So confused - what is Microsoft Teams?

[Anonymous]

What is it used for? What can I do with it?

Can I make video calls like zoom? Or an audio phone call? Do I need an email address or phone number for that? Does the other person need to have Teams too? Or not?[b]

[Anonymous]

Yes-you can do audio and video calls (or combo). You can connect through a web browser if you don’t have it installed on your computer. You can give people a phone number if they don’t want to use computer audio.

You can also use it for file sharing and messaging.

[Anonymous]

It's a platform for working together - has video calling as part of that.

It will work on a desktop web browser, but caution that if the other person doesn't have the app on their phone and clicks the link to join the meeting, it won't work. You should include the phone number to them for people on mobile devices without the app.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes-you can do audio and video calls (or combo). You can connect through a web browser if you don’t have it installed on your computer. You can give people a phone number if they don’t want to use computer audio.

You can also use it for file sharing and messaging.

So if I need to set up a call with someone in another company, I just ask for their phone number and call them using Teams? And I will call their phone? Or can I call them using an email address (not sure how that would work)?

That seems so easy. There's no special trick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a platform for working together - has video calling as part of that.

It will work on a desktop web browser, but caution that if the other person doesn't have the app on their phone and clicks the link to join the meeting, it won't work. You should include the phone number to them for people on mobile devices without the app.

Which phone number? Theirs or mine?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I think I'm beginning to figure this out. So if I need to schedule a call with someone in another company, I can email them a meeting in Teams and they can click on it. And then it will be like an audio or video call.

Is that right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think I'm beginning to figure this out. So if I need to schedule a call with someone in another company, I can email them a meeting in Teams and they can click on it. And then it will be like an audio or video call.

Is that right?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think I'm beginning to figure this out. So if I need to schedule a call with someone in another company, I can email them a meeting in Teams and they can click on it. And then it will be like an audio or video call.

Is that right?

Yes.

Yes, they are making the UI super easy for us. Because there's about 6 of them to navigate these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a platform for working together - has video calling as part of that.

It will work on a desktop web browser, but caution that if the other person doesn't have the app on their phone and clicks the link to join the meeting, it won't work. You should include the phone number to them for people on mobile devices without the app.

Which phone number? Theirs or mine?

There should be a teams phone number for call ins.

[Anonymous]

I wish I could dial out using Teams, but mine doesn't let me (maybe it's a setting IT turned off?). We have had meetings with external people.

I do a ton of work in Microsoft Teams. It's chat, video and audio calling (within my work network), and also a sort of group homepage. I have teams that I work on specific projects with and we post files, chat and host meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a platform for working together - has video calling as part of that.

It will work on a desktop web browser, but caution that if the other person doesn't have the app on their phone and clicks the link to join the meeting, it won't work. You should include the phone number to them for people on mobile devices without the app.

Which phone number? Theirs or mine?

There should be a teams phone number for call ins.

We don't have that. They have to click the link. Sometimes the video doesn't work for external people.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Do they have to have Teams installed? Should I ask if they do before sending them a link?

Thanks for answering all my questions. This has been very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Do they have to have Teams installed? Should I ask if they do before sending them a link?

Thanks for answering all my questions. This has been very helpful.

They do not. I joined a Teams call, and I do have installed. However there were others there, without Teams, that just called in on the provided phone #.

[Anonymous]

Our firm installed it about 6 months ago and I now love it. I even dropped my land line finally (I work from home) since you can just call right over the computer. And there is an app for your phone so you can takes calls and chats there too if you'd like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I think I'm beginning to figure this out. So if I need to schedule a call with someone in another company, I can email them a meeting in Teams and they can click on it. And then it will be like an audio or video call.

Is that right?

Yes.

Yes, you can also create a Teams invitation right in your Outlook calendar. At least in my company, you have to get a special license in order for the dial-in phone number to automatically be included. Some users have that ability, some don't. To find out if you do, go to your Outlook calendar, and at the top click on "New Teams Meeting". Then look to see if the phone number is included.