Online group collaboration is the brand new norm as corporations unfold their workforce throughout the globe. Gone are the times of primarily counting on group emails, as groups can now work collectively in actual time utilizing an instantaneous chat-style interface, irrespective of the place they’re.
Microsoft Teams is one among many collaboration instruments designed to convey firm employees collectively in an internet house. It’s not designed for speaking with household and pals, however as a substitute offers a platform for video conferencing, real-time discussions, doc sharing and enhancing, and extra for corporations and firms.
What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace initially introduced in 2016 for patrons subscribing to the Office 365 Enterprise and Business plans, serving because the successor to Microsoft’s Skype for Business platform. It additionally changed the Microsoft Classroom service in Office 365 Education.
Microsoft Teams grew to become broadly accessible on March 14, 2017, for all Microsoft Office 365 subscriptions. A free model arrived on July 12, 2018, offering a lot of the subscription-based options whereas limiting storage capability and person depend. The cellular model acquired family-friendly options starting in March 2020.
Overall, Microsoft Teams breaks down into 5 major parts:
- Team – A digital “building” the place all invited members enter to collaborate.
- Channel – An particular person “room” throughout the “building” that could be open to all group members or locked as invite-only. Administrators can create a number of “rooms” with particular themes, comparable to Editorial, Gaming, Accounting, HR, and extra.
- Channel Tabs – Allows you to “pin” posts, information, apps, and extra to every channel you frequent. They should not common, so one channel could have totally different tabs from one other.
- Activity Feed – Connects all channels like a makeshift hallway so you’ll be able to obtain mentions, replies, and different notifications related to the channels you frequent.
- Chat – Private chats between you and different group members.
Administrators first create a group adopted by particular person channels. For giant organizations, a number of groups with a handful of channels could also be obligatory. The consumer helps multiple group, permitting members to entry a number of groups by a single interface.
Members of a group have entry to a pool of shared paperwork by clicking Files within the consumer, together with photos and movies uploaded in channels. Members can open these information in a browser, obtain them to their PC, or retrieve a hyperlink to share with others. The OneDrive function allows customers to create shared folders, Word paperwork, Excel workbooks, PowerPoint shows, and extra.
Finally, Microsoft Teams integrates with third-party apps, together with Trello, Zoom, Asana, GitHub, Evernote, Adobe Creative Cloud, Salesforce, Google Analytics, and lots of extra. It even works with social apps like YouTube, StubHub, and several other others.
What separates Microsoft Teams from different platforms?
Microsoft Teams is one among a number of group collaboration instruments. Its largest competitor is Slack, and we pit the 2 in opposition to one another in a separate in-depth article. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, however should you want a software that works alongside Microsoft 365, Teams is your finest guess.
Workplace from Facebook is the same business-oriented collaboration software. One of the foremost variations is that direct messaging takes place inside Microsoft Teams whereas Facebook’s different depends on a separate Workplace Chat app. Meanwhile, Facebook’s platform is mobile-first whereas Teams places the desktop employee first. Workplace additionally locations a heavy emphasis on Live Videos, however its compatibility with different apps is considerably decrease than Teams.
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Another well-liked group collaboration software is Discord. It targets players providing free voice and instantaneous message capabilities. In this situation, players create or be part of private and non-private “servers” somewhat than “teams.” Like Microsoft Teams, every constructing (server) hosts a number of rooms (channels), solely these rooms are devoted to both textual content or voice, not each. There is a Go Live function as properly that mechanically detects your recreation and means that you can stream it on to your Discord server. Want to make a video name to pals or household? Discord has your again too — all at no cost.
Microsoft Teams at a look
The interface presents a number of fundamental parts. On the left is the navigation bar internet hosting a number of tabs: Activity, Chat, and Teams. At the highest, you’ll see choices for issues like Posts, Chat, and Files relying on which tab you select on the left.
Information within the second column is set by the tab you choose within the navigation bar. Click Activity and the second column lists all of the mentions, replies, and different notifications. Select one among these actions and the third column shows the associated dialog. Click the filter button within the second column and enter a search time period.
Likewise, should you click on the Chat tab, the second column lists your non-public conversations by the recipient. Select a listed recipient, and the third column shows your entire dialog. Click the three-dot ellipsis icon subsequent to the recipient and you may pin, mute, or conceal the dialog, obtain a notification when the person indicators on, and extra.
Finally, click on the Teams tab and an inventory of your linked groups and their channels seems within the second column. Channels with new exercise are highlighted in daring textual content. Select a channel and the messages contained inside that channel seem within the third column. Any mentions inside an unselected channel are highlighted by an exclamation level subsequent to the channel title.
When typing a message, you’ll discover formatting instruments much like Slack, comparable to setting the font dimension, making a bullet listing, inserting a hyperlink, utilizing a spotlight, and extra. You may mark a message as a brand new dialog or announcement, lock responses solely to you and moderators, and publish the message to a number of channels (if allowed). Other instruments embody including emoji, stickers, GIFs, and information.
To conduct an audio name or video assembly, you’ll be able to merely click on the Meet Now drop-down arrow on the message toolbar on the prime. Scheduling requires a paid plan, which seems as a calendar icon on the message toolbar.
How a lot does Microsoft Teams price?
You can select from a number of Microsoft Teams plans for residence or enterprise.
The free Home plan consists of the next options:
- 5GB of storage
- Group calling for 100 individuals as much as 60 minutes
- Unlimited chat
- Collaboration
- Data encryption
For options like elevated group calling choices, extra storage, inventive instruments, and stay captions, you’ll be able to take a look at paid Home plans beginning at $7 month-to-month.
For Businesses, the Microsoft Teams Essentials plan prices $4 and offers these options:
- 10GB of storage
- Unlimited group conferences as much as 30 hours
- Microsoft Whiteboard
- File sharing and duties
- Live assembly captions
For options like person administration for workers, extra storage, a customized enterprise e mail, and spam and malware filtering, you’ll be able to take a look at Business Basic for $6 month-to-month or Business Standard for $12.50 month-to-month. If you want superior safety, entry and knowledge management, and cyber-threat safety, take a look at Business Premium for $22 month-to-month.
Where are you able to get Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is offered on the next platforms:
How to get began with Microsoft Teams at no cost
If you need to pattern Microsoft’s collaboration platform, right here’s how. For the free model, the one requirement is a Microsoft account, which you’ll be able to create throughout the setup course of. You don’t want a Microsoft 365 subscription to make use of Microsoft Teams at no cost.
Go to teams.microsoft.com and enter a Microsoft account e mail tackle and password. If you employ a special e mail tackle, it will likely be used to create a Microsoft account.
Optionally test the field to sync Outlook and Skype contacts, and choose Continue.
You’ll then land on the Chat tab prepared so that you can begin a brand new chat or meet now.
Are you prepared for Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a rising platform for enterprise communications that’s including extra options on a regular basis. Are you prepared to begin utilizing it? If so, make sure to take a look at how to use Microsoft Teams for an in-depth tutorial to get began.