Overview of the integration

Microsoft Teams integration enables you to add a Service Bots virtual agent to Microsoft Teams. Users and corporate employees will both be able to communicate with this virtual agent.
         

This is performed via different products.

• Azure Bot Service: Microsoft Azure service specially designed for developing bots using Bot apps and connecting them to different channels to make them available to solutions such as the MS Teams platform.

• Microsoft Teams: A collaborative platform that enables discussions among users or teams within a given company. These discussions can also be with a bot, and in particular with the Service Bots virtual agent.

• Service Bots: Used to associate a Service Bots virtual agent with an Azure Bot app and to connect this app to the MS Teams channel. The virtual agent will then be available in the MS Teams app and users can communicate with it.

Notes

• The avatar of the Service Bots virtual agent in MS Teams has a hexagonal shape that is easily identifiable.

• If users belong to a team where the Azure Bot app is installed, they can search for the virtual agent by entering its name in the search field at the top of the MS Teams window. Otherwise, they can search for the virtual agent in the MS Teams app catalog and run the Bot app.

• Depending on the scope of the Bot app, the virtual agent may be mentioned in a team discussion using the @shortname instruction.

Step-by-Step Integration Process

You can integrate a Service Bots virtual agent with Microsoft Teams in four steps:

• Step 1: In Azure Bot Service, create a Bot app.
• Step 2: In Self Help, create a Service Bots virtual agent dedicated to the MS Teams channel.
• Step 3: In MS Teams, test the Service Bots virtual agent.
• Step 4: In MS Teams, deploy the Azure Bot app.
   

Prerequisites

• The Service Bots virtual agent must be created.  See How to create a virtual agent.

• Self Help projects must be accessible to the AuthenticatedUser user.

Step 1: In Azure Bot Service, create a Bot app.

1. Create a new Bot app.

• Log in to the Microsoft Azure portal.

• Click More services at the left of the service list.
• Click All services > AI + Machine Learning in the left menu pane, then click Bot Services in the right pane.

• Click + Create in the toolbar.
  The list of available bots will be displayed.

• Click the See more link at the bottom of the page and select Azure Bot service.
• Click Create.
           
  The pane for creating the new Bot app will appear.
           

2. Specify the information required for the new Bot app.

3. Finish the creation of your new Bot app.

• Click Rewiew + Create.
  Information will be rewieved.

• Correct any configuration errors.

• Click Create.
  • The summary of information will be displayed.
    
  • The ID and the password (secret) of the Bot app will be generated.
  • The Bot bot will be deployed on the Azure portal.

4. Specify the Service Bots endpoint.

• Click Go to resource.

• Click Configuration in the left menu pane.

• Specify the Messagerie endpoint field as indicated below. Replace the values indicated in yellow by your own data.
           

• Click Apply.

5. Retrieve the ID and the secret (password) of your new Bot app.

Retrieving the app ID

• Copy the app ID in the Microsoft App ID field.
           

Generating and retrieving the client secret

Note: You cannot copy the client secret which has been automatically generated at the creation of the new Bot app. You should create a new one.

• Click Manage next to the Microsoft App ID field.
           

The certificate and client secret list will be displayed.
         

• Click + New client secret at the top of the Client secrets section.

• Enter the description of the new client secret and its expiration date.

• Click Add.
  • The client secret for your new Bot app will be generated.
  • The window for creating the client secret will close.
  • The new secret will appear in the client secret list. 

• Copy the secret displayed in the Value field.
           

•  Return to the window for creating the new Bot app.

Step 2: In Self Help, create a Service Bots virtual agent dedicated to the MS Teams channel.

1. Open the Online Studio.

2. Select Service Bots > Agents in the menu.
The list of virtual agents will appear.

3. Select the virtual agent you want to associate to the Azure Bot app, then click Associate MS-Teams bot.

4. Specify the information required for the new Bot app.

5. Click Associate.

Step 3: In MS Teams, test the Service Bots virtual agent.

1. Test the interaction of the Service Bots virtual agent in the Web Chat channel.

• Go to the Azure portal.
• Select your Bot app.
• Click Test in Web Chat.
  A conversation panel will appear to the right.
           

• Check that the Bot app is able to interact correctly by typing various messages in the conversation panel.
   

2. Test the interaction of the Service Bots virtual agent in the Microsoft Teams channel.

• Add the MS Teams channel to the list of channels.
  • Select Channels > .
             
     
  • Accept the use conditions then click Save.

• Display the new MS Teams channel.
  • Return to the overview of Channels.
  • Click the Microsoft Teams channel .
             
    A conversation will open in Teams online or in the Teams app.

• Check that your virtual agent is able to interact correctly by initiating a team conversation.
           

Step 4: In MS Teams, deploy the Azure Bot app.

      See the old version Deployment using the App Studio tool. Caution: Microsoft has announced that it will stop the access to the App Studio tool as of December 31, 2021.

1. Create a Teams app associated with your new Bot app.

• Log in to the Teams developer portal.

• Click Apps in the side pane.
  The Teams app list will be displayed.
           

• Click + New app in the toolbar.
  The window for creating the new Teams app will appear.
           

• Specify the name of the new Teams app.

• Click Add.
   

2. Configure your new Teams app.

Definition of the general information in the Basic information section

• Specify the information of the new Teams app.
           

• Click Save.
   

Definition of the virtual agent identity in the Branding section

• Click Configure > Branding in the left menu pane.
           

• Define the agent icon and the background color.
           

• Click Update to download the files. Note: Files must be in PNG format.
   

Definition of the Bot feature in the App features section

• Click Configure > App features in the left menu pane.
           

• Select the Bot feature.
           

The window for configuring the Bot feature will appear.
         

• Specify the feature information.

  Identify your bot: Specify the ID of the Azure bot ID that was generated in step 1.4.

  • Select the Enter a bot ID option.
  • Paste the ID of the Azure Bot app in the field displayed.
     

  What can your bot do?: Define the scope of the bot by selecting the relevant options.

• Click Save.
  The Command section will be displayed.
           
   

Definition of suggestions for input in the Command section

• Click Add a command.
  The window for configuring the command will appear.
           

• Specify the information of the new command.

  Command: Enter the suggestion for input. This is the text displayed in the conversational panel.
           example  Help

  Description: Description of the action triggered by the command.
           example  Displaying the help procedure

  Select the scopes: Select the relevant options to define the scope of the bot.

  • Personnal: This enables users to have a direct conversation with the virtual agent.
  • Team: In team channels where the Teams app is installed, this enables users to mention and communicate with the virtual agent using the @shortname instruction.
  • Group Chat: In a conversation with several participants, this enables users to mention and communicate with the virtual agent using the @shortname instruction.

• Click Save.
  The new command will be added to the list.
           

Integrating the portal in a Teams conversation tab (optional)

• Click Configure > App features in the left menu pane.
           

• Select the Personal App feature.
           

• Click Create your first personal app tab.
  The window for configuring the new tab will appear.
           

• Specify the information required for the new tab.

  Name: Name of the tab in the Teams conversation.

  Entity ID: Unique ID of the tab. It is automatically generated.

  Content URL: URL of your portal.

  Website URL: URL of your website.

• Click Save.
   

3. Install your Teams app and test the bot in Teams.

• Click  Preview in Teams in the toolbar.

• Click Add.
  • The virtual agent conversational window will open.
  • The command will be displayed as a suggestion for input.
    

4. Add the new app to the list of Teams apps of your company.

• Click Publish in the toolbar.
           

• Select the Publish to your org option.
           

The window for publishing will appear.
         

• Click Publish your app.
  • The process of publication will be launched.
  • The status of the request will be displayed.
    

5. Ask the Teams administrator to validate the app, so that it will be available for all company employees.

           See the Microsoft documentation (Validate section).