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Start the new academic year with Teams, not Zoom

27 Aug 2026

Colleagues are reminded to use Microsoft Teams for online meetings, teaching support, collaboration and events wherever possible, ahead of the planned retirement of University Zoom licences at the end of the 2026 calendar year.

video conferencing

IT Services have been working towards standardising the University’s video conferencing services around Microsoft Teams. Following feedback from colleagues, Zoom access for currently licensed users was extended to support a managed transition, but the long-term direction remains unchanged, with Teams becoming the University's primary platform for online collaboration.

Why we're making the change

During the Covid pandemic, the University provided Zoom licences to support remote working, teaching and learning. Since then, Microsoft Teams has become available to all colleagues and students as part of our Microsoft 365 environment, providing an integrated experience alongside Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and other Microsoft tools.

Using Teams helps simplify the University's digital landscape, supports more seamless collaboration, and makes better use of services already included within our Microsoft 365 licence.

Zoom from 1 January 2027

If you have a Zoom account with your University email address it will revert to the free basic Zoom licence, with hosted meetings of maximum 40 minutes and 100 participants. There will be no restrictions on joining Zoom meetings.

What you need to do

If you have not already done so, please:

  • Use Microsoft Teams as your default platform for meetings and online collaboration.
  • Review any guidance, web pages, training materials or local documentation that still references Zoom and update these where appropriate.
  • Encourage colleagues and students to use Teams for meetings and events.
  • Begin planning now for any remaining activities that currently rely on Zoom.

Need support?

Guidance, FAQs and support resources are available through our Microsoft 365 Help and Support site. The project team continues to work to support colleagues with specific requirements and help ensure a smooth transition.

If you have a specialist use case that you believe cannot yet be supported through Teams, please raise it with the project team so that appropriate advice and support can be provided. Contact the project team at zoom.project@manchester.ac.uk