Microsoft announced that as of December 1st 2021 they would be offering a standalone version of Microsoft Teams called Microsoft Teams Essentials. In its first standalone offering, Microsoft state that Essentials is designed with small businesses in mind bringing together features that small businesses need to serve their customers such as unlimited group video calls for up to 30 hours.
Organisations like yours and other non-profit groups such as community groups, schools and religious organisations are now able to get up and running quickly and efficiently with Microsoft Teams Essentials.
So what features does Microsoft Teams Essential offer you and your business. Well, lots for a standalone package. We have listed some of the exciting features we feel make this stand out from other market offerings. These include:
- Interactive Meetings: With tools to make your meetings professional such as live reactions, meeting lobby’s and virtual backgrounds you will be sure to stand out from the competition when hosting your online meetings. In an ever-changing world where most of us are working remotely this is a must.
- Calendar Integrations: With smooth integrations of Outlook Calendar and Google Calendar you can stay on top of meetings and schedules meaning you will never miss a trick in your busy work environment.
- Large Meeting Capacity: Teams Essentials offer you the ability to host up to 300 people at once meaning you can hold a small team meeting or a virtual conference with ease bringing everyone into a virtual room at one time.
Teams Essentials will also help you save time with effective and productive tools at your disposal including web apps, file sharing, group chats and much more. With conversations in Teams easy to use as well, there will be no risk of losing context or continuity.
What’s the difference between Teams Free and Teams Essentials I hear you ask. Well, there are some key differences that make the low cost investment in Teams Essentials well worth it. These include:
- 10GB Cloud storage per user vs just 5GB with Teams Free.
- Meetings up to 30 hours vs just 60 minutes with Teams Free.
- Up to 300 meeting participants vs 100 with Teams Free.
In summary Teams Essentials offers both great value at a fantastic price of just £3.00 per month (Annual commitment required) while providing your business with some fantastic rich communication tools that make you stand out from the crowd. With Microsoft’s proven security, reliability, performance and sustainability this one is a no brainer for a business on a budget.
For more information on Teams Essentials or if you’d like to purchase this for your business then contact us today on 0117 200 1000 so we can help your business stand out.
