Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is part of UW Office 365 and is a FERPA and HIPAA-aligned productivity, collaboration, and communication platform. It’s a central hub where your team can chat, meet, share files, and manage tasks.
Features
- Team Chat and Messaging — Communicate with your team in real-time through direct messages with individuals and group conversations organized in channels for focused discussions.
- Video Meetings and Voice Calls — Host virtual meetings and make voice calls with team members from any device.
- File Sharing and Collaboration — Store and collaborate on files in integrated SharePoint storage.
- Real-time Document Editing — Multiple team members can edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents simultaneously.
- Task and Project Management — Use Microsoft Planner to organize, assign, and track team projects and tasks.
- Shared Notebooks — Create and maintain shared OneNote notebooks for team documentation and collaborative note-taking.
Availability
- UW Faculty
- UW Staff
Cost
Microsoft Teams is included at no additional cost
Supported Platforms
- Web browser (all major browsers supported)
- Desktop applications (Windows and macOS)
- Mobile applications (iOS and Android)
If you have questions or need help, contact SoN IT.
View the linked resources below for additional information.
UWIT Microsoft Teams Help Site
Microsoft Teams Video Training
Q: Should I request a Microsoft Teams site or a SharePoint Online site?
A: Request a Microsoft Teams site if your group needs chat, meetings, and file sharing in one workspace. When you create a Microsoft team, a SharePoint site is automatically created for file storage and collaboration. Request a SharePoint Online site if you primarily need file storage and document management.
Q: How long are Teams chats and recordings saved?
A: All chats, including 1:1, group, and meeting chats, are automatically deleted 30 days after they are sent. Meeting recordings are automatically flagged to expire 120 days after the meeting date. Organizers can manually remove this expiration date if the video must be kept longer for legal reasons. Channel messages do not automatically delete. More information about retention policies can be found on the UWIT Retention Policy page.
Q: What types of channels can I create in Microsoft Teams?
A: Microsoft Teams supports public channels (viewable by all team members), private channels (restricted to specific members), and shared channels (shared with other Microsoft teams). Private and shared channels create their own separate SharePoint sites for dedicated file storage.
Q: Can I add people from outside the UW to my Microsoft Teams site?
A: Yes. External sharing is enabled by default on Microsoft Teams. The owner of a Microsoft team can invite guests (external, non-UW email addresses) to join the team. Consult with SoN IT if you’d like more information on adding people from outside the UW to your MS Teams site.
Q: Can students request a Microsoft Team?
A: Students who want to request an MS Team must be sponsored by a staff or faculty member.
