Using teams without Exchange ...

[thecomputerguy]

So I have a couple of clients that are in a transitional period where their hardware is old or getting old and the decision to where things are going are being talked about.

I have two clients that are just about perfect candidates for Teams, they won't use all of the functionality but it's ease of use and it's ability to link so easily and well with sharepoint as a storage medium just makes sense for the types of data they are working with.

One of them is on Google Apps, the other one is on a legacy AppRiver exchange server (non-O365). They need a cloud server to store data and their best option by far is teams, or at a very distant second, dropbox for business.

After explaining the benefits and giving them a hands on with Teams using my test environment they were both onboard but when I told them that we'd also need to migrate email away from their current service to O365 which I can do, or they would have to pay for a mailbox they wouldn't use just to get access to SP/Teams both just wanted to sit on their old email systems. I explained we'd have to migrate and then setup email on all devices including phones again etc.

They both seemed to get pretty squeemish about a change that big and chose to pay for Business Premium and the mailbox that comes with it and just not use the mailbox just to get SP/Teams. Maybe I just shouldn't have even offered it as an option?

Anyone else have similar issues?

@YeOldeStonecat

P.S. To make that work I just verify the domain with a TXT record but don't change any other records in the DNS.

 

[Sky-Knight]

You can lead a horse to water but not make it drink. They have O365, they're paying for the mailbox, no one said they have to use it.

I suspect this is going to be more normal than not over time, as companies for one reason or another choose to use various pieces of multiple offerings instead of concentrating on a single stack. That's not necessarily wrong to do either... depends on what your goals are.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

You "can" use Teams and Sharepoint technically without Exchange....for pure file stowage...sure. O365 Biz Essen...if you don't need the Orifice apps installed (Teams app is still free)
Granted you'll lose a lot of added functionality of collaboration and data sharing across all O365 apps. But to get the foot in the door...yes.
That legacy Appriver O365 tenant...I'd migrate 'em..why not? They're already used to the Microsoft ecosystem...so bring them along further..migrate to O365 Biz Prem.

As for those on GMail...heh..well....maybe it'll be strong enough to bring them all over to full O365 down the road.

You can leave them at the default userdomain.onmicrosoft.com for a while.
Don't need to do the DNS records until you add their userdomain....and even then, can add most of the records except autodiscover and the MX record until email cutover time.

 

[trevm999]

I'm not a huge Teams fan, but it's certainly better than not having it and Office365 Business Essentials is a great bargain.

For your gsuite client, they could bump up to GSuite Standard and get some important features, like shared drives, 1TB Google drives or they could get Business Essentials for the same price and end up still paying for Gmail when they could be dropping that additional expense.

 

[Markverhyden]

According to the link below you do have to pay for Exchange to get Teams. But that doesn't mean you have to use it.

https://products.office.com/en-us/c...ice-products-4-column?activetab=tab:primaryr2

 

[thecomputerguy]

Side question for @Markverhyden & @YeOldeStonecat

In the event that you have multiple computers that need office but no Outlook would you ever buy an Office 365 Business (Not Premium) and tie it to a general office account that they don't use like "office@contoso.com" and then use that license to install on several computers since there would be no need to use the account in any way except to contain an Office App subscription?

Or is that highly against TOS?

 

[Sky-Knight]

@thecomputerguy, all O365 subscriptions are licensed per human, not computer. Installing the same login on multiple machines to be used by multiple people is a blatant violation of the EULA, and the TOS.

There is a reason we have separate per device licenses available. That's what Home and Business is for...

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Like Rob said...O365 biz/enterprise plans are "per user".....no I don't encourage clients to install across several computers.

 

[brandonkick]

I wouldn't use SharePoint ( I personally hate SharePoint) and would recommend OneDrive instead....

 

[seashore]

According to the link below you do have to pay for Exchange to get Teams. But that doesn't mean you have to use it.

https://products.office.com/en-us/compare-all-microsoft-office-products-4-column?activetab=tabrimaryr2

According to the link below you can have Teams without Exchange - and get web apps for Word. Excel and Powerpoint - all for free. Or am I missing something? Trying to spec this out for an office at the moment, and the sheer number of MS offerings doesn't make it easy. Granted you get a lower file storage quota, but still probably enough for my client's needs:

https://products.office.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/free
.

 

[Markverhyden]

According to the link below you can have Teams without Exchange - and get web apps for Word. Excel and Powerpoint - all for free. Or am I missing something? Trying to spec this out for an office at the moment, and the sheer number of MS offerings doesn't make it easy. Granted you get a lower file storage quota, but still probably enough for my client's needs:

https://products.office.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/free
.

Nice catch. At first I thought the free web apps might have been because you were in the UK but I saw the same for the US version. Got a small organization that would love that.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I forgot all about the free one, because the 2gb per user thing rears up real quick... you also can't use it to communicate with other organizations.

 

[trevm999]

And all the SharePoint stuff that Teams is usually a frontend for isn't there.

 

[Markverhyden]

Yes. But for very small small organizations that should be fine.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I don't know about that, because without Sharepoint you can't use the marketplace apps. Planner is a huge deal for small groups.

 

[seashore]

Nice catch. At first I thought the free web apps might have been because you were in the UK but I saw the same for the US version. Got a small organization that would love that.

The irony is, after looking into Teams, I think it's likely to be overwhelming and baffling for these particular users as they only need basic file sharing. So I'll probably suggest Business Essentials anyway just to get OneDrive

 

[trevm999]

The irony is, after looking into Teams, I think it's likely to be overwhelming and baffling for these particular users as they only need basic file sharing. So I'll probably suggest Business Essentials anyway just to get OneDrive

OneDrive + SharePoint integration is great, once you've got your SharePoint locations added and don't have to touch SharePoint again

 

[brandonkick]

OneDrive + SharePoint integration is great, once you've got your SharePoint locations added and don't have to touch SharePoint again

Whats the value add of SharePoint if they are using OneDrive for the file storage / sharing needs?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Whats the value add of SharePoint if they are using OneDrive for the file storage / sharing needs?

OneDrive is for your personal/desktop files. Meant to sync/give access to your files across your devices. With your files typically being what you keep in your Documents folder....and desktop, and pics. While "technically" you can share your OneDrive to other users in your org (and outside)...it's not really meant to be the primary goal...Sharepoint is meant for the sharing/collaboration piece.

Sharepoint is the "central file server". Takes place of...that big file server in the closet. That everyone has access to...with different folders shared with different permissions.

If you have a bunch of computers on a network..you don't go sharing out everyones "My Docs" and criss cross a bunch of confusion, do you? No..you put a central file server in the middle..and that's Sharepoint if we're talking O365.

Teams..the apps...some users won't use all of its functionality...but as an Admin it's still soooo much easier for you to create and manage file libraries from Teams...and they just "sync" it to users desktop.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yep, use Teams as a front end to Sharepoint. The users may never open the app, but it makes getting Onedrive setup for real business roles and control SO MUCH easier.