By Riya Sethi
The Union home ministry has flagged video conferencing software Zoom as unsafe and vulnerable to cybercrimes. The ministry’s notification comes at a time when the platform has gained prominence with most people working from home and children attending online classes in the wake of the lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak, globally. After the government advisory, many schools have asked their teachers to stop using Zoom App for online teaching.
Reputation in the marketplace matters and Microsoft is making a concerted effort to help working professionals and students stay connected today. The saviour here is Microsoft Teams, a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration. In recent times, the Redmond, Washington-based firm has introduced a wide array of product innovations across Microsoft Teams.
During this pandemic outbreak, educators across the country are moving to virtual classes on Microsoft Teams to ensure learning never stops. Teams not only enables teachers and students to connect over video-enabled remote classrooms but also provides a host of interactive and collaborative tools on a single platform. Schools such as The British School in New Delhi, The DPS International, the chain of Amity International Schools as well as Amity University, among others, have moved to Microsoft Teams to enable their teachers and students interact in remote learning scenarios.
“Our mission has been to ensure that learning will never be interrupted, no matter what,” says Rashima V Varma, head of The Ardee School in New Friends Colony. Last November, when the city grappled with unprecedented levels of air pollution, it had moved its classes to Microsoft Teams to ensure that its students do not fall behind. The early experience enabled the school to swiftly deploy Teams for its students in the current COVID-19 situation.
For the uninitiated, Microsoft Teams is your hub for teamwork in Office 365. It brings together virtual face-to-face connections, assignments, files, and conversations into one single platform accessible on a mobile device, tablet, PC, or browser. Put simply, Teams provides the students with an actual feel of a classroom. It allows educators to create their own class, add selected students, share lessons, create assignments, collaborate virtually in real-time, and provide personalised feedback all in one hub. Teams has also created a ‘Remote Learning Guide’ to help parents and guardians support their children.
Rima Singh, Head of School, DPS International, informs: “The teachers are using Microsoft Teams to deliver lessons and share instructional materials to communicate and collaborate with students, colleagues and also with parents.”
Samik Roy, country head, Modern Workplace, Microsoft India, says, “Our solution of Microsoft Teams with Office 365 Academic SKU free, along with technical support is enabling educational institutions to conduct online classes, admissions, bring in experts and connect with parents in a secure environment.”