Virtual Classroom Watch

Microsoft Teams

Range: 2-11,000 active Effective: Mar 14, 2017 Vendor: Microsoft Official source Pricing page
Free: $0/mo 60-min meetings, 100 participants Essentials: $4/user/mo 30-hr meetings, 300 participants Business Basic: $7/user/mo Annual billing; 300 participants and recording Business Standard: Package-dependent Teams/no-Teams and Copilot bundles vary by market Enterprise: Quote-based 1,000 interactive plus up to 10,000 view-only attendees

Features Covered

Video Conferencing Screen Sharing Breakout Rooms Recording and Transcription Chat and Messaging Whiteboard Integrated AI Note-Taker

Timeline

MilestoneDateNotes
LaunchMar 14, 2017Teams launched as part of Microsoft 365
Skype for Business retirementJul 31, 2021Teams fully replaced Skype for Business
Teams PremiumFeb 1, 2023AI-powered premium tier launched
Free version relaunchApr 12, 2023Standalone free Teams for personal use

Provisions (9)

Video Conferencing

Implements: Video Conferencing active Effective: Mar 14, 2017
Teams Together Mode places participants in a shared virtual environment, designed to reduce meeting fatigue.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
Gallery viewUp to 49 participants in large gallery
Together modeShared virtual background for all participants
Video qualityUp to 1080p depending on plan
Sources: Teams Features

Screen Sharing

Implements: Screen Sharing active Effective: Mar 14, 2017
PowerPoint Live in Teams gives presenters private notes and slide navigation while attendees see a clean slideshow.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
Desktop sharingFull screen or window sharing
PowerPoint LiveNative slideshow mode with presenter tools
Remote controlGive and request control of shared screen
Sources: Teams Screen Sharing

Breakout Rooms

Implements: Breakout Rooms active Effective: Dec 9, 2020
Teams supports pre-assigning breakout rooms before a meeting starts, useful for recurring classroom sessions.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
Room countUp to 50 breakout rooms
AssignmentAutomatic or manual participant assignment
Pre-assignmentRooms can be configured before the meeting starts
Sources: Teams Breakout Rooms

Recording and Transcription

Implements: Recording active Effective: Mar 14, 2017
Teams recordings automatically save to OneDrive/SharePoint, tightly integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
Cloud recordingStored in OneDrive or SharePoint
TranscriptionAutomatic transcription with speaker attribution
CopilotAI-powered recap and action items require an eligible feature-specific license
Sources: Teams Recording

Chat and Messaging

Implements: Chat Messaging active Effective: Mar 14, 2017
Teams channels serve as persistent workspaces where chat, files, and meeting recordings coexist.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
ChannelsTeam channels with standard and private options
In-meeting chatPersistent chat tied to each meeting
File sharingIntegrated with OneDrive and SharePoint
Sources: Teams Chat

Whiteboard

Implements: Whiteboard active Effective: Jul 1, 2019
Microsoft Whiteboard is natively embedded in Teams meetings, with boards auto-saved to participants' OneDrive.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
IntegrationMicrosoft Whiteboard embedded in meetings
CollaborationReal-time multi-user drawing
PersistenceBoards saved to OneDrive and accessible later
Sources: Microsoft Whiteboard

Polling and Q&A

Implements: Polling active Effective: May 1, 2021
Teams integrates Microsoft Forms directly into meetings for seamless polling and quiz creation.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
PollsMultiple choice and rating via Microsoft Forms
Q&AStructured Q&A with moderation in webinars/town halls
QuizzesForms-based quiz with auto-grading
Sources: Teams Polls

Virtual Backgrounds

Implements: Virtual Backgrounds active Effective: Apr 1, 2020
Teams allows IT admins to push branded virtual backgrounds organization-wide, a key enterprise differentiator.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
Background imagesCustom upload and built-in library
Background blurAdjustable blur
Org-managedAdmins can deploy branded backgrounds across the organization
Sources: Teams Backgrounds

Integrated AI Note-Taker

Implements: Ai Notetaker active Effective: Nov 1, 2023
Teams Copilot provides real-time meeting notes and can answer questions about what was discussed mid-meeting.

Requirements

RequirementDetails
Intelligent recapAI-generated meeting notes with topics, action items, and mentions
Follow-up tasksCopilot suggests follow-up tasks and drafts messages based on meeting content
Sources: Microsoft Teams

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