Shared Channels in Microsoft Teams and debut of companies Direct Connect

Shared Channels in Microsoft Teams allows teams to collaborate with external partners, such as vendors or customers, by creating a shared channel within a Team. This feature allows users to share files, chat, and schedule meetings with external partners as if they were part of the same Team.

B2B Direct Connect, is a new feature of Microsoft Teams which enables direct, private, and secure communication between teams in different organizations. This feature allows teams to bypass the internet and connect directly to one another, which improves security and reduces latency.

 Why we need shared channels?

Shared Channels in Microsoft Teams is a feature that allows teams to collaborate with external partners, such as vendors or customers, by creating a shared channel within a Team. This feature allows users to share files, chat, and schedule meetings with external partners as if they were part of the same Team. Shared Channels provide a way for teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of whether they are part of the same organization or not. It helps in increasing the productivity and allows the team members to collaborate in real time with external partners, vendors, and clients.

How to get the benefits of Shared Channels?

The benefits of Shared Channels in Microsoft Teams include:

Improved collaboration: Shared Channels allow teams to collaborate with external partners, such as vendors or customers, in real-time, as if they were part of the same team. This improves communication and coordination, and helps to achieve better outcomes.

Increased productivity: Shared Channels provide a centralized location for team members and external partners to share files, chat, and schedule meetings, which can help to streamline workflows and reduce the need for multiple tools.

Better security: Shared Channels provide a secure and controlled environment for external collaboration, which can help to protect sensitive information and comply with regulatory requirements.

Greater flexibility: Shared Channels allow teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of whether they are part of the same organization or not. This can help to foster innovation and new business opportunities.

Better client/customer service: Shared Channels allows the team to better service clients by giving them access to the same resources and information as internal team members, which can help to improve client satisfaction and retention.

How do Shared Channels work in teams?

Shared Channels in Microsoft Teams work by allowing teams to create a shared channel within a team that can be accessed by both internal team members and external partners. Once a shared channel is created, team members and external partners can share files, chat, and schedule meetings within that channel as if they were part of the same team.

Here’s how it works:

A team owner creates a new team and invites external partners to join as members.

Once the external partners have accepted the invitation, the team owner can create a new shared channel within the team.

Once the shared channel is created, team members and external partners can access it and begin collaborating. Team members can also invite external partners to specific channels as well.

Team members and external partners can share files, chat, and schedule meetings within the shared channel, just as they would in any other channel within the team.

The owner of the team can also control the access and permissions of the shared channel, allowing team members to control who can see and access the shared channel.

Shared Channels can also be disconnected or deleted by the team owner, at any time.

It’s worth noting that Shared Channels work only between teams that belong to the same Microsoft 365 organization or between teams that belong to different organizations that have set up B2B Direct Connect.

 how teams are control and govern?

Shared Channels in Microsoft Teams include control and governance features that allow teams to manage and secure external collaboration.

Access control: Team owners can control who has access to shared channels, and can revoke access at any time.

Permissions: Team owners can set permissions for shared channels, such as who can create, delete, or edit channel content.

Auditing: Teams provides an audit log that tracks all activity within shared channels, including file access, chat messages, and meeting activity. This allows teams to monitor and review collaboration activity for compliance and security purposes.

Data Governance: Shared Channels also include data governance features such as Retention policies, eDiscovery, and Legal hold, that helps organizations to meet regulatory requirements and protect sensitive data.

Compliance: Shared Channels support compliance standards such as SOC 2, HIPAA, and ISO 27001, allowing organizations to meet regulatory requirements and maintain secure communication with external partners.

Security: Shared Channels are built on the same security infrastructure as the rest of Microsoft Teams, providing protection against external threats and data breaches.

Compliance and security policies can be set and enforced to ensure that external collaboration is conducted in compliance with organizational policies and regulations.

Overall, Shared Channels in Microsoft Teams provide a secure and controlled environment for external collaboration, which can help organizations to protect sensitive information and comply with regulatory requirements.