In today's world, remote work and virtual meetings have become the norm for many organizations. Microsoft Teams has been one of the most popular tools used for virtual communication, collaboration, and organization, and for a good reason. It offers a wide range of features that make virtual meetings and remote work much more accessible and efficient.
In this article, we'll talk about seven features of Microsoft Teams that can make virtual meetings and productivity better.
Whiteboard
One of the best features of Microsoft Teams meetings is the Whiteboard feature. This feature allows you to collaborate and brainstorm ideas in real-time. The virtual whiteboard can be used to draw, add sticky notes, and even import images. It can be handy during virtual brainstorming sessions, allowing everyone to contribute their ideas creatively and visually engagingly.
You can launch the whiteboard by going to, Share → Microsoft Whiteboard → New Whiteboard
Meeting Recaps
The Meeting Recap feature allows you to review what was discussed during a meeting. You can find video recordings, chat, files shared, and any action items. This feature is particularly useful for those who may still need to attend a meeting or for anyone who wants to review what was discussed. It also allows team members to stay on the same page and can be used as a reference point for future meetings.
To see your meeting recap, go to your chats and find the meeting.
Presenter Mode
Presenter Mode is a fantastic feature for virtual presentations. This feature allows the presenter to share their screen and be on the screen presenting. This feature is handy for webinars, training sessions, and sales pitches.
There is three presenters' mode:
- With
Standout
, the background behind you is replaced with the content you're presenting.
-
Reporter
displays content above your right shoulder, similarly to TV news anchors.
- A
Side-by-side
presentation is simply a video feed and the content you present next to each other.
Choose the presenter mode under Share → Select the presenter mode.
Content from Camera
The Content from Camera feature allows you to share physical documents with the other meeting participants. This feature works by using the camera on your computer to capture the document and display it in the virtual meeting. This feature can help share documents, diagrams, or other physical materials that cannot be shared digitally.
To share content from the camera, go to Share → Content from camera → Pick whiteboard, document, or video.
Call Quality Monitor
The Call Quality Monitor feature allows you to diagnose and troubleshoot any issues with your audio or video quality during a call. It shows you the network and device health information and any call quality problems. This feature can be especially helpful for IT teams trying to diagnose network or hardware issues affecting call quality.
To check the call quality, go to → More → Settings → Call health
Meeting Attendance Report
The Meeting Attendance Report is a new feature from Teams and is a great way to keep track of who attended a meeting. It automatically generates a report that lists all attendees, including those who joined and left early. This feature can help track who participated in a meeting and who missed important information.
To download the report go to → People → More actions → Download attendance list, or after the meeting, go to → Meeting recap → Attendance → Download
PowerPoint Live
PowerPoint Live is a feature that allows you to share a PowerPoint presentation in a virtual meeting. It will enable the presenter to control and display the slides in real time. Additionally, attendees can download a copy of the presentation and follow along on their devices. This feature can be beneficial for virtual training sessions or sales pitches.
To launch PowerPoint Live go to → Share → pick the PowerPoint you want to share or click Browse OneDrive/Browse my computer to share another PowerPoint.
Talk to Microsoft Teams Experts
In conclusion, these are just a few of the many features that Microsoft Teams offers. By taking advantage of these features, you can make your virtual meetings and remote work much more productive.
Feel free to contact us if you want to learn more or need assistance getting started with Teams or Microsoft 365.
