Getting Started With Microsoft Teams
The need for collaboration has been amplified as businesses adopt remote working. Although many companies had previously encouraged their employees to work remotely, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this need as companies were forced to shut down their physical offices. As most organizations continue to operate remotely, the demand for tools that allow their teams to collaborate and communicate effectively with each other has rapidly increased.
As numerous collaboration tools continue to flood the market, most businesses find it challenging to find the right tool to meet their collaboration needs. One of the many collaboration tools that have stood out for businesses is Microsoft Teams.
Check out our latest video to learn more about Microsoft Teams:
What Exactly Is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is an online collaboration and communication tool provided by Microsoft as part of Microsoft 365. You can launch Microsoft Teams through the desktop application (in Mac and Windows), a web browser, or the mobile application (in iOS and Android).
Microsoft Teams combines features that enable and support video conferencing, chats, instant and group messaging, phone calls, and file storage to allow remote teams to work together using a shared workspace. Microsoft Teams also integrates a collection of Microsoft 365 applications such as SharePoint, Word, Outlook, Skype, PowerPoint, and Excel.
What Are The Core Features of Microsoft Teams? The core components of Microsoft Teams include:
- Teams: For your organization to start collaborating on MS Teams projects, you will first need to create a team. You can create a team from scratch or an existing Microsoft 365 team or group. A team is a collection of content, people, and tools. Creating a team is easy and done with a few clicks. All you need is a team name, a team description, and to specify the level of privacy you’d like for your team. Once your team is created, you can add team members. A team can either be private or public. Private teams are only accessible to invited members, while public teams are accessible by the entire organization.
- Channels: Teams have subdivisions known as channels. Channels are dedicated to more segregated conversations that may be based on specific topics. By default, Microsoft Teams creates a general Channel for every newly formed team. You can create multiple channels within a Team and set their privacy level as either private or standard. Standard channels are accessible to everyone on your team, while private channels are only accessible to invited team members.
- Chat: Chats allow you to privately send one-on-one messages to fellow team members or smaller groups away from the main team chat. Conversations within chats are only visible to those involved in the chat. Chats can be named to define their intended purpose. From the chat window, you can share screens, attach files to your messages, add other team members to the chat, translate messages, and make video and audio calls.
- Calendar: The Teams calendar allows you to view upcoming meetings and schedule new meetings. Teams also allows you to sync your Outlook group calendar with your Microsoft Teams calendar. By default, the Teams calendar is accessible to everyone in your team, but you can edit permissions and limit access to only particular members of your team.
- Audio and Video Conferencing: Teams allows you to make group and one-on-one calls to people in your team directly from your chat list by clicking the video or audio call buttons. The calls you make are private and don’t appear in any team conversation. You can also capture voicemails and make calls from the Calls tab.
- Files: Each time you create a new team, you automatically create a SharePoint Online site behind it. All files shared across teams, channels, the chat window, and conversations are automatically saved on the SharePoint library folder. The files tab is located at the top of every channel.
To ensure business continuity, you need to provide your remote employees with reliable collaboration tools. Microsoft Teams can support the level of communication and collaboration your organization needs. If you’re looking to run your business operations uninterrupted outside your typical office space, harnessing the full potential of Microsoft Teams is critical.
Still Searching for a Reliable Microsoft Solutions Provider in Ohio?
At Rea & Associates, we offer experience and expertise in providing Microsoft solutions to businesses in Canton, Akron, Massillon, Wooster, and Northeast Ohio.
Consult with us today, or call us on (330) 236-1011 and let us help you customize Microsoft Teams to fit your business’s collaboration needs.