Teams

Please note that the University's centrally supported Zoom service will be retired on 4 May 2026.

Introducing the Smarter Meetings Hub, linked below:

Smarter Meetings Hub (SharePoint)

The Smarter Meetings Hub brings together the information you need to plan, run, and participate in effective online meetings using Microsoft Teams, Town Halls, and Webinars. It includes:

• Short 2–4 minute video guides
• Step-by-step instructions
• Feature comparisons and explanations
• FAQ responses based on the most common questions raised
• Best practice meeting tips, from quick catch-ups to large-scale events

Whether you are hosting tutorials, delivering presentations, running committee meetings, managing breakout discussions, or producing large events, the Hub provides clear, practical support for a wide range of scenarios across the University.

Upcoming Live Training Events

Over the coming weeks, we will also introduce a selection of live 1-hour training sessions, delivered in partnership with 365Tribe, our Microsoft 365 adoption specialists. These sessions will give colleagues the opportunity to learn hands-on with an expert, ask questions, and explore advanced features.  Upcoming topics will include:

• Smarter Meetings with Teams
• Before, During & After: Running a Complete End-to-end Teams Meeting
• Presenting in Teams Meetings
• Moving and Sharing Your Meeting Files
• Troubleshooting Teams: Common concerns and how to overcome them
• Feature Deep Dive: PowerPoint Live, Whiteboards & Loop
• Breakout Rooms – setup, management, and best practices
• Discover Town Halls for Large-scale Events
• Teams Webinars: Planning, Presenting, and Producing

Dates and booking information will be shared shortly in the Hub.

We are also in the process of providing targeted sessions for specific user groups, including colleagues with more complex meeting or accessibility needs, and we will continue to work closely with our BSL community to ensure appropriate support and solutions are in place.

What You Can Do Now

As we continue preparing for the retirement of Zoom on 4 May, we encourage colleagues to:

• Begin scheduling all new meetings in Microsoft Teams
• Reschedule any existing Zoom bookings taking place from 4 May onward
• Review any Zoom recordings or stored content that may need to be moved to a University-supported location (guidance will follow)
• Explore the Smarter Meetings Hub to get familiar with the tools, features, and resources available

We are Here to Support You

We appreciate that this transition represents a significant change for many colleagues, particularly those who have relied heavily on Zoom for teaching, events, and collaboration. Your feedback so far has been invaluable, and it will continue to shape the support we provide.

The Smarter Meetings Hub will evolve throughout the project, with new content and guidance added regularly based on the needs and questions you raise.

Thank you once again for your engagement, cooperation, and openness as we work together to unify our collaboration tools and ensure best value for the University. 

Service Availability Status

Find out about the University's updates on the following page:

University of Edinburgh Service Alerts

​​​​​​​​​​​Teams Updates

Teaching Remotely

We recommend using Teams to hold meetings or for group chat, but if you are looking to teach remotely then you should refer to Teams for Teaching for more details:

Teams for Teaching

Unsure which tool to use for your meetings or events?

If you are unsure which tool best fits your needs as a host or organiser, you may find the Online and Digital Events Service helpful. Here you will find advice and guidance about safely and securely hosting your meetings and events online, supported tools, and a selector to help you choose the right tool for your type of meeting or event:

Online and Digital Events Service  

Limits and Specifications

Microsoft Teams has various limits, specifications and requirements that apply to it.

Microsoft provide up-to-date information on these limits and specifications on their website. This gives information on how many people can be in a Team, how many Teams you can create, how many attendees can join a meeting and other information.

Limits and Specifications for Microsoft Teams (Microsoft site)

Help avoid disruptions to your events

The biggest cause of unwelcome disruption to an online meeting or event is because of sharing the meeting join link on social media platforms.  Avoid sharing your meeting link beyond the participants you wish to attend and if you require a public event, choose a Webinar or Townhall format instead, as this will limit the level of engagement of participants by default.

Security

Please review the University of Edinburgh's policies on Information Security which applies when using the Online and Digital Events platforms:

University of Edinburgh Information Security Policy

If you are sharing research data through the Online and Digital Events platforms, please refer to the Research Data Service webpage for information:

Research Data Service

Data Protection

DPIA

DPIAs have been completed at the University of Edinburgh for each of the Online and Digital Events services.

Please access the files using Your University Login:

Microsoft Teams DPIA

University Data Protection policy

You can also review the Universities policy on Data protection:

University of Edinburgh Data Protection Policy

Privacy

Recording Online and Digital Events

Please read the following privacy notices on recording online and digital meetings and events:

Recording privacy statement (external collaborators) (Word)

Recording privacy statement (internal – staff and students) (Word)

Please also read through the information and guidelines we provide for recording Online and Digital Events:

Guiding Principles - Recording online and digital events

Further Privacy Information

Templates and guidance on privacy notices, including for students, employees, visitors etc:

Privacy Notice Guidance

More information

If you have concerns about security, data protection or privacy in any of the Online and Digital events service platforms, please contact the IS Helpline below:

Contact the IS Helpline