Erwin Bierens

Knowledge is Power

Etiquette in Microsoft Teams: Best Practices for Virtual Communication

2023-05-05 3 min read Microsoft Teams

While the popularity of remote work and virtual communication is still increasing (Microsoft Teams is having 280 million active users), it’s important to understand the proper etiquette for using Microsoft Teams or any other virtual meeting. Whether you’re participating in an online meeting, sending a direct chat message, or posting in a team channel, following these best practices can help you communicate effectively and more professionally.

Be punctual for virtual meetings. Just as you would arrive on time for an in-person meeting, make sure you are ready to join the virtual meeting on time. Log in a few minutes early to ensure your equipment is working properly and to allow time for any technical difficulties. Nothing so frustrating as “do you hear me?” Or “wait my headset is empty”.

TIP: set your default setting for meeting to 50 or 55 minutes instead of the full hour. This will give you some proper time to get prepared for the next meeting.

Short meetings

Continue reading

Microsoft Teams Client Redesign: Improved Performance and Efficiency.

2023-03-30 5 min read Microsoft Teams

After testing for some months with the public preview of the new Microsoft Teams client it’s finally announced (march 27, 2023) for public preview (FYI, at least for Windows only right now).

So, what’s new? The most obvious is a redesign, but there’s a lot more going on underneath the hood. Teams has been rebuilt using different coding languages that have made the app much more efficient. Microsoft says that the new Teams app is loading 2X faster, enables you to join meetings 2X faster and is using 50% less memory.

These are some of their findings on new Teams speed and performance improvements.

  • Install app up to 3X faster
  • Launch app up to 2X faster
  • Join meetings up to 2X faster
  • Switch chats/channels up to 1.7X faster
  • Consume up to 50% less memory
  • Consume up to 70% less disk space

The new teams client

Going beyond the core technology upgrade Microsoft also invested heavily on performance, stability, ease-of-use, and greater flexibility. Below a summup of these investments:

  • Rearchitected video rendering pipeline
  • Large scale meetings
  • Multi-Account / Multi-Tenant
  • Streamline App Installation (MSIX)
  • Harden Security
  • Get what you need (Partial Data)
  • Moving from Polling to push notifications
  • Optimize Memory
  • Expand Performance infrastructure and tooling
  • Embrace Open Source
  • Accessibility
Continue reading

Microsoft Teams Busy on Busy end user setting

2023-03-17 2 min read Microsoft Teams

Managing incoming calls is an essential part of effective communication in today’s fast-paced business world. Microsoft Teams provides users with the ability to manage how incoming calls are routed when they are busy in an existing call or meeting. This feature is designed to help users stay connected and productive, even when they are engaged in other activities.

To manage incoming calls in Microsoft Teams, users can navigate to their Calls settings and choose from a range of options. These options include allowing calls to come through, playing a busy signal, or redirecting the call based on the user’s unanswered call routing preference.

Busy on Busy settings

Continue reading

Your account is blocked when signing in as guest in Microsoft Teams

2023-03-01 2 min read Microsoft Teams Azure Active Directory

If you’re running into trouble trying to sign in a guest user to your Microsoft Teams team, you’re not the only one.

Today, i encountered an error that left me scratching my head. After some investigation, we were able to identify the problem and resolve it. In this blog post, I’ll share my experience and show you how i went about troubleshooting the issue. Specifically, I’ll walk you through the steps i took when a previously added guest user was unable to sign in, receiving an error message each time.

Your account is blocked

So if you’re looking for some tips on how to troubleshoot guest user sign-in issues in Teams, please keep reading!

Error message: Your account is blocked

Continue reading

Maximize Your Microsoft Teams Experience with the Right Licensing: A Guide to Choosing the Right Option

2023-02-03 5 min read Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams has revolutionized the way we work and communicate, but with so many licensing options available, it can be challenging to determine which one is right for your organization. In this blog post, we’ll explore the various licensing options available for Microsoft Teams and help you choose the right one for your business.

Continue reading

Microsoft Teams Premium is generally available - What is in it for you?

2023-02-02 3 min read Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams has transformed the way we work and communicate, and now its premium version is finally available to the public. This latest update promises to take meetings to the next level with the integration of AI technologies, including OpenAI’s GPT 3.5 model.

The new Microsoft Teams Premium offers advanced meeting capabilities, such as natural language processing and the ability to automatically capture key takeaways and action items. This saves time and reduces the administrative burden for meeting participants.

Gone are the days when organizations had to purchase expensive add-on products for webinars, virtual appointments, and meeting intelligence. With Teams Premium, these advanced features are now available at an affordable price of just $10 per user per month. This makes it easier than ever to #DoMoreWithLess.

Continue reading

Unlock the Full Potential of Microsoft Teams with Direct Routing: A Complete Guide

2023-01-31 3 min read Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams has become the go-to platform for communication and collaboration, but did you know that you can enhance its functionality even further with Direct Routing? Direct Routing allows you to integrate Teams with your existing telephony system (PABX), giving you access to advanced call and voicemail features, and enabling seamless communication both inside and outside your organization.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what Direct Routing is, why it’s essential for your business, and how you can set it up.

Continue reading
Older posts