Access in Microsoft Teams can get tricky. If you’re curious about how Shared Channels, External Access, and Guest Access work, you’re in the right place!
Video Summary
- External Access: Allows users from different tenants to chat and call each other without leaving their own tenant. However, file sharing and adding external users to teams are not possible.
- Guest Access: Enables adding external users to teams, allowing them to participate in channels, upload and modify files, and access other group features. The main drawback is the need to switch tenants for collaboration.
- Shared Channels: Facilitates collaboration across tenants without needing to switch tenants. Users can share channels with specific individuals or entire teams, making it easier to work together seamlessly.
- Multiple Tenants Collaboration: Shared channels can include users from multiple tenants, allowing them to collaborate without tenant switching. This includes access to shared files and documents.
- Configuration and Features: The demo highlights the ease of configuring external collaboration features in Microsoft Teams, emphasizing the benefits of shared channels for seamless cross-tenant collaboration.
For more information, read the transcript blog below, or watch the video above!
Video Transcript
In this demonstration, we explore the capabilities of external access in Microsoft Teams. Patrick Delano, part of the Carved Rock Fitness tenant, and Vlad Catrinescu, from the Global Mantix Cloud tenant, are collaborating. External access allows users from different tenants to chat and call each other without leaving their own tenant. For instance, Vlad can start a chat with Patrick by entering his email, and despite being notified that Patrick is external, they can still communicate seamlessly. However, certain functionalities like file sharing and adding external users to teams are restricted.
Next, we delve into guest access. Vlad needs to collaborate with Patrick on a project, so he adds Patrick as a guest to his team. As a guest, Patrick can participate in all channels, upload and modify files, and access other group features. The main drawback is the need to switch tenants for collaboration, which can be cumbersome.
We then move on to shared channels, which facilitate cross-tenant collaboration without the need to switch tenants. For example, Vlad shares a channel with Patrick, allowing them to collaborate in real-time without tenant switching. Shared channels can be shared with specific individuals or entire teams, making it easier to work together seamlessly.
Additionally, shared channels can include users from multiple tenants, enabling collaboration without tenant switching. This includes access to shared files and documents, enhancing the collaborative experience.
Finally, the demo highlights the ease of configuring external collaboration features in Microsoft Teams, emphasizing the benefits of shared channels for seamless cross-tenant collaboration. This powerful feature allows users from different companies to work together efficiently in a single location while maintaining separate channels for internal tasks.
