How to Get Started With Microsoft Teams
Are you looking to get a quick start with Microsoft Teams? Discover everything you need to know to get started with this powerful collaboration tool.
Would you like to keep your remote workforce connected during the Covid-19 pandemic? As businesses settle into the emerging “work-from-home culture,” the demand for remote work tools like Microsoft Teams is higher than ever.
However, it can be challenging to find helpful information on getting started with Microsoft Teams online. Would you like to discover what you need to know to begin your Microsoft Teams journey? Let's get started.
What Is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is an online communication and collaboration application aimed at helping growing businesses, large enterprises, non-profits, and other organizations keep their distributed teams connected. While many remote teams mostly use it full video conferences, Teams also allows users to:
- Create channels dedicated to particular tasks or teams.
- Share their screen with other team members to facilitate detailed explanations.
- Record video or audio meetings.
- Use the command box to search through their archives.
How Can You Access Microsoft Teams?
Provided your organization already has a Microsoft 365 business subscription, you can access teams at absolutely no extra cost. That's because Teams form part of the package.
On the other hand, if your business doesn't officially use Microsoft 365, you still have the option to use the free version of Teams. In that case, you'd only need a Gmail address or any other third party email address.
How Do You Use Microsoft Teams?
Now that you have a bit of background knowledge on Teams, how do you actually go about using the Teams application on your desktop?
How Can You Form a Team?
- Once you've opened the Microsoft Teams application, click on the “Join Or Create a Team” option that's at the bottom of the Teams sidebar on the left.
- A new screen will appear. Click on the “Create Team” button.
- On the following screen, you can choose between: “Build a Team From Scratch” or “Create From an Existing Team on Microsoft 365 Group or Team.” You should choose the first option if your business wasn't using Microsoft 365 before.
- Outline the users you would like to be part of the Team. At this point, you have three privacy options to choose from, and depending on how you want to organize your platform, you can select:
- Public: Anyone can access the Team, making this appropriate for teams whose members change frequently.
- Private: Only authorized users can join.
- Org-Wide: Any member of your Team is automatically added. You can divide them into their departments using channels.
- After you've defined the kind of Team you'd like, you need to name it. Once you've identified a suitable name, click on the “Create” button on the bottom right to be able to see your Team on the left sidebar of your Teams app.
- To add members, click on the three dots next to your Team name and select “Add Member.”
- Type in the names of the individuals you'd like to add to the Team. In case the air from outside your business, you can give them guest access using the email addresses.
How Can You Form Channels?
Simply put, channels are isolated conversations. They may be the dedicated particular tasks in a multi-staged project or department. When dealing with a complex project, channels will help you closely monitor each stage. To create a channel:
1. Click on the three dots beside the Team name and choose “Add Channel.”
2. On the pop-up window that appears:
- Create a channel name
- Create a channel description
- Set your privacy according to the users you'd like to access the channel
- Click “Add” to create the channel.
Ready To Leverage the Most Trusted Microsoft Teams Support in Buffalo & Western New York?
Our Microsoft 365 experts at Globalquest Solutions are here to help your business fully exploit all the benefits Teams has to offer. Contact us now to schedule an initial consultation!