If your business is looking for an innovative tool to help your workforce interact more effectively, stay connected, and maintain productivity, then Microsoft Teams could be the perfect choice for you. Microsoft Teams has copious amounts of storage, video call features, an online chat function, and many other useful features, so it could be exactly what you’re looking for.
Halcyon Networks can provide and install Office 365, which includes Microsoft Teams, to help your business run smoother and allow your staff to collaborate and interact effectively whether working at home or in the office. We are Microsoft Silver partners, so we have proven expertise in Microsoft products and systems and can provide quality solution in multiple specialised areas of business.
During the current worldwide coronavirus pandemic, we have seen many businesses have to evolve to the situation and apps like Microsoft Teams have fast become the cornerstone of their communication and productivity function. As an increasing number of businesses are using Microsoft Teams, Microsoft is continuously rolling out patches and updates to develop the app and manage the significant increase of users. This means that Microsoft Teams is now one of the best communications systems out there.
As the pandemic rages on, many businesses have been forced to change the way they work and operate, with a heavy focus on remote working, and this doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon. This shift to working from home has highlighted for many a new, effective way of working, which could change the way companies operate in the future. So, for any business looking for a platform to help them stay connected with their team and increase productivity, here are some of the top Microsoft Team features.
Microsoft Team’s video call function allows your meetings to take place remotely. Microsoft recently updated the number of users allowed in a video call from 4 to 9. This means that users with the video function on are prioritised and appear ahead of those with only audio.
Teams also offer users the function to ‘raise their hand’, which makes it easy for users to make it clear when they want to speak. This helps cancel out the issue of people talking over one another and helps the people leading the meeting to prioritise those who want to speak.
If you’re working from home and you feel that your backdrop is not suitable or messy, you can change your background to suit the mood of the meeting. This can be anything from changing the background to a logo or a different location, to even blurring the background out so you’re the only clear thing on the screen. Teams also offer you the function to add live captions to your meetings, this can be extremely helpful for those who are hard of hearing or speak different languages as they can translate what is being said during the meeting.
Microsoft Teams also allows you to capture audio or video to save it for later.
Microsoft Team’s and Microsoft 365 apps beautifully integrate, which is perfect if your company already has the Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You will have the ability to directly access files and documents that are saved within OneDrive or SharePoint. All of the apps combine seamlessly with one another, letting you complete your work and communicate without any hassle.
Next up on this list of features is live chat functions. Users can chat and create dedicated live channels for certain projects or topics. This allows companies to have focused online conversations with their employees and resolve issues faster without the distraction of other subjects. This also makes it easier for employees to discuss problems or subjects while not on video chat and without having to scroll through hundreds of emails and messages.
Microsoft Teams also allows you to send an email to the dedicated chat channels for all members to view and reply to within the thread.
If your company is consistently working on collaborative projects, Microsoft Teams allows users to work together in the same document in real-time and discuss any decisions that need to be made or any problems that need to be cleared up using the chat system.
There is also the function to invite outside users using their direct email address, if you do, they will become a tagged guest user. This may be increasingly useful if you are working closely with a client or supplier. Admins can also control which features a guest has access to so that you know that your sensitive information isn’t at risk.
The Microsoft Team app is compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows, which means users can collaborate and chat using tablets, phones, laptops and computers anywhere in the world, at any time, and even when on the move.
As with Microsoft 365, Teams offers cutting edge security capabilities that help ensure that your data is protected and encrypted. You can customise which aspects of Teams are made public for everyone within your business with a Microsoft 365 account to see.
When it comes to Cybersecurity, Teams works day and night to keep up to standard and is built with SSA16SOC and ISO 27001 one and two standards. Microsoft Teams can also be used on mobile, so it comes with integrated mobile device management to protect your data and ensure it is secure.
As well as having the ability to integrate with Microsoft 365 apps, Teams can also integrate with 3rd party apps such as Polly, Asana, Zoom, Smartsheet, and more, Teams will help you to service the needs of everyone within your business.
Slash commands are helpful features on Teams that help you to complete work much quicker. By typing a short phrase with a / before it, it will trigger specific actions within the Teams program. The slash command feature can help you join channels or chats quickly when used in the chat feature.
Some useful commands are:
Teams offer you about 24 bots to help you save time and carry out a variety of quick tasks for you. Bots can also answer questions and schedule reports.
Present your Power BI data through Microsoft Team channels. This new tab improves support for reports in new workspace experiences.
Microsoft Teams now has a brand new ‘grid’ view, this allows you to view every user in one centralised location on your screen. You can select any team that you are a part of and access the files and conversations without visual distractions.
Here at Halcyon Networks, we can set up Microsoft Teams for your business and implement effective remote working practices. Halcyon Networks are also Microsoft Silver Partners, which shows that we have an abundance of knowledge and expertise when it comes to Microsoft products and systems, meaning we can deliver quality solutions in multiple specialised areas of business. To find out more about how Halcyon Networks can help your business, visit our website, or contact us on 0151 678 4545 or info@halcyonnetworks.co.uk.
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Seen something you like? We’d love to hear about what you are looking to accomplish. Our experts offer a free on-site technology assessment. Call us on 0151 678 4545 or leave your details here and we will call you back at a time that suits.
Seen something you like? We’d love to hear about what you are looking to accomplish. Our experts offer a free on-site technology assessment. Call us on 0151 678 4545 or leave your details here and we will call you back at a time that suits.
