Migrating Skype for Business Users to Microsoft Teams

Getting Skype for Business Users on Microsoft Teams

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Migrating-Skype-for-Business-Users-to-Microsoft-Teams
CollaborationInsights

Published: February 9, 2021

Rebekah Carter - Writer

Rebekah Carter

Microsoft Teams has taken the world by storm.

For some time now, companies have been adopting Teams as a solution for collaboration and internal communication. However, the most significant shift to Teams began in 2020, when the new age of remote working empowered more employees to make the shift into the cloud.

However, not every company has evolved to Microsoft Teams yet. Many businesses are still reliant on Microsoft’s previous communications product: Skype for Business.

Despite Microsoft’s regular reminders that Microsoft Teams will eventually be replacing Skype for Business entirely, some organisations are still struggling to make the switch.

With the end of Skype for Business on the horizon, companies will need to think about how they can ensure a safe, secure, and effective migration to Teams.

How to Drive Employees to Teams

Any decision to shift from one technology to another can be difficult for today’s companies. Though Microsoft Teams and Skype have many similarities, the Teams environment may still take some getting used to. For businesses with a long history in Skype for Business, there’s more to moving to Teams than just switching a new service on.

So, how do you improve your chances of making the transformation seamlessly?

1.    Spread the Word

First, make sure that your employees know about the impending shift to Teams, as far in advance as possible. Your employees need time to prepare for the arrival of the new technology. No-one likes a change to just spring upon them out of nowhere.

As you spread the word, you’ll begin to get an idea for who your early adopters might be. People who feel more comfortable with the idea of jumping onto Teams, or employees that have used the service before can be especially useful. These staff members are great mentors for anyone who might be feeling uncomfortable about using Teams for the first time.

Try to get a good idea of what kind of mix of employees you might have in your current landscape. How many people are happy about the migration? How many don’t feel comfortable?

2.    Prepare your Teams for Microsoft Teams

Once you’ve made people aware that you’re moving to Microsoft Teams, the next step is making them understand the features and benefits that they’re going to be exploring. Gather documentation and information that your users can check out about the Teams environment. Reassure your employees that the functionality they have now is only going to get better with Microsoft Teams.

Teams built on the existing foundations of Skype for Business, so the shift shouldn’t be as significant as moving to a solution from an entirely different provider. Plus, Microsoft has improved the way that various Microsoft assets work together with Teams. Everything from your Outlook email to your Microsoft 365 productivity tools can work more seamlessly here.

You can even add apps and integrations into Microsoft Teams that ensure your employees don’t have to switch frequently between different apps to get work done. Create a list of the most valuable features that your employees need to know about in the transition to teams and show them how those capabilities are going to benefit them.

3.    Start Upgrading Users to Teams

Next, start activating the user upgrade from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams. There are various migration paths available through Microsoft, and you’ll need to determine what kind of functionality you want to access going forward. For instance, you may want to connect to Microsoft as your new PBX solution too. Direct routing could be a great way to connect your existing telephony functionality to Microsoft Teams, creating a central hub for communication.

In Skype for Business, you can provide alerts to employees to remind them of the upcoming move to Teams, and you could even think about upgrading groups one at a time. Start with your employees who are most comfortable with the transition and get feedback from them on how you can make the process easier for other team members.

Make sure that you listen to your teams about any concerns they might have with the new features and functionality. A phased migration can be helpful for avoiding any unforeseen issues that might reduce productivity in your workforce.

4.    Enhance User Adoption

With your Microsoft Teams technology in place, the next step is encouraging people to use it as much as possible and discover the benefits for themselves. Have a team meeting on the first day when everyone has Teams active and ask for any questions that your employees might have. Discuss the features that you’re going to be using regularly and walk people through certain capabilities using screen sharing.

The best way to improve the adoption of any new technology is to get your teams excited about it. Show them how the various features of Microsoft Teams can make their lives easier and help them to get work done in a more efficient way. You could even have a launch event, where everyone gets together over video chat or in Teams Together Mode to celebrate the next step in your strategy.

Remember, your employees should always know who to turn to if they have any issues with the functionality or capabilities of Teams.

5.    Adoption and Training

Finally, with all your employees now ready to use Teams, keep an eye on what’s going on in the workplace. You can check out reports directly within Teams that help you to understand who’s using the app, and what kind of features are getting the most attention. Keep an eye on your adoption levels and offer further support to people who need it.

There may be certain groups in your staff that need more guidance with Teams than others. If that’s the case, make sure that training and development opportunities are available. You can even create video courses and make them available to your employees on-demand.

Make sure that anyone can access extra help whenever they need it, particularly when new features roll out on the Teams platform.

 

 

 

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