Microsoft Teams Can Now Support Webinars

Microsoft Teams Can Now Support Webinars

For many, remote work has brought on a variety of challenges and frustrations. During the early transition to remote work, many employees shared their frustrations about the struggles of juggling multiple devices and tools to complete one task.

In a physical office, employees would use one room for meetings and then head back to their desks to complete the rest of their daily tasks, but finding similar options in the remote workforce environment was not as easy as some wanted it to be. Microsoft recognized the issue that many were having and decided to do something about it. Microsoft Teams wanted to offer its users more ways to use their tools and applications.

Microsoft has been releasing new features in Teams that have given users more opportunities to be more productive in their remote and hybrid work environments.

Microsoft Teams in Webinars

A feature that many organizations have been looking forward to is the ability to deliver engaging webinars from the Microsoft Teams application. While many organizations have been able to deliver engaging content using the Live Events feature, there have been times when organizations have wanted to create a more customized experience with some components of a traditional meeting, with the ability to effectively manage an audience. Well, organizations finally have the ability to do this; webinars are now available in Microsoft Teams.

Being able to run webinars through regular meetings will allow Teams users to deliver professional presentations for small audiences and large audiences. Users have the ability to hold interactive meetings and webinars for up to 1,000 people. After the capacity of 1,000 attendees has been reached, 10,000 attendees can join the webinar through a view-only broadcast experience. However, this feature can hold 20,000 attendees through the end of 2021.

Those who are familiar with scheduling a Microsoft Teams meeting should have no problems creating a webinar in Microsoft Teams because the process is similar.

Presentations

Users who are the designated presenters will have the ability to remove users and enable and disable audio and/or video. At any point during an active webinar, presenters can name an attendee a meeting presenter — this can prove useful for webinars that have a few attendees. For attendees who are not active participants, but a part of the view-only audience, audio and video will be automatically disabled by Teams.

Attendees

Since webinars can be organized similarly to scheduling a meeting, this will make it easier for users to implement webinars into their daily responsibilities. After the webinar has been set up and organized, users can register for the event. After users have been registered, they will receive an email to join the webinar. Users will be able to experience the following features:

• Ability to send live reactions
• Actively participate in real-time polls
• Ability to participate in moderated chats and Q&A sessions

An attendance report will be available after the webinar meeting has ended. Attendance reports will provide useful insight for organizers of the webinar. Eventually, organizations will have the ability to export attendance reports and other data into the Dynamics 365 CRM application.

What are the benefits of Webinars in Teams?

The purpose of users being able to host webinars in Microsoft Teams will allow users to remove the need for third-party applications. With the ability to host webinars natively in Microsoft Teams, users will have one less platform to worry about switching between. With the addition of webinars in Microsoft Teams, Teams is inching closer to becoming the one-stop-shop for communication and collaboration needs within an organization.

For those who already have Office and Microsoft 365 plans, there will be no need to purchase the license to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams has been known for its ability to host internal meetings, but Webinars will allow organizations to host external-facing meetings. Another benefit of using the Webinar feature in Microsoft Teams is the meeting options that are automatically enabled.

Before attendees are allowed into the event, they will be placed in a lobby. If presenters were invited to the Webinar, they will be able to join directly. Attendees will have their audio and video disabled at the onset, but they can be enabled during the webinar if a presenter wants to bring one of the attendees in.

Collaboration and Communication

It is no surprise that Teams has introduced a Webinar feature into Teams. While Microsoft may be a little behind in providing webinar features, the ability to host webinar sessions has become a necessity for organizations of all sizes. With more organizations adopting remote and hybrid workforces, having a virtual component like webinars is something that organizations will need to have.

The Webinar features in Teams are a reflection of the communication and collaboration trends. Microsoft Teams is making it easier for organizations to run webinars by supporting its meeting capabilities with additional features and functionalities. Microsoft Teams allows users to eliminate as many distractions as possible, paving the way for a more engaged and effective experience.

Webinar features that include registration options can allow many organizations to have something between Live Events and their Teams meetings. As time goes on, we anticipate more companies will offer webinar features, but users who use Webinars in Teams will be able to do so in a platform they are already familiar with, and one that will allow them to use their features in a more manageable way.

For those who are using GoToWebinar, Zoom, or other services to host webinars, there may be some features that exist on those platforms that do not exist in Microsoft Teams. However, those who are already using Microsoft Teams will have everything they need and more because of their use of the entire Microsoft 365 platform.

Have you already tried the Webinar feature? What are your thoughts? If not, are you ready to get the most out of Teams and host your first Webinar? Our experts are here to help you get the most out of your platform. Contact CTECH Consulting Group today to find out how we can help you can gain a competitive edge and unyielding business continuity.

Written by Carl Fransen

posted on July 20, 2021

Carl Fransen

My passion is to make my mark on the world in a positive and lasting way. I want to set an example for my son that his father can compete with integrity in today’s world, be very successful, and leave the world a better place for him.

Combining my technical/business-based education with a long career steadily progressing up the corporate ladder, I decided to build a company that held true to my values. So, I founded and designed the next generation of IT support firm: CTECH Consulting Group Inc. We are a completely automated, cloud-based IT company designed to compete against any other IT firm without the overhead. We promote a lifestyle to all our staff where they can work anywhere, at any time, access any information on any device that is relevant to their job, and collaborate with anyone they want to.