cutting-edge technologies to provide services to clients primarily in the Telecommunications and Financial sectors. This expertise has led to Zinkworks developing their in-house R&D unit and is actively developing a range of products, particularly focused on solutions in the 5G Private Network telecoms space.

About Irish Manufacturing Research
Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) is a leading manufacturing Research and Technology Organisation with labs and industrial pilot lines in Dublin and Mullingar, Ireland. IMR works with leading global and indigenous brands to de-risk new and emerging technologies and to deliver high impact collaborative research to enable global leadership in advanced manufacturing. IMR has over 70 researchers with 100’s years of combined Industry Expertise working in areas such as Digitisation, Advanced Robotics & Automation, Sustainable Manufacturing, and Design for Manufacturing.


Zinkworks Unveils New Private 5G Network Application Project for the Port of Antwerp

Zinkworks, a leader in telecommunication and financial services, unveils a new private 5G Network Applications project for the Port of Antwerp, through VITAL-5G. The project is a collaboration between Zinkworks, Telenet, IMEC and other partners, providing an open, virtualized and flexible experimentation facility to test and validate their latest network applications and software in a live environment.
At the Port of Antwerp, Zinkworks will demonstrate its AI prediction capability across a range of use cases. This includes supporting in Assisted Vessel Transport use case, which leverages 5G to assist vessels in the challenging environment of a port area. The solution addresses the lack of safety in the port, long waiting times, and excessive gas consumption. By enabling remote vessel monitoring in real-time, the solution increases situational awareness and optimizes assisted vessel navigation through defining optimal routes and speed.
Nina Slamnik-Krijestorac, Ph.D., Senior researcher, IMEC/VITAL-5G, “The collaboration between the European project H2020 VITAL-5G and Zinkworks is expected to deliver new innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency, safety and sustainability of port operations. This project will help showcase the potential of 5G and edge computing for transforming the transport and logistics sector."
Zinkworks have remodelled its rApp’s to Network Applications for this project. They will initially be testing their cutting-edge AI solution for predictive modeling, which seamlessly integrates patented machine learning algorithms with intuitive APIs to deliver exceptional performance. Deployed on the RIC or integrated directly via platform REST APIs, Zinkworks’ automated prediction models help lower costs, increase efficiency on your network, and support your sustainability goals by reducing resources and energy wastage.
Paul Madden, CEO of Zinkworks, “Zinkworks innovative Network Applications will help bring new automation technology to ports. The VITAL-5G project is an important milestone for the development of private 5G, and Zinkworks is excited to be a part of this initiative. We look forward to working closely with VITAL-5G, Telenet, and IMEC to see the results of our AI automation.”
For more information about Zinkworks, visit www.zinkworks.com or information about Vital5g, visit www.vital5g.eu.
About Zinkworks
Zinkworks is a global leader in innovation, with offices in three locations worldwide, headquartered in Athlone, Ireland. Zinkworks utilises the latest cutting-edge technologies to provide services to clients primarily in the Telecommunications and Financial sectors. This expertise has led to Zinkworks developing their own in-house R&D unit and are actively developing a range of products, particularly focused on solutions in the 5G Private Network telecoms space.
About VITAL-5G
The strategic objective of the VITAL-5G project is to create an open, virtualized and flexible experimentation facility comprised of an intelligent virtual platform, three distributed European 5G-testbeds and associated vertical infrastructure, to enable the testing and validation of Transport & Logistics (T&L) Network Applications in real-life conditions, utilizing 5G connectivity. Also, VITAL-5G provides customized and virtualized access to network and T&L infrastructure resources, enabling dynamic tailor-made service provisioning to external experimenters (i.e., 3rd parties) to validate their applications over resources otherwise unavailable to them, thus boosting confidence prior to actual service deployment.
About Telenet and IMEC as VITAL-5G consortium partners
Telenet Group is a provider of telecommunication and entertainment services in Belgium. Under the brand name Telenet, the company focuses on offering digital television, high-speed Internet and fixed and mobile telephony services to residential customers in Flanders and Brussels. Under the brand name BASE, the company supplies mobile telephony in Belgium.
IMEC is a world-leading independent research center in nanoelectronics and digital technology, which is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has distributed R&D groups at several Belgian universities, in the Netherlands, Taiwan, USA, China, and offices in India and Japan. IMEC's uniqueness relies on the combination of a widely acclaimed leadership in microchip technology and a profound software and ICT expertise. IMEC leverages its world-class infrastructure and local and global ecosystem of partners across a multitude of industries to create innovation in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, and energy.

TUS and Zinkworks Launch €2M Telecommunications Research Group to Make Driverless, Intelligent Shipping Ports a Reality

Pictured (L to R) is Dr Enda Fallon, Principal Investigator, TUS; Prof. Vincent Cunnane, TUS President; Paul Madden, CEO, Zinkworks; and Aileen Cramer, Zinkworks. Photo: Ashley Cahill.

The group will develop cutting-edge autonomous port management capabilities using 5G, AI and cloud, improving eco-efficiency and safety.

As the race for self-driving cars heats up, a team of researchers at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and Athlone-based ICT start-up Zinkworks are turning their attention to how shipping ports can adopt the technology to improve global supply chains, eco-efficiency and safety.

To do this, they have formed a new €2 million cognitive – or ‘thinking’ – technologies management research group aiming to develop a prototype for managing the full port eco-system autonomously – from the cranes to the vehicles that transport shipping containers.

According to Dr Enda Fallon, principal investigator on the project and head of the Department of Computer and Software Engineering at TUS, outputs from the project will have the capability to “smooth the issues with global supply chains”.

“Using 5G intelligent telecommunications management systems, we will be able to alleviate congestion in a port, taking into account things like when did the last ship come in, where did the containers go, how they are stacked and stored and how does that impact the network coverage,” he explained.

“Because you’ve got so many autonomous vehicles and so much networking involved, it is critical to be able to understand that environment and predict what the network coverage is going to be to ensure the autonomous vehicles stay connected and continue to operate as intended.”

“To put things in perspective, he continued, “Imagine if, due to a crane having issues with the network, a shipping container weighing 100 tons ends up dangling 40 feet in the air in windy conditions because of poor coverage. That’s a serious safety hazard.”

The new TUS-Zinkworks research collaboration, which received initial funding from the IDA and Enterprise Ireland through the Innovation Partnership Programme, will encompass 15 research staff and PhD students.

TUS President Prof. Vincent Cunnane said the project “illustrates how close collaboration can create deep knowledge for the fast-moving technology sector”.

“Proximity to TUS was a vital factor in Zinkwork’s establishment in Athlone in 2018, and we are delighted to formalise our ongoing partnership and offer our significant expertise and research capabilities in developing this highly sophisticated cognitive telecommunications management prototype,” he said.

Prof. Cunnane also pointed to the importance of deep, strategic technical knowledge development and transfer, explaining that TUS’s transition to technological university has been “vital” in building the physical and knowledge capability to support start-up companies, such as Zinkworks, as they continue to expand their workforce.

TUS supports regionally based ICT companies through its Software Research Institute (SRI), which it established in 2006 to facilitate applied research collaborations with industrial partners.

Zinkworks, which services clients in the telecommunications and financial services sectors, has expanded significantly since its establishment and now has more than 200 employees across three locations, Athlone, Letterkenny and Hyderabad in India.

The highly successful ICT start-up aims to launch its first telecommunications product through this research project with TUS, which is expected to take 18 months to bring to fruition.

“As 5G private networks are rolled out in complex dynamic environments like ports and manufacturing facilities with advanced automation, understanding the impact of the changing environment on the critical network characteristics and quality of service is essential,” Zinkworks CEO Paul Madden explained.

“The collaboration with TUS will provide this knowledge and through machine learning, modelling will define how best to optimise coverage required for complex industry use cases.”

The partnership is also expected to benefit current and future TUS students by providing the project’s investigators with insight into the skills that students will require in the medium to long term.

“Such a problem-based innovative project creates opportunities for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, giving them day-one, industry-ready skills. This talent pipeline is vital to support the regional ICT sector,” Dr Fallon said.

“As we look ahead to an autonomous future, the nature of jobs is changing. There will be huge employment opportunities but many of the current engineering jobs will be automated, with more high calibre jobs and specific, advanced skill sets required to manage these autonomous systems.”

Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Informatics at TUS Dr Sean Lyons also welcomed the collaboration, saying, “We have a demonstrated track record of engagement with industry, and this collaboration serves to further illustrate what can be achieved through our close links with local companies.”


Work with us: UI Developer

We are hiring a UI Developer to join our team at Zinkworks.

Zinkworks is a trusted partner to international market leaders in Telecommunications and Financial markets providing digital transformation solutions to elevate their business operations.

Our teams are working on mission-critical software projects for some of the world’s largest technology companies.

At Zinkworks, we are always looking for talented, creative and enthusiastic developers to join our team.

The Opportunity:

In this role, you will be involved in the design, architecture, coding, testing and operations of our global-scale software systems to support the innovation and technical excellence that the rapidly changing field of telco/financial domain requires.

Environment:

Innovative. Flexible. Transparent. Stable. Agile.

Every engineer is responsible for the operations tasks of the system they are working on. Agile teams are fully empowered to make their own decisions, to take over ownership, and to be responsible for their actions.

Main tasks:

  • To work in collaboration with multiple teams – Design, Backend, QA and enjoy new professional and technological challenges.
  • To keep users in your focus and always try to improve the product to maximize the value for the company.
  • To share your knowledge with motivated team members, which also helps you to constantly push each other and improve your skills.

Requirements:

  • Profound Knowledge in HTML5, CSS3, Angular 8+, Typescript, REST API, Websocket API
  • Knowledge of TDD and testing tools such as Jest & Protactor
  • Experience with CI/CD tooling
  • Problem solving skills, particularly the ability to develop quick and sound solutions to resolve complex tasks
  • Agile team player, passionate about learning new technologies and acquiring new skills
  • Very good English (both written and spoken)
  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree (ETH/Uni/UAS) in Computer Science or equivalent degree/experience in software development or infrastructure is a plus.

Company is offering:

  • Competitive salary
  • Health Insurance/Pension Scheme
  • Experience in mission-critical and publicly available software projects
  • Work with large multinational companies
  • Flat organisational structure.

For the benefits we offer please check out our Zinkperks


Zinkworks Apprenticeship Programme – Ingrid’s Experience

Zinkworks apprenticeship programme is in association with the Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT)  programme.

Ingrid joined Zinkworks through the FIT apprentice program with Athlone Training Centre in 2021 and is about to begin her final semester. Here she describes her experience at Zinkworks thus far.

“I am making a career transition and balancing studies, work, and family time. I am a participant in the FIT apprenticeship program at Zinkworks as well as a master’s degree student in Mobile Development at PUC-Minas Brazil. Zinkworks has allowed me to put into practice everything I studied in college and the FIT course.

Since starting at Zinkworks I had a basic understanding of C and C++, but I have been learning Java on my own with the help of my colleagues. My knowledge was used within a large and complex system, and I was mentored by members of my team who gave me effective solutions, taught me how to resolve errors, and about dependencies, management, and automation tools. Team members helped me understand the project and how to find solutions to bugs during the project... As a beginner, I found the start difficult, but with everyone around me helping, I felt confident that I could make mistakes and try again.

FIT and Zinkworks encourage their apprentices to acquire industrial IT certificates during their studies. I chose to obtain the Introduction to Programming Using Java certification from Microsoft at the beginner level because I had Java experience within the company. To prepare for the certification, I used video courses at O'Reilly a subscription service that Zinkworks provides.

I’m starting to study for a Javascript Specialist certification at Intermediate Level. I don't work with Javascript currently, but my studies are more intense. Javascript can be a little challenging for some developers. Javascript is a language that can be used with a variety of frameworks and technologies. It's challenging but I love it! I've done some projects for college as my dream career is Mobile development, I must learn Frontend too. Access to O'Reilly has allowed me to read Javascript books, take some courses, practice the old questions from IT Exams and study with official CIW material.

I am very lucky to be part of Zinkworks, and FIT supports me in my professional growth. I work with many people who are willing to help and show me where I can improve every day. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me and helping me to grow every day.”

Ingrid is one of three apprentices in their final year of study. This year, in 2022, six more apprentices have joined Zinkworks and begun their work experience as part of the FIT apprenticeship program.

To find out more about the apprenticeship programme contact us at info@zinkworks.com.

Click here to learn about careers at Zinkworks.


The experience of being an outed LGBTQ+ person in tech - Meet Adheli

Software Developer Adheli Tavares speaks about her experiences being a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

1. How would you describe your journey to becoming a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community?

Complicated and complex. It’s a process that is always ongoing. There’s confusion and doubts until you find yourself comfortable in your own skin. Therapy was an ally in my process, to understand that all those feelings of inadequacy were uncalled for.

2. Have you found any differences between living in Ireland and the attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community (or you personally) versus living in other parts of the world?

Definitely. I think the main reason is that people here don’t really care.  Although I have been targeted a few times with some not very nice words, I do feel a lot more comfortable walking hand in hand with my partner here than back home.

3. How have you found the attitudes of others towards members of the community in the tech world (globally and in Ireland)?

I have met mostly queer women in the tech industry. Because it’s still a male dominant world, the behaviour I encountered the most was “so you like women then you are one of the guys” which is wrong.  This shows another level of sexism and the old stereotypes around how lesbians must look and act like a man. I have accepted this behaviour previously, mostly to feel included and avoid the mean comments, most of them hidden behind “jokes”.

4. Have you found Zinkworks to be an open and accepting place? How so?

Yes, Zinkworks has been super cool to work with. I think it kind of goes back to the fact people don’t really care as long as you’re a good person and good employee!  Acceptance and respect go along with mental health, which is another thing that Zinkworks has been the best place for regarding support.

5. What further support is needed for the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace and socially?

The “removal” of the necessity of coming out is my big dream. It is good that English is a friendly non-binary language, which helps a lot. I can say that it has taken out a lot of stress when referring to my partner and the questioning when someone decides to label themselves. I think it’s very personal how one describes themselves, then for another person, even someone they do not know to question every little detail is demeaning.

6. What can allies of the community do to support members in their workplace?

First of all, respect their identity (gender/sexuality) and not let it be something that will create a pre-judgement of their work abilities. Let them be heard. If you have doubts about how to talk to someone, ask their name and their pronouns.

When people are asking questions we can differentiate between when someone has a genuine question because they are curious and want to understand, from someone that is just lazy and expect us to be their personal LGBTQ+ dictionary.

At the end of the day, I have been through so much, like working with international teams (before moving to Ireland), learning the quality side of development, managing teams, and laughing with teammates when everything went right. Crying when things went to space. Stayed until late to fix something, or left earlier because it was too tiring. And you, a non-LGBTQ+ person might think “that sounds like some of the stuff I have done” and that’s because we are just like you. People.

Thank you to Adheli for sharing her experiences.

If you need support as part of the LGBTQ+ community you can visit here.

To read more blogs from Zinkworks employees visit here.


5 ways to improve your workspace based on science

Regardless of where we work—at home, in an office. We can all do a few simple things to our work environment to optimise our productivity. Below is a shortlist of the most effective things—none of which require purchasing any products or equipment. Anyone can use these tools to:

  • Maintain alertness and focus longer.
  • Improve posture and reduce pain (neck, back, pelvic floor, etc).
  • Tap into specific states of mind (creativity, logic, etc.) for the sake of work.

1. Sit or stand ( Or Both )

It is best to arrange your desk and workspace so that you can work sitting for some time—10-30 minutes or so for most people, and then shift to work standing for 10-30 minutes, and then go back to sitting. Research also shows that it’s a good idea to take a 5-15 minute stroll after every 45 minutes of work. There is evidence that such a sit-stand approach can reduce neck and shoulder and back pain.

2. Effects of TIME of the day has on you

We are not the same person across the different hours of the day, at least not neurochemically. Let’s call the first part of your day (~0-8 hours after waking up)

“Phase 1.” During this phase, the chemicals norepinephrine, cortisol, and dopamine are elevated in your brain and body. Alertness can be further heightened by sunlight viewing, caffeine and fasting.

Phase 1 is ideal for analytic “hard” thinking and any work that you find particularly challenging. It isn’t just about getting the most important stuff out of the way; it is about leveraging your natural biology toward the best type of work for the biological state you are in.

“Phase 2”: is ~9-16 hours after waking. At this time, serotonin levels are relatively elevated, which lends itself to a somewhat more relaxed state of being—optimal for brainstorming and creative work.

“Phase 3”: ~17-24 hours after waking up is when you should be asleep or try to sleep. During this phase, do no hard thinking or work unless, of course, you must, keep your environment dark or very dim and the room temperature low (your body needs to drop in temperature by 1-3 degrees to fall asleep and stay asleep).

3. Where your screen is and where you look ARE important

There’s a relationship between where we look and our level of alertness. When looking down toward the ground, neurons related to calm and sleepiness are activated. Looking up does the opposite. This might seem wild, but it makes sense based on the neural circuits that control looking up or down.

Standing and sitting up straight while looking at a screen or book that is elevated to slightly above eye level will generate maximal levels of alertness. To get your screen at or above eye level and not work while looking down at your screen may take a bit of configuring your workspace, but it’s worth it for the benefits to your mind and work.

4. Set your background sound

Some people like to work in silence, whereas others prefer background noise. Some kinds of background noise are particularly good for our work output. Working with white, pink, or brown noise in the background can be good for work bouts of up to 45 minutes but not for work bouts that last hours. So, use it from time to time. These are easy to find (and free) on YouTube or in various apps (search by “whitepink, or brown noise”).

Binaural beats are a neat science-supported tool to place the brain into a better state for learning. As the name suggests, binaural beats consist of one sound (frequency) being played in one ear and a different sound frequency in the other ear. It only works with headphones. Binaural beats (around 40 Hz) have been shown to increase certain aspects of cognition, including creativity and may reduce anxiety.

5. Room type can make a difference

There is an interesting effect of workspace optimization called the “Cathedral Effect,” in which thinking becomes “smaller”—more focused on analytic processing when we are in small visual fields. The opposite is also true. In short, working in high ceiling spaces elicits abstract thoughts and creativity, whereas working in low ceiling spaces promotes detailed work. Even relatively small differences (a two-foot discrepancy in ceiling height) have been shown to elicit such differences. The takeaway: consider using different locations: rooms, buildings, indoors or outdoors to help access specific brain states and the types of work they favour.

Very insightful blog post written by Release Manager,  Colm Nibbs

Click here to read more blogs from Zinkworks.


Privacy Policy

Zinkworks Privacy Notice

This is the privacy notice of Zinkworks T/A Neueda Technologies Ireland and the use of Data on the Zinkworks.com website. Zinkworks may be referred to the following  ‘we’, ‘our’, or ‘us’, and the user referred to ‘you’, ‘your’.

Our registered office addresses are:

Shannon Retail Park,

Dublin Rd,

Athlone,

Co. Westmeath,

N37 E2P6

……

Unit 216,

Atlantic Technological University,CoLab,

Port Road,

Letterkenny,

Co. Donegal,

F92 P2VE

[gem_divider color="#ff0041"]
[gem_divider color="#ff0041"]

GitHub & Microsoft Teams Integration

Seeking improvement opportunities to enhance productivity and collaboration is a crucial factor when working with technology. The GitHub integration for Microsoft Teams allows developers to improve their communication by automatically posting messages about issues, pull requests, deployment status, and more. Once GitHub and Microsoft Teams platforms are linked, this allows various options, such as adding comments, closing, and reopening issues or even making pull requests, without leaving your chatbox.

A considerable amount of time might be spent by developers while communicating about code changes, monitoring issues and other GitHub-related activities. This integration improves this communication and optimises the developer’s time, while also encouraging faster discussions on code reviews. All of this is happening right in your Microsoft Teams channel, which tends to be the natural place of ideas and collaboration.

Step 1 – Installation

First, we are going to install the GitHub App in our Microsoft Teams.

  • Go to the Microsoft Teams app store and install the GitHub app or you can directly install it from here.

  • Upon installation, a welcome message is displayed.
  • Use the @GitHub handle to start interacting with the app

Step 2 – Get Started

At this stage, our Microsoft Teams and GitHub user accounts are not linked yet. The following will link the two accounts.

  • Just authenticate to GitHub using a @github signing command or try to subscribe to your repository.

  • A message “Connect GitHub account” is displayed as shown in the following image. Just click on the button to connect the GitHub account.

Once the channel is created.

  • Go to the channel and look for the GitHub icon.
    • if the icon is not visible at the bottom of the channel, you must click on the “…” and search for GitHub integration with Microsoft Teams, as shown in the following image.

  • Once GitHub is set up on Microsoft We can subscribe to the repository, as shown in the following image.

  • Once the repository is subscribed, we will receive notifications as described above.

 

This whole process should be done once. After that, we can subscribe to as many repositories as we need, following just steps 8 to 10.

 

GitHub provides a lot of features to customise your subscription and keep the team up-to-date without switching to different platforms.

For more information go through the GitHub Documentation:

https://github.com/integrations/microsoft-teams/blob/master/Readme.md

 

Click the here to read more of Zinkworks blogs.