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What is MS Teams is and how is Microsoft Teams is helping remote workforces stay connected?
The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to disrupt business activity around the world. It is forcing organizations to react to unforeseen changes and adopt new practices. Businesses must now consider social distancing, school closures, and public health ordinances.
For many organizations, this has meant a rapid shift from office-based work, to work from home. Yet many companies are not prepared for such a dramatic shift in the way they function.
Moving to remote work presents many challenges for employers and employees alike. Of those, maintaining effective communication and collaboration is the greatest to overcome.
What Is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and communication platform. It is your key to keeping your remote workforce engaged, connected, and collaborating in a safe and secure way.
As the name suggests, Teams is designed to help teamwork and connect your workforce. It's integrated with your favorite Office 365 suite of products including apps like Word, Outlook, and more.
With over 250 million users worldwide, it empowers groups working together through unified communication. Connecting disjointed applications, Microsoft Teams provides a seamless transition from desktop to mobile.
With Microsoft Teams, you can keep your workforce running safely, securely, and effectively in a remote setting.
While Microsoft is a PC-based application, Microsoft Teams for mac is also available. This means all users will have access, regardless of their device.
How Microsoft Teams Is Helping Remote Workers
With over half of the US population holding jobs that support remote work, Microsoft Teams offers many benefits to those working remotely. It allows workforces to maintain communication and collaboration while staying secure.
Some of the advantages of using Microsoft Teams are explored in more detail below.
Video
Often remote work means missing out on the face-to-face interactions we would get in an office. High-quality video and audio can make a huge difference in reducing the impact of this. Employees can join Microsoft teams meeting events to continue to see each other. Teams can offer video conferences with several people or one-on-one calls with colleagues.
During live video meetings, Teams background images are available to protect privacy. This can be helpful for employees working from home. Microsoft teams background pictures displayed behind an individual will mask their real background. Backgrounds can give peace of mind to those who may not want to share where they live.
Calendar Invitations
Teams integrates seamlessly with your existing 365 calendar. This means you can schedule events such as video calling or video chat right from your calendar. Join meetings direct via a link or calendar invite for fast access. You can also send calendar invites to others to enable them to attend.
Chat
The chat feature can help employees stay connected with each other when not in meetings. This lessens feelings of isolation and boosts morale. The chat feature allows employees to engage in watercooler conversations with their colleagues.
They can ask work-related questions, or seek clarification. This feeling of connection helps keep teams collaborating, even when they're not together.
Coauthoring
Teams' coauthoring capabilities eliminates the frustration of file sharing via email or unsecured networks. Documents are easily accessible by sharing a link with those needing access. View previous versions, create comment threads, and assign tasks. Coauthoring documents are all securely discoverable with Teams.
Centralized Communication
All forms of communication can be centralized within Teams. This means employees will not have to stay on top of several communication networks. Cut the need for text messages, email, or unapproved/insecure third-party applications.
Teams provides a single hub for all communication to take place. From group chat to video, chat calls, video conferences, and more. This helps employees stay connected in real-time, at any time.
Groups
There is often a need to quickly create a team or committee to collaborate on work projects. Remote working doesn't change this. If anything, this need may become greater when transferring to a remote workforce. Teams allows you to form Groups within your workforce, limiting access to only authorized personnel.
Recorded Meetings and Events
Record your formal meetings or extracurricular activities. You can use these recordings for posterity, or to refer back to. If you run special events such as book clubs, or cooking nights there is no need to stop now you're no longer in the office.
Host extracurricular events virtually to maintain and build morale. You can even combine virtual and in-person events, recording them using Stream so that anyone can access them at any time.
Deploying Microsoft Teams
Teams is a highly capable and versatile software, limited only by your creativity. But, it is possible to put in place the basics of Teams with minimal disruption to your workforce. Setting up employee accounts, chat, and meeting capabilities are all quick and simple.
It is worthwhile running some basic training, such as a Microsoft Teams tutorial, when you first start using Teams. Training can also establish company-wide standards or expectations and best practice guides.
From there, over time your use of Teams can grow and change with your workforce. As you discover new and creative ways to connect and collaborate you'll find Teams grows with you.
Ready to Get Started With Microsoft Teams?
There is no question to how Microsoft Teams is helping workers and will keep your workforce connected and collaborating. Use Teams to run your daily operations while maintaining your organization's security and compliance.
A Microsoft 365 commercial subscription is your answer to a collaborative remote workforce. Reach out to a member of our team to get started on your Teams journey today.
