Queensland Government Departments have been directed to use Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) as the primary platform for collaboration within and across the State’s Public Service.
The Collaboration Platform (Microsoft Teams) Policy was approved by the State’s Chief Customer and Digital Officer this month and is effective immediately.
According to the Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group (QGCDG) the policy addresses the current high priority issue for a cost-effective, secure collaboration platform to support business continuity.
The Group said it leverages existing contractual arrangements with Microsoft, clarifying that MS Teams can be used without any additional cost to Departments and that additional contractual clauses exist to address requirements for the offshore of personal information.
The policy will be supported by a guideline (to be released soon) to assist with implementation of the policy.
In a statement, QGCDG said it was committed to a collaborative Queensland Government Enterprise Architecture (QGEA) consultation process.
“However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic this policy has been fast tracked,” it said.
As a result, a dedicated QGEA discussion forum topic for Government employees was available to gather questions and share information.
The policy was scheduled for a shorter review due date of 12 months.
The Group said Queensland Government users could keep up to date by subscribing to the News and Notifications links through their profile.
