How Does Microsoft Teams Work?
As remote work continues as the current business norm, Microsoft Teams has become one of the most-used business tools in recent months. It had over 75 million daily users in April 2020, and it has likely gained even more in the months since.
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that helps professional teams stay organized and communicate remotely. It includes channels that can be used for on-the-spot meetings, to share files, and numerous other processes. If you haven’t started using it yet, here are some basics to know.
How to Get Microsoft Teams for Your Business
Microsoft Teams, along with other applications, comes as part of Microsoft 365, which you can get under a monthly subscription. It’s available on Windows 10 as part of Microsoft’s Modern Desktop. In order to get Teams for your business, you just need to ensure your hardware, network, and environment are compatible.
If your hardware and other applications are not compatible with Microsoft Teams and the rest of Microsoft 365, then it’s strongly recommended to make the necessary upgrades in your equipment, whether you actually end up using Teams or not. You’ll be more protected by advanced security and given much greater access to necessary resources.
Main Functions of Microsoft Teams and How to Use Them
Here are a few of the most-used features of Microsoft Teams and how to get started using them:
Teams
Your organization’s users can be divided into Teams, which can then create their own chat rooms. You could keep all employees in one Team and create separate channels for individual departments or create a separate Team for each department, which could then include sub-channels for specific projects.
Channels
A general channel is automatically created for all members of a Team, and you can create as many more channels as you need. Each channel includes three tabs named “Conversation,” “Files,” and “Notes.” You can add more tabs within any channel by clicking the plus sign next to the other tabs.
Conversation
Within the Conversation tab, you can chat, file share, and video call. You can also mention other users with the @ symbol to get a specific channel member’s attention.
Files
The Files tab will show all the files that have been uploaded to your channel. These files update in real time, allowing for simultaneous collaboration. You can open and work on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Vision tabs from inside of Teams instead of opening the separate application on your device.
You can also create a group chat connected to one specific file to house conversations specific to that document.
Notes
The Notes tab leads to the shared OneNote file for the entire Team. You can view and edit OneNotes directly within Teams, giving you easy access to take and share notes during meetings.
The benefits of Microsoft Teams
Teams bring many benefits to businesses. Microsoft Teams can replace other similar programs like Slack and Zoom by bundling features on one platform, for one price. It’s a cheaper, more convenient way to communicate and collaborate. Plus, it’s easily integrated and learned by those who are already familiar with using Microsoft software.
Here are some of the main benefits of Teams for business:
- One streamlined, centralized platform
- Simple and effective means of remote communication
- Enables real-time collaboration
- Secure file sharing
- User-friendly
Microsoft Teams helps businesses connect on a daily basis. And now, programs like Microsoft Teams let you access a virtual office from anywhere.
Talk with TheCompuLab, your local Pompano Beach IT company, to start using Microsoft Teams for your remote team’s communication and collaboration.
