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How to video conference within Microsoft Teams

24/11/2020 in Technology

As we have explored previously, Covid-19 is causing unprecedented problems to all businesses -ranging from small local firms to multi-national corporations. Everyone is experiencing the same struggles.

Businesses have had to make a sudden transition to remote working, a change that was expected to be short-term has quickly been recognised as the future of work. The virus is still showing no signs of stopping and businesses are gradually realising the benefits of implementing a more comprehensive remote working strategy. Firms have also realised that IT infrastructure exists that can serve a purpose within the normal work setting and can be just as effective for remote working too.

There are many options to consider when choosing the right IT infrastructure for your business.

The infrastructure we recommend at Evolve is Microsoft 365. Microsoft Teams is a key new feature within the cloud ecosystem, which offers a set of tools that allow you to work productively from home or in the office setting. With the world as uncertain as it is at the moment, a flexible software application that can allow smooth transitions either way and be used anywhere is a must.

Teams is the central hub for communication and productivity for many businesses. With 115 million daily active users, Teams has ensured that many firms have improved their connectivity, both remotely and in the work-setting.

One issue managers are having within the office setting (and even more so now a lot are working from home), is that it’s hard to stay connected with their employees. When staff are working from home or in the office it is essential to keep the company ethos at the forefront of employees’ working minds. Video conferencing within Teams can alleviate these problems for you.

 

Microsoft Teams – Video conferencing

Video conferencing offers a place to communicate with your employees on a personal basis. Yes, you can talk to your team via chat (email or telephone), but seeing your colleagues’ faces whilst talking can only be beneficial. Video conferencing allows you to hold a meeting with your employees when working remotely or in the work setting. This means you can keep everyone informed and working together in the same direction, effortlessly.

We will now explore how to use video conferencing within Teams.

 

Scheduling ‘Teams Meetings’

Firstly, click the ‘Calendar’ tab on the left of the screen.

Then in the top right there will be two options – ‘Meet now’ and ‘+ New meeting’. In most cases you will be scheduling future meetings – to do that click the New meeting button.

Having clicked the New meeting button, you will have a scheduling screen with options to add a title, attendees and the date, etc.

Once you have completed the fields you feel are necessary, click ‘Save’ in the top right corner.

This will invite all attendees you have selected by email – placing the meeting provisionally into their calendars. You will be notified by email upon their acceptance (or should they decline or propose an alternative time). The invitees will be sent a link within their calendar email invitation that allows them to easily join the meeting – either via their own Teams application, or through their web browser, should they not be a native Teams user.

 

Scheduling Teams Meetings from within Outlook

You can also book a meeting from within Outlook’s calendar feature, right within the usual new appointment window.

Click ‘New Teams Meeting’ at the top of the page.

Set the invitees (by required or optional), and set the date time and description message as you would normally with any other calendar entry. There is space at the bottom to type any text you wish regarding the meeting. You have then successfully organised your meeting and simply need to click ‘Send’.

 

 

Holding meetings immediately

If you want to hold an impromptu meeting. Click ‘Meet now’ instead of ‘New meeting’. Then click ‘Join now’ in the centre of the screen (beneath your video stream – if you’re sharing a video).

You then have a menu available on the right-hand side of the screen. You will be the only person in the meeting. You can then add who you like to the meeting.

Video conferencing is a tool that- if utilised correctly – can be invaluable to a business. It’s many features and added extras are worth exploring to see how it can be best used for the way you do things in your company.

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Need to get more from your tools?

At Evolve, we have a wealth of expertise in tailoring and implementing modern work solutions that add business value by driving efficiency and cutting costs, which is ever more important in such a dynamic climate as we find ourselves in today.

We are uniquely placed to support you in achieving a frictionless transition to the cloud or we can help you along on the journey in acquiring more from the tools you may already have in place.

To learn how our team can support your digital transformation by aligning technology to your business goals and challenges, please book a discovery call with us today.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss anything read in this article further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.