Microsoft Teams update will mean there really is no escape

Microsoft has announced that Teams applications are now available outside of the collaboration platform for the first time.

In a blog post, the company revealed that members of the Targeted Release early access program can now use a small number of Microsoft Teams apps from within email service Outlook and Office.com.

“With this enhancement, apps built for Teams not only run everywhere Teams runs, but also in more of the places that users spend their time in Microsoft 365,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft Teams apps

Since the start of the pandemic, Microsoft has fought to establish Teams as the central hub for working. The objective was to give workers access to all the tools they need in one place, by integrating a variety of first- and third-party services into the platform.

And the strategy appears to have paid dividends. The latest data suggests Teams has racked up more than 270 million monthly active users (MAUs), up from fewer than 50 million daily active users before the pandemic began.

However, Microsoft has now shifted its approach to focus more closely on creating fluid experiences that streamline the transition between various Microsoft 365 services. The introduction of Teams applications to other Microsoft platforms can be seen as part of this process.

At first, there will only be a handful of Microsoft Teams apps available outside the regular client; some from Microsoft itself (e.g. Power BI) and some from third-party vendors like Zoho and Mural. And these apps will also only be available to a small number of users in preview.

However, the company has promised to double down on the program, with a raft of Teams apps migrating to other Microsoft spaces in the months to come.

Microsoft says IT administrators can control which “enhanced Teams apps” are available to employees from within the regular Teams admin center.

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Microsoft Teams update will mean there really is no escape

Microsoft has announced that Teams applications are now available outside of the collaboration platform for the first time.

In a blog post, the company revealed that members of the Targeted Release early access program can now use a small number of Microsoft Teams apps from within email service Outlook and Office.com.

“With this enhancement, apps built for Teams not only run everywhere Teams runs, but also in more of the places that users spend their time in Microsoft 365,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft Teams apps

Since the start of the pandemic, Microsoft has fought to establish Teams as the central hub for working. The objective was to give workers access to all the tools they need in one place, by integrating a variety of first- and third-party services into the platform.

And the strategy appears to have paid dividends. The latest data suggests Teams has racked up more than 270 million monthly active users (MAUs), up from fewer than 50 million daily active users before the pandemic began.

However, Microsoft has now shifted its approach to focus more closely on creating fluid experiences that streamline the transition between various Microsoft 365 services. The introduction of Teams applications to other Microsoft platforms can be seen as part of this process.

At first, there will only be a handful of Microsoft Teams apps available outside the regular client; some from Microsoft itself (e.g. Power BI) and some from third-party vendors like Zoho and Mural. And these apps will also only be available to a small number of users in preview.

However, the company has promised to double down on the program, with a raft of Teams apps migrating to other Microsoft spaces in the months to come.

Microsoft says IT administrators can control which “enhanced Teams apps” are available to employees from within the regular Teams admin center.

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You won’t be able to escape Microsoft Teams inside Outlook soon

Escaping Microsoft Teams will soon be trickier than ever after the company announced another partnership for its video conferencing software.

The software giant has revealed that it is working on a new feature that will let users run apps built for Microsoft Teams within its Outlook email service.

The move should make online collaboration and communication a much more seamless and smoother experience, meaning users shouldn't need to constantly switch between Teams and Outlook to stay on top of their work.

Outlook and Teams

According to the official entry on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the feature is currently in development, with a scheduled release date of December 2022. When released, it will be available for all web and desktop Outlook users across the world.

As well as running apps built for Teams within Outlook, users will also be able to acquire and use these updated Teams apps (including personal tabs and/or search-based message extensions) without leaving the email platform.

The feature could also form part of the highly-rumored all-new Windows 11 email service reportedly in development. Codenamed “Project Monarch”, the service looks to greatly improve email on Windows 11, offering a truly cross-platform experience for users looking to embrace hybrid working.

The new app will reportedly feature an overhauled interface similar to Outlook web, including the rounded corners and icons already seen in a raft of new Windows 11 apps as Microsoft looks to offer a unified design approach across its software suite.

Microsoft has been hard at work recently on a series of updates and upgrades for Outlook as it looks to breathe new life into the often-maligned software. 

This includes an upcoming upgrade that will allow Outlook web users to customize the color of the events in their calendar app, the launch of spelling and grammar checks for Outlook on mobile platform, and another update to let users set a notice showing where they are working, whether that be at home, in the office, or elsewhere.

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Microsoft Teams will soon let you combine both your accounts so there’s no escape

Switching between personal and workplace Microsoft Teams accounts could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new update to the service.

The video conferencing platform is rolling out changes that will allow users to combine business and consumer Teams accounts, hopefully putting an end to any unfortunate confusion.

Microsoft says the change will allow for much improved communication for Teams users across the world, even opening the door for personal chats whilst on a work network.

Combined Microsoft Teams

“With this update Teams users in your organization will be able to start a 1:1 or a group chat with Teams users who are using their personal accounts and vice-versa,” Microsoft noted in an updated message center notification.

The feature was first announced by Microsoft back in February 2021, but has now entered the rolling out period, meaning users will be able to access it soon. 

“Teams users will be able to chat with team members who are outside their work network and have a Teams personal account,” the official Microsoft 365 roadmap entry for the update added. 

“This is expanding on external access capabilities, enabling Teams users to invite for a 1:1 or group chat any other federated Teams users using an email address or phone number and remain within the security and compliance policies of their organization.”

The update is coming to all Microsoft Teams desktop users around the world, so be sure to keep your program updated to the latest release.

The change is the latest in a series of Microsoft Teams updates as the firm looks to continue helping companies around the world adapt to the new age of hybrid working.

Along with video capabilities, Microsoft Teams also added chat bubbles to its online collaboration tool last year, meaning that users shouldn't miss private messages sent during a video call. Microsoft has also added this feature to group chats so that everyone can keep up with the conversations happening via text as well as those taking place in a video call at the same time, allowing everyone to view chats sent during a meeting on the front of room display in a Teams Room.

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There will soon be no escape from Microsoft Teams, even in the office

Microsoft is doubling down on efforts to drive the adoption of collaboration platform Teams in conference room settings.

As per two new entries to the company’s product roadmap, users will soon be able to perform a wider range of actions via Microsoft Teams panels, the touchscreen devices mounted outside of meeting rooms.

For example, Microsoft Teams users will be able to “check out” of conference rooms if their meetings end earlier than expected, as a courtesy to colleagues who might need the space. In a similar vein, it will also be possible to extend existing reservations via Microsoft Teams panels, provided doing so does not create a clash.

Microsoft Teams in the office

Both updates are still currently under development, but should roll out to all Microsoft Teams panel users by the end of May.

With the majority of experts predicting a widespread transition to hybrid working once the pandemic recedes, Microsoft is eager to position its collaboration and video conferencing platform as the go-to choice for in-office deployments too.

The company faces stiff competition from the likes of Zoom, which has its own range of conference room solutions, but Microsoft is putting in the legwork with a series of updates of its own.

In addition to the new functionality set to land in the spring, Microsoft recently announced a feature to help companies monitor and limit the capacity of meeting rooms, to facilitate social distancing (if it’s still required in future). 

The desired room capacity is set by the administrator and overcrowding is detected using cameras with people-counting functionality. If a room is over capacity, an alert will appear on the in-room display and Microsoft Teams panel outside.

Microsoft will hope that features such as these, in addition to a roster of intelligent meeting room hardware (displays, webcams, microphones etc.), will help build on the strong foundation established during the pandemic.

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We may not escape Zoom for a long time yet

The age of Zoom calls could soon be a long way off, according to perhaps unsurprising new predictions from the company itself.

The video conferencing giant, which has been one of the biggest success stories of the pandemic, has said it can play an important role in the post-pandemic world.

This would mainly be through helping facilitate and encourage hybrid working as employees look to split their time between the office and a more comfortable home environment.

Zoom future

“I think there are three big shifts that are happening post-pandemic that businesses are investing in and that’s spurring our growth and relevance,” Zoom's Ricky Kapur, head of the company's Asia Pacific zone, told CNBC in a televised interview.

This boldness follows the company's most recent financial results last month in which it revealed it is still expanding its customer base as hybrid working becomes more popular for businesses around the world.

The company added that it has seen particular success in drawing in larger customers contributing more than $ 100,000 each in trailing twelve months revenue, with Zoom also boasting 512,100 customers with more than 10 employees.

“Employees are demanding flexible work arrangements and the ability to work frictionless, irrespective of where they are,” Kapur added, noting that customers of all sizes are also looking for more customizable and flexible approaches to work.

“Whether it’s a retail experience, the ability to live feed into the store and speak with a live person — see a product, have a real conversation, and then make a purchase decision. Consumers are expecting that from companies,” he said.

Zoom has been working hard to continue the amazing growth it enjoyed during the pandemic as it attempts to keep track with rivals such as Microsoft Teams.

This includes recent updates such as live transcription, which is now available for all free Zoom accounts, after having only previously been offered to paid subscribers. 

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