We now have our modern SharePoint intranet set up with home site superpowers, an app bar, and global navigation. We have our dashboard ready with cards to surface important resources in the Viva Connections app. We also have our feeds ready from SharePoint, Yammer, and Stream to organize the content better for our employees. It is time to enable the Viva Connections app in Microsoft Teams and roll it out to users.
In this chapter, you will learn about the process to configure the Viva Connections app in Microsoft Teams and define a rollout strategy.
Viva Connections is an app inside Microsoft Teams that surfaces the SharePoint home site.
Understanding the Process
With everything set up nicely in the SharePoint intranet, it is time to get into Microsoft Teams and make the Viva Connections experience available to our users. Viva Connections is an app available inside Microsoft Teams.
A three-step process of how Viva Connections is made available to users is described. Enable the app in the Teams Admin center, customize it, and make it available.
Three steps process to roll out Viva Connections
Permissions
The Microsoft Teams administrator or someone with a higher role can enable the Viva Connections app in Microsoft Teams from the Teams Admin Center (TAC) .
Enable the Viva Connections App in the Teams Admin Center
If you are planning to roll out the Viva Connections app experience only for desktop users, you can use the PowerShell approach to prepare a package and upload it as a Teams app.
If you are planning to roll out the Viva Connections app experience for both desktop and mobile users, you can use the built-in Teams app.
PowerShell for Desktop-Only Experience
In the early days of the Viva Connections release, Microsoft released a PowerShell script to prepare a package for Viva Connections. You should still use this PowerShell approach to enable a desktop-only experience.
The PowerShell script is available to download at the following location:
https://www.microsoft.com/download/confirmation.aspx?id=102888
- 1.
Download and install the latest version of the SharePoint Online Management Shell.
- 2.
Connect to SharePoint Online as a SharePoint administrator or Global administrator.
A PowerShell script prompts the user to enter several parameters. Execution of this script will enable Viva Connections on the respective desktop.
PowerShell to prepare the package
Home site URL: Provide the URL of the SharePoint home site that will become a landing experience in Viva Connections.
App Name: Provide the name of your app, as you want it to appear in Microsoft Teams.
App short description: Describe your app (in less than 80 characters), as you want it to appear in Microsoft Teams.
App long description: Describe your app (in less than 4,000 characters), as you want it to appear in Microsoft Teams.
Privacy policy link for the app: Provide a custom Teams app policy link. Leave this empty if you do not have any policy and to use the default SharePoint privacy policy from Microsoft.
Terms of use for the app: Provide the terms of use for the custom Teams app. Leave this empty if you do not have any and want to use the default terms of use from Microsoft.
Organization name: Provide the company name that will be available on the app page as “Created by.”
Organization website: Provide the company website URL that will be available on the app page as the company landing page.
- Icons: Provide two PNG icons for your app.
192×192 pixels: Available in the Teams app catalog.
32×32 pixels: Available in the Teams app bar. This should be a monochrome icon.
Prepare the Package with the CLI for Microsoft 365
The CLI for Microsoft 365 is an open source Microsoft 365 Platform Community (PnP) project that helps manage the Microsoft 365 tenant and build automation scripts. The CLI command m365 viva connections app create helps to create the Viva Connections desktop app package for Microsoft Teams.
More information about the CLI for Microsoft 365 approach can be found at https://pnp.github.io/cli-microsoft365/cmd/viva/connections/connections-app-create/ .
Upload the Viva Connections Desktop Package in the Teams Admin Center
The zip package prepared by following any of the previous approaches needs to be uploaded to Microsoft Teams to make it available as an app to the end users.
- 1.
Open the Microsoft Teams Admin Center ( https://admin.teams.microsoft.com ).
- 2.
From the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Manage apps.
- 3.
Click Upload.
A screenshot of the Manage apps page of the Teams Admin Center. It displays the available apps, submitted custom apps, updated custom apps, and featured apps.
Teams Admin Center, uploading an app
A screenshot of the Manage apps page of the Teams Admin Center. It shows the Viva Connections app is allowed and enabled.
Teams Admin Center, Viva Connections desktop app
Enable the Viva Connections App for Both Desktop and Mobile Users
Microsoft has made available the Viva Connections app inside Microsoft Teams. You can simply use this app to enable the Viva Connections experience without any PowerShell or scripting knowledge.
Enable the App in the Teams Admin Center
- 1.
Open the Microsoft Teams Admin Center ( https://admin.teams.microsoft.com ).
- 2.
From the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Manage apps.
- 3.
In “Search by name,” type Viva Connections.
A screenshot of the Manage apps page of the Teams Admin Center. The table on the page shows that the Viva Connections app is blocked.
Microsoft Teams Admin Center, searching for the Viva Connections app
Viva Connections app window with the app's name and logo. The toggle button for status is set to "Allowed."
Teams Admin Center, enabling the Viva Connections app
Customize the App Settings
After the Viva Connections app is enabled, you should customize it to reflect the organization’s branding.
Open the Microsoft Teams Admin Center ( https://admin.teams.microsoft.com ).
From the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Manage apps.
Search for and open the Viva Connections app.
Use the pencil icon under the Customizable section or click Actions ➤ Customize to start customizing the app.
A screenshot of the Viva Connections app window with the app's name and logo. The pencil icon under the Customizable section allows the user to customize the app.
Teams Admin Center, customizing the Viva Connections app
This will open a panel to set a personalized branding experience. The panel is divided into two sections: Details and Icons.
Details Section
A screenshot of the Viva Connections Customize window. The details section allows the user to tweak some visual information about the app, like the name and description.
Customizing the Viva Connections app, Details section
Short name: Provide the name of your app as you want it to appear in Teams.
Short description: Describe your app (less than 80 characters) as you want it to appear in Teams.
Privacy policy URL: Provide the custom teams app policy link. By default, it will use the default SharePoint privacy policy from Microsoft.
Website URL: Provide the company website URL that will be available on the app page as the company landing page.
Terms of use URL: Provide terms of use for the custom Teams app. By default, it will use the default terms of use from Microsoft.
Full description: Describe your app (less than 4,000 characters) as you want it to appear in Teams.
Icons Section
A Screenshot of the Viva Connections Customize page. The Icons section allows the user to customize the visual appearance of the app.
Customizing the Viva Connections app, Icons section
Color icon: Provide a PNG icon (192×192 pixels) to be available in the Teams app catalog.
Outline icon: Provide a PNG icon (32×32 pixels) to be available in the Teams app bar. This should be a monochrome icon.
Accent color: Choose the color to match your icon background.
Once you customize the app appearance , review the changes under the About ➤ Details section of the app.
Define Policies for the App
Now we have the Viva Connections app ready to use. However, it might not be a good idea to roll it to the entire organization in one go. It is advisable to perform a phased rollout of the app. This will help you to gather feedback from pilot users and make improvements. You will have to decide your pilot users and roll out a plan for them.
A model of a phased rollout plan. Four superimposed circles of increasing size are labeled Proof of Concept, Pilot, Targeted Users, and Organization Rollout.
Phased rollout plan
Defining Your Rings for a Phased Rollout
Proof of concept (POC) : Target the business users to analyze the value of this exercise and technical experts to carry out the feasibility of the solution.
Pilot : This is a wider group of business analysts and technical experts who can evaluate whether the app meets the end-user expectations before its rollout.
Targeted users : These are early adopters (e.g., champions) identified in your organization who can provide constructive feedback. Making the app available to champions would be about giving them time to prepare before the broader rollout so that they can champion the rollout.
Organization rollout : Once we have the feedback from each ring accepted and worked upon, it is time to roll it out to the entire organization.
We will cover more about educating your users about the Viva Connections app in Chapter 10.
This rollout plan can be achieved by carefully planning the policies in the Teams Admin Center. In simple words, policies enable us to make a feature available to a few users and restrict it for others. We can use the permission policies and setup policies to effectively roll out the Viva Connections app.
Define Permission Policies
The permission policies help administrators to allow or block apps from the Microsoft Teams store.
- 1.
Open the Microsoft Teams Admin Center ( https://admin.teams.microsoft.com ).
- 2.
From the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Permission policies.
- 3.
Click Add to create a new permission policy.
A screenshot of the Permission policies page of the Teams Admin Center. The user can customize the global default policy or create one or more new policies.
Adding a new app permission policy
Name: Specify a meaningful name to define this policy. For example, the word Beta in the policy name can signify the purpose.
Description: Specify a description of which apps will be available to the users in this policy.
Microsoft apps: Specify the list of allowed apps (e.g., Viva Connections).
A screenshot of the Permission policies page of the Teams Admin Center. It depicts the Viva Connections Beta Permission Policy.
App permission policy for Viva Connections
A Real-World Scenario
The configuration might not be as simple as we have defined now. Because with this configuration, users will lose access to all other Microsoft apps as well.
- 1.
Modify the Global (Org-wide default) policy to block the Viva Connections app and allow others.
- 2.
Create a new beta policy to allow a specific app, i.e., the Viva Connections app, and block others.
Assign Permission Policy to Users
There are various ways available to assign a permission policy to the users.
Option 1: Permission Policy Interface
Follow these steps to add users to the permission policy:
- 1.
In the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, from the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Permission policies.
- 2.
Select the permission policy.
- 3.
Click “Manage users.”
- 4.
In the panel, search and add the user to be added to the permission policy.
- 5.
Click Apply.
A screenshot of the Permission policies page with the Viva Connections Beta Permission Policy as a sample policy. You can add more users by clicking the "manage users" button.
Adding users to the permission policy
Option 2: Permission Policy Interface
- 1.
In the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, in the left navigation, click Users ➤ Manage users.
- 2.
Select the individual user to assign the policy.
- 3.
Click “Edit settings.”
- 4.
Select the policy to assign under the App permission policy.
- 5.
Click Apply.
A screenshot of the Manage users page depicts the steps on how to assign a permission policy to an individual user.
Assigning the permission policy to an individual user
Option 3: PowerShell
If you are an administrator and want to automate the permission policy assignment for the user, you can use the PowerShell option. The PowerShell option is helpful to automate a scenario of assigning policies to multiple users at the same time.
Manage Permission Policies with PowerShell
To effectively manage the permission policies and user assignment, you should consider using PowerShell, as the Teams Admin Center UI provides limited options.
List the App Permission Policies
A window depicts a Get PowerShell command on the top part. This command helps the user to manage the app's permission policies.
Listing the app permission policies
Assign Users to the App Permission Policy
A window depicts two PowerShell commands, Get and Select-Object, on the top part. These commands manage the user assignment.
Assigning users to the app permission policy
Unassigning a Custom Policy of the User
Assigning a Permission Policy to the Groups
Assigning a permission policy to an individual user one by one is a time-consuming and potentially error-prone process. Using a group to assign a permission policy to bulk users is always a good idea. Assigning a permission policy to the groups is not possible from the user interface. However, this can be achieved with PowerShell.
You can use a Microsoft 365 group, security group, distribution list, or Microsoft Teams team for policy assignment. As the members are added or removed from the group, their policy assignment gets updated accordingly.
Assign a Permission Policy to Team Members
Points to Consider
- 1.
At a given point in time, a user can be part of only one permission policy.
- 2.
When you assign a permission policy to a user, the user is removed from the previously assigned permission policy.
- 3.
When a user is a member of multiple groups, the highest ranking takes precedence.
- 4.
It might take a few hours to apply the permission policy to the user.
Make the App Available to End Users
Now it is time to make the Viva Connections app available to the end users. Again, it is recommended to follow the phased rollout approach instead of the big bang approach.
An app setup policy helps administrators control the app’s installation and its pinning to the app navigation bar as a personal app.
Define the App Setup Policy
- 1.
Open the Microsoft Teams Admin Center ( https://admin.teams.microsoft.com ).
- 2.
From the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Setup policies.
- 3.
Click Add to create a new permission policy.
A screenshot of the Setup policies page of the Teams Admin Center. Clicking the "add" button allows the user to create a new permission policy.
Adding a new app setup policy
Name: Specify a meaningful name to define this policy. For example, the word Beta in the policy name can signify the purpose.
Description: Specify a description of which apps will be installed and pinned for the users with this policy.
Install the App
Search based on this app permission policy: Set the scope of the search to apps that are allowed by selecting the permission policy.
Apps to add: Specify the list of allowed apps (e.g., Viva Connections).
A screenshot of the Setup policies page of the Teams Admin Center. The "Add apps" button opens a dialog box where you can specify the app you want to install.
App setup policy for Viva Connections
Pin the App to the Teams App Bar
Pinning the app to the Teams app bar makes it easy for the users to navigate to the app. You can pin the important apps to the Microsoft Teams app bar and set the order in which they will appear to the users.
- 1.
Open the app policy created in the previous step.
- 2.
Under “Pinned apps,” click “Add apps.”
- 3.
Search and add the Viva Connections app.
A screenshot of the Setup policies page of the Teams Admin Center. Clicking the Add apps under the Pinned Apps section opens a dialog box where you can pin the app you want.
Pinning the Viva Connections app
Reorder the Apps
Once the Viva Connections app is added, it will be placed at the end of the list. Use the “Move up” and “Move down” buttons to order the Viva Connections app as desired. It is preferable to place the Viva Connections app at the top of the list so that your digital experience will be available to the users as they open the Microsoft Teams.
A screenshot of a list of seven pinned apps. The "move up" and "move down" buttons can help reorder the apps on the list.
Reordering the Viva Connections app
Assigning a Setup Policy to Users
- 1.
In the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, from the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Setup policies.
- 2.
Select the permission policy.
- 3.
Click “Manage users.”
- 4.
In the panel, search and add the user to be added to the app policy.
- 5.
Click Apply.
A screenshot of the setup policies page. To add users to a policy, select the policy, click manage users, search and add users, and hit the apply button.
Adding users to the setup policy
PowerShell Support
Assign a Setup Policy to Groups
You can use Microsoft 365 group , security group, distribution list, or Microsoft Teams team for app policy assignment. As the members are added or removed from the group, their policy assignment gets updated accordingly.
The Teams Admin Center UI supports assigning app policy to a group, unlike a permission policy, where one needs to possess some PowerShell skills.
Follow these steps to assign an app policy to the group:
- 1.
In the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, from the left navigation, click Teams apps ➤ Setup policies.
- 2.
Click “Group policy assignment.”
- 3.
Click Add.
- 4.In the panel,
Search and add the group to be assigned to the app policy.
Specify the rank; when a user is a member of multiple groups, the highest ranking takes precedence (1 being the highest rank).
Select the policy .
- 5.
Click Apply.
A screenshot of the setup policies page of the Teams Admin Center. Under group policy assignment, the add button leads to a dialog box to assign the policy to a group.
Assigning the setup policy to the group
PowerShell Support
If a user is a member of multiple groups, the policy that has the highest group assignment ranking for the given policy type takes precedence.
Points to Consider
By default, a global (Org-wide default) policy is applied to the user.
At a given point in time, a user can be part of only one setup policy.
When you assign a setup policy to a user, the user gets removed from the previously assigned setup policy.
It might take a few hours to apply the setup policy to the user.
The policy directly assigned to the user takes precedence over being assigned as part of a group as a member.
When a user does not have any direct setup policy assigned and is part of multiple groups, the assignment with the highest ranking will be applied.
Viva Connections App in Action
After you are done defining your permission policy, setup policy, and user assignment to the policy, navigate to Microsoft Teams to see Viva Connections in action.
A screenshot of the Viva Connections page. It has news features, a dashboard, and F A Qs.
Viva Connections app experience in Microsoft Teams
Conclusion
You should now have a better understanding of the process to configure the Viva Connections app in Microsoft Teams and to define a rollout strategy. The permission policies help administrators allow or block apps from the Teams store. The app setup policy helps administrators control the app’s installation and pin it to the app navigation bar as a personal app.
In the next chapter, we will explore the Viva Connections experience for mobile users.