Covid-19 has given online communication and conferencing a huge boost, and everyone knows it by now “Microsoft Teams.” Many companies use Microsoft Teams as a means of video conferencing. But Teams can do much more than that. Very powerful within Teams is the chat functionality and file sharing that allows you to significantly improve collaboration within your company while doing so securely.
A lot of companies use WhatsApp to maintain communication with employees and customers through chats. Not only in 1 on 1 chats but also in various groups. WhatsApp is on almost everyone's phone, making it an accessible and simple means of communication. But is it wise to use WhatsApp for this purpose? In any case, we find the following off.
Security
The first reason to use Teams instead of WhatsApp is security. When you share company data via chat or documents via WhatsApp, you share this data outside your company's own IT infrastructure. As a company, you no longer have any control over where shared messages and company documents stay. When you share company data via Teams, it stays within your organization's IT infrastructure and you significantly reduce the chances of it ending up outside your organization.
For your Microsoft 365 and hence Teams environment, it is important that you set up adequate backup facility so that stored documents and instant messages are stored safely periodically. In WhatsApp, you can set your private backup as an individual but how do you do that within WhatsApp when different people share company data with their private WhatsApp? You have no control over it at all.
When an employee leaves service, voluntarily or involuntarily, all previously shared company data remains in his WhatsApp history. If you use Teams as a communication tool and an employee leaves employment, he will automatically no longer have access to Teams and therefore no access to previously shared messages and documents.
Collaboration
Teams is a collaboration platform. Besides video conferencing, Teams is also excellent for chatting within and outside your organization, both 1 on 1 and in groups (these groups are also called channels within Teams). A chat is much more accessible than an e-mail and allows for quick exchange of messages. The Teams app on your cell phone is also a powerful tool for this so you can stay connected with your organization externally as well.
Work-life balance
As mentioned above, WhatsApp is very accessible to use within your company because almost everyone has it on their phone. But WhatsApp is meant for keeping in touch with family, friends or your association in your private life. And outside working hours, most employees like not being disturbed in their WhatsApp with work-related matters. And if you do get disturbed it's usually for a reason and it's also nice to know immediately what it's about.
In the Teams app on your phone, you can easily set to not receive notifications outside of work hours.
All in all, this is a super logical way to communicate professionally with customers and colleagues. Need help setting up and using Microsoft Teams. Please take a moment contact on.
