Upgrading from Microsoft Teams to Teams Premium: Why organisations are making the switch
Posted on August 27, 2024 by Louise Howland
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, collaboration tools have become indispensable. Microsoft Teams as a collaboration tool has become a leader in the industry and is a cornerstone for many organisations. However, as businesses grow and their needs evolve, the standard features of Microsoft Teams may no longer suffice. Enter Microsoft Teams Premium, a more robust and feature-rich version designed to cater to the demanding needs of modern enterprises. Here are the compelling reasons why organisations are making the switch from standard Teams to Teams Premium.
Enhanced Collaboration Tools with AI Features
AI is rapidly transforming the way we work, making tasks more efficient and enabling smarter decision-making. Recognising the importance of AI, Microsoft Teams Premium offers a wide range of enhanced collaboration tools designed to boost team productivity and improve collaboration. These include:
- Real-time Co-authoring: Collaborate on documents in real time with colleagues, no matter where they are.
- AI-Powered Insights: Utilise AI to gain insights into team performance and productivity, helping to identify areas for improvement.
- Advanced Search and Discovery: Quickly find relevant information and documents with enhanced search capabilities.
Moreover, Teams Premium introduces AI-driven features specifically for meetings, such as:
- Meeting Summaries: Automatically generated summaries that capture the key points of discussions.
- Intelligent Recaps: AI-driven recaps that highlight important moments and decisions made during meetings.
- AI-Generated Actions: Automatically generated action items based on meeting discussions, ensuring follow-up tasks are clearly defined.
These AI features enhance productivity without carrying the same potential data implications of Microsoft Copilot, as they are designed specifically for meeting only. This focused approach ensures that your sensitive information remains secure while still benefiting from the efficiencies and insights AI can provide.
Enhanced Security and Compliance Features
One of the main reasons organisations upgrade to Teams Premium is the enhanced security and compliance features. In an era where data breaches and cyber threats are rampant, protecting sensitive information has never been more important. Teams Premium offers advanced encryption and compliance capabilities, ensuring that all communications and data are secure. Features like Advanced Threat Protection and Data Loss Prevention help organisations safeguard their information against unauthorised access and leaks.
Advanced Meeting and Webinar Capabilities
Standard Teams provides robust meeting functionalities, but Teams Premium takes it a step further with advanced meeting and webinar capabilities, including features like:
- Advanced meeting analytics: To allow organisations to gain deeper insights into meeting performance and participant engagement.
- Customisable meeting controls: To give organisations more flexibility over their meeting settings to better fit their specific needs, including advanced moderator controls and meeting templates.
- Enhanced webinar features: To equip organisations with the ability to host large-scale webinars with up to 20,000 attendees, complete with registration pages, reporting, and attendee management tools.
Improved Integration and Customisation
Teams Premium allows for better integration with other Microsoft 365 services and third-party applications. For instance, you can seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Power BI to pull real-time data visualisations directly into your Teams meetings or channels, enhancing workflow efficiency and decision-making processes. This seamless integration not only streamlines your operations but also enables more personalised and productive work environments. Additionally, Teams Premium supports advanced customisation options, allowing organisations to brand their Teams interface with custom logos, themes, and colours, and tailor functionalities to meet specific business requirements, such as creating bespoke meeting templates or setting up unique permission levels for different departments.
Distinguishing Teams Premium from Copilot in Teams
It’s essential to differentiate Teams Premium from Copilot in Teams. While both leverage AI, Teams Premium focuses on improving meeting productivity with tools like intelligent recaps and AI-generated actions. In contrast, Copilot integrates more broadly with Microsoft 365 data, offering comprehensive assistance across various tasks. This broader data integration can pose higher data risks and need more initial work to ensure data is secure, whereas Teams Premium’s AI features remain confined to the meeting context, providing a safer option for sensitive data.
Cost-Effectiveness in the Long Run
While the initial investment in Teams Premium might be higher than sticking with the standard version, the long-term benefits certainly outweigh the costs. The advanced features, enhanced security, and improved support can lead to significant productivity gains and reduced risks, ultimately saving money for the organisation. Moreover, the scalability of Teams Premium ensures that as your organisation grows, your collaboration tools can grow with it, providing continued value over time. Costs can be controlled by upgrading the licence for specific users only, also monthly and annual commitment options are available so you can trial Teams Premium in your organisation to fully appreciate the benefits Teams Premium can bring. It is worth noting that Microsoft are currently running a discounted price for new Teams Premium signups on an annual commitment.
Upgrading to Microsoft Teams Premium is a strategic move for organisations looking to enhance their collaboration, security, and productivity. The advanced features, superior support, and cost-effectiveness make Teams Premium a worthy investment for businesses of all sizes. As the digital workspace continues to evolve, having a robust and reliable collaboration platform like Teams Premium can be a game-changer for your organisation.
By making the switch, organisations not only future-proof their communication infrastructure but also empower their teams to work more efficiently and securely, driving overall business success. If your organisation is considering an upgrade, now is the time to explore the vast possibilities that Microsoft Teams Premium has to offer.
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