Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a cloud platform that combines chat, meetings, video conferencing, notes, collaborative file editing and sharing, and tasks. This supports teamwork and especially collaboration with colleagues in a hybrid work environment.

Functionalities/possibilities offered by MS Teams in general are limited at KIT.

Teams at KIT:

Links:
- Online Tools at KIT

Access MS Teams

For the use of Microsoft Teams, the service agreements on video conferencing systems and the data protection declaration applicable at KIT must be observed.

KIT employees must first agree to the Microsoft Team Privacy Statement once.

The use of MS Teams is either done in the browser or with a separate client program:

browser requirements: Chrome or Edge
Alternatively, there are client programs for all operating systems availabele including mobile devices. Download via the Microsoft product page.
For SCC managed Windows clients (OPSI) the distribution is normally automatic. However, since most devices are currently not in the KIT network (home office), there is a dedicated manual for this.

Login at first start of MS Teams

Analogous to the client program, the login takes place via the KIT Web-SSO mechanism (Shibboleth) using the user's own login name: KIT-ACCOUNT@kit.edu (find out your own KIT account)

for staff: ab1234[at]kit.edu
for students: uabcd[at]student.kit.edu
for partners: ab1234[at]partner.kit.edu

To facilitate the introduction to MS Teams, you may find answers to KIT specific questions in the FAQ.

Guidance on using MS Teams in online teaching is provided by the Center for Media Learning (ZML): Use of MS Teams in teaching

Use for...

Participation of external persons

Option 1: Preparation / Invitation to an appointment

Requirements: Installed Outlook and MS Teams desktop application (client)

create an appointment in Outlook
click on New Teams Meeting in the menu bar
enter recipient - it is possible to enter external participants
send appointment
a participation link is included in the appointment ("Attend Microsoft Team Meeting")

Option 2: Just before the meeting

organizer opens Outlook appointment
click on "Join Teams Meeting" in the menu bar
a chat opens automatically in the desktop application
the participants open the Outlook appointment to participate and click on the link in the appointment request

Option 3: Via the personal calendar in MS Teams

This option has only been possible since the login names were changed in March 2024.
This allows you to schedule an online meeting in Teams without having to use Outlook.

Go to your "Calendar" in MS Teams
- You can find this in the left-hand navigation bar under [...]
  -> enter "Calendar" via the search function
You should then see your personal Exchange calendar
Create a new Teams meeting there by clicking on the "+New meeting" button and specifying all meeting options
Save the meeting
Participants and organizers will receive an invitation with a corresponding meeting link and can use it to join the planned meeting.

Netiquette

dial in in time (in advance)
mute when not speaking (avoid noise)
use a headset (avoid reverberation)
provide longer contributions in advance

Client and operating system specifications

Linux - Chrome

If you use Chrome, you may get into an error that asks you to use third party cookies. This is how you get to this setting: 3 vertical dots in the upper right corner -> Settings -> Avanced -> Privacy and security -> Site Settings-> Cookies and site data -> block third-party cookies: off.

Linux - Client

In the Linux client, you cannot share individual windows, only the entire screen.

Windows client

In the Windows Client you can blur the background during an meeting: More options ... -> Blur my background.

The client starts automatically, after each Windows logon.

Mobile - Clients (iOS, Android)

There are some minor restrictions in the mobile phone clients that would go beyond the scope of this article. If we notice significant differences, we will share them here.

Microsoft Teams