Microsoft Teams vs Microsoft Teams Rooms – What you need to know

Microsoft Teams is an application that most professionals use daily to communicate with their clients and colleagues.

It is most convenient when users have the right hardware and software for their needs – ensuring that their Teams calls are not just meetings, but fruitful collaborations.

Figuring out which version of Teams and which Teams-certified hardware best suits your needs can be overwhelming.

We therefore unpacked what every version of Teams, and every hardware product sold at ALTA-ICT.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is designed for personal collaboration and is perfect for individuals who want to use the built-in camera and microphone on their laptops to communicate with their colleagues.

While many try to expand their use of Microsoft Teams to build a comprehensive boardroom experience, this is better served by Microsoft Teams Rooms.

The biggest challenges you face when trying to use Microsoft Teams as a boardroom conferencing solution include:

• You cannot provide a two-screen setup (people and content); instead, you must duplicate content on both screens.
• When you share content, you lose track of the people in the conversation.
• You must have stable wi-fi.
• Your laptop must be charged or the meeting will not take place.
• When someone else wants to share content, not only can they exchange HDMI, but that person must participate in the conversation so that people dialing in can also see the content being shared.
• IT needs to go to the boardroom to update the firmware or change camera settings. If users are allowed to make those changes, each person has a different idea of how a boardroom should work.

If you don’t want to deal with these and other challenges, you should use Microsoft Teams Rooms for your modern executive meetings.

Microsoft Teams-Rooms

Microsoft Teams Rooms brings together Microsoft Teams’ digital workspace with dedicated audio and video devices from first or third-party providers certified by Microsoft.

Teams Rooms are purposefully built to help remove the barriers between spaces, places and people and bring the best Teams meeting experience to any space.

Teams Rooms is carefully designed and offers meeting experiences with all participants in mind, not just those in the room.

Microsoft Teams Rooms comes with an NUC PC and a desktop interactive touch screen to manage the call and hardware.

With the click of a button, you join a conversation without having to worry about whether a microphone, speaker or camera is working because I.T. can be notified of any problems before a meeting begins.

Other benefits of Microsoft Teams Rooms include:

• A two-screen setup or a 21:9 aspect ratio screen for Front Row is possible with a Microsoft Teams Rooms.
• Sharing content is always the same – inside and outside a call – without having to join wi-fi or install software on a laptop. Instead, content sharing is done via HDMI for employees and visitors.
• The PC is connected to the LAN port so IT can make sure the Internet is stable
• For the best experience, add a UPS to the room to ensure that even while charging the meeting can continue.
• You can use the Teams management center to monitor software, manage firmware and check uptime.

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If you want to build a meeting room for use with Microsoft Teams Rooms, here are some of the best hardware solutions for Microsoft Teams Rooms.

Small meeting rooms

• Logitech Rally Bar Mini with TAP

Transform any small, focus or huddle room into a Microsoft Teams Room meeting space with this all-inclusive room solution from Logitech featuring the Logitech Tap, Rally Bar Mini and Intel NUC mini-PC.

• Yealink MeetingBar A20 with CTP18 Touch Panel

Activate your small meeting rooms with the Yealink MeetingBar A20 for Microsoft Teams.

The A20 is an all-in-one video device that integrates everything you need for seamless Teams collaboration.

Medium-sized meeting rooms

• Jabra PanaCast 50 with Lenovo ThinkSmart Core

The Jabra PanaCast 50 Room System is a complete solution that allows small and medium-sized rooms to play host to more inclusive, more immersive virtual meetings.

Microsoft is partnering with Lenovo to provide innovative video collaboration experiences that hybrid work… well, work.

• Poly Studio Medium Room Kit with Lenovo ThinkSmart Core

Take your Teams meetings to the next level.

Poly Studio room kits for Microsoft Teams rooms with Lenovo ThinkSmart Core provide professional audio and video for your most productive, focused conversations.

The Medium Room kit includes the Poly GC8 and Poly Studio.

• Logitech Rally Bar with TAP

Transform any midsized room into a Microsoft Teams Room meeting place with this all-inclusive room solution from Logitech featuring Logitech Tap and Rally Bar.

A motorized PTZ camera, room-filling speakers, and a sensitive microphone array deliver a premium user experience that’s easy to install and manage.

• Yealink MVC660 with MTouch II Touch Panel

The Yealink MVC640 brings together the UVC84 4k camera for gorgeous video, the MSpeech Microsoft Teams intelligent speaker offering medium space audio, an MCore mini-PC, and the MTouch II touch panel – into one, seamless Teams meeting solution.

Large meeting rooms

• Logitech Rally Plus system with TAP

A touch control console with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, easy content sharing and control in the middle of the room.

Meeting controls are easily accessible for convenient operation, while integrated cable retention and strain relief keep connections tight.

In addition to the Logitech Rally Plus and 3 microphones, the Tap is suitable for large rooms.

• Yealink MVC840

This Yealink MVC840 3 microphone version brings together the UVC84 4k camera, the VCM34 audio system, an MCore mini-PC and the MTouch II touch screen into one seamless Teams meeting solution.

Simplified deployment with a single CAT5e cable technology, wireless content sharing with WPP20 and the Yealink Device Management Platform for device management provide a simple and user-friendly experience.

Source: mybroadband