Jira Combines Developer and Business Tools for Better Teamwork

Atlassian, known for its project management software, has big plans for Jira. They're merging Jira Software, for developers, and Jira Work Management, for business teams, into one powerful tool. This change comes as more and more companies realize that developers and business teams need to work together closely. The new Jira aims to break down those old walls between different teams. At their recent event, Atlassian shared what's next for Jira. One surprising change is that they're letting users rename the work they track. Instead of always calling everything an "issue," users can now call it a "task," "subtask," "blocker," or even "launch." This is a big shift, showing that Atlassian wants users to feel more in control.

The new Jira also has a simpler way to navigate, with a customizable left-side menu. And like Trello, Jira now lets users change background colors, images, and card covers. This makes it much easier for teams to personalize their workspace. For program managers, there's a new feature called "program boards." These boards give a broad view of work across multiple teams, fitting somewhere between detailed Kanban boards and team calendars. They can be customized to match how different teams work. Atlassian is also introducing project templates. These help companies scale their processes across different teams. Finally, Jira is getting some AI-powered features. Loom, Atlassian's video messaging platform, can now create work items from video transcripts. And Jira itself can break down big tasks into smaller ones automatically. But how well these new features work in real life is still something to watch.

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