Product Information

Launched in 2017 as a rival to collaboration pioneer Slack, Microsoft saw use of Teams rocket to 75 million daily active users as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, according to stats released by Microsoft in April. The company called Teams the fastest growing business app in its history. Since launch — and spurred on by the push for work-from-home connectivity — Teams has moved further into the spotlight as a key part of Microsoft’s workplace productivity and collaboration strategy.
Microsoft Teams is a collaborative workspace within Microsoft 365/Office 365 that acts as a central hub for workplace conversations, collaborative teamwork, video chats and document sharing, all designed to aid worker productivity in a unified suite of tools. To get started with Microsoft Teams, you need to know how to access it. Teams is available for a variety of platforms, and you can use it through any of the following:
• A web browser
• A desktop application
• A mobile application
• A certified Microsoft Teams device
Each version has its own specifications and features, so be aware that your experience in Microsoft Teams might be different if you are using it on multiple devices. To get the best experience while using Teams, it is recommended to use the native clients for mobile and desktop.
Microsoft Teams is also available as a web app and can be accessed directly from a supported browser by going to https://teams.microsoft.com. The web version allows you to use the main functionalities of Microsoft Teams, but you might face some limitations, depending on the browser you are using. Teams consists of one or more, well, “teams” — essentially groups of employees within an organization, such as marketing or design department staff. Teams can range in size and scope from an entire business down to a more focused shared-interest group.
When a team is first set up, a Microsoft 365 Group is automatically created, along with related services such as a SharePoint site and OneNote access. In a sense, Teams goes a step further than Groups, acting as a more tangible thread connecting users and apps across the organization.
Each team consists of individual “channels” that tend to have a more defined focus, such as a work project or topic. Channels are group chat rooms that are better suited to fast-paced conversations than asynchronous communications like email.
There are two main types of channels: private channels are suited to confidential conversations, which can be particularly useful for legal or finance teams, while “standard” channels let anyone within a workspace see what has been written and access shared files.
A “general” channel is enabled by default and admins can then add more to fit their team’s requirements. Each channel contains tabs with shared files and apps to get work done without switching screens. In addition to using group chats within a channel, workers can send direct messages to colleagues in private, or add others to an ad-hoc group conversation.
Teams contains the usual instant messaging features expected of a business chat app, including emojis, GIFs, rich-text editing, @mentions, threaded conversations, bots, and the ability to share files. When necessary, users can jump from messaging to a video call at the click of a button. Discussions can be muted to stop notifications, or an important conversation can be pinned to the top of the chat list.