Microsoft Teams has become one of the most important tools for businesses of any scale. This service has been one of the fastest growing ever, with a massive adoption rate between Teams’ launch and today. So, what has caused all the hype? Is Teams really as revolutionary as Microsoft is claiming it is?
The short answer is yes, Teams is a big deal. It is the most accessible way for many businesses to bring Unified Communications to their workforce. If you are familiar with Netcomms and our UC services, you’ll know how big this is.
UC is one of the best tools for keeping businesses connected. It has wide reaching benefits for both your internal communications and for external dealings with customers. It allows you to keep all of your tools for communication in one easy to use app. Simply organise meetings and help with customer queries quickly by seeing which of your colleagues are online at any time. These services combine to create a complete package, both in the office and for remote workers.
Teams and other UC services allow for remote staff to work just as effectively at home as they would be able to in the office. Giving them access to all of the communications tools they would expect from their office environment. This is why the popularity of teams has exploded so much in 2020. More of us than ever have adapted to a new flexible way of working. UC services have been invaluable in keeping everyone on the same page.
So Teams has evolved into Microsoft’s answer to Unified Communications, but we think what makes it so special, and the reason why it has taken off so quickly, is its approach to group calls, its compatibility with other services, and its collaborative features.
Group Calls & Meetings:
The clue is in the name with this one. Teams is primarily designed for, you guessed it, teamwork. This is best seen in Teams’ approach to group calls and meetings. You can easily set up a call with up to 49 other people, allowing you to connect with your team, no matter whether you are spread across multiple offices, or you’re working remotely. You can always see which of your staff are online and available to call, making scheduling a meeting easy.
The need for simple group calls also applies to customers. Many of us have had to get used to webinars and presenting information to customers through a group call or a shared screen recently, and Teams handles this with ease. Host a private meeting with 250 participants and use custom backgrounds and call control features to give your business that professional edge. Teams is perfect for presenting information through screen sharing, and as long as you have a solid internet connection, your audio and video quality will always be crystal clear.
Compatibility
One of the reasons that Teams has taken off so quickly compared to some other UC services is because of who is behind it. The vast majority of businesses already use some Microsoft products, whether that’s Outlook or Office 365, and Teams has complete compatibility with both of these services. Outlook can be used alongside Teams to help your business to better schedule your work alongside your colleagues and allows you to better plan company meetings.
Office 365’s compatibility with Teams really opens up new possibilities though. Firstly, these two services are linked, so if you have an Office 365 subscription, you automatically have access to Teams and vice versa. Secondly, you can easily edit and share files from Office 365 that you can then send to your colleagues using Teams. Finally, you can use Teams through just about any device that suits you, whether that’s your PC, smartphone, or tablet, meaning that remote workers can take their communications with them on the go, no matter where they choose to work.
Collaborative Features
Teams shines best when used in an internal environment. It is designed to keep businesses working at their most productive, even when they can’t be in the same place. We’ve already discussed Teams’ call functionality, but you may not know about its instant messaging capability. Instant messaging allows you to get in contact with colleagues quickly and easily. Teams’ intuitive interface lets you keep your team up to date in a simple way. Chatting with employees using IM is a great way to keep everyone feeling connected.
Handling voice and video calls, instant messaging and file editing and sharing is invaluable for businesses. Teams’ compatibility with the services that your staff and customers likely already use make it a versatile UC platform.
Teams is a relatively new service, so improvements to its features are constantly being introduced; Direct Routing services is the latest development to come out for Teams. This allows for your entire communication network to be hosted via Teams.
At Netcomms we can provide the best access to these great new services. Our experienced support staff can help you to find the right communication services for your business.
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