The world we left behind when we closed our collective doors in March is very different to the one that exists now as we emerge once more. In part, this is due to the increased dependence and use of communicative tools such as Microsoft Teams and the like, connecting workplaces and families the world over. What is left to be seen is now that schools, workplaces and economies are kicking back into gear? Will this dependence sway, or is this the new norm?
What we learnt during the lock-down was access to collaborative tools and systems was paramount. Those businesses that had a strong cloud-based posture found the shift easier than those reliant on more traditional on-premise systems. Microsoft Teams was one of the platforms to benefit from the change in workplace positioning, with it nearly doubling its global install base in a two-week period in March alone!
Teams is rapidly becoming the hub in an Office 365 workplace. Acting as a virtual space where we can do everything from communicate using chat, voice and video calling, to group collaboration on documents. The integration across the O365 portfolio of applications is what powers Teams which hooks into SharePoint seamlessly as well as being extendible with add-ons such as Planner (project management) and Stream (internal video channel). Teams is also backed by the Microsoft suite of security tools such as Multifactor Authentication (MFA), Safe links and attachments and Advance Threat Protection so you know that the communication is secure and private.
So, what is next for teams? Microsoft is always looking to add features to the platform with it recently extending the ability from displaying 3 people (plus yourself) in a video conference to 9 with it soon extended even further to 49 participants! Chats can now be ‘popped out’ so that the chat window floats and custom backgrounds in video calls has quickly become a fan favourite. Teams pbx has also just rolled out in Australia and will soon revolutionise the way we think about our business phone systems. Why pay for another license and another bit of technology when you can keep it within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and manage it all from one place.
If your business could better leverage the Teams application to help your staff collaborate better, or maybe you’re looking for a new phone system and want to discuss what Teams can offer, then Reach out to one of our product specialists.