Introduction
A Microsoft Teams integration allows users to receive program notifications and execute many program activities within their Teams desktop or mobile display, without logging directly onto the Chronus platform. If integration is desired, your Chronus CS contact will connect you with an appointed Support Specialist to walk you through the integration process.
Why it matters: For participants that actively use Teams throughout their day, the integration provides seamless and efficient interaction with the mentoring platform. Users can easily stay on top of their mentoring and meeting requests, surveys and more, and take actions immediately within the Teams application. When Teams is integrated, there is a higher level of timely responses as well as satisfaction with ease of use.
The following article does not include the Teams video integration or the end user experience. For this information, please see:
Prerequisites
Active Chronus & Microsoft Teams Enterprise account
Users in Chronus must be members of the organization's enterprise account with same email address
Installing Chronus on MS Teams
There are two approaches to installing the Chronus App on the MS Teams application. Your organization's Microsoft Teams Admin will need to log onto their Teams account and proceed with one of the following approaches.
Option 1: Make app available on the organization's Teams Marketplace
Allow the availability of the Chronus app on the organization's Teams Marketplace so that a user can install it on their Teams window.
Option 2: Enable the default installation of the Chronus app for all or a subset of users
Step 1: From your Teams left main menu, click on 'Teams apps' dropdown and select 'Setup policies.'
Step 2: On the 'App setup policies' page, select 'Global/org-wide default.'
Step 3: In the 'Installed Apps' section, click the 'Add apps' button.
Step 4: Search for the Chronus App on the right panel to add it, then click 'Add' again at the bottom of the page. The Chronus app should now appear in the 'Pinned apps' section.
Here is a quick video on how to do it - Click Here
With both approaches, once the app is installed a request will be sent to Chronus server with the necessary information. Chronus uses OAuth 2.0 client credentials grant flow to get an access token with Microsoft login service along with the user information received during installation to send notifications proactively. The user does not need to provide any Oauth permissions explicitly.
Please Note: Once integration is complete, the Chronus chatbot will send out a welcome notification to all the users in the policy.
Architecture Diagram
OAuth Permission Scope
Chronus doesn’t require any explicit permissions to send notification except for the permission obtained while installing the Chronus App.
Data Access
Chronus will only have permission to view the following information from the MS Teams accounts that Chronus is connected to:
Name, email addresses of people (to identify the right user for message posting)
Message content that Chronus has posted to users
Post-Integration Workflow
Chronus uses the Bot Connector Service to send and receive messages within MS Teams. The Bot Connector service enables the Chronus App to exchange messages with MS Teams by using industry-standard REST and JSON over HTTPS. With the Chronus integration, users will be able to receive and act upon notifications regarding their mentoring program activities within their MS Teams account.
Overview of User Functions
With a Teams integration, users have access to the following activities within their Teams window without having to log onto the Chronus platform:
Receive notifications about mentoring program updates and activity
Take action on mentoring requests
Communicate with their mentoring partner
Get reminders for upcoming meetings
Respond to surveys
Users can also connect and disconnect the Chronus application by entering the commands that Chronus supports.
FAQ’s
Will end users need to authorize their MS Teams account?
No. Depending on the integration approach the admin selects, the user will either have the app immediately available within Teams, or will take a few simple steps to install it from their organization's Teams Marketplace. Once installed notifications will be sent regardless of whether the user is logged in to Chronus or not.
How does Chronus map the users between the Customer’s Chronus account & the MS Teams account?
Chronus uses the emails of the users to map between the Customer’s Chronus & MS Teams accounts. Users receiving notifications inside MS Teams from Chronus should be using their MS Teams email in their Chronus account.
Can I extend capabilities to only one/a selected list of programs in my organization?
No. Once integrated, Chronus for MS Teams will be available for all the programs in your
organization.
Will Chronus have access to messages in other channels/personal messages between users in the teams app ?
No. Chronus will only have access to the personal bot channel it creates to send
notifications.
Can I remove MS Teams access to Chronus?
The Chronus integration with MS Teams can be disabled by Administrator.
Contact Information
For any issues or troubleshooting, you can send us an email by clicking on the question mark on the lower right of your screen when logged in as an admin. This is not a live chat feature, however, Chronus customer support desk is available 24/5 from Monday to Friday and will get back to you typically within a few hours or less.