Microsoft is retiring Skype for Business, with Teams becoming the default chat, calling, and meeting app for Office 365. But the power of Microsoft Teams is that it is far more than a communications app—it is a shared workspace that facilitates organization and collaboration. In honor of the Panther’s 3–1 start, here’s a game plan for your getting your team to harness the full potential of Teams.

The basics of chatting in Microsoft Teams is pretty simple. (Check out the Teams Learning Resources page for help.) But Teams takes messaging to a whole new level, with features that make it a vital collaboration tool. Here are some advanced features of Teams chatting that can make you the chat expert.

In July, I wrote a blog comparing Skype and Teams for chatting, calling, and meetings. That was just a taste. Now that Microsoft is getting ready to retire Skype for Business, it’s time for a whole serving of Teams hacks. Here are my top tips for going from basic to pro with Teams meetings.

COVID-19 sure has made me appreciate technology that I admit previously taking for granted—particularly Microsoft Teams and Zoom. But let’s face it, as great as it is to have options, connecting with our colleagues or classmates over video calls each day just isn’t the same as IRL.

Wi-Fi is a necessity for modern working, learning, communication, and entertainment. During a pandemic, it’s even more critical! Here’s how to figure out what you need and where to get it, no matter where you are living or connecting.

Wi-Fi Networks on Campus

The University provides Wi-Fi service for all academic/administrative buildings, traditional residence halls, University apartment-style housing, and hotel housing, plus several outdoor spaces.

I’m not going to pretend to be a hip Gen-Z (as evidenced by the fact that I just said “hip Gen-Z”). But I have some insider information about why your parents may struggle to treat you as an adult and how technology can make it easier.

Students will start moving onto campus next week! Where did the summer go? You’ve been preparing to take classes and participate in college life in the midst of a pandemic. It will be a challenge, but your resilience makes Panther Nation proud—#H2P!

Students will start moving onto campus next week—one of whom will be my own son, an incoming Pitt freshman. So believe me when I say that I could not be more appreciative of all of your hard work in preparing to teach in the midst of a pandemic! I figured the least I could do is provide a few helpful tips for getting started with Canvas.

In 1975, a Business Week article quoted a tech expert who predicted that offices would be paperless in 20 years. Forty-five years later, we still haven’t gotten there. We probably never will—but we can get a whole lot closer!