This summer, Microsoft dropped a bombshell on the world of corporate instant messaging: its Teams platform, integrated with Office 365, attracts 13 million users daily. Another big surprise: Microsoft Teams is now more popular than its competitor Slack.
In just two years, the communication tool in the Office 365 suite has managed to win over so many users that it has become the most important instant communication channel. If we look at the weekly usage of Teams, Microsoft announces 19 million users. In terms of structure volume, the platform is used by 500,000 companies in 181 markets.
Proud of this success, the Microsoft Teams and Office 365 teams are not stopping there. Teams should soon be equipped with two new features: urgent notifications and information prioritization.
Urgent notifications take the form of short messages that are sent every two minutes to a computer or smartphone until they are acknowledged by the recipient. This is particularly useful in environments where urgency is important, such as in hospitals.
The second feature allows you to pin a message in a conversation so that it is always visible. Useful for information or best practices not to be missed.
Read our article on office 365 groups
Numerous tools in "addons
In addition to the two new features scheduled for release by the end of the year, Microsoft Teams also includes a large number of "addons", complementary third-party services. Microsoft currently lists 140 of them. Trello and Evernote sit alongside online Office services, video conferences and storage spaces.
Latest news: Teams will integrate Kaizala, its communication tool for decentralized companies. Similar to Whatsapp, Kaizala requires little bandwidth and works via phone numbers. Features such as checklists, questionnaires or training are planned for late 2019. All Kaizala will migrate to Teams by the end of 2020.
By relying on its global package and the variety of integrated tools, Microsoft offers a Teams that promotes collaborative work. A true facilitator of exchanges, Teams allows everyone to work better together.
Training as a key to new markets
In 2019, Microsoft counts 13 million active users on Teams and 180 million on Office 365. Although the messaging service scores quite creditably, there's still room for Sales teams to grow. How do you extend the use of Teams to all positions linked to an Office 365 account?
A training approach seems to be the most relevant response. Thanks to the support of the employees on the tool, its benefits are more appreciated since they are better envisaged. It is essential for companies to guide their teams in their learning process, otherwise two risks will appear: disinterest followed by non-use, but also security flaws.
In companies that already use the concept of groups for collaborative work, Teams will be a formality, or almost. Elsewhere, the support of employees will avoid a rejection of Teams, which would pose an organizational problem. Even more dangerous is the fact that misuse of Teams could have more serious consequences. Although Teams is very secure and communicates regularly with administrators, careless handling by users can lead to leaks, flaws or dangers for the entire company.
The learning phase is therefore essential. It is all the more important in large companies where there are many Office 365 users, uses and needs. With the help of an expert and educational contact, employees will be able to take full advantage of the benefits of the messaging solution.
Thanks to a version integrated with Office 365 and a free version, Microsoft Teams has managed to establish itself in the professional field quickly.
With in-depth, ongoing UX work, the Teams teams aim to create a fluid, modern tool that all users, whatever their structure, operation or needs, can get to grips with and use on a regular basis.
Along with the efforts on the interface, Microsoft will focus their work on Teams rather than Office 365 in their FY 2020 strategy. Announced at their annual conference in Las Vegas, Microsoft's news talks about creating a tool that can compete with the smartphone.
These changes promise great business opportunities. If you are already using Office 365, but not yet using Teams, get help! As a partner, we will integrate the tool into your environment and train your employees and administrators, and ensure the success of your approach.
