Archives

Collaboration and Communication Platform (MS Teams)

Product overview - Free business icons   Overview and Key Features:

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based collaborative workspace that brings together people, content and conversations. With Teams, channels of colleagues can create content while collaborating with one another at the same time. Users can share files through Teams both internally and externally, and access their team files on SharePoint.

The powerful chat functionality of Teams enables instant text, audio, and video communication among university colleagues. It integrates Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, offering a collaborative experience.

 

Help - Free computer icons   Getting Started:

Desktop Version

While Microsoft Teams is available as a web app, the Teams desktop client is recommended for a more robust experience. The desktop version offers better integration with Microsoft 365, efficient resource use, and enhanced notifications.

 

Question mark - Free communications icons   Get Help:                    

If you’re looking to get started or have any questions or concerns, we recommend beginning by reviewing the relevant resources:

Report a security incident to the Security Team

Support Level: Basic support only

Video Content Management (MS Stream)

Product overview - Free business icons  Overview and Key Features:

Microsoft Stream is a secure video service that allows you to share recordings of classes, meetings, presentations, training sessions and related videos. With Stream, users can access their videos on multiple devices from any location and deliver both live and on-demand videos to curated audiences.

 

Help - Free computer icons   Getting Started:

To access Stream, sign in to your UTmail+ account (Outlook). Then, click on the application launcher (the waffle icon in the top left corner) and select Stream

Storage Note

It’s important to note that, unlike Stream Classic, the new Stream integrates with Microsoft 365, allowing for video files to be stored and shared directly within OneDrive or SharePoint which may impact storage quotas.

 

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Recommended External Resources

Service Level: Basic support only

MS Power Platform

Product overview - Free business icons   Overview and Key Features:

Microsoft Power Platform is composed of two key products and other services: Power Apps and Power Automate.

  •  Power Apps: Microsoft Power Apps is a suite of apps, services, and connectors, as well as a data platform, that provides a rapid development environment to build custom apps for your business needs.
  • Power Automate: Microsoft Power Automate is used to automate repetitive business processes. Beyond simple workflows, Power Automate can send reminders on past due tasks, move business data between systems on a schedule, talk to more than 600 data sources or any publicly available API, and can even automate tasks on your local computer like computing data in Excel.

   

Help - Free computer icons   Getting Started:

Power Apps and Power Automate are available to all full-time staff and faculty.

Once you receive confirmation, log in to your online Outlook/UTmail+ account and click on the waffle in the top left corner. Click on “All apps”. Select the Power Apps or Power Automate tool.

If you don’t see Power Apps and Power Automate under your M365 apps launcher, please check your eligibility Microsoft 365 Licensing – Toolkits for staff, faculty, students and other community members and ask your local IT helpdesk to submit a Microsoft 365 License Exception Request.

Get Started with Power Platform environments (FAQ and best practices).

 

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Overview of Microsoft Power Platform (Microsoft)

Support Level: License provisioning and Governance only.

Task Management Tools (MS Planner)

Product overview - Free business icons   Overview and Key Features:

Microsoft Planner is a simple way to organize teamwork and manage tasks.  With Planner, you can bring teams, tasks, documents and conversations together in one place.

Use Planner to create a project plan, assign tasks to a team of individuals and update the status of your tasks. In Planner, each project can be organized visually with a plan board. Using the board, you can organize tasks into buckets, categorize tasks based on their status and easily drag and drop tasks between columns.

 

Help - Free computer icons   Getting Started:

To access the OneDrive Web interface, sign in to your UTmail+ account (Outlook). Then, click on the application launcher (the waffle icon in the top left corner) and select Planner.

Open a ticket in the Enterprise Service Centre (ESC) to request more information.

 

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Search the Knowledge Base for more information about MS Planner.

Support Level: Basic support only

 

Online Forms and Surveys (MS Forms)

Product overview - Free business icons   Overview and Key Features:

With the Microsoft Forms tool, you can create surveys, polls and formative quizzes – and easily see results as they come in. When you create a survey or form, you can invite others to respond to it using any web browser, even on mobile devices. As results are submitted, you can use the lightweight, built-in analytics to evaluate responses. Form data can be easily exported to Excel for additional analysis.

The Microsoft Forms tool provides basic functionality for forms and surveys. It offers time-saving and efficient features, including:

  • Re-usable template forms.
  • The option to add pictures and videos to your survey.
  • Collaborative design that allows you to co-edit forms with colleagues.

   

Help - Free computer icons   Getting Started:

Log in to your online Outlook/UTmail+ email account and click on the waffle in the top left corner. Select the Forms tool.

 

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Open an incident ticket using Enterprise Service Centre (ESC)

Support Level: Basic support only

Appointment Scheduling Services (MS Bookings)

Product overview - Free business icons   Overview and Key Features:

Microsoft Bookings is a scheduling tool that allows you to keep track of appointments and clients. With Bookings, clients can easily access your booking page at any time to find the appointment slot and service that they need. For example, an instructor at U of T might use Bookings to schedule office hours.

Bookings provides an excellent alternative to phone or email appointment scheduling: a simple, customization webpage lets your clients find available times and book appointments 24/7. Once an appointment is booked, your client will receive a confirmation email and calendar invitation.

 

Help - Free computer icons   Getting Started:

  • Access:

UTmail+ Home

MS Bookings is available to all full-time staff and faculty. Once you have access, log into your online Outlook/UTmail+ account, open the app launcher (the waffle icon) in the top-left corner, select All apps, and choose Bookings.

You can also use Bookings within Microsoft Teams. Just open Teams, select the three-dot (More added apps) menu, and look for Bookings.

 

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Access the Enterprise Service Centre (ESC) to open an incident ticket.

Support Level: Basic support only

Mobile Device Management

Product overview - Free business icons   Overview and Key Features:

The Telecommunications (Telecom) team within Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) at Information Technology Services (ITS) manages the University of Toronto’s corporate mobile plans, which are available through the Provincial Vendor of Record agreement for staff and faculty whose departments cover the cost of both the device and the plan. Please note that the University does not offer corporate pricing for personal devices or plans. U of T’s preferred plan rates are significantly discounted compared to standard consumer rates, and the plan can be purchased with either a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) option or a 3-year term.

Services:

  • U of T Corporate Mobile Plans

   

Help - Free computer icons   Getting Started:

Corporate Plans must be ordered by the department’s Business Officer.

We would like to remind the community about the requirements to enroll in the U of T Corporate Mobility plan

  • Employees must submit a request to their immediate manager for approval
  • The manager is to approve the request based on departmental requirements and budget and submit the request to their departmental business officer

The invoice must be paid directly by U of T. The Corporate plan is intended for departments that require their staff to use a cellphone for university business. It is not intended for individual use even if the individual plans to submit an expense reimbursement to their department.

 

Question mark - Free communications icons   Get Help:

For assistance with eOrdering portal and access: voipsupport@utoronto.ca For assistance with Rogers corporate mobility accounts  voipsupport@utoronto.ca

Email List Management

""   Overview and Key Features:

Listserv is a platform used to create and manage automated mailing lists. It enables users to subscribe to targeted communications—ranging from system availability and service updates to school or departmental announcements and general newsletters.

When you subscribe, your request is automatically forwarded to the list manager for review and approval. Once accepted, you’ll receive a confirmation message indicating that your membership is active.

Help - Free computer icons    Getting Started:

 

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Search the Knowledge Base for how-tos and answers to commonly asked questions

Electronic Signature Services

""   Overview and Key Features:

DocuSign enables departments to prepare, manage, and take action on electronic agreements efficiently. Documents can be signed electronically (eSignatures) by both internal and external users using a variety of devices.

All signatures processed through DocuSign comply with the U.S. ESIGN Act and the European Union’s eIDAS regulation, including support for EU Advanced and EU Qualified electronic signatures.

""   Getting Started:

""   Get Help:

Divisional Intune Access (DITA)

""  Overview and Key Features:

The Divisional Intune Access (DITA) program is designed to provide departments with access to Microsoft Intune and deliver technical training to local IT staff.

By the end of the program, departments will be equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to enroll newly procured devices and migrate existing ones into the University of Toronto’s Intune environment. Participants will gain exposure to best practices and hands-on tools, enabling them to configure, deploy, troubleshoot, and manage devices independently.

The program supports Windows and iOS/iPadOS devices, with MacOS support available upon request. Access to the Intune environment requires the creation of specialized accounts in collaboration with Information Security to access the Microsoft Intune Admin Centre and related systems.

A dedicated Microsoft Teams space will be used as the primary channel for communication throughout the program. This space will also serve as a repository for training materials, meeting recordings, and tools.

""   Getting Started:

For general information please reach out to Vince To or Jimmy Au.

To add your department to the upcoming DITA schedule, please reach out to Gary Raposo or Vicki Vokas.