Getting Started With Microsoft Teams

Getting Started With Microsoft Teams

The demand for new flexible solutions in the business environment has made certain traditional aspects of the workplace slowly become extinct. These aspects include emails as the primary communication tool, the 9-to-5 work schedule, and physical office spaces.

The pandemic amplified this demand as businesses were forced to shut their offices and adopt remote working. As a result, the need for software that helps remote employees to communicate and collaborate effectively has increased.

With so many options in the market, companies are always torn on which platform to use. However, for organizations that settle for the Microsoft family of applications, Microsoft Teams is the obvious contender.

Check out our video on Microsoft Teams:

What Is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and communication tool that allows remote teams to work together and share information. You can access Teams by launching the web app, downloading the desktop app, or Microsoft Teams mobile app (available for both iOS and Android devices).

Microsoft Teams integrates a collection of Microsoft 365 online services such as SharePoint, Skype, and Exchange. It also provides a shared workspace for various Microsoft Office applications, such as Excel, Planner, Word, OneNote, and PowerPoint. These features make it possible for the organization members to talk, hold virtual meetings, chat, share files, and collaborate on projects.

What Core Features Make Up Microsoft Teams? The following are the core features Microsoft Teams offers:

• Teams: To start collaboration on projects, you will need a team. A team is a collection of people, tools, and content based on a specific group. Setting up Teams is easy and done in a few clicks, requiring only a Team name and a description; this allows you to add team members.
• Channels: Channels are subsections of teams where segregated conversations based on tasks, departments, or projects occur. By default, Microsoft Teams creates a general Channel for all team members. You can have multiple Channels within a Team. If a channel is in bold, this means that there has been some recent activity.
• Chat: You can use the chat feature to start a private conversation with other team members away from the team chat. You can call, share screens, and add additional team members to the conversation from the chat window. The chat window also has a simple message box with the option of attaching files, formatting text, and adding GIFs, emojis, and stickers. Chats are saved, searchable, and members can pick up where they left off at any time.
• Calendar: This feature allows you to view your weekly schedule, deadlines, and upcoming meetings. Microsoft Teams also allows you to sync your Outlook calendar with your Microsoft calendar.  By default, the MS calendar is accessible to everyone in your team. In addition to this, you can create a new meeting from the calendar by clicking on the New Meeting button.
• Audio and Video Conferencing: Teams allow you to directly make one-on-one or group calls to people in your organization directly from your chat list without the need to host a team meeting. This is done by clicking the audio or video call buttons from the chat section. These calls are private and don’t appear in any team conversation. The Calls tab also allows you to make calls and capture voicemails. If your business has connected Teams to a phone system, you can also make calls to people outside your organization.
• Files: When you create a new team, it gets a SharePoint Online site and a document library to store team files. All media shared across the chat window and conversations will be automatically saved on this folder. This file storage area can also be customized to include third-party cloud storage services, such as OneDrive and Dropbox.

As employees work from home, having tools that enable them to collaborate and communicate effectively has become essential. Microsoft Teams supports the level of collaboration and communication you need to run your business uninterrupted.

Are You Looking to Partner With a Microsoft Solutions Provider?

At Technology Advisory Group, we offer years of experience and expertise in providing IT solutions to businesses in Rhodes Island and New England.

Consult with us today, and let us help you customize Microsoft Teams’ solutions to fit your business’s collaboration needs.