Tutorial / Cram Notes
Permission Policies
Customization starts with permission policies. IT administrators can create and manage custom app permission policies in the Teams admin center. These policies are used to control which apps are available to Team users in your organization. For example, consider the following scenario:
You have a team working on a confidential project and you want to prevent them from using certain third-party apps. You would create a custom permission policy that allows access to company-approved apps and restricts others.
Default Permission Policy | Custom Permission Policy |
All apps are allowed | Only approved apps allowed |
Setup Policies
Setup policies dictate which apps are pinned to the Teams app bar for a streamlined user experience. This ensures that users have easy access to the most important tools. Here’s an example:
In your organization, all employees frequently use the Planner and OneNote apps. Instead of having them search for these apps each time, you can modify a setup policy to pin both apps by default to their Teams app bar.
App Before Customization | App After Customization |
No apps pinned | Planner and OneNote pinned |
Publishing Custom Apps
Organizations can also develop and publish custom apps tailored to their business processes. Once developed, these apps can be published directly to the Teams app store for use within the organization.
Example:
Your organization has developed a time-tracking app that integrates with Teams. After development, the app is published to your organization’s app catalog in Teams, making it available for all Teams users.
App Approvals and Blocks
For greater control over the apps used within Teams, IT administrators have the option to approve or block individual apps. Apps can be managed on a case-by-case basis.
Scenario | Action |
An app does not meet security standards | Block the app |
An app is critical to a department’s workflow | Explicitly approve the app |
Teams App Store Branding
Branding the Teams app store with the organization’s logo and customizing the appearance can enhance the sense of a tailored work environment.
Example:
Your company, Acme Corp, can replace the generic Teams store branding with their own logo and color scheme to provide a cohesive and branded user experience.
Using App Policies to Monitor and Control Usage
The monitoring and analysis of app usage within Teams are just as important as customization. Admins have the ability to track the adoption and usage rates of the apps they have distributed. They can use the ‘Teams admin center’ or PowerShell scripts to gather necessary data.
Example:
App | Number of Users | Usage Rate |
Trello | 120 | High |
GitHub | 50 | Medium |
ContosoApp | 10 | Low |
Teams App Security and Compliance
Ensuring that all apps used within Teams meet organizational security and compliance standards is crucial. Admins must regularly review apps against these standards and make necessary adjustments.
Example:
During a compliance check, it is found that the app ‘ExternalProjectTracker’ does not comply with the company’s data-handling regulations. Consequently, this app is blocked for all users.
By leveraging the customizability of the Microsoft Teams App Store, administrators play a significant role in enhancing the security, compliance, and overall productivity of their Teams environment. This customization, as described, is an essential part of the MS-700 exam’s focus area, reflecting a real-world application of managing Microsoft Teams.
Practice Test with Explanation
True/False: You can restrict specific apps from being used in Microsoft Teams by modifying app permission policies in the Teams admin center.
- True
App permission policies in Teams allow administrators to control which apps are available to Teams users, enabling them to restrict specific apps.
True/False: It is not possible to create a custom app store experience for your organization in Microsoft Teams.
- False
Administrators can customize the app store experience for their organization by creating and managing custom app policies in Microsoft Teams.
Multiple Select: Which of the following can you do to customize the app store in Microsoft Teams? (Select all that apply)
- A) Create custom app permission policies
- B) Create custom app setup policies
- C) Manually approve all new global apps
- D) Publish custom apps developed for your organization
Answer: A, B, D
Custom app permission policies and app setup policies can be created, and custom apps developed for an organization can be published. However, manual approval of all new global apps is not a customization option available in the Microsoft Teams admin center.
Single Select: Who has the ability to customize the app store in Microsoft Teams?
- A) All team members
- B) Team owners
- C) Teams service administrator
- D) External guests
Answer: C
The Teams service administrator has the necessary permissions to customize the app store in Microsoft Teams. Team members, team owners, and external guests do not have direct access to app store customization settings.
True/False: Once an app is allowed in the app permission policy, it becomes available to all users in Microsoft Teams immediately.
- False
Even if an app is allowed in the app permission policy, users need to have that app included in their app setup policy to see it in their Teams client.
Multiple Select: What can be customized by modifying app setup policies in Microsoft Teams? (Select all that apply)
- A) The order of apps in the app bar
- B) Mandatory app installation for teams
- C) Which featured apps are highlighted
- D) The app theme and visual design
Answer: A, B, C
App setup policies in Teams allow administrators to customize the order of apps in the app bar, set mandatory app installations for users, and choose which apps are highlighted as featured. The app theme and visual design are not customized through app setup policies.
True/False: Every user in the organization must have the same app setup and app permission policies.
- False
App setup and permission policies can be customized and assigned to different users or groups within the organization. Different policies can apply to different users.
Single Select: How can you make a custom app developed for your organization available in Microsoft Teams?
- A) By discussing it with your account representative
- B) By submitting it directly to the Teams app store
- C) By publishing it in your organization’s app catalog
- D) By sending download links to team members
Answer: C
Custom apps developed for an organization can be made available by publishing them to the organization’s app catalog in the Teams admin center.
True/False: App policies in Microsoft Teams can be applied at the team level rather than the user level.
- False
App policies in Teams are applied at the user level, not at the team level. Teams do not have individual app policies.
Multiple Select: Which of the following are requirements to submit an app to the Microsoft Teams app store? (Select all that apply)
- A) App should adhere to Microsoft’s commercial marketplace certification policies
- B) App must be widely applicable to businesses or educational institutions
- C) App needs to offer in-app purchases
- D) App must provide value to Teams users through collaboration and communication features
Answer: A, B, D
Apps submitted to the Microsoft Teams app store must adhere to Microsoft’s commercial marketplace certification policies, be widely applicable to businesses or educational institutions, and offer collaboration and communication features that provide value to Teams users. In-app purchases are not a requirement for submission.
True/False: You can use PowerShell to manage app policies in Microsoft Teams.
- True
PowerShell can be utilized to manage app policies in Microsoft Teams, enabling automation and scripting capabilities for administrators.
Single Select: What is the purpose of setting up a custom app store branding for your organization in Microsoft Teams?
- A) To increase app download speeds
- B) To provide a personalized experience for users
- C) To enforce stronger app security protocols
- D) To reduce the number of apps available
Answer: B
Custom app store branding is used to provide a personalized experience for the users in your organization, reflecting the company’s brand and culture, and making it easier for users to identify and adopt internal apps.
Interview Questions
What is the Microsoft Teams app store?
The Microsoft Teams app store is a marketplace where you can find and download apps, bots, and connectors that integrate with Teams and help you and your team work more efficiently.
How do I access the Microsoft Teams app store?
You can access the Microsoft Teams app store by clicking on the “Apps” icon in the Teams sidebar or by clicking on the “More apps” button on the left side of the app bar.
Can I customize the Microsoft Teams app store for my organization?
Yes, you can customize the Microsoft Teams app store for your organization by adding, removing, or reordering apps in the store.
How do I customize the Microsoft Teams app store?
You can customize the Microsoft Teams app store by using the Teams Admin Center to manage the app catalog and set up policies for app installation and usage.
What is the app catalog in the Microsoft Teams app store?
The app catalog is a repository of apps that have been approved for use within your organization. Only apps in the app catalog can be used in Teams.
How do I add an app to the Microsoft Teams app store?
You can add an app to the Microsoft Teams app store by uploading it to the app catalog in the Teams Admin Center.
How do I remove an app from the Microsoft Teams app store?
You can remove an app from the Microsoft Teams app store by removing it from the app catalog in the Teams Admin Center.
What are app permission policies in the Microsoft Teams app store?
App permission policies are policies that control which apps users can install and use in Teams. You can create and manage app permission policies in the Teams Admin Center.
How do I create an app permission policy in the Microsoft Teams app store?
You can create an app permission policy in the Teams Admin Center by selecting “Teams apps” under “Setup policies” and then clicking “Add”.
How do I assign an app permission policy to a user or group in the Microsoft Teams app store?
You can assign an app permission policy to a user or group in the Teams Admin Center by selecting “Users” or “Groups” under “Manage users” and then selecting the user or group you want to assign the policy to.
How customizable is the app store for Microsoft Teams? Are there limitations we should be aware of for MS-700?
Does anyone know if we can restrict certain apps from appearing in the app store for specific teams?
Big thanks to everyone here. The tips are very useful!
Can someone explain how to manage app setup policies for MS-700?
Great article!
Any advice on integrating third-party apps into Teams?
How often can we expect updates or changes to the app store for Teams?
I think the customization options are still lacking in some areas.