The Microsoft Teams Transition Projects are a multi-year, cross-campus effort to fully adopt Microsoft Teams as our primary communication and collaboration tool. As part of this effort, we will transition our university from Skype for Business as the primary phone system and explore moving from Zoom as our primary online meetings tool.
Purpose
Adopting and focusing on Microsoft Teams as our primary communication and collaboration tool to help increase productivity and improve the user experience of our students, faculty, and staff while reducing spend on redundant or duplicative technologies.
Explore each of the three Microsoft Teams projects occurring over the next few years:
Microsoft Teams Rollout
The goal of this project is to raise awareness and boost usage of Microsoft Teams before becoming the primary communications and collaboration tool.
Skype to Teams Project
The goal of this project is to transition from Skype for Business 2019 to Microsoft Teams as the primary telephony system.
Zoom to Teams Project
The goal of this project is to explore options to transition from Zoom.
What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a unified collaboration and collaboration platform that brings together chat, video conferencing, file collaboration, and integrated productivity tools. It's the ideal solution for teams and organizations looking to enhance communication, streamline workflows, and boost productivity, all within a single, user-friendly application. Microsoft Teams makes it easy for staff to stay connected regardless of where they are located.
When will we transition to Microsoft Teams?
The three Microsoft Teams projects are currently underway and will be a multi-year effort. Depending on the project, there will be different timelines and milestones. Specific dates are currently being finalized.
Microsoft Teams is already available to everyone as a meeting and persistent chat tool. We encourage you to start using it now if you haven't yet.
Why are we moving to Microsoft Teams?
The primary reason we are transitioning to Teams is because Microsoft is ending support of all Skype for Business products over the next year and is officially migrating Skype for Business functionality into Teams. Many organizations globally have already made this transition.
Additionally, we offer multiple tools and often hear that it's confusing to know which one to use since they offer the same capabilities and functionality. Focusing on Teams as the single collaboration tool will help avoid confusion as well as focus our efforts to help UI members communicate and collaborate better and more efficiently.
What can I do to get ready?
If you are new to Microsoft Teams, open it and chat with a coworker. Create a low-stakes meeting and see how intuitive it is to talk virtually with others.
If you are using Teams already – great! Keep an eye out for future training courses for advanced users and keep exploring the tool.
Additional documentation and resources:
- Microsoft Teams training courses
- Microsoft Teams service page
- A number of Microsoft-hosted video trainings are available on the Microsoft website
- Contact our Campus Technical Trainer to schedule training for you and your department
Can I use Teams in ICON?
Yes, Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool designed for video meetings, asynchronous discussions, document sharing, and group activities. The integration with ICON allows instructors to connect an ICON course to a Teams site, so the class can more easily use the features Teams offers. To participate in a pilot of the Teams in ICON integration, contact the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology.