Microsoft Teams: More than just chat and meetings thanks to bots and integrations

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform for corporations and SMEs that makes it possible to work together from anywhere. The integrated tools and features of Microsoft Teams offer even advanced users many opportunities to optimize and simplify their work. In this blog post, we'll show you some advanced features of Microsoft Teams.

Using bots in Microsoft Teams

An advanced feature of Microsoft Teams is the integration of bots. Bots are programs that can automatically perform specific tasks, such as sending notifications or retrieving information from other applications. For example, with bots, advanced users can receive notifications when certain events occur, or they can use bots to quickly answer frequently asked questions.

Bots can be integrated with Microsoft Teams in a variety of ways. One option is to use pre-configured bots provided by Microsoft or by third parties. These bots can be activated directly in Microsoft Teams and offer various functions, such as sending weather forecasts or retrieving messages.

Another option is to develop your own bots using the Microsoft Bot Framework. With the bot framework, advanced users can develop their own bots and integrate them into Microsoft Teams. In this way, they can automate individual functions and processes, saving themselves time and effort.

An example of the use of bots in Microsoft Teams could be that a bot automatically sends notifications when new emails arrive in a specific mailbox. In this way, users can be quickly notified of new emails without having to constantly monitor their inbox.

The Microsoft Bot Framework for Microsoft Teams

If you want to use the Microsoft Bot Framework for Microsoft Teams, there are a few steps you should take.

The first step is registration with the Microsoft Bot Framework. To do this, go to the Microsoft Bot Framework website and create a new account. After registration, you can start right away and create a new bot.

The second step is the creation of a new bot in the Microsoft Bot Framework. To do this, select the option “Create a new bot” in the Microsoft Bot Framework dashboard and follow the instructions. There are various templates to choose from, depending on what features you want the bot to have.

The third step is the integration of the bot into Microsoft Teams. To do this, you first have to add the bot to Microsoft Teams. To do this, go to the “Apps” option in Microsoft Teams and search for the bot you want, and once you've found the bot, click on “Add” and the bot is added.

The fourth step is the bot's configuration. In the Microsoft Bot Framework, there are various options for customizing and configuring the bot. This includes, for example, the ability to set notifications or customize the bot's dialog.

Overall, these are the most important steps to use the Microsoft Bot Framework for Microsoft Teams.

Integrations with Microsoft Teams

The integrated tools and features of Microsoft Teams offer even advanced users many ways to optimize and simplify their work. In this section, we'll show some integrations for Microsoft Teams that might be of interest to advanced users.

One of the strengths of Microsoft Teams is the ability to integrate other applications and tools. With integrations, users of Microsoft Teams can, for example, receive notifications from other applications or directly access information from other applications.

One interesting integration for Microsoft Teams is the integration of project management tools. Microsoft Teams integrates, for example, with tools such as Trello, Asana or Microsoft Project, which make it possible to plan and track projects. In this way, advanced users can organize their work in Microsoft Teams and concentrate better on the most important tasks.

Another interesting integration for Microsoft Teams is the integration of Office 365. With the integration of Office 365 with Microsoft Teams, users can edit and share Word, Excel or PowerPoint files directly in Microsoft Teams, for example.

Third-party apps

Another integration that could be of interest to advanced users is the integration of third-party apps.

One way to integrate third-party apps with Microsoft Teams is to use “tabs.” Tabs are integrated applications that are delivered directly to Microsoft Teams. There are many different tabs provided by third parties that can be used for various purposes. For example, there are tabs for project management, social media monitoring or customer communication.

Connectors

A second way to integrate third-party apps with Microsoft Teams is to use “connectors.” Connectors are integrated applications that make it possible to connect Microsoft Teams with other applications. They are used to receive notifications and other information from other applications directly into Microsoft Teams. There are many connectors provided by third parties that can be used for various purposes.

An example of a connector would be the “Twitter Connector.” With the Twitter Connector, Microsoft Teams users can receive notifications when a specific tweet has been posted or when someone uses a specific hashtag. This allows Microsoft Teams users to stay up to date with what's happening on Twitter without having to constantly monitor the platform.

Another example of a connector is the “GitHub Connector.” With the GitHub Connector, Microsoft Teams users can receive notifications when there are changes to their GitHub repository.

Overall, integrations with Microsoft Teams therefore offer advanced users a variety of opportunities to optimize their work and easily consolidate various tools in Microsoft Teams.