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Remote communication and collaboration are increasingly important in business. With many people working from home or unable to travel, online connections take the place of in-person meetings. Users of Office 365 have a resource which they may not even know about. The resource is Microsoft Teams, which is included in Office 365.
Teams is Microsoft's replacement for Skype for Business. The software includes even more ways to connect and it provides collaboration efficiently and securely. You have already paid for it, so why not use it? Users may not be aware of it because it is not enabled for them, but letting them use it is a simple administrative matter.
Watch "How to Improve Organization Communication with Teams"
Ways to use Microsoft Teams
The Microsoft Teams software is available from almost any device. The desktop application runs on Windows and macOS. The mobile version is available for iOS and Android. A Web client is available on most modern browsers without requiring a plugin. People can participate in conferences with nothing more than a voice telephone call. The application is the best way to use the service and the Web client may not support all features on all browsers.
Teams and channels
Users in an organization are grouped into teams for sharing information. Within a team, there can be channels where smaller groups work together for a specific goal. A team can be organization-wide, or it can consist of a handful of people.
Chats
Users in an organization can set up a group or one-on-one chats. A chat session can be opened for a predefined team or a channel within the team in one step. Communication includes not just text but stickers, animated GIFs, and emojis.
Audio and video conferencing
Voice and video conferences can include not just members of the organization but anyone with an email address and an invitation. Participants can use the app, or they can join via the phone. Only the organizers need a Teams' license. They can record meetings for later reference.
File sharing
Participants in a chat can attach a file when they find it useful. They can upload it, take it from their OneDrive storage, or reuse a previously used file. Users can upload a file once and then share a link to make it available at multiple points. They can even share a file with someone outside the organization.
Connections with other services
Teams works with other Microsoft collaboration services to extend its power. If an organization uses SharePoint, each team will have a similar team site in SharePoint Online. Users can store files in a SharePoint Online document library. Each channel has a folder in the shared documents.
Members of a team can share a Microsoft OneNote notebook, adding notes, images, and drawings to advance their understanding of a project. A user can create a notebook from Teams, open an existing one, or link to one.
Making sure Microsoft Teams is available
Office 365 subscriptions include Teams. The only exception is some high-security configurations where it has to be excluded. Administrators can enable or disable access to it on a per-user basis. Teams could be enabled or disabled on your device, but this is no longer the case. The only issue is whether all users have access to it.
Users who have not been granted access to Teams will not see it in their Office 365 homepage, so they may not know it is an option.
The Teams license can be assigned for specific users or groups. A PowerShell script can enable it for all Office 365 users in the organization. Administrators will need to set up appropriate teams and channels so that employees can make the best use of the software.
No matter where you are, Microsoft Teams is an excellent resource for fast and effective communication. Total Computer Solutions can help you get the most out of Teams and other cloud resources. Contact us for a consultation.
