The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly altered our personal and professional lives. Flattening the curve means workplaces, schools and our favorite restaurants are closed. Fortunately, for many of us, our organizations have equipped us to work remotely.
One of the tools that has been extremely helpful in keeping employees and businesses working is Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams in a nutshell
Microsoft has created a collaboration tool that includes video meetings, workspace chats, and cloud file storage – a one-stop-shop if you will. This also integrates the usage of the Microsoft 365 productivity suite as well as third-party extensions and applications.
Microsoft Teams facilitates the exchange of information and communication for through the following means:
- Channels of communication. Microsoft enables varying modes of communication within the team that can be sorted according to tasks, discipline, or team. Everyone can join in. Or it can be a one-on-one conversation or a smaller chat group. You can explicitly call out a team member with a @mention, indicate your reaction with a Like or a Flag for future reference.
- All hands-on deck. With the integration of the Microsoft 365 Productivity Suite, all the document types that use Microsoft Office functionalities can be used by everyone. Team members can help each other, consult, revise, and work on the same set of documents and information. It is a real-time collaboration!
- Anytime, anywhere. Access Microsoft Teams, whether in your office computer, home desktop, or smartphone. It offers versatility for users with its support of iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. Bring your work with you even in the comforts of your home with the help of cloud file storage.
Voice meetings as they happen
In this day and age of work-from-home arrangements, video and voice meetings help significantly in aligning the members of the team and in staying connected to clients. Microsoft Teams provide support for voice over IP (VoIP integration).
This advantage is similar to taking all the complicated office telephone network cables and putting it in your pockets with the help of a cloud subscription service. Location is no longer an obstacle for team members to communicate, collaborate and brainstorm.
Depending on business needs, you can choose Calling Plans available for Microsoft Teams.
The virtue of social distancing
These are tough times to live in. Whether by choice or not, social distancing is already a factor in workplaces because of the virus pandemic. But platforms such as Microsoft Teams are here to stay, boosting the productivity of a company even if their team members are in remote locations.
To learn more on the ins and outs of Microsoft Teams for your business, reach out to one of our MicroAge locations to speak with one of our experts.
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