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Switching from Zoom to Teams

Last updated on 22 January 2026
The VU-wide contract with Zoom expires on 1 May 2026 and will not be renewed. Microsoft Teams has been available to all VU staff and students for some time now. Teams offers equivalent functionality, allowing us to avoid duplicate costs. Panopto, the VU's video platform, can also be used as an alternative in specific situations.

Careful transition with support

The IT and SOZ departments are working together on a careful plan for phasing out Zoom. We are identifying who still uses Zoom and for what purposes. In discussions with the staff members concerned, we are investigating what is needed to ensure that Teams (and Panopto where necessary) fits in well with practice. We are guiding staff members step by step in the transition to Teams, with clear explanations and practical support. New Teams functionalities are being investigated and made available where relevant. For educational purposes, a link to Microsoft Teams will be available in Canvas in February 2026.

Support and training for working with Teams

From February 2026, we will offer training courses and knowledge sessions to further support employees in using Microsoft Teams. A link to the webpage where one can find support and the option to register for training or knowledge sessions will be available in this page shortly.

If you use Zoom and would like advice already now on how to use Teams, you can contact the project leader Nicole Prins via n.prins@vu.nl

Questions

For general questions about the phasing out of Zoom, please contact the IT Service Desk via services.vu.nl

  • Canvas - Teams Link for Education

    For the benefit of education, a link to MS Teams will be available in Canvas from February 2026. This link will allow lecturers to easily schedule online lectures within the course environment in Canvas, similar to the current link to Zoom. The link to Zoom will remain available until the end of teaching period 4 (end of March 2026). 

    From teaching period 5 onwards, lecturers will use the link to Microsoft Teams in Canvas for online or hybrid lectures.

    To make this link visible in the Canvas menu bar:

    1. Go to Settings in the menu bar.
    2. Then select Navigation.
    3. Search the list for the Meetings option and drag it to the active menu
    4. Save the changes.

    For more information, see MS Teams Meetings in education

  • Can Teams offer the same features as Zoom?

    When Covid started, Teams was unable to offer the same quality as Zoom. Nowadays, Teams has improved significantly and many of the earlier complaints have been addressed, such as the options for breakout rooms.

  • Will Zoom no longer be usable at all?

    In a limited number of cases, Zoom may remain available, for example when there is truly no suitable alternative.

Learn more

MS Teams Meetings for education

Zoom

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