Working from home or in the office, Microsoft Teams is a platform for collaboration and video conferencing that makes it easier for individuals to collaborate efficiently.
Users can converse through text chat, phone, or video conversations, and the service has the advantage of being connected to a number of other Microsoft 365 services, like PowerPoint and OneDrive.
Although Microsoft originally designed Teams as a corporate application, it recently transformed the platform into a consumer service and integrated it into the core of its new Windows 11 operating system.
While the commercial version of Microsoft Teams is available for larger organizations looking for a more all-inclusive solution, the free version of Teams offers a wide variety of features that will be more than enough for many people and small businesses.
Employees may connect on almost any device thanks to the Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS applications for Microsoft Teams.
Get to the point
What is Microsoft Teams? A collaboration and video conferencing service
What platforms is it on? Android, iOS, Windows PC, Mac, Linux.
How much does it cost? It has several plans, but a free version is available.
Who is the target audience? Mainly business users, but regular consumers too.
Microsoft teams release date
Teams were introduced by Microsoft at a New York event, and on March 14, 2017, it went live globally. It was developed at a company-wide hackathon, and Microsoft Corporate Vice President Brian McDonald presently serves as its chairman. On the Electron framework from GitHub, which combines the Chromium rendering engine with the Node.js JavaScript framework, Microsoft Teams is a desktop online application.
Teams Free version vs Paid?
The free edition of Microsoft Teams is perfect for smaller firms because it has all the tools employees need to work remotely together.
Access to the web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, as well as limitless text chat and search. Group video conferencing, individual video calls, and 5 GB of cloud storage per person in the Microsoft Teams (free) plan.
However, the free edition of Microsoft Teams lacks certain crucial security and management tools that most businesses could want, including mandatory multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, and user management.
Microsoft 365 Business Essentials, Microsoft 365 Business Basic, and Microsoft 365 Business Standard are your three upgrade options for your Microsoft Teams subscription.
Microsoft 365 Business Essentials is available for ₹100.00 per user/month, and it comes with the above-mentioned additional security measures as well as the ability to arrange and record Microsoft Teams meetings.
In contrast, Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs ₹125.00 per user/month. It offers all the advantages of the more affordable plan in addition to the desktop versions of popular Microsoft productivity programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as professional programs like Bookings, Invoicing, and MileIQ.
Finally, Microsoft 365 Business Standard has a wider range of device management choices along with additional security and privacy capabilities. Your company will pay ₹660.00 Microsoft 365 Business Standard₹ 660.00user/month for this package.
Check the price on Microsoft Website.
Download Microsoft Teams
Simply click this link to go to the Microsoft Teams download page to get Microsoft Teams for your device.
You may either enter your email address in the form and Microsoft will send you the download link directly, or you can click here to download the Microsoft Teams desktop or mobile app.
Go to the relevant app store on your smartphone, whether it’s the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store if you wish to download the Microsoft Teams mobile app.
Microsoft Teams features
From high-definition video conferencing to phone calls, text chat, and group messages, Microsoft Teams provides all the necessary communication tools.
The program offers users a variety of tools for working in meetings, including breakout rooms, text chat, customized and blurred backgrounds, and several viewing modes. During presentations, users can also share their screens with the audience so that everyone can see what is happening.
Meetings can be recorded in Teams, allowing those who are unable to attend to catch up. Microsoft has also added a number of significant accessibility tools since the pandemic’s beginning, including live captioning and transcription.
However, Teams’ place inside the larger collection of Microsoft 365 apps and services is what makes it stand out from the competitors. For instance, Teams is intimately integrated with OneDrive and SharePoint, which facilitates easy and straightforward file sharing. Meanwhile, the future connection with PowerPoint will make it simpler to communicate with the audience and manage notes while giving presentations.
MS Teams Security
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is regarded as the Holy Grail of video conferencing security.
Using cryptographic keys that are solely saved on users’ devices, communication between meeting participants is encrypted in this system. This indicates that nobody else—not even the service provider—has access to the keys needed to decrypt the information from private meetings.
In terms of E2EE, Microsoft Teams has been somewhat slow. E2EE for Teams calling was just recently made available to the general public, and even then, a number of functions had to be turned off.
Microsoft, however, has taken strong measures to stop a practice known as “Zoombombing,” in which an unauthorized person enters and disturbs a meeting. A useful video mute tool has also been implemented by the corporation, which should lessen disruptions from legal visitors.
Teams offer two-factor authentication and data encryption in transit and at rest, according to the Microsoft website. Microsoft gives consumers the option to select the location of the data centers used to process their data while they are on the go, which helps to guarantee that customers adhere to all applicable regulatory requirements.
Teams Support
With the exception of the live chat service, Microsoft provides just about every kind of customer help.
The comprehensive knowledge base should always be used as a starting point, but users can also get more assistance by using the Microsoft 365 support channels, which include an online form, phone support, and a specialized Get Help app.
All of the major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, have native clients for Microsoft Teams. Participants can also join sessions via a web browser if they so choose.
Also, check: What’s new on Team Aghori…
