Microsoft Teams Glossary

The following terms below are commonly used and referred to while using Microsoft Teams. Please note the Applicable policies and the Office 365 link.

A

Applicable policies and Office 365 usage recommendations

• IT1 – Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources
• IT2 – Security of Information Technology Resources
• G3 – Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
• Office 365 Usage Recommendations

C

Calling

You can make video and audio calls from within your team. Open the Microsoft Teams basic user FAQ – How do I make a call? webpage for instructions.

Channels

Channels allow team members to have focused conversations about specific topics. Every team has its own set of channels—starting with the General channel—and team members can decide what they want the rest of their channels to focus on. Every channel within a team is fully accessible to all the team members, so everyone can join in a channel conversation.

Some channels are devoted to specific projects, initiatives, and locations. Others focus on different areas of interest, updates, or discussion topics.

G

Group chat

A private chat with more than two team members involved in the chat.

H

Help

Located at the bottom of the left‑hand pane, it contains a number of topics, training, and feedback options.

P

Private chat

A chat that is visible only to the two members involved in the chat.

T

Team Owners

Team owners are primary and secondary owners who have elevated privileges on a team.

A team owner’s roles and responsibilities include the following:

• Ensure that there are always two active owners.
• Assign and remove team member permissions to the entire team or individual channels.
• Add content, edit information, and communicate with employees in the team.
• Review files and information to maintain content.
• Delete a team or channel when no longer needed. Owners should archive the content and files prior to deleting the team or channel.

Team Types

Department use

Ideal for private teams that require central storage, collaboration, and workflow opportunities between employees in one department. Each team has a primary and secondary owner, and a team requires at least one active owner at all times.

Project use

Best suited for project teams involved in collaborative projects or committees with employees from different departments. Each team has a primary and secondary owner, and a team requires at least one active owner at all times.

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