According to a blog post published by TeamsQueen.com, Microsoft Teams has rolled out a long-awaited feature: Teams Shared Channels. This feature is a boon for organizations that collaborate, allowing participants to access a specific channel without joining the entire team. Even more impressive is that these channels can be accessed from another organization without requiring a switch - a game-changer for frequent users.
However, setting up Shared Channels involves a somewhat complex process. Organizations are divided into two types: Hosts and Collaborators, with different steps required for each to set up these channels. The setup process involves configurations relating to security, governance, B2B connections, and also enabling the Teams Public Preview feature.
A host organization is responsible for creating the shared channel, inviting external participants, and ensuring their specific tenant's security and governance controls apply to the channel's information. Similarly, a collaborator organization needs to enable its users to join an external shared channel through Teams policies. Both organizations must allow B2B direct connect, either open or restricted to specific external entities.
The blog post offers an insightful walkthrough for setting up Shared Channels, using a scenario between two hypothetical companies. A few necessary steps include configuring Cross Tenant Sharing for a Specific Domain, updating Teams policies, and setting up a Teams Policy for Channel Settings. After configuring these settings, creating a shared channel and inviting users to join becomes straightforward. For more details about Shared Teams Channels, you can visit this information on Teams Channels.
While configuring, itβs recommended to set Trust Multi-factor Authentication from Azure AD tenant to minimize sign-in and authorization friction for external collaborators. Though B2B collaboration is usually enabled by default, the post advises that this should be left as is when configuring Shared Channels.
Microsoft Teams Shared Channels provide a flexible and practical solution for cross-organisation collaboration. The introduction of such a function, designed to maintain security controls whilst allowing specific access, is a progressive step within the digital collaboration space. However, the setup process demands organizations have robust knowledge of their system and security policies to ensure seamless execution.
Read the full article Teams Shared channels (PART 3) - Cooperation with two companies
Microsoft Teams Shared Channels emerge as an exceedingly anticipated collaborative tool due to two distinguished features. Being given permission to a channel does not necessarily mean one has to be part of the team. Notably, even channels managed by a different body appear in the compilation of Teams with zero organization toggle requirement. This comes across as a significant advantage for those accustomed to constant switch between organizations.
By no means is setting up shared channels an easy feat. Today, we endeavor to explain the process involved in setting up a shared channel from both the hosting and joining organization's perspective. Please note that by default, all shared channel features are disabled.
The organization responsible for setting up shared channels is what we refer to as the host. The channel and all data therein reside in the host's tenant and, therefore, subject to their safety and governance protocols. To act as a host organization, you need to navigate some steps.
The hosting party or Organization 1 must first set the stage by configuring Cross Tenant Sharing for a Specific Domain. The Global Administrator for the hosting party must establish external collaboration to enable members of the second organization to join the channel.
Next, the teams should update their policy. To use shared channels while in preview, it's imperative for users to have Teams Public Preview activated. Here, the Teams Administrator enables preview features, thus permitting all users within the tenant to access the preview features.
Subsequently, the channel setting's Teams Policy needs to be put in place. The teams policy helps regulate Private and Shared Channel functionalities for your users. In this case, owners of the shared channels need to be assigned a policy that has the "Create Shared Channels" and "Invite external users to shared channels" settings enabled.
Creating a channel is then possible. The owner of the team, after switching to public preview, makes the channel and chooses the Shared Channel privacy option. Following a successful creation of the channel, the host can invite external collaborators provided the collaborator organization has finished their setup. The last step involves the collaborator giving the host details of users or teams to be added to the shared channel.
The other side of this coin is the collaborator party, referred to as Organization 2. In order to allow its users to join a shared channel in another organization, this body must:
Similar to the hosting party, the collaborator organization starts by preparing their Cross Tenant Sharing for a Specific Domain. The Global Administrator configures external collaboration to allow users to access shared channels managed by the host organization. This is then followed by updating the team's policy and adjusting the channel's settings. Lastly, the entity provides the needed contact details of their employees to the host.
Microsoft Teams Shared Channels offer a convenient platform for efficient collaboration across multiple organizations. With information on the channels easily accessible and no need for switching organizations, they enhance cooperation among teams. Therefore, understanding the setup process, coupled with the necessary knowledge on its features and benefits, will enable users to take full advantage of this offering.
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