Overview
This Knowledge base article is intended to give descriptions of Microsoft Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint and suggested usage of each application. These are general recommendations. Each work unit has different requirements and need to determine how best to use them for their work unit. Please contact your Local Support/TSP if you need help.
The links below are to online training courses introducing SharePoint Storage site and OneDrive plus how and when to use SharePoint Storage site, OneDrive and Teams. Added courses for MS Teams follow the introduction classes.
Teams is a collaboration hub application that allows for chat, meet, call, and collaborate with a designated group of colleagues all in one place. The designated team could be a department, a project team, multiple units, or any combination of groups and people that need to work collaboratively across the University and outside the University as well. Collaboration tools include sharing screens in video calls, simultaneously editing documents, or getting feedback to materials via feedback tools.
From within a Teams environment, a person can communicate through group chat, individual chat, video or voice calls. It is a great resource for remote work teams as it’s uses the U of I Cloud environment including OneDrive, SharePoint, and other Microsoft 365 applications.
Teams is not meant for long term storage of files. It is recommended that once the file is no longer being used in Teams, it should be moved to an approved storage location for long term storage.
Microsoft Teams Additional Information & Resources:
OneDrive is individual cloud storage that allows files to be stored securely in one place then accessed virtually anywhere. Think of OneDrive as an individual’s file storage location similar to the U: drive. Stewardship of the files in OneDrive are the individual’s responsibility. A person can share documents in OneDrive with people within U of I or outside of the University.
Users can access the same file from a computer at work, a computer when out of the office or on a mobile device. Files will no longer have to be saved to a thumb drive or emailed. In addition, a person can sync their OneDrive so that the files used frequently are stored on an indivudial’s local hard drive, in addition to the cloud. This is especially useful for those working from a location that has limited or no Internet connection.
OneDrive is meant for ad hoc sharing between individuals. It is recommended to use either Teams or a SharePoint Storage Site for departmental files and workflows used on an ongoing basis.
Please Note: OneDrive files are associated to an individual user account. In the event of employee separation from the University, the files from this account will deleted within 90 days. The supervisor of the employee needs to submit an ITS ticket to access these files.
OneDrive Additional Information & Resources:
U of I Cloud Storage Sites, also known as SharePoint Storage Sites, are a University approved cloud storage location that allows a department or group to store files securely in one place then access them from virtually anywhere. Stewardship of the files in a site location belong to a group owner/department. Access to the site is controlled by the designated owner. Non-owners cannot share files or folders from SharePoint Storage Sites.
A user or group can access the same file from a computer at work, a computer when out of the office or on a mobile device. Use of the VPN is no longer needed to access these files. Files will no longer have to be saved to a thumb drive, emailed, or reliant on an on-campus connection to U of I’s network. In addition, an individual can sync the most recently accessed documents so that the files are also stored on an individuals' local hard drive, in addition to the cloud. This is especially useful if a person is working from a location that has limited or no Internet connection.
Please Note: SharePoint Storage Sites are not approved for storing high risk data currently.
The SharePoint product that is used on the SharePoint Storage is a very broad platform with many capabilities.
SharePoint Additional Information & Resources: