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Microsoft Teams: Voice, Scheduling, and Other Great Features You Should Be Using

Posted: Mar 2021

Are you aware that over 115 million people use Microsoft Teams daily?

Its growth is undeniable because of remote and hybrid work and learning. It helps every organization stay resilient despite the current global situation.

Regardless of your industry, you’ll benefit from what Teams can offer. There are plenty of great features like Microsoft Teams Voice and cybersecurity. However, it doesn’t stop there!

Are you new to Microsoft Teams? This article covers everything you need to know about Microsoft Teams. Read on and start benefiting from this wonderful business tool:

1. Microsoft Teams Voice Calls and Chat

Chat and voice calls are some of Microsoft Teams’ most basic yet primary features. As its name explains, you can send messages and make both audio and video calls with your team members. It’s possible regardless of the platform they’re using.

Whether you work alone or with a team, Microsoft Teams is simple and easy to use. This tool uses third-party telephonic and conferencing devices. Your organization is likely to be familiar with some of these features. It includes call recording and screen sharing. Teams also enable you to make multiple channels for specific topics and functions.

Make channels to divide your team into smaller, more specialized ones. If you make a channel for each topic, you’ll reduce email clutter. The best part is that you can set some channels to be private so only the concerned team members will see them.

Microsoft Team’s communication features enable you to hold live webinars or virtual events. It holds up to 10,000 participants at any given time. This is vital for large-scale online events, especially during the pandemic.

2. Powerful Tabs for Apps and Files for Collaboration

Most team communication and collaboration apps lack tabs. This feature allows you to create new tabs for almost any function. You can post documents, presentations, and PDF files with a dedicated Microsoft application. It’s easy to use since all you need is to open a new tab. Pick the file you desire to open and edit in the Teams app. That way, you need not keep other applications open, saving your computer resources. Some applications you can open are Office apps like:

  1. Word
  2. OneNote
  3. Excel
  4. PowerPoint

You can also use Outlook, Planner, and SharePoint outside of these apps. It’s what makes Tabs the most vital and distinguishing feature of Teams. The best part is connecting Tabs with third-party apps like Asana.

The list of applications is growing, meaning you’ll have more tools to aid productivity soon. Don’t go overboard and keep too many tabs open. It’s the same as browser tabs since it impacts your performance.

Tabs also allow you to build apps and embed AI into them using developer tools. It maximizes your customization options.

3. Platform Agnostic and Guest Access

Microsoft Teams has both Windows and MacOS versions. It’s especially important now that over 5 billion people in the world have mobile devices. With this application, you can access it whether you use an iOS or Android device.

If you have people in your team adamant about avoiding Teams, you can use its guest access feature. It means you can invite them to your Teams channel or board. They have limited access and permissions as a result.

Regardless, you can chat with these people using Teams and work on some details together. Besides uncooperative teammates, you can use it with clients, suppliers, and others. It’s a great way of removing barriers for some people.

4. Powerful Search and Commands

The search function is handy when you’re finding information from earlier conversations. It’s much better with Teams because you can also use it to find various files and document attachments. It’s a huge advantage because some other platforms don’t have this specific feature. You can even search your OneDrive, Outlook, and SharePoint using Microsoft Teams. All these search features will make searching easier and more convenient for you. It becomes more important when your company values efficiency.

When in Teams, type the slash (/) character. It reveals a list of possible commands for it. It’s to help automate some components of your routine. You can use a separate search bar at the top of the application. You can complete some daily tasks using these commands. Some of these include:

  • Go to certain channels
  • View various keyboard shortcuts
  • Mention another user
  • Calling a team member

For example, mention another person in a conversation by using the @name command. It notifies your intended user. It makes them more likely to view your message.

5. Bot Support

Microsoft Teams offers support for bots. At the moment, over 20 bots function using this application. More will come in the future, but all will help further your automation capabilities.

With bots, your team can automate some tasks. It will help increase everyone’s productivity. For example, the default T-Bot can help with FAQs and other Teams-related questions.

T-Bot is a useful bot when everyone is new to Microsoft Teams. However, if you want to learn this application better, get professional support. Check out our Microsoft 365 solutions to help you transition into it better.

Another bot we recommend is the Stats bot. It pulls data from various sources, including Google Analytics and Salesforce. This bot delivers it on your Teams application, making it easier to look up data while you’re in a meeting.

6. Connectors

Connectors are simple webhooks. However, they’re useful since it enables you to connect to other third-party apps. With it, you can get prompt notifications from the app while you’re using Microsoft Teams.

A good example of connecting is Twitter. After the setup, you will receive your direct messages within your Teams application. It’s an excellent way to stay connected with other monthly active users.

7. Various Integrations

Teams, as a Microsoft product, offers seamless integration with Office 365. It’s perfect if you’ve already invested in these applications for your business. You can access them using the Tabs mentioned above.

It’s better now than ever because of the improvements to Office 365 groups. You’ll see the most enhancements in the admin experience. You can create teams within groups, delete and restore groups, edit aliases, and add labels.

The integration between Outlook and Teams is useful. The experience aims to increase collaboration even while using email. It’s because most employees still prefer conversations using emails.

Microsoft’s knowledge made the relationship between Teams and Outlook seamless. You can move a conversation from Teams to Outlook. Click the ellipsis icon to see more options.

You can do the opposite too. You can move an Outlook conversation to Teams complete with attachments. Click the “Share to Teams” option to accomplish this task.

8. Content Bookmarking

It’s often inconvenient to find the necessary information when you’re in a hurry. It’s especially true if piles of other content bury it. With Microsoft Teams, you need not worry about it anymore.

This application enables you to bookmark specific content pieces. It matters not whether it’s messages or attachments. Set them as important to ensure you won’t have to search for them when needed.

Content bookmarking is handy when your business needs a constant stream of information. It helps you save important data that an active chat app can bury with ease. It cuts through unwanted noise to find exactly what you’re looking for.

You’ll see a pink highlight on the right side when bookmarking content. It makes them more noticeable and easier to remember.

9. Immersive Reader

This feature often gets overlooked because it seems minor. This allows your device to read text out loud. It can even read an entire channel’s worth of conversation.

However, it’s a great asset when you have poor eyesight or other conditions that might make you rely on hearing. It also offers a hands-free approach when catching up with conversations. It enables you to multitask and focus on other work aspects while keeping updated.

10. CyberSecurity

Microsoft built Teams using the best cybersecurity standards around. This includes ISO 27001 and SSAE16 SOC one and two. It comes with an integrated mobile device management capability. This feature helps keep your team members’ and company data safe.

No software is invulnerable to all malware and ransomware attacks. Recent improvements to Microsoft Teams have made its cybersecurity capabilities level up. It features two-factor authentication and data encryption while at rest and in transit.

Do you want better cybersecurity solutions? If so, look at our cybersecurity and compliance solutions to learn what we can do for you.

Learn the Benefits of Microsoft Teams Today!

Many businesses have an easier time adjusting to the pandemic thanks to Microsoft Teams. These are some Microsoft Teams features that will enhance your team’s productivity. It’s more important now that most workplaces are moving toward online platforms. Do you need help with Microsoft Teams voice and other features? If so, contact us and allow us to help your company transition from legacy phone systems today.

Contact us to learn more about how Bridgehead I.T. can help you align your I.T. with your business objectives.

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