Microsoft Teams for Dental Practices

01What is Microsoft Teams?

In the last few years, team collaboration software has moved to the forefront of daily business operations. Microsoft Teams is a communication platform featuring internal messaging, video meetings, file sharing, and calling. Similar products exist, but not all are appropriate for a dental practice, and not all are HIPAA compliant. Microsoft Teams is an ideal fit for dental practices and, with a business associate agreement in place, is considered HIPAA compliant.

Teams connects on-site and remote team members so they can collaborate from anywhere, on desktops, laptops, and phones. As part of Microsoft’s business suite, it connects seamlessly with other key applications like PowerPoint, Exchange, and SharePoint.

02Microsoft Teams features

As part of Microsoft’s cloud offering, Teams is constantly evolving, but its core components make up a comprehensive communication suite.

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   Teams and channelsTeams are collections of users, content, and tools organized around projects, either public within your organization or invite-only to keep information private. Use them for individual projects (such as a marketing effort) or ongoing collaborations (such as SOPs). Channels organize topics within a team, and can be access-protected when needed.
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   ChatOne-on-one and group chat, which can be elevated to a call or video meeting.
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   CallsWith VoIP integration, make internal and external calls and add audio conferencing, so people can join online meetings by phone.
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   VideoVirtual backgrounds, transcription, recording, breakout rooms, and screen sharing come standard, which matters more than ever with remote workers and third-party collaborators.
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   Online meetingsHost trainings and virtual events for employees and collaborators, up to 10,000 attendees, with scheduling, note taking, file uploads, and in-meeting chat.
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   CalendarReal-time calendar updates and user-friendly scheduling keep your team and collaborators organized.
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   File sharing and storageStore, share, and edit files within teams, always up to date on every device. SharePoint document libraries add automatic saving and customized permissions for sensitive information.

03Microsoft Teams and security

As HIPAA requires, data is encrypted in transit and at rest within Teams, and customer data and uploads remain under the customer’s control. Microsoft also includes security features such as two-factor authentication and single sign-on.

About Darkhorse Tech

Whether you’re just starting out or a well-established organization, Darkhorse Tech has the experience and technology to help get you moving, cut costs, and streamline your operations with unlimited IT support. We help you do what you do best: provide top-notch care and service for patients, not deal with IT problems, time spent on hold with technical support, or complicated technical mishaps. Our additional security services include:

• Unlimited remote and/or on-site IT support of all your hardware and software
• Improved network performance and security
• HIPAA-compliant off-site and local backup service (Darkhorse Secure Backup)
• Managed antivirus, anti-malware, and anti-ransomware (Darkhorse Security Products)
• Compliance and security law standards
• Microsoft security patch management
• Vendor management: we will be on the phone, not your employees
• Secure, remote access to your office
• Firewall management
• Network management
• Long-term planning and budgeting

Contact us anytime to learn more about our dental-specific solutions and unlimited support packages. Read our reviews or call us today at 800.868.4504.