Microsoft Teams meeting experience in Thola

We have recently upgraded our Microsoft Teams meeting experience in Thola to make the integration even more user-friendly and accessible. In practice this means that we have embedded a simplified version of the default Microsoft Teams experience which allows you to stay in the Thola platform. You can even navigate from one room to another and further explore the event while being in a call.

How to join a Microsoft Teams meeting in Thola

One-to-one call

When another attendee is requesting you to join a one-to-one call, the only thing you need to do to launch the meeting is to accept this call. After that, the meeting will automatically be initiated within the Thola platform. 

Plenary session

The same logic applies to joining a plenary live session. The only difference there is that you have to click on the Teams logo to launch the meeting. After that, the meeting will automatically be initiated within the Thola platform. 

Functionalities

When joining a meeting within Thola, you have multiple functionalities available. You can find a detailed overview and explanation of all the buttons in the menu bar here: 

• Minimize: you can minimize and drag your meeting window anywhere in the Thola room. This allows you to explore other buttons or documents in the different rooms while still being present in the meeting. 
• Camera: with this button you can activate or disable your camera. You can also select a different camera.
• Microphone: with this button you can activate or disable your microphone. You can also select a different microphone.
• Start screen share: select this option if you want to start sharing your screen
• Show Participants: this button gives you an overview of all the attendees that are present in the meeting.
• Invite user: you can invite other attendees who are present in Thola into this meeting.
• Teams App: with this button you can join the meeting via Microsoft Teams. This allows you to have the full Teams experience. If you click on this button a pop up window will appear. From here you can choose whether you want to launch the meeting via the Teams App, the Teams web browser or rather want to return to the embedded meeting in the Thola platform. 
  Important: This option is required when you want blur your background. 
• Leave: select this button if you want to leave this meeting. 

A full Microsoft Teams experience

As mentioned in the introduction, the meeting experience in Thola is a simplified version of the default Microsoft Teams experience. This means that some functionalities are only available via Microsoft Teams itself. In case you want to use any of the functionalities below, please select the 'Join via Teams App' button (see above).

• Custom background: changing or blurring your background is only possible via the Teams App or Teams Web
   
• Camera streams: the Microsoft Teams experience within Thola can render up to 4 camera streams of other attendees. In case there are more than 5 participants in the meeting, the others will be visualized with their name and can still use their microphone.
  
  
• Chat: sending a chat message to other meeting participants is only possible via the Teams App, Teams Web or via the Thola chat in the platform.
  
  
• Lobby: if you are using a custom meeting URL (read here how to use custom meetings) and have activated a lobby via your meeting options then please keep in mind that a person who has access to your organisation's tenant needs to join the meeting via the Teams App or Teams Web to admit attendees to your meeting.