A Guide to Microsoft Teams Premium [Features, Benefits & More]

Microsoft Teams Premium is available to assist organizations in getting the most out of their IT investments as the hybrid-working paradigm becomes the norm for many companies worldwide.

Because of the economy's cyclical nature and the constant evolution of the workforce, businesses must make wise decisions that will enable them to adapt, enhance their operations, and increase productivity.

The familiar Microsoft Teams experience has been enhanced with the newest technology in Microsoft Teams Premium, making working more intelligent, collaborative, and customized than ever.

Microsoft announced all the new features released to Teams customers in February. Some highlights are a new Microsoft Teams Premium subscription, scheduling send recommendations, Teams-certified devices, and administration tools.

Features of Microsoft Teams Premium

Microsoft Teams Premium provides cutting-edge features and advantages like priority assistance, personalized branding, and extensive new data security and compliance settings through integration with Microsoft Purview. Businesses can tailor their collaborative experience with Teams Premium while utilizing Microsoft's market-leading security and compliance features to secure their data.

Advanced Security and Compliance Features

With Microsoft Purview integrated into Microsoft Teams Premium, the software enforces multi-factor authentication (MFA) and information barriers. Additional security features provided in Teams Premium are as follows:

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

DLP policies are part of Teams Premium and assist in safeguarding sensitive data and stopping data breaches by allowing organizations to create DLP policies. With the help of these policies, administrators can establish guidelines for identifying and preventing the sharing and leakage of sensitive data within Teams, including credit card or social security information.

Legal Hold and eDiscovery

The eDiscovery and legal hold features in Microsoft Purview allow businesses using Teams Premium to adhere to legal and regulatory standards. Administrators can use these tools to search Teams for pertinent material, identify it, and set legal holds on certain information to ensure its preservation for future legal or regulatory needs.

Enhanced Threat Defense

Advanced threat security capabilities in Teams Premium aid in defending against common cyber security attacks. These features, which assist in stopping users from clicking on harmful links or opening infected files inside Teams, include anti-phishing safety, safe links, and secure attachments.

Audio Conferencing and Business Voice

The premium edition of Microsoft Teams has several advanced features not included in the free version. Business Voice and Audio Conferencing are two of these features.

Audio Conferencing

Microsoft Teams' audio conferencing feature allows users to attend meetings using a phone or computer anywhere, even without an internet connection. Employees who work remotely or on the road and need to join meetings without the internet available will find this option helpful. Among the essential features of audio conferencing are the following:

1. Call-in and call-out capabilities: Meeting participants can join conferences using a local or toll-free phone number via the Teams Phone System, and meeting hosts can dial out to include more participants.
2. Global reach: Microsoft widely offers international and local dial-in numbers, enabling users to participate in meetings anywhere worldwide.
3. PIN-based authentication: Meeting planners can demand a PIN to increase security and stop unwanted access.
4. Call controls: To preserve meeting decorum and avoid disturbances, organizers can mute, unmute, or remove members from the call.
5. Call recording: Call recording is supported by Audio Conferencing, allowing users to replay crucial exchanges and share them with co-workers who could not attend the meeting.

Business Voice

Microsoft Teams Business Voice is a cloud-based phone solution for small to medium-sized enterprises with 300 or fewer employees. A complete communication solution, including calling, texting, and meetings, is provided through its integration with Teams. Some of its features include:

1. Phone System: A cloud-based public branch exchange (PBX)phone system that enables call routing, auto attendants, call queues, voicemail, and more is included with Business Voice.
2. Direct routing: A certified Session Border Controller (SBC) can be used by organizations to route calls through their preferred telecom operator rather than connecting their existing phone lines.
3. Domestic and international calling plans: Teams provide various calling plans tailored to businesses' needs, including local and international call choices.
4. Call management: Features like call forwarding, simultaneous ringing, call parking, group call pickup, and shared line appearance allow users to handle calls.
5. Mobile app integration: Business Voice's seamless connection with the Microsoft Teams mobile app enables users to place and receive calls on their smartphones even when not at their desks.

Together, Audio Conferencing and Business Voice improve Microsoft Teams Premium's total communication capabilities, facilitating easy and effective collaboration inside enterprises.

Customization Options and Administrative Controls

Microsoft Teams Premium provides a range of administrative controls and customization tools to enable businesses to adapt the platform to their requirements and preferences. These features allow companies to develop a more flexible and effective environment for cooperation.

Customization Options

Administrative Controls

Live Event Streaming and Recording Capabilities

Organizations can broadcast video of live events to a wide audience using Microsoft Teams' live event streaming and recording features, and they can also record events for replay in the future. They can hold virtual events like town hall meetings, seminars, and conferences and broadcast them to an international audience. Attendees can use any device, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, to see the live video.

Teams also provides recording features for live events that enable organizations to record the action as it happens and make it accessible for on-demand watching after the event has been completed. Attendees who cannot see the event live will find this especially helpful because they can still access the information later.

Presenters can share their screens, show slides, and engage the audience with real-time polling and live Q&A. Participants can pose queries, offer comments, and interact with other participants.

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Benefits of Microsoft Teams Premium

Faster response times and specialized assistance from Microsoft specialists are among the enhanced support features of Microsoft Teams Premium. Priority access to assistance enables businesses to address problems quickly, cut downtime, and maintain operations and cooperation.

Enhanced Communication and Collaboration

Microsoft Teams Premium has several improved communication and collaboration features compared to Microsoft Teams Standard. Here are a few of the major benefits of Microsoft Teams for Businesses:

Capabilities for Advanced Collaboration: Teams Premium has advanced collaboration features, including real-time co-authoring, which enables many users to modify a document simultaneously. This can facilitate team member collaboration and increase productivity.

Meeting recordings and transcripts: Teams Premium makes recording and transcribing meetings possible, simplifying the evaluation and distribution of crucial information. This can be especially helpful for teams that need to refer to earlier conversations or judgments.

Custom backdrops and live captions: Custom backdrops allow users to disguise their background if they are not in an office setting or simply want to have some fun, while artificial intelligence-enhanced live captions make it easier to understand what other team members are saying when audio is either low quality or unavailable. Some users report that live captions in Teams can even help when speakers have unfamiliar accents.

Priority notifications: With Teams Premium, users can designate specific communications as priorities, resulting in quick alerts for these messages. For communication that is urgent or time-sensitive, this is helpful.

Increased file size limits: Compared to Teams' basic edition, Teams Premium allows users to upload and share files as big as 250 GB. For teams who need to share huge data sets, such as HD videos or photographs, this is beneficial.

Increased Productivity and Efficiency

Numerous advantages of Microsoft Teams Premium can boost an organization's productivity and effectiveness. Here are several major benefits:

• Improved communication and collaboration capabilities are available to Microsoft Teams Premium customers, who can access advanced features, including priority alerts, breakout rooms, and webinar support.
• Microsoft Teams Premium enables businesses to organize bigger meetings with up to 1,000 attendees, ensuring even large teams can collaborate and make decisions.
• Advanced security capabilities, such as data loss prevention and information barriers, are available to Microsoft Teams Premium customers, helping to secure sensitive data and uphold compliance.
• Teams Premium delivers seamless integration with other Microsoft programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint, easing workflows and enhancing collaboration.
• Detailed usage and adoption reports are available to premium customers, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions about enhancing collaboration and communication.
• Premium customers benefit from expanded file-sharing storage space, which keeps crucial documents organized and accessible.
• With Microsoft Teams Premium, businesses get access to quicker response times from support staff, ensuring that any problems are fixed immediately and cutting down on downtime.
• Teams Premium allows users to place, receive, and transfer calls inside the platform, facilitating communication and obviating the need for external phone systems.
• Premium customers can integrate various third-party programs to expand the capabilities of Microsoft Teams, resulting in a more specialized and effective experience.
• Microsoft Teams Premium provides extra tools to help businesses maximize their platform investments, including adoption manuals and training materials.

Improved Security and Compliance

With cyber security threats getting more sophisticated daily, businesses can greatly benefit from the enhanced security features within Microsoft Teams Premium. Further, staying compliant with regulatory mandates helps businesses avoid hefty fines and reputational damage.

Microsoft Teams Premium provides the following enhanced security and compliance features:

• Encryption of customer data and multi-factor authentication for increased security.
• Data loss prevention measures to stop the sharing of sensitive information.
• Maintaining conformity with regulatory mandates such as HIPAA, FINRA, and ISO 27001 standards.
• Protecting user data and preventing malicious cyber activity with cutting-edge security measures.
• Microsoft Teams Premium offers businesses improved security and compliance tools to safeguard sensitive data and against data breaches.

Better Customer Engagement and Satisfaction

The sophisticated communication and collaboration features offered by Microsoft Teams Premium improve client engagement and happiness by streamlining interactions. While the seamless connection with other Microsoft applications and third-party apps allows a personalized, efficient customer experience, integrated features like webinars, live events, and breakout rooms support effective client meetings. The end result is a more responsive, connected, and contented client base.

Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium

A subscription-based solution called Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium improves meetings in actual conference rooms by offering cutting-edge features, management tools, and specialized support. This solution provides sophisticated audio and video room equipment, easy room management using the Teams Admin Center, and proactive performance monitoring.

Teams Rooms Premium assists enterprises in fostering productivity and cooperation in the contemporary workplace by providing a smooth, high-quality meeting experience.

Overview of Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium

The Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium solution was created to enhance the meeting experience in conference rooms. It provides a comprehensive range of features and services, such as:

1. Intelligent hardware: Teams Rooms Premium supports a variety of approved audio and visual devices, guaranteeing excellent conference room collaboration.
2. Centralized management: The Teams Admin Center streamlines administration by simplifying managing room devices, settings, and updates.
3. Proactive monitoring: The solution offers 24/7 analytics and monitoring, spotting possible problems before they affect meetings and giving insights to maximize room utilization.
4. Dedicated support: Microsoft's support team offers knowledgeable assistance to Teams Rooms Premium users, assuring quick problem resolution and less downtime.
5. Improved meeting experience: Tools like one-touch join, content sharing, and automated camera framing give attendees a better overall meeting experience, encouraging cooperation and productivity.

Features and Benefits of Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium

The below table summarizes the main features and benefits of Microsoft Teams Room Premium:

How Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium Can Enhance Communication and Collaboration in Meetings

By providing users with cutting-edge capabilities and a simplified user experience, Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium dramatically improves collaboration and communication during meetings. Approved audio and video equipment assures clear communication, reducing the likelihood of disruptions and increasing participation.

Innovative features such as "one-touch join," "intuitive content sharing," and "smart camera framing" let participants concentrate on the collaborative parts of the meeting, which in turn fosters a more productive environment. Teams Rooms Premium delivers a dependable and well-known experience for users by integrating without difficulty with Microsoft Teams, Office 365, and other Microsoft services. This, in turn, helps meetings be more productive in terms of both collaboration and communication.

Overview of Microsoft Teams Enterprise Products

Microsoft Teams provides various corporate products developed to cater to various business requirements. These goods are geared toward boosting workplace efficiency, teamwork, and communication inside an organization. The following are the key business products offered by Microsoft Teams:

1. Microsoft Teams (Free)

The free offering of Microsoft Teams is designed primarily for personal and family use. It's features are limited, so it's not most effective solution for SMBs. The following are important features in the free version of Microsoft Teams:

• Communication options for the team, including unlimited chat and group messaging.
• Calling options, including video and audio for one-on-one or group conferences.
• The sharing of one's screen during meetings to present information or work together on papers.
• File sharing with a storage capacity of 5 GB for each user.
• Integration with Microsoft Office Online (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) allows real-time document collaboration.

The following features are also available in the free version of Microsoft Teams, but are extremely limited compared to the Essentials version:

• To keep a professional image when making video conversations, custom backdrops can be used.
• Guest access enables users outside the organization to participate in meetings and work on projects.
• Integrated safety measures, such as single sign-on and two-factor authentication, are also present.

2. Microsoft Teams Essentials ($4.00user/month)

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) need sophisticated tools for collaboration and communication, and can get the features they need at a low cost with Microsoft Teams Essentials. Among its many features are:

• Every feature that's accessible in the free version of Microsoft Teams.
• Scheduling of meetings and incorporation of the Outlook calendar are both included for the streamlined organization.
• During larger meetings, separate rooms for focused conversations and collaborative work might be utilized.
• Sharing files across the company with a storage capacity of 1 terabyte (TB).
• Support for gatherings of up to 300 participants without imposing any time constraints.
• Recording and transcribing meetings allow for convenient playback and distribution of meeting minutes.
• A more interactive and engaging meeting experience with video conversations with fully customizable backgrounds and a Together mode.
• 24/7 customer care is available via phone or the internet to promptly fix any concerns.

3. Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Organizations looking for cloud-based collaboration tools and actual Office products are the target audience for Microsoft 365 Business Basic. It encompasses:

• Microsoft Teams for extensive chatting, meetings, and collaboration.
• SharePoint and OneDrive, which provides users with 1 terabyte (TB) of storage space each to store and share files.
• Email hosting provided by Exchange, with support for custom domains and a mailbox size of up to 50 gigabytes per user.
• Web-based versions of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) allow for collaborative editing and document sharing within the browser.
• Features for robust security and compliance, including advanced threat protection and multi-factor authentication, are included in the product.
• Tools for basic reporting and analytics to track how Microsoft 365 services are used and how many people use them.
• Administration console for Microsoft 365 allows for centralized management of people, devices, and services.

4. Microsoft 365 Business Standard

Microsoft 365 Business Standard is a subscription service developed for businesses requiring an extensive collection of collaboration capabilities and complete versions of Office applications. It provides:

• Every feature that is included in the Microsoft 365 Business Basic subscription.
• Desktop versions of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Access for PC only) are available to increase work efficiency.
• Extra space for storing files in SharePoint and OneDrive, one terabyte for each user.
• search and discovery capabilities applicable across an entire organization, driven by Microsoft Search and Delve.
• Recordings and transcripts of meetings stored in Microsoft Teams for convenient reference and collaboration.
• Solutions for advanced collaboration such as Planner for project management, Milestones for tracking work progress, and Power Automate for automating workflows are examples of such solutions.
• Device management and security features such as data loss prevention, conditional access controls, and mobile device management are examples of these features.

These Microsoft Teams enterprise products cater to various organizational demands by delivering varying levels of collaboration, communication, and production capabilities to match the specific requirements of each firm.

Conclusion

Microsoft Teams Premium and Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium both provide cutting-edge features and capabilities that boost productivity in businesses of all sizes. These programs do this by enhancing communication, collaboration, and teamwork.

Along with improved security, compliance, and analytics features, Teams Premium also offers connections with other Microsoft products and phone systems. With seamless audio and video communication, centralized management, and proactive support, Teams Rooms Premium aims to maximize the meeting experience in actual conference rooms.

It is hard to quantify the value of effective communication and collaboration in today's fast-paced, increasingly distributed workplace. Organizations can cultivate a connected and effective workforce with the help of Microsoft Teams Premium and Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium. Businesses can streamline processes, improve employee engagement, and ultimately promote development and success by investing in these cutting-edge technologies in a constantly changing environment.

If you want to learn more about how Microsoft Teams Premium can benefit your organization, consider checking out Amaxra. As a Microsoft Partner, Amaxra can help you navigate the various subscription options and customize Teams to fit your unique needs. Don't hesitate to contact Amaxra today to take your collaboration and communication to the next level.

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