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Enabling Microsoft Teams in a chatbot application by using Developer Portal


As an administrator in BMC Helix Virtual Agent and Microsoft Office 365 (Teams), you can use Microsoft Office 365 Teams as a communication channel for your chatbot application. 

You can use Microsoft Teams in the following ways:

Before you begin

Ensure that you have completed the following tasks:

  • In Microsoft Teams, allow interaction with custom apps, as shown in the Microsoft documentation. 

  • Created the chatbot application that you want to configure to work with Microsoft Teams. For more information, see To create a chatbot.
  • Configured the IBM Watson service credentials. For more information, see To configure the Skill ID for a chatbot.
  • You have the endpoint URL of your chatbot application. To get the URL, log in to navigate to BMC Helix Innovation Studio, select the chatbot application and select Channels > Office 365 > Webhook URL.
  • If you want to use the colors and icons provided by BMC for branding your chatbot, ensure that you have downloaded the BMC Helix Virtual Agent Microsoft Teams sample package.

Process for enabling Microsoft Teams by inline registration with Developer Portal

The process of enabling Microsoft Teams for a chatbot application comprises of the following tasks:

MS Teams Developer Portal process.png

Note

If you want to use the BMC Helix Virtual Agent Microsoft Teams sample package, start your process from uploading the Microsoft Teams application package for the end users (Task 4).

Task 1: To create the chatbot application package for Microsoft Teams

  1. Log in to Microsoft Teams. 
  2. Navigate to the Developer Portal >Tools > Bot Management, and click New Bot.
    New Bot.png
  3. In the Add bot section, enter the name of the chatbot, and click Add.
    Add bot.png
  4. Navigate to Tools > Bot Management and select the chatbot you added.
  5. Select Configure.

    Configure Developer Portal.png
  6. In the Endpoint address section, enter the endpoint URL (Webhook URL) of your chatbot, and click Save.
    Example: https://clm-tlv-v54a6b.bmc.com:8008/api/rx/application/chat/event/Office365/0/IDGADG2DHCDTUAR6CXURR6CXURGCMR

    For cluster add https, and for SVN add http before the server. Also, remove the https or http from the Webhook URL.

  7. Select Client secrets, and click Add a client secret for your bot.

    Add Client Secret.pngEndpoint Address.png

    The unique client secret identifier is populated automatically as shown in the following example:

    Generate Client Secret.png
  1. Click OK and note down this client secret identifier for future reference.
  2. Navigate to Tools > Bot Management.
    The chatbot ID is populated automatically as shown in the following example. Note down this chatbot ID for future reference.

    Chatbot ID.png

Note

If you imported the BMC Helix Virtual Agent Microsoft Teams sample package in the earlier step, the application ID is populated automatically. You must still generate a new App ID.

Task 2: To register your chatbot application in Microsoft Teams

  1. Log in to Microsoft Teams. 
  2. Navigate to Developer Portal >Apps, and click New app.

    New App.png
  3. In the Add app section, enter the name of the app, and click Add.

    Add App.png
  4. Navigate to Developer Portal >Apps, and select the app you added.
  5. In the Basic Information section, enter values for the following fields, and click Save.

    Field

    Description

    Short name

    Enter the short name of the chatbot.

    Full name

    Enter the full name of the chatbot.

    App ID

    Enter the ID generated by Microsoft that is associated with your chatbot.

    Short description

    Enter the short description that provides details about the chatbot.

    Long description

    Enter the detailed description that provides details about the chatbot.

    Version

    Enter the appropriate version number of Microsoft Teams in the chatbot.

    Developer information

    Enter the name of the developer of the chatbot. 

    Website

    Enter the endpoint URL of your chatbot. 

    Privacy Policy

    Enter the privacy policies related to your chatbot.

    Terms of use

    Enter the terms of use related to your chatbot.

    Application (client) ID

    Enter the application ID associated with the chatbot.

    Microsoft Partner Network ID

    Enter the Microsoft Partner Network ID associated with the chatbot, if any.

    Basic Information New App.png

  6. Select App features > Bot.
  7. From the Select an existing bot list, select the the new chatbot you created. 
  8. In the Select the scopes in which people can use the command section, select the Personal option, and click Save.
    The Personal option implies that end users can use Microsoft Teams for one-to-one instant messaging only and not for group conversations.

    Identify bot.png
  1. In the Branding section, if you want to use BMC branding colors and icons, upload the icons and colors from the sample package. 
  2. In the Languages section, if you want to use any other language, add the languages from the sample package. 
  3. Select Publish > Publish to org, and click Publish your app.

    Publish App.png
    The Microsoft Teams application package is registered as shown in the following example:

    Publish App to Org.png
    Your settings are saved. 

Note

In Microsoft Teams, a support agent can send an attachment through a live chat session as a downloadable item. The attachment is displayed in the Files section of Microsoft Teams. A user can download the attachment without having to log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio. If you want to display the attachment as a link, contact BMC SaaS Operations. However, the user has to log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio (if not already logged in) to download the attachment from a link. If the user reloads the browser, the attachment link is not visible.
For information about the ways in which users can receive attachments from support agents, see Using-live-chat-to-escalate-issues-to-support-agents.

(If you are creating a new bot or registering inline) In Bot endpoint address, enter the Webhook URL as described in the Before you begin section. 

Task 3: To download the Microsoft Teams application package

  1. In Microsoft Teams, navigate to Developer Portal >Apps, and select the app you added.
  2. Click the App Package Download icon.png icon, and click Download app package, as shown in the following example:

    Download App package.png

    The Microsoft Teams application package is downloaded as appname.zip in the default download directory. For more information, see Test and distribute in Microsoft documentation. 

Task 4: To upload the Microsoft Teams application package

  1. In Microsoft Teams, navigate to Developer Portal, and click Apps.

    Developer Portal App Upload.png
  2. Click Manage your apps.

    Manage App Upload.png
  3. Click Upload a custom app.

    Upload an app.png
  4. Select Upload a custom appand upload the application package.

    Custom App Upload.png
  5. Click Add.

Task 5: To configure a chatbot application

  1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio.
  2. On the Workspace tab, click the application in which you want to configure a chatbot to work with Microsoft Teams. 
  3. Click the Chatbots tab, and click the chatbot that you want to enable for Microsoft Teams.
  4. Click the Channels tab and select New Office 365
  5. In the Office 365 Settings section, enter values for the following fields, and click Save.

    Field

    Description

    Description

    Enter the description that provides details about the setting.

    Microsoft Bot ID

    Enter the chatbot ID that you generated in the Developer Portal. Note: Do not enter the App ID in which chatbot is created.

    Microsoft App Password

    Add a client secret for your bot.

    Webhook URL

    (Information only) This field is populated automatically.
    Webhook URL is the messaging endpoint URL that you provide when you register a chatbot.

    22.1.05_Teams channel config.png

The process to configure your chatbot application to work with Microsoft Teams is now complete.

To ensure that end users can chat by using Microsoft Teams, from Microsoft Apps Studio, each end user must add the chatbot application for self

Related topics

Formatting-chatbot-responses-to-be-displayed-in-communication-channels

Configuring-a-chatbot-to-work-with-a-communication-channel

 

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