The Microsoft Teams application (not to be confused with Office 365 groups) provides a unified communication hub where users can message via text, audio, and/or video with anyone else at the University. Users can also share files, group chat, and share computer screens during real-time sessions.

Chat

The Chat interface in Teams allows users to search for another user and begin a conversation--whether a simple text chat or a fully-interactive face-to-face session. Users can share and collaborate on files for group coursework or research across academic units. With the audio and video functions, users can host Skype-like meetings; they can see and hear each other, as well as share their desktop.

Teams (Office 365 Groups)

Microsoft Teams also provides direct interaction with any team (i.e. Group) where the user is a member. Channels for asynchronous communication may be created. Users in a Group can also share and collaborate on files. To find out more, visit our Office 365 Groups page.

Search

Search functionality in Teams covers all conversations and Groups, allowing users to quickly and easily find what they need. Conversations can be "liked" or saved, and Channels can be "favorited" to provide notifications when new posts are made.

Additional Tools

Many other tools are available in the Teams interface. For example, within a group, members can create a Wiki to build out content collaboratively. A Planner can be added to allow the Group to coordinate activities. A OneNote Notebook can also be linked as a place to centralize activity.

Get the App

Although users can utilize most of the features in the Teams Web interface, we recommend installing the application on your computer or mobile device for access to all available features. Also note that not all features listed in the Getting Started documentation are currently available within our license.

Download: https://teams.microsoft.com/downloads
Getting Started: https://support.office.com/en-us/teams