Businesses are always looking for ways to collaborate and communicate better in the organization. Among the best platforms to choose from, one that stands out is Microsoft Teams, and it’s something included free in Microsoft365 and Office 365.

So, let’s not delay further and dive into why you should be using this great collaboration tool for your business.

Microsoft Teams Key Features

Microsoft Teams is part of the Office 365 productivity suite. Teams is a platform that allows you to collaborate using unified chat, file sharing, video, and voice. It hosts different features, including hybrid Microsoft Teams calling solution designed to fit office, remote, and distributed workgroups.

Here are Teams’ key features:

Chat

Users can both enjoy one-on-one messaging and group chat. These also include modern messaging features such as emojis, text formatting, and priority flagging. Users are also able to share files directly through chat sessions.

Channels

The true ability of Teams lies in the users’ ability to collaborate through different channels. You can set channels to be either public and open to everyone or private and focused on specific topics. Channel owners have the control to authorize new users to join their channel.

Meetings

Video meetings are open for over 100 users per session, and Microsoft Teams is actively working on increasing the limit and adding new features. Users can schedule video calls on a channel’s calendar or simply create them instantly. Users can also enjoy screen-sharing options during video call presentations.

Audio Conferencing

This is a kind of feature you don’t usually see on most collaboration platforms. Within Teams’ audio conferencing, anyone can take part in an online meeting through their phones. Even users who are not in the office can participate with no internet required through a dial-in number. But take note, this will require additional licensing.

Calling

This is one of the most overlooked features in Microsoft Teams. Its ability to offer outbound calls to clients is an excellent way for mobile or remote users to stay connected in one single, reliable connection.

Document Storage

With Teams, every organization that uses the platform will have its own site on SharePoint Online, containing a default document library folder. All files that you and your team shared across all conversations will also automatically be saved to this folder. You can also customize permissions and security options for sensitive information.

Why Use Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool, so why not use it? If you’re still having second thoughts, here’s what you and your workers can enjoy from this collaboration solution.

Secure Collaboration

Microsoft Teams provides all the security features of the Microsoft 365 suite. This includes two-factor authentication and encryption in transit and in the cloud. Moreover, t has ISO 27001 and SOC 1 and SOC 2 compliance.

Microsoft Teams may be locked and secure, but it doesn’t;t in any way hinder you from working with internal and external collaborators. Your admin can generate guest accounts that let you collaborate on calls on different channels with clients or any external stakeholders.

Data Visibility and Better Management

As a business leader, you get excellent visibility and insight into the work carried out in your organization. Since conversations within Teams are persistent, they become valuable information assets on Office 365’s governance and management tools.

For instance, all files and conversations in channels are saved in the Microsoft 365 cloud. You get to see which channels users are working in, how work speeds up or slows down, among many other things.

Microsoft Office Integration Options

Teams is tightly integrated with the rest of Microsoft 365. This means users can create and manage Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files and work with other content in their team’s SharePoint sites. Teams is also unified with Microsoft Power Apps, which allows any user to create a low-code app and share it with a team.

Comprehensive Third-Party Integrations

Microsoft also opened up Teams to third-party integrations. Many providers joined in, including ZenDesk, Asana, and CalendarHero.

Audio and Video Calling

Teams’ calling capabilities don’t end with its robust video conferencing tool. It also allows outbound calls from PCs and mobile devices, making Teams a great way to offer consistent communication to hybrid users.

If you’re someone or your employees shift from the office to home, on the road, and back again on an unpredictable schedule, Teams is the best tool for you.

Automation Tools

Microsoft Teams boasts different bots that’ll help you automate time-consuming tasks. Statsbot can pull reports from sources like Google Analytics or Salesforce and send them directly in channels. Teams’ Polly Bot can also poll coworkers for streamlined and automated feedback. While T-Bot answers common questions about Teams, lowering the burden for service and support providers.

How does your workspace operate?

If you’re searching for a cloud-based collaborative workspace for your organization, you don’t have to look further. Microsoft Teams, with its rich mix of communication and automation tools, can bring together different working groups even in the most challenging circumstances.

Teams lets you have a great team space so that your employees can make creative decisions and communicate with one another more effectively. This shared workspace software makes this easier to achieve, especially if a team is based in a large company, has several remote employees, or comprises a huge number of team members.

Kenneth

Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].