Collaboration Tools

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) provides three main collaboration tools to help people working on a common task to attain their goals. These tools enable groups to communicate, share, coordinate, cooperate, solve problems, and work together for the purpose of completing a task. The main purpose of these tools is to enhance the productivity of individuals, as well as the productivity of a group.

SharePoint

Microsoft SharePoint is a Web based collaboration service for groups of all sizes. Individuals, colleges, and departments may request and then manage their own SharePoint sites. SharePoint is often compared to a Swiss Army knife because it offers many tools for groups to share, manage, and use information. SharePoint is also the standard document sharing platform used by Microsoft Office, and is closely integrated with Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook.

SharePoint can be used to set up Web sites to share information with others, manage documents from start to finish, and publish reports. The most common use of SharePoint at FAU is to serve as a document collaboration tool. Files can be uploaded to departmental or personal sites and shared out among specified people.

How to use SharePoint

All FAU employees (faculty & staff) may begin using their personal SharePoint site by navigating to https://fau.sharepoint.com and clicking their name in the top right corner and then selecting "My Site." To request a group or departmental site, a ticket may be placed with the service desk to have a new site provisioned. When placing the request, please specify the name of the department or group the site is for and who the primary owner will be.

MS-Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool that integrates with other Microsoft Office 365 services and third-party connectors and apps for a dynamic working space. Backed by Office 365 advanced security and compliance capabilities, Microsoft Teams is a secure collaboration application for any group on campus.

MS-Teams Features

  • Chat one-on-one with other users, or in small groups
  • Make audio or video calls with other users
  • Invite external (guest) users to be part of your Team
  • Access other Office 365 apps including Word, Excel, SharePoint, etc.
  • Connect with anyone on campus
  • Easily search for conversations, chats, files and people
  • Schedule meetings that automatically integrate with your existing Outlook calendar
  • Automatically record and upload video, audio, and shared content from meetings

MS-Teams Resources & Training


Microsoft Teams Quick Start Guide (PDF)
Help Desk Knowledge Base | Microsoft Teams


How to Use Microsoft Teams 

Watch this video for a step-by-step guide of Microsoft teams for first-time users.