Microsoft Teams & Video Conferencing
Are you looking for software that allows you to communicate remotely with other members of your organization? Do you want this software to be richly integrated with different features that make your life easier?
Microsoft Teams video-conferencing, meetings, and calling software allows you to do just that! Whether you work remotely or in person, having this software on your system is a great way to make communication more efficient.
What Is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is free video-conferencing software that is included in Microsoft 365.
You use your computer’s webcam and microphone to video conference, call, and meet with other members of your team. It also allows you to collaborate and work on projects with other people in real-time.
Here are a few of Microsoft Teams’ features:
- Video Conferencing
- Meetings
- Calling
- File Sharing
- Screen Sharing
- Messaging
- Calendar
Because of recent events and technological advancements, working remotely has become more common, and Microsoft Team’s key features help make remote work easy.
Video Conferencing
There are a few ways to hold a Microsoft Teams meeting, and one way is through video conferencing.
These virtual meetings allow remote groups of people to interact in a way that feels more personal than just through audio conferencing.
Their video conferencing features include the option to record meetings, customized virtual backgrounds, breakout rooms, and a whiteboard option.
Teams and Channels
The option to make teams and channels within Microsoft Teams is a great way to keep organized.
A team is a group of people, documents, and content, and tools organized by the intended outcome. These teams can be private and invite-only, or they can be public.
A channel is located within a team. It is a place to keep a team’s communications organized by specific projects and topics.
Your channels can be open to all members of your team, or they can be private to keep the work within select members of your team.
Document Storage and File Sharing
Through a Microsoft feature called SharePoint, you can store and share documents, files, and other types of content in Microsoft Teams.
Everything that is shared across your teams and channels will automatically save in SharePoint and can be accessed later. You can also add certain security parameters to these documents.
Also, you can collaborate with members of your team on documents at the same time through Microsoft Teams’ file-sharing capabilities.
Calling
If you or your team prefers audio calling to video calling, it offers telephony that is based on cloud services.
Through Microsoft Teams, you can call other users, landlines, and cell phones. You can also leave voicemails and do audio conference calls.
Screen Sharing
Another great feature of Microsoft Teams is its screen-sharing capabilities. Screen sharing is not a new feature, but Microsoft Teams’ screen sharing seamlessly fits into your meeting experience.
With screen sharing, you can share files and content on your computer screen for easy collaboration in real-time.
Messaging
Microsoft Team’s messaging and chat features can be used to communicate quickly between individual team members or groups. Like most chat software, users can also send emojis and GIFs in addition to text.
Their messaging and chat feature can also be used during video and audio calls to communicate to the group or individual without interrupting the flow of the meeting.
Calendar
Microsoft Teams’ calendar system is highly detailed and customizable. Your calendar can help you keep your workweek organized.
With it, you can add meetings, schedule work time for specific projects, and keep daily appointments.
The Microsoft Teams’ calendar also allows you to see the calendar of members of your team. This can help you know when to schedule meetings and when to call.
How to Use Microsoft Teams for Video Conferencing and Calling
The first step to using Microsoft Teams is to gain access to it. You do this by buying access to Office 365.
Once you have gained access through personal payment or through your organization, download the application on your computer.
The next step is to set up your teams and channels. Add your team name, a description, and then begin adding team members.
In each channel, you will find three tabs: conversation, files, and notes.
The conversation tab is like a group chat between members of the channel. In this central hub, you can communicate and share relevant information with the whole group.
The files tab is where your shared documents and other content are stored. Here you can open, move, copy, delete, get a link, edit, and download the files without leaving Microsoft Teams.
You can utilize both the files tab and the conversation tab by starting a group chat alongside a specific file. This allows your team to talk about the file while working on it, and the messages will also show up in your conversations tab.
When you create a Team, you also create a matching and shared OneNote, which is another Office365 application.
Your notes tab takes you to the shared OneNote. Here you can edit and view notes, or you can edit them in the OneNote application itself.
These tabs are automatic, but you can also customize your channel by adding other tabs like Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, Planner, and Microsoft Word.
Where to Find Microsoft Teams and Other Computer Help
So, what is Microsoft Teams? It is an application included in Office365, and it is a great remote video conferencing solution for organizations.
The software’s many features work together to make the communication process simple and clear.
We at Getatechie understand that the internet and computer usage can be confusing, but it does not have to be!
Our free AI bot can help answer any questions you have, or you can check out the rest of our blogs for more computer help information.
