Microsoft Teams is a robust collaboration tool that helps us stay connected and productive while working remotely. It brings together chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and other features in one unified platform. With Teams, we can easily communicate with our colleagues, share important documents, and work together on projects, no matter where we are located.

One of the main benefits of using Microsoft Teams is its seamless integration with other Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This ensures that we can access all the tools we need in one place, making our workflow more efficient. Additionally, Teams offers a variety of customisable features, so we can tailor it to our specific needs, whether for a small project or a company-wide initiative.

Setting up and using Microsoft Teams is straightforward, even for beginners. With its intuitive interface and comprehensive support resources, we can quickly get up to speed. In this article, we will explore the essential aspects of Microsoft Teams, key features that enhance remote work, a step-by-step guide to setting up your own Teams environment, and best practices for effective remote collaboration. By the end, we will have a solid understanding of how to leverage Microsoft Teams to boost our productivity and collaboration.

Understanding Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a versatile collaboration platform that brings together various communication tools in one place. It integrates chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and other collaboration features to help us work more effectively as a team. Since it is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite, it seamlessly connects with other applications like Outlook, OneDrive, and SharePoint.

The core functionality of Teams revolves around “teams” and “channels”. A team is a collection of people, content, and tools all centred around different projects and jobs within an organisation. Within each team, we can create channels for more focused discussions. Channels can be devoted to specific topics, departments, or projects, making it easier to organise our conversations and files logically.

Beyond communication, Microsoft Teams also supports integrations with a wide variety of third-party apps. This means we can connect tools we already use, such as Trello, GitHub, or Adobe Creative Cloud, directly into Teams. This unification allows us to perform multiple tasks without switching applications, improving our productivity and keeping our workflow smooth.

Key Features for Enhancing Remote Work

Microsoft Teams offers several key features that enhance remote work and facilitate seamless collaboration. Here are some of the most impactful features:

1. Chat and Messaging: Teams provides robust chat capabilities, allowing us to have one-on-one or group conversations. Persistent chat history ensures we can always refer back to previous messages and threads. We can also use direct messages for private conversations and @mentions to get someone’s attention.
2. Video Conferencing: With built-in video conferencing, Teams allows us to host virtual meetings, webinars, and video calls. Features like screen sharing, meeting recording, and live captions make our meetings more interactive and accessible.
3. File Sharing and Collaboration: Teams integrates with OneDrive and SharePoint, enabling easy file sharing and real-time collaboration on documents. We can work together on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files directly within Teams, which updates changes for everyone instantly
4. Task Management: By using the Planner app within Teams, we can create, assign, and track tasks for ourselves and our team members. This helps us manage projects and ensure everyone knows their responsibilities.
5. Integrated Apps and Workflows: Teams supports integration with many third-party applications, as well as Microsoft Power Automate, which enables us to create automated workflows. This integration helps streamline our processes and reduce repetitive tasks
6. Security and Compliance: Microsoft Teams is designed with enterprise-level security and compliance in mind. We can manage data security and compliance policies, such as using multi-factor authentication and data encryption, to protect our information.

These features collectively enhance our ability to work remotely by providing a unified platform for communication, collaboration, and project management. Teams helps us stay connected, organised, and productive, no matter where we are working from.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Team and Channels

Setting up a team and channels in Microsoft Teams is an essential task for organising our workspace and improving collaboration. Here is a simple step-by-step guide to help us get started:

1. Create a Team:

– Open Microsoft Teams and click on the “Teams” tab on the left.

– Click on “Join or create a team” and then select “Create a team”.

– Choose to create a team from scratch or use an existing Office 365 group.

– Provide a name and description for the team, and set the privacy settings (private or public).

– Click “Create” and add members to the team by entering their email addresses.

2. Create Channels:

– In the newly created team, click on the “More options” icon (three dots) next to the team name.

– Select “Add channel” and provide a name and description for the channel.

– Choose the privacy settings for the channel (standard or private).

– Click “Add” to create the channel.

3. Customise Channels:

– Once the channels are created, we can customise them by adding tabs for apps and files.

– Click on the “+” icon at the top of the channel to add tabs.

– We can add commonly used apps like OneNote, Planner, or even third-party apps.

4. Set Permissions and Settings:

– Click on the “More options” icon next to the team name and select “Manage team”.

– Here, we can configure member permissions, guest access, and other team settings.

By following these steps, we can set up our teams and channels to streamline communication and collaboration, making our remote work environment efficient and organised.

Best Practices for Effective Remote Collaboration

Collaborating effectively while working remotely requires more than just using the right tools. Here are some best practices to help us get the most out of Microsoft Teams:

1. Clear Communication:

– Use clear and concise language in messages and updates.

– Utilise @mentions to get the attention of specific team members for important messages.

– Schedule regular check-ins and meetings to keep everyone on the same page.

2. Organise Files and Documents:

– Use the “Files” tab in each channel to store relevant documents, making it easy to find and collaborate on shared files.

– Maintain a consistent folder structure and naming conventions to keep documents organised.

3. Leverage Meeting Features:

– Make use of the video conferencing features for face-to-face interaction, which can enhance communication.

– Utilise screen sharing to collaborate on documents and presentations in real-time.

– Record meetings and use the transcription feature for future reference.

4. Utilise Integrations:

– Integrate other Microsoft 365 apps like Planner for task management and OneNote for note-taking.

– Connect third-party apps and services that the team uses, like Trello or Asana, to streamline workflows.

5. Foster Team Culture:

– Encourage team members to use the chat feature for informal conversations, helping to build a sense of community.

– Celebrate achievements and milestones with team-wide announcements.

By adopting these best practices, we can enhance our remote collaboration, ensuring that our team remains productive and connected.

Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool that can transform how we collaborate remotely. By understanding its features and setting up our teams and channels effectively, we can create a productive and organised workspace. Following best practices for communication and collaboration will further enhance our remote work experience, making sure our team remains efficient and cohesive.

If we need professional assistance in mastering Microsoft Teams or any other Microsoft solutions and services, egforit Software Services is here to help. Our expertise can ensure we get the most out of our tools, providing tailored solutions to meet our unique needs. Contact egforit Software Services today to elevate our remote work setup to the next level.

In today’s fast-paced and increasingly remote work environment, fostering effective communication and collaboration across your workforce is more crucial than ever. Microsoft Teams, an intuitive, feature-rich workspace within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, offers a comprehensive solution for organisations seeking to improve teamwork and collaboration through a single, unified platform.

With capabilities including chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and integration with other Microsoft 365 applications, Microsoft Teams provides unparalleled opportunities for fostering efficient and productive workplace collaboration.

In this blog, we will delve into the numerous features and benefits of Microsoft Teams, focusing on topics such as chat and audio/video conferencing, application integration, security and compliance, and customisation options. Additionally, we will address the importance of partnering with egforit Software in ensuring a successful transition and adoption of Microsoft Teams within your organisation. Our objective is to equip you with the knowledge and insights necessary to unlock the full potential of Microsoft Teams and transform your business communication and collaboration.

Streamlined Communication: Chat, Audio, and Video Conferencing

Microsoft Teams offers robust communication capabilities, enabling your team to collaborate efficiently and effectively through chat, audio, and video conferencing:

– Chat: Centralise your team’s conversations and interactions in one place with individual or group chats, searchable and threaded for easier navigation and reference.

– Audio and video conferencing: Initiate ad-hoc or scheduled meetings with high-quality audio and video, enabling your team to collaborate in real-time, regardless of geographical location.

– Screen sharing and co-authoring: Share your screen or content with meeting participants, and collaborate on documents or files simultaneously for more efficient work sessions.

– Integrated communication tools: Seamlessly integrate Microsoft Teams with other Microsoft 365 applications, such as Outlook, for cross-application communication and scheduling capabilities.

Comprehensive Application Integration: Access All Your Tools in One Place

With Microsoft Teams, your workforce can access all the tools they need in a single, unified workspace, streamlining workflow management and enhancing productivity:

– Microsoft 365 integration: Enjoy seamless integration with your favourite Microsoft 365 applications, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, allowing your team to collaborate on shared files and projects within the Teams workspace.

– Third-party app integration: Expand the capabilities of Microsoft Teams with a wide range of third-party apps and services, like Trello, Asana, or Salesforce, increasing collaboration and productivity across platforms.

– Custom tabs and extensions: Create custom tabs and extensions within Teams, enabling quick access to frequently used applications, files, and resources, and streamlining your team’s workflows.

Robust Security and Compliance: Safeguard Your Team and Data

Microsoft Teams is built on a foundation of industry-leading security and compliance standards, ensuring the protection of your organisation’s sensitive information:

– Data encryption: Safeguard your team’s data with end-to-end encryption for chat, audio/video conferencing, and file storage, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your communications and files.

– Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Authenticate user identities with multi-factor authentication, providing an additional layer of protection against unauthorised access to Microsoft Teams.

– Auditing and reporting: Monitor and audit user activity, including chat and file sharing, to maintain visibility and control over actions taken within your organisation’s Teams environment.

Customisation and Extensibility: Tailor Microsoft Teams to Suit Your Business Needs

Microsoft Teams offers robust customisation options, enabling your organisation to adapt the platform to align with your specific processes, workflows, and industry requirements:

– Custom channels: Organise your team’s communication and collaboration by creating custom channels, categorised by projects, departments, or topics, thereby reducing both clutter and information overload.

– Bots and connectors: Develop custom bots and connectors to automate routine tasks and streamline workflows, saving time and improving efficiency across your organisation.

– Branding and theming: Personalise your Microsoft Teams workspace with custom branding, visual themes, and app configurations, fostering a bespoke and intuitive user experience.

Partner with egforit Software for Microsoft Teams Success

egforit Software, a Egypt , middle east-based software development company, offers expert guidance and support in the successful implementation, customisation, and ongoing use of Microsoft Teams:

– Planning and deployment: Our team of professionals will guide your organisation through the Teams adoption process, from initial assessment and planning to infrastructure implementation and integration with existing systems.

– Customisation and development: egforit Software will tailor Microsoft Teams to your specific business processes, workflows, and requirements, ensuring maximum efficiency and usability.

– Training and support: Provide your team with comprehensive training programmes and ongoing support, empowering them with the necessary skills and knowledge to utilise Teams effectively and confidently.

Microsoft Teams is a powerful, feature-rich collaboration platform that can revolutionise your organisation’s approach to teamwork and productivity. Partnering with egforit Software Services ensures a seamless transition and adoption of Microsoft Teams, positioning your organisation for long-term success in today’s ever-evolving business landscape.

Transform your organisation’s communication, collaboration, and efficiency with Microsoft Teams and the expert support of egforit Software Services. Find a Microsoft partner with us, and we will create a unified, dynamic workspace that empowers your workforce to excel in the modern business environment.

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, remote work and collaboration have become increasingly essential for organisations of all sizes. As businesses adapt to the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age, the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across geographically dispersed teams has become a critical factor in ensuring growth and success. Consequently, choosing the right tools and platforms for enabling seamless and efficient collaboration is a vital decision for modern businesses.

Microsoft Teams stands out as an exceptional solution for empowering remote teams and streamlining collaboration efforts. This dynamic communication and collaboration platform combines chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and app integration, allowing teams to work together in real-time, regardless of location. As a core component of the Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Teams integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services, providing a cohesive and comprehensive digital workspace for remote teams.

This blog post aims to offer a comprehensive exploration of Microsoft Teams and its capabilities in enhancing collaboration and remote work. We will delve into the key features and functionalities of the platform, providing tips and best practices for harnessing its full potential. In addition, we will discuss the value of integrating Microsoft Teams with other essential tools and platforms used within your organisation.

Join us as we unveil the transformative power of Microsoft Teams in enabling seamless communication and collaboration, propelling your remote teams towards greater productivity, efficiency, and success in today’s increasingly digital business environment.

 

The Cornerstones of Microsoft Teams: Communication and Collaboration

Microsoft Teams offers a wide range of features and functionalities, specifically designed to enhance communication and collaboration within remote teams. Let’s explore the key capabilities of Microsoft Teams that make it the ideal platform for fostering seamless teamwork:

1. Chat and Group Conversations

 

Microsoft Teams facilitates real-time communication between team members through its chat and group conversation features. Users can engage in one-on-one chats or create dedicated channels for specific projects, departments, or topics. These channels serve as central repositories for all related discussions, files, and resources, making it easier to track progress and maintain context. Additionally, Microsoft Teams offers robust search and filtering capabilities, making it simple to locate important messages or documents when needed.

2. Video Conferencing and Screen Sharing

With high-quality video and audio conferencing capabilities, Microsoft Teams enables remote teams to stay connected and collaborate effectively in real-time. Users can quickly initiate video calls or schedule meetings, invite external participants, and record sessions for future reference. Microsoft Teams also supports screen sharing and collaborative whiteboarding, making it simpler for teams to work together on projects, discuss ideas, and deliver presentations remotely.

3. Secure File Sharing and Collaboration

Microsoft Teams integrates seamlessly with Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint, providing a secure platform for sharing documents, images, and other files within your team. Users can easily upload files to specific channels or chat threads, ensuring that the necessary resources are accessible to all relevant team members. Thanks to the platform’s integration with Office 365, users can also collaborate on documents in real-time, eliminating version conflicts and streamlining the editing process.

4. Integrations and Customisation

One of Microsoft Teams’ standout features is its ability to integrate with a vast array of third-party apps and services. Users can connect the platform with popular tools like Trello, Asana, and Slack, as well as integrate with other Microsoft applications, such as Power BI and Planner, further enhancing its functionality and customisation potential. Moreover, Microsoft Teams supports custom apps and bots, empowering businesses to create tailored solutions that cater to their specific needs.

 

Best Practices for Maximising Productivity with Microsoft Teams

To make the most of Microsoft Teams’ potential, it’s crucial to adopt a structured approach and follow best practices that foster productivity and efficient collaboration. Here are some tips to help your team excel:

Establish clear channels and guidelines: Create dedicated channels for different projects, departments, or topics, and set up guidelines for their usage. This will help maintain focus, streamline communication, and reduce clutter.

Optimise notifications and alerts: Encourage team members to customise their notification settings, ensuring that they receive relevant updates and avoid distractions. This can be achieved by adjusting notification preferences in the Microsoft Teams settings.

 

Leverage the power of Microsoft 365 integrations: Harness the full potential of Microsoft Teams by integrating it with other Microsoft 365 applications, such as Outlook, OneNote, and Power Automate. These integrations provide additional capabilities and create a unified digital workspace, increasing efficiency and productivity.

Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement: Encourage team members to explore Microsoft Teams’ features and continually improve their abilities to use the platform. Share useful resources, tips, and best practices that can help your team maximise the benefits of Microsoft Teams.

 

Integrating Microsoft Teams with Other Tools and Platforms

Another strength of Microsoft Teams is its compatibility with a wide range of other tools and platforms. By integrating Microsoft Teams with the software and services your team already uses, you can create a seamless and efficient collaborative workspace that caters to your unique needs. Some popular tools that can be integrated with Microsoft Teams include:

– Project management: Trello, Asana, and Monday.com

– CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce, and Dynamics 365

– Productivity: Todoist, Evernote, and Smartsheet

Evaluate your team’s existing workflows and tools, and consider whether integrating them with Microsoft Teams could further enhance collaboration and productivity.

 

Unlock the Potential of Microsoft Teams for Your Remote Workforce

Microsoft Teams offers a comprehensive suite of features and functionalities designed to streamline communication and collaboration for remote teams. By leveraging the platform’s capabilities and adopting best practices, businesses can empower their remote workforce, foster a culture of collaboration, and drive growth in the digital age.

Ready to explore Microsoft Teams for your organisation? Contact egforit Software Services, a Microsoft certified provider today, and our team of experts will help you successfully implement and tailor Microsoft Teams to meet your unique business needs.

In today’s fast-paced, increasingly interconnected business landscape, effective collaboration is not only vital to success but can also be a significant competitive advantage. As organisations embrace remote and hybrid work models, the challenge of facilitating seamless communication and cooperation among team members is becoming more prevalent. To overcome these challenges and foster a collaborative work environment, businesses require an integrated, user-friendly collaboration platform.

Microsoft Teams is designed specifically to meet these needs, offering a comprehensive and versatile solution for enhancing team collaboration. As a central component of the Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Teams seamlessly combines chat, voice, video, and file sharing into an integrated workspace, enabling team members to work together more efficiently. By leveraging Microsoft Teams, organisations can streamline communication, reduce the need for email, and effectively manage tasks and projects.

This blog post aims to provide a detailed examination of Microsoft Teams, exploring its features and functionalities that support collaboration and teamwork. We will discuss the tangible benefits offered by adopting Microsoft Teams within your organisation and share best practices, real-world examples, and practical tips for implementing and managing this powerful platform. By delving into the transformative potential of Microsoft Teams, we hope to empower your organisation with the knowledge and tools needed to drive effective collaboration and ultimately enhance your overall productivity and success.

 

Enhancing Team Collaboration with Microsoft Teams: Key Features

Microsoft Teams offers a wide range of features designed to promote teamwork, streamline communication, and enhance collaboration. Let’s explore some of the most notable features:

1. Channels and Conversations

 

Channels are the fundamental building blocks of collaboration within Microsoft Teams. They allow users to organise their workspaces into topic-specific areas, ensuring a focused and efficient approach to teamwork. Conversations within Channels are threaded, making it easy for team members to collaborate without getting lost in disjointed email chains. Team members can also create temporary or urgent channels, bringing people together to discuss and resolve pressing issues.

2. Integration with Microsoft 365 Applications

Microsoft Teams integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 applications, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive. This integration allows users to work concurrently on documents, presentations, and spreadsheets right within the Teams environment. Furthermore, team members can collaborate on documents in real-time whilst communicating through chat, voice, or video calls, ensuring a smooth and efficient collaborative workflow.

3. Third-Party App Extensions

Microsoft Teams also offers integration with an extensive range of third-party apps, enabling users to further customise and enhance their collaborative workspace. Users can leverage popular productivity tools such as Trello, Asana, and Zoom, in addition to industry-specific applications to suit their unique requirements. This ability to integrate various apps within the Teams environment ensures a consolidated and cohesive work experience.

4. Security and Compliance

Microsoft Teams is built with security and compliance in mind, ensuring that your organisation’s data and conversations are protected. Teams boasts advanced security features such as multi-factor authentication and data encryption in transit and at rest. Furthermore, Teams adheres to key compliance standards, providing configurable settings that enable organisations to meet their specific compliance and governance requirements.

 

Benefits of Adopting Microsoft Teams in Your Organisation

Implementing Microsoft Teams within your organisation can yield a range of benefits that directly contribute to more efficient teamwork, streamlined communication, and improved productivity. These benefits include:

– Improved Communication: By consolidating chat, voice, video, and file sharing within one integrated platform, Microsoft Teams enables more timely and effective communication across the organisation, reducing the reliance on email.

– Greater Productivity: Teams allows users to work together on documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, streamlining workflows and promoting a more efficient collaborative environment.

– More Efficient Teamwork: Channels and Conversations facilitate focused collaboration on specific topics, enabling more efficient teamwork both within and across departments.

– Customisable Workspace: The ability to integrate third-party applications further enhances the capabilities of Microsoft Teams, allowing organisations to create a truly customised and efficient workspace suited to their unique needs.

 

Best Practices for Implementing and Managing Microsoft Teams

Successfully implementing and managing Microsoft Teams within your organisation requires a strategic approach and adherence to best practices. Consider the following guidelines to ensure a smooth and effective rollout of Microsoft Teams:

1. Plan and Structure Your Teams: Begin by defining the structure and hierarchy of your Teams environment. Carefully plan the use of Channels and create teams based on department, function, or project, ensuring a logical and efficient setup that promotes intuitive navigation and usage.
2. Provide Training and Support: Equip your employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively use Microsoft Teams. Provide comprehensive training, addressing aspects such as communication etiquette, Channel management, and app integration. Offer ongoing support and resources to ensure that users have the necessary tools and expertise to maximise the benefits of Microsoft Teams.
3. Establish Governance and Compliance Guidelines: Define and communicate guidelines for maintaining data security and compliance within Microsoft Teams. This may include configuring access controls, setting up data retention policies, and monitoring usage to ensure adherence to organisational policies and standards.
4. Foster a Collaborative Culture: Encourage a culture of collaboration within your organisation by embracing Microsoft Teams as the go-to platform for teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Promote the use of Teams for meetings, document collaboration, and knowledge sharing, and actively reinforce the benefits of this collaborative approach across the organisation.

 

Unlock the Potential of Collaboration with Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams represents a powerful solution for organisations seeking to enhance collaboration, streamline communication, and boost productivity. By leveraging the robust features and seamless integration capabilities of Microsoft Teams, businesses can unlock the full potential of a modern, efficient, and collaborative work environment.

Ready to explore the possibilities of Microsoft Teams for your organisation? Contact egforit Software Services today and let our team of experts guide you through the implementation process, ensuring successful and tailored Microsoft solutions that empowers your team and drives organisational growth.

With the current challenges to our economic climate and the move to flexibility in work patterns, companies are looking for innovative solutions to new situations. Microsoft is investing heavily into modern digital tools to supplant legacy ways of working. AI-powered technology shows promising results to enhance team collaboration, working productivity and to change our fundamental attitudes to work processes.

The advent of Microsoft Teams Premium, available now, brings to the table a host of new AI-powered collaboration tools to organisations. We take a look at some of the new features that are available now or are being made live this year.

Intelligent recap

Teams is introducing an intelligent recap feature which allows participants to save time when reviewing meeting recordings. With the help of AI, meetings will be divided into chapters to assist in viewing the most relevant content. This is now available for PowerPoint Live meeting recordings. The tool can also automatically generate chapters based on the meeting transcript.

Later this year, the AI tool will pick out key points and takeaways after the meeting with automatically created note. Follow-up actions will also be recommended automatically.

AI-powered live translation

Live captions has been a wonderful accessibility tool for those that wants to read captions in real-time. Now, Microsoft Teams Premium brings along AI-powered real-time translations for 40 spoken languages. This allows companies to save money on expensive translation services by introducing this in-application tool. Amazingly, only the meeting organiser needs to have Microsoft Teams Premium for all participants to enjoy the new feature.

Advanced security

Finally, security has been a hot topic and high priority for Microsoft when developing Teams Premium. With enhanced meeting protection safeguards now in place, organisers can be confident in secure meetings for sensitive discussions. Organisers can now add a watermarks over video feeds and screen shares to deter leaks and limit recording permissions. Significantly, IT-enabled users will be able to apply end-to-end encryption which disables core meeting features for absolute security.

Microsoft has introduced a host of new features to boost productivity, security, and collaboration on their widely used Teams app. We couldn’t list every change here but check out their official announcement to learn more.

The ways in which we interact with one another have shifted dramatically over the past few years. Thanks to digital transformation, we have the ability to work from anywhere at any time and minimise face-to-face communication. But some things haven’t changed in a hybrid world.

Microsoft Metaverse

Last year, Microsoft introduced their own version of “The Microsoft Metaverse” with a variety of collaborative enhancements to their Teams set up. Now this year, we have another update in the world of Microsoft.

Microsoft Teams building communities

At the start of December, Microsoft announced the update in Microsoft Teams – a new experience that enables people to come together, connect, share, and collaborate.

Building a digital community in Microsoft

In addition to everything you can do in Microsoft Teams – you can now create an environment for community groups to come together, organise, and share ideas.

With the new Microsoft Teams update, you can:

• Easily post messages to your whole company, or selected groups
• Organise events and add them to the Teams calendar
• Share and store documents
• Filter content to quickly access a range of assets

A digital town square

Build a community that feels like a part of your company. Complete with photos, branding, and logos. Microsoft Teams has made community management and expansion simple.

Host events online or IRL

Unite your team online and offline with hosting community events. Hybrid or virtual guests can join events from any device through audio or video. And features such as adding an event as a cover image, together mode, and screen sharing can help you foster a sense of unity and engagement during meetings – no matter where everyone’s located.

What’s next for Microsoft Teams?

Small changes make a big difference and Microsoft is continually working to improve the “new normal” enhancing businesses ability to stay and drive meaningful results.

If you’re looking to hit your business goals in 2023, then Microsoft 365 is the path for you. Get in touch with our sales team to learn more about Microsoft Teams.

Whilst Microsoft may offer a spectrum of apps to customise your work life, it hasn’t been able to make a solution for every issue. Which is why a lot of businesses look to custom app development to meet their wants and wishes.

As a Microsoft Gold Partner, our team already have the tried-and-true skillset needed to make your dream Microsoft app come true.

If you’re not sure if this is the path for your business? In this blog, we’ll explain why a bespoke Microsoft Teams App is the best way to kickstart innovation.

Why choose a custom Microsoft Teams app?

First of all, most businesses prefer to use apps that feel tailored to them. From branding to custom integrations, facilitating an effective environment for your team can be difficult, especially when the only software you use is out-of-the-box. With the Microsoft Teams collaboration tool, you can unite your most popular tools in one central hub of communication and efficiency.

Saves time- Instead of closing and reloading applications as you go. You can access everything via one gateway/entry point. Saving you time, and energy.

Easy to use- Create a platform perfect for your team. Microsoft is already known for it’s familiar layout. But businesses have the chance to make the set up a lot more simple.

Fits your needs and branding- when we say the possibilities are endless, we mean it.

No wasted applications- No more short cuts to get the job done quicker. Now you can get optimal use from all your applications.

Our processes

When it comes to our project work, practice makes perfect. We’ve had the chance to work on a range of businesses and know that there’s no cookie-cutter approach to success. So we take the time to understand you and your needs through the following process.

• Analysis and planning
  requirements
• Design and prototyping
• Development/testing
• Deployment and review

The Microsoft metaverse is coming to Microsoft Teams in early 2022. With the announcement of Mesh moving to Microsoft Teams, we can expect to see; avatars, virtual reality spaces, and new ways to communicate in mixed reality. 

How will the latest way of working collaboratively benefit your remote and hybrid workforce? Microsoft’s announcement is a small step compared to Meta’s October announcement but it’s enough to establish Microsoft as an early leader of the new virtual metaverse platform concept.

What is the Microsoft Metaverse, and what will it look like?

The Metaverse has become an overnight buzzword, but what does it mean? Metaverse refers to the virtual world where users can share experiences and interact in simulated scenarios in real-time. 

Whilst Facebook’s Metaverse is a space for play, accessed via VR headsets, Microsoft focuses on improving life within the 9-5. With the integration of Microsoft Mesh into Teams, Microsoft’s Metaverse will revolutionise the way that people hold virtual meetings, making them engaging and accessible everywhere.

How will it benefit remote teams?

As many businesses have agreed on a remote or hybrid working arrangement with their employees, the latest announcement will be fundamental to keeping these workers engaged with the company. The aim is to make employees will feel more comfortable communicating and collaborating in video meetings, and there’s also less pressure to keep cameras on throughout the meeting.

Microsoft hopes the new way of working will boost collaboration and help employees feel more connected with their co-workers.

The future of the 9-5

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen articles, webinars, and seminars discussing techniques that will boost productivity in video meetings. Microsoft was one of the first to discuss the concept of “video meeting fatigue” and boost collaboration using tools that have become the crux of the Modern Workplace.

“We got hit by meeting fatigue in the virtual world,” explains Nicole Herskowitz, general manager for Microsoft Teams. “After 30 or 40 minutes max in a meeting, it was tough to stay engaged and focused.” That initial meeting fatigue led to Together Mode, and now Microsoft hopes Mesh will further help reduce the cognitive overload of having to be on video calls all day long.

The Microsoft metaverse arrives early 2022

The exact launch date is yet to be officially announced. Reports suggest we’ll be using virtual spaces and creating virtual versions of ourselves in the first half of 2022. 

If your business is looking to purchase a new Microsoft licence, they can expect these features to be a part of their Microsoft Teams in early 2022. Whilst Together Mode is already a part of Microsoft Teams, Mesh can not be purchased in your licence subscription before this date.

Are you ready to join the Microsoft metaverse?

If you’re looking to purchase or renew, we can help you procure your Microsoft 365 or Office 365 licences before the new “metaverse” updates come into place. With apps like Yammer, Teams, SharePoint, and Power BI already included, you’ll have plenty of time to learn to navigate your new business software before the big update.

Until March 2022, you can increase or decrease your licence subscriptions. Giving you plenty of wiggle room to work out your business needs.

Stay ahead of the curve with us, and you’ll get an additional 2% off your bill for as long as we’re your CSP.