Ensure Your Hardware is Microsoft Teams Certified
Nearly everyone in the business world today has participated in a web conference of some sort, whether it’s a weekly staff meeting, a company-wide announcement, or a presentation about a new product or service their business plans to offer. With many companies instituting a hybrid workplace, where employees spend part of the time working in the office and the rest of the time working from home, web conferencing software has become a standard part of nearly every employee’s toolkit.
Although there are a variety of web conferencing software packages on the market, a few have emerged as clear leaders in the space. One of those leaders is Microsoft Teams, a part of the Office 365 suite of cloud applications. Teams is currently Microsoft’s fastest-growing app, with more than 115 million daily users. It offers a host of instant messaging and video conferencing features and integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft applications including SharePoint, OneDrive, and Outlook for easy sharing of files.
Teams subscriptions are included with the various Microsoft 365 subscriptions, meaning nearly everyone has access to the program. The Teams free plan includes video calls, 2 GB of personal cloud storage, and unlimited chat, while the top-level subscription also includes unlimited cloud storage and the ability to host events for 10,000 people. Teams is also compliant with a host of security standards, including ISO 27001, ISO 27018, and HIPAA Business, making it a good choice for operations of all types.
What is a Microsoft Teams certified device?
Microsoft’s certification program ensures USB peripherals such as headsets, speakerphones, webcams, and monitors work (plug & play) with Microsoft Teams with no extra configuration required. Additionally, those devices offer call control with Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business. The company says that Microsoft Teams-certified devices offer rich audio or video quality and provide a great experience for end users and administrators.
Whether you’re implementing Teams throughout an organization with thousands of employees, or simply outfitting your home office, critical to ensuring trouble-free conferencing is using only Microsoft Teams-certified hardware.
Certified hardware for Microsoft Teams Rooms
Taking the concept one step further is Microsoft Teams Rooms, a scalable hardware and software solution for business conferencing. Microsoft Teams Rooms certified devices are dedicated pieces of hardware typically installed in a meeting room or hybrid workspace that provides superior video conferencing capabilities. The hardware is managed using an integral device compatible with Microsoft Teams software.
Companies desiring the Microsoft Teams-certified label must submit their products to a rigorous testing program conducted by an independent lab. Additionally, those companies must demonstrate that they
Those interested in submitting their products for the Certified for Microsoft Teams program must also have:
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A proven record of developing and marketing enterprise-grade and industry-leading communications products
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Evidence of ability to achieve the technical requirements of the program
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Established global support channels
Best Microsoft Teams certified devices for conference room solutions
Communication technology provider Yamaha Unified Communications has partnered with Microsoft to offer a variety of Microsoft Teams-certified hardware that provides best-in-class audio and plug-and-play simplicity, simplifying the meeting experience for enterprise teams no matter where the participants may be located.
Yamaha UC’s ADECIA Ceiling Solution, for example, is a Microsoft Teams-certified audio solution optimized for web conferencing. The family of products is designed to be easily installed and work seamlessly together to provide complete and customizable communications solutions for meeting spaces or classroom audio. The solution helps overcome implementation, configuration, and room acoustics challenges by providing all of the components required for a successful installation, with automatic technologies that reduce setup time, costs, and complexities.
The Microsoft Teams-certified ADECIA tabletop solution, like the ADECIA Ceiling System, automatically detects all components of the system and configures them to be optimized for the room environment, accounting for the location of speakers and microphones, reverberation, and echo behavior.
And the YVC-1000 Mic & Speaker System is the perfect scalable solution for small, medium, or large rooms. With adaptive echo cancellation technology and auto-tune setup, the solution provides the best in Microsoft Teams meeting experiences. The YVC-1000 features a speaker unit and the ability to daisy chain up to 5 smart microphone pods (3 mics per pod) while adding connections to easily connect to external speakers and additional microphones.
Check out this article by Yamaha UC experts looking at how Microsoft Teams stacks up against another popular web conferencing solution, and this one looking at the workplaces of the future.
If you need additional advice on the hardware for a superior virtual meeting experience, reach out to the experts at Yamaha Unified Communications. We’re here to help!