Microsoft 365 offers ample applications to make our work life easier. We can optimize our working environment from sharing files to collaborating with other people when these solutions are integrated. One such ideal example is integrating SharePoint’s document management system in the Microsoft Teams environment such that we can enjoy the benefit of both the tools together.
Microsoft Teams vs SharePoint
The main difference between Microsoft Teams and SharePoint is that Microsoft Teams is a collaborative workspace where one can perform multiple activities from conducting meetings to sharing files whereas SharePoint mainly acts as a central collaborative platform exclusively for information sharing.
Microsoft Teams is one of the newest collaboration tools launched by the company. The platform is so versatile for communication and collaboration that it can easily replace Skype for your daily work. From connecting through video calls to sharing and downloading files, Microsoft Teams offers a central location for all team members to work efficiently.
SharePoint is also a collaboration platform where one can store, share, and access any information. One can use SharePoint independently opening from any web browser but Microsoft also integrates into various Microsoft packages like Office 365. From SharePoint, information can be shared across various teams securely.
Comparison Table Between Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
| Parameters of Comparison | Microsoft Teams | SharePoint |
| Definition | Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and communication platform and it is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite. | SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform for document storing and sharing. |
| Launch | Microsoft Teams was launched in 2017. | SharePoint was launched in 2001. |
| Role | Microsoft Teams plays the role of monitoring overall teamwork. From file sharing to video conferencing, everything is done on the platform. | SharePoint is very crucial to an organization’s information system and it has its repositories for information management and sharing. |
| Features | Main features are audio and video conference, creating channels, document storage, and sharing. | The main features are sharing, discovering, organizing, building, and managing. |
| Use | It is used for building a hybrid work environment so all the team members in a project can work collaboratively. | SharePoint is mainly used for creating websites where a company can store information securely. |
| Communication | Messaging, video calls, and recording meetings are various ways of communication. | There are no other means of communication except for sharing documents. |
| Access | Microsoft Teams are accessed from standalone apps available both for Android and iOS devices. | SharePoint can be accessed through any internet browser and it also comes integrated with Microsoft Teams. |
What is Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft Teams is one of the best collaboration platforms that several organizations including multinational conglomerates and education institutes use today to carry out day-to-day work. There are many useful features of the platform that are very crucial to today’s business communication especially in an online mode. Though there are many other project collaboration and business applications like Slack or Skype that people use today. But certain features of Microsoft Teams make it one of the most flexible in the market.
Microsoft Teams allows creating various teams from one account. And, a single team is made up of channels where conversations can take place between teammates. Meetings can be scheduled in the channels and people who are added to the particular team will get a notification. There is a general channel where every member can view any posts or documents uploaded. Apart from conducting meetings and messaging, one can also upload posts to give updates regarding anything. People also have an option to react to the posts with emojis (like Facebook) and reply to them.
Some of the most used features of the platform are video calling, screen sharing, meeting recording, using SharePoint Online to access documents, etc. Microsoft Teams is a very user-friendly platform that offers a hybrid workspace to enhance productivity. Microsoft Teams is a new platform and there are training materials available from the company if anyone requires assistance learning how to use the platform.
What is SharePoint?
SharePoint is best described as a web-based collaborative platform launched by Microsoft and it forms the central hub for document management systems. This platform is based known for storing and sharing data (important information) between various team members in a company. It mainly becomes a crucial part of the working system in a remote environment for managing content. SharePoint is mainly used by the companies to create websites where various corporate contents are stored.
There are multipoint reasons why your team should make SharePoint a part of your working platform. Easy access to content from any corner of the world from any device without any hassle is a wish of every employee out there. And, with various features of SharePoint, it is made possible for every employee in a company. SharePoint becomes more powerful when it is integrated with Office 365 thus unleashing the real power of a collaborative workspace.
SharePoint has several benefits especially because of its high security. The in-built security features of SharePoint will allow the owner to decide which employee can access which level of information or who outside the organization can access the content. It also can automate mundane tasks like collecting the status of documents, collecting approvals, etc.
Main Differences Between Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
- Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and communication platform best described as a hybrid workplace whereas SharePoint is a platform for document management and sharing.
- Microsoft Teams is a rather new platform that was launched in 2017 whereas SharePoint was released in 2001.
- Microsoft Teams plays the role of monitoring overall teamwork whereas SharePoint has its repositories for information management and sharing.
- Main features of Microsoft Teams include audio and video conference, creating channels, document storage, and sharing whereas SharePoint various feature revolves around proper storing and sharing of information.
- Microsoft Teams is used for building a hybrid work environment so all the team members in a project can work collaboratively whereas SharePoint is mainly used for creating websites where a company can store information securely.
Conclusion
While comparing Microsoft Teams with SharePoint, one should not think how and which one is better. Because both platforms are extremely important for the smooth workflow of any organization. While Microsoft Teams is a hybrid platform that offers us every feature required for collaborative work and at the same time an organization can safely store and share information through SharePoint. This is one of the reasons why SharePoint is integrated with Microsoft Teams in Office 365. The importance of these platforms is immense especially if we consider the pandemic and post-pandemic scenario.
References
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-5875-0_1
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1155/2015/589180