Microsoft Teams – from the desktop to the meeting room

‘Let’s Teams’ has become a staple phrase in corporate lingo as Microsoft Teams continues its tractory as being the No.1 collaboration tool for the hybrid workplace globally, with over 280 million daily active users*

The global acceleration of Teams is undoubtedly a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world witnessed a dramatic increase in remote work, there was a growing demand for virtual communication and collaboration tools, which saw many organisations choose Teams as an essential tool to maintain productivity and communication among their teams while working from home and post-pandemic, the adoption of Teams doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

So why is Teams so popular? 

Microsoft Teams enables seamless communication and collaboration between team members, regardless of location, which is particularly important in the modern hybrid workplace.

It is a user-friendly platform allowing seamless communication and collaboration among team members.
It offers a variety of features, including video conferencing, file sharing, task management and instant chat functionality, making it a one-stop shop for team collaboration.
Microsoft Teams integrates with other Microsoft products, such as Outlook and OneDrive, further streamlining user workflow.
With advanced security features, such as data encryption and multi-factor authentication, Microsoft Teams provides a secure and compliant environment, meaning businesses can be confident that their sensitive data is always protected.

The end of home working? 

As we approach the 4-year mark (!) of the COVID pandemic, it seems like more and more people are starting to return to the office in some capacity, with more than 4/5 of organisations in the UK now having some hybrid working policy in place, driven no doubt by 71% of workers viewing flexible working as highly important to them when considering a new role*

So, if you have a hybrid office approach, how can you seamlessly take your employee’s Teams experience from their personal device into a meeting space environment to collaborate with other team members, and why would you want to?

Running Teams meetings can significantly improve communication and collaboration across your organisation; you can schedule meetings directly from the Teams platform and invite team members or external guests, add an agenda, and attach any necessary documents or presentations to the meeting for future reference, increasing productivity. You can use features like screen sharing, chat, and video conferencing during the meeting to communicate with attendees. You can also record the meeting for future reference or for those who were unable to attend. You can also create a team within Microsoft Teams for each department or project. This will allow your employees to collaborate and communicate effectively with one another. You can also set up channels within each team to organise conversations and files.

Suppose your organisation runs many hybrid meetings on the Microsoft platform, with remote participants joining. In that case, consider deploying Microsoft Teams Room devices across your meeting space estate.

What is a Microsoft Teams Room

A Microsoft Teams Room is a dedicated meeting space with all the hardware and software to enable seamless collaboration using Microsoft Teams. It includes a high-quality camera, microphone, and speaker system for crystal-clear audio and video conferencing. With a Microsoft Teams Room, you can quickly join, schedule, manage meetings, share content, and collaborate with colleagues from anywhere. It’s an ideal solution for businesses and organisations that need to connect teams and facilitate communication and productivity.

Several certified Microsoft Teams Room devices are available on the market, each offering unique features and functionalities to enhance video conferencing and collaboration experiences.

Here are some of our favourite Microsoft Teams Rooms solutions:

1. Microsoft Teams Rooms on Surface Hub 2S: This all-in-one device combines a digital whiteboard with a video conferencing system, making it perfect for immersive collaboration.
2. Lenovo ThinkSmart Hub 500: This device is designed for small to medium-sized meeting rooms and offers a large, interactive touchscreen display, integrated speakers, and a 360-degree microphone.
3. Logitech Tap: This touch-enabled display can be paired with any computer running Microsoft Teams, offering a seamless video conferencing experience.
4. Poly Studio X30: A compact device perfect for small meeting rooms and huddle spaces, offering a 4K camera, built-in microphone and speaker, and easy integration with Microsoft Teams.
5. Crestron Flex: Enjoy a modular system that can be customised to fit the needs of any meeting room, offering a range of display sizes, cameras, microphones, and speakers.

Lewcon AV is the go-to team for Microsoft Teams Rooms, with extensive knowledge and experience with the platform. We’ve helped hundreds of clients achieve a more collaborative way of working through our comprehensive understanding of Microsoft Teams and Teams Rooms solutions. This, coupled with attention to detail and fantastic customer service, means that, whether setting up a new Teams Room or troubleshooting an issue, Lewcon can help you be more productive and increase collaboration and communication across your business.

*CIPD research, 2023

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