IT Transformation for Key Workers during the Pandemic

Microsoft Teams along with other popular video tools have risen rapidly in usage since the start of the pandemic, aiding professional conferencing needs whilst we all worked from home. With its increased demand, a series of varying pricing plans are available, including a free option. This handy guide will talk you through the different pricing plans on offer on Microsoft Teams, and let you decide what is best for your personal or professional use. Free Plan As of May 2021, Microsoft Teams has offered a free version of the software for personal users to connect with friends and family. Rivalling against the likes of Zoom and Skype, the new personal feature allows people to message, video call, and share calendar invites and files through the software for no cost. Microsoft’s free plan may also be the perfect option for small businesses who have a small number of employees. Whilst it defines itself as the ‘personal’ version, it has all the necessities needed for a small business to hold meetings with employees, communicate amongst each other, and keep track of important locations, documents and dates in one place. Additional services can be added onto the software at a cost if you decide you need better functionality for your company also. Another great benefit of taking advantage of the free version of Microsoft Teams is the compatibility with different technology. Teams is available across all web browsers, on mobile and desktop devices, and also as a downloadable app. The app is particularly good for small business users who require professional settings for the meetings. One feature uses AI technology to blur out your background and just keep your face in focus which has been incredibly popular while people continue to work from home. Of course, like everything in life that comes free there is a catch. Functionality of the free version of Microsoft Teams is basic compared to the paid plans and there are limitations to the time you can spend on video calls, as well as a limit on participates in a single chat. However, free users are still able to communicate with 100 others in a meeting, which for personal usage is plenty. Paid Plans If you have decided that the free version of Microsoft Teams just isn’t enough for your conferencing needs, there are 3 different paid plans that provide all the added functionality and technology you may require. The business basic paid plan is the cheapest of the paid versions and comes as part of the wider Microsoft 365 package. This package is paid on an annual subscription, and currently costs £3.80 per month per user. By upgrading to this plan from the free version users can increase the number of participants in meetings to 300 whilst also extending the time limit. The main benefit of this however, is the integration you get with the other Microsoft apps, in particular sharing with OneDrive. The next paid package on offer, and the most widely used by businesses across the country, is the business standard. Starting at £9.40 per user per month this package has increased collaboration tools including screen sharing, customisable features, recording of meetings, and a function that allows users to schedule and manage meetings via email confirmations. Finally, for Microsoft users who require the best of the best technology, the Office 365 E3 plan offers the full package. Recommended for businesses with over 300 employees, this plan allows meetings with up to 10,000 individuals, as well as unlimited cloud storage for every user, and additional security through data protection. So, to answer the question; yes, Microsoft Teams can be used for free! Take a look at each of the plans on offer and decide which one is best suitable for your business. For personal use however, the free version of Teams will do just fine. The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

The video conferencing market has boomed over the last decade and there are so many platforms to choose from that it is difficult to figure out which best fits your needs. Microsoft Teams and Slack are two of the biggest rivals in the field, and whilst they may appear to have the same functionality, there are plenty of design features and tech integration that sets the two apart. Whilst Microsoft Teams is arguably the more popular software, Slack was actually born first. The creation of Teams as an expansion of the Microsoft 365 software package in 2016 was designed to rival the likes of Slack, whose customer users and ratings were increasing day by day. Today Microsoft Teams boasts an average of 115 million daily users, completely surpassing Slack as the most popular video conferencing software for businesses. However, many employers still value Slack as their preferred platform due to its unique design and structure. Below are some of the key differences between the two software’s so that you can make an informed decision as to what is best for your business. Integration The first and most obvious point to make about Microsoft Teams is that you pay for the name. Microsoft’s reputation is solid and therefore the platform will give you piece of mind for reliability and security. The integration provided through Microsoft allows you to upload documents or slides from other applications such as Word and connect your calendars for a seamless workplace. On the other hand, Slack has limited integration features, with no way to connect to anything outside of its own software chat function or files. Therefore, as a business you would need to invest more money into other programmes that provide you with organisational features. However, Slack does boast a mobile app that connects to the main desktop application and many customers rave about the user experience this provides.  Conferencing Both Teams and Slack are renowned video conferencing tools used by global businesses, but there are a variety of differences when it comes to the meeting capabilities and limitations. If you are looking to use the free version of either platform, they both come with a participant limit to meetings as well as a time limitation. Microsoft Teams allows up to 250 participants in one meeting with its free personal version whereas Slack only provides one- on-one calling with the free software. Like many businesses, the free version of any software often isn’t enough for your whole company needs and you will therefore need to invest some money into the paid plans. Microsoft Teams offers 3 different paid plans depending on the size of your business and this allows up to 10,000 individuals to join a single call. The time limitation is also removed with the paid plans. When you upgrade with Slack, their paid version allows up to 15 participants to call at once. Whilst these numbers are starkly different, both function in similar ways so choosing between the two may simply come down to the number of employees at your company. Price Covered briefly above, most companies will need to upgrade from the free versions to the paid plans no matter what conferencing software you choose to use. Whilst the free version of Teams allows for 300 individuals to get onboard the plan, and an unlimited number of users with Slack, this doesn’t allow all members to join a call at once, hence the limitations on time and participants. Currently, the standard Slack plan retails at £5.25 per month and their business+ plan at £9.75. The additional services when you pay include enhanced security, 24/7 customer support, and increased video call participants. Microsoft Teams starts at £3.60 and rises depending on usage and business needs also, with added integration and security compliance.

The world of Microsoft has endless possibilities and functions throughout its 365 software, so it’s important to know exactly how each platform can benefit you and your business. Since its launch in 2017 Microsoft Teams has become the leading video conferencing workspace, overtaking the likes of Skype and Zoom. And with the pandemic increasing the worldwide usage of remote working chat platforms, the time has never been better to get a complete understanding of the ins and outs of Microsoft Teams. What is Microsoft Teams? Microsoft Teams is a video and audio conferencing service that helps employees and businesses communicate easily and effectively with one another across a variety of different platforms. The software allows individuals to conference call one on one, or in groups of up to 10,000 with the paid packages with additional web chat and file sharing functions. Teams was originally set up in competition to the likes of zoom as a business only service, but in recent years there has been a push in personal usage hence the creation of a more basic free version of the application. Microsoft Teams works on all operating systems and is highly popular on the mobile app as well as the traditional desktop software. Meetings Once you have successfully logged into Teams you will need to build your network by adding your colleagues, friends, or other businesses to allow you to communicate with each other. This is where you create your ‘team’! You should create teams systematically with a sense of organisation, especially if you have a lot of contacts to add. To do this you can create teams based on different departments in the business, different projects you are working on, or just with the few colleagues you communicate with the most. Once you have that set up, you are ready to join your first meeting. Everybody is able to either initiate a call or join a call via an invitation sent out by the host. You can then turn your mic and camera on also. You will see all participants of the call in the sidebar, and this design can be changed to smaller or larger thumbnails depending on your personal preference. Whilst on the call, you can utilise the chat function at the bottom of the screen to add any notes or send private messages simultaneous to the conference call. Common features used by businesses within video meetings are the record button, and screen sharing features. These are both only available via the paid version of Teams. Other Features Of course, the video meetings are the hallmark feature for Teams, but the software boasts many other successful features also. Some of these additional features include: Integration with other Microsoft 365 platforms Manage calendars and send and receive calendar invitations for meetings Instant chat function (1:1 and group chat) Create to-do lists and planners for the day/week/month Send and receive documents through OneDrive Share notes from OneNote Collaborate with third party applications and users outside of Teams Comparison with Zoom & Skype Microsoft Teams works in very similar ways to Zoom and Skype in that they all serve the same purpose to connect business users via video chat. All 3 services allow you to record, schedule and share documents in a meeting, but arguably Teams is the most enhanced service with the best integration features. Whilst the competition in its basic form works the same way, they lack the wider software that Microsoft 365 provides where you can connect other applications to ensure organisation and the smooth running of your business. It is also worth mentioning that these other video conferencing providers have had security issues in the past with hackers taking advantage of personal users of the platform, hence Team’s push for enhanced data security and privacy to be the best in the field. Price As mentioned above, Teams was originally created for the business world, allowing colleagues to collaborate remotely and for businesses to easily conference with other businesses. With the impact of the pandemic however, there has been a push in personal usage of the software and the number of users on the free plan has soared. The free version of Microsoft Teams has all the basic functions that an individual or small business would need to communicate with others but with some limitations that can be unlocked by upgrading to the paid plans. For example, there is a limit of the number of participants and a time limit for meetings on the free version of the software, as well as only a small amount (2GB) of cloud storage for each member. Again, this can be increased by paying a fee. If you are not planning to use Teams for personal use however, you will need to invest into one of their 3 paid plans: Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, or Microsoft 365 Business Premium. The Business Basic package currently retails at £4.50 per user per month, and this allows you to increase the number of participants in a single meeting and get rid of the time limitations on calls. By upgrading you also unlock the recording functions as well as gaining the ability to schedule meetings by sending email invitations. The cloud storage capacity also increases from 2GB per person to 1TB per person. The Business Standard package includes everything from the Basic plan with additional integration functions and higher security. Currently priced at £9.40 per user per month, this plan allows you to work even closer to other Microsoft applications and sync to other files, notes, PowerPoints and so much more. As a result of having more documentation on the software, there is a higher level of security and two-face authentication to keep your business safe. The final Business Premium package is the most secure and desirable software for most large businesses as it allows you to communicate with up to 10,000 participants in a single call as well as adding an even higher level of security and privacy settings. This package is currently on sale for £16.60 per user per month.