Microsoft MVP João Ferreira released the second edition of a new Microsoft Teams guide in late December 2021, making his one of the most up-to-date Teams books currently available. Other books available, such as my MS-700 exam guide, are geared exclusively towards certification and administrator responsibilities. João’s book reaches a broader audience, sharing important information every Teams user should know.
What I feel really adds value in this book is João provides more than just how-to. You’ll find scenarios and examples throughout the book in which João describes how particular features and tools are used in realistic business scenarios. You’ll also find more than theoretical information because of João’s step-by-step guidance through specific tasks, such as how to create a new team from a template.
And while it’s important to know how to create a team and channels, João takes it a further step to make sure readers not only understand the steps involved, but also the implications in the background. For example, when readers create a team they’ll discover the other Microsoft 365 group resources that are built to support that team simultaneously.
Contents of Hands-On Microsoft Teams
João uses the first chapter to walk readers through various versions of Teams (including desktop apps for Windows, Linux, and macOS, mobile apps, and web apps) and introduce basic concepts (what is a team, what is a channel, etc.). Readers are also shown how different plans affect limits and abilities within your organization.
After the first chapter, readers of all skill levels and interests are led more in depth into topics of interest including:
- Core topics like how chats, meetings, search, and data storage work
- Chats and conversation abilities and nuances
- Using meetings, webinars, and live events (including newer features like registration and attendance reports)
- Channel types (including the newer Shared channel type) and team governance
- Teams templates (including administrator setup)
- Microsoft Viva (all four current modules including Connections, Insights, Topics, and Learning)
- Microsoft Teams use cases including frontline and personal use (arguably one of the most valuable chapters)
- Extending Microsoft Teams using apps and understanding personal apps
- Enabling and implementing custom apps, including using Power Automate and Power Apps with Teams
And the final few chapters (11-13) cover more advanced topics to take Teams usage and administration to the next level including:
- Building apps and bots using the developer portal, QnA maker, and Power Virtual Agents
- And lastly, using PowerShell to help administer Teams
Conclusion
João has put together a clear and concise reference guide packed with realistic scenarios and ideas you could refer to regularly. This guide will also be a great gift for co-workers, new hires, and even seasoned administrators since there is truly content for all levels in this book. Personally, I really appreciated that João made sure this new release also included newer features, such as Shared channels, ensuring it’s the most up-to-date Teams reference possible.
And be sure to connect with author João Ferreira on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on his community contributions and any future projects.
Disclaimer: I was provided a digital copy of this book in exchange for consideration of providing a review. Also, as an Amazon affiliate, I earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.