Did Microsoft just launch a Slack competitor? You bet they did, and it’s only the beginning as Microsoft leverages their extensive Office 365 install base.
Microsoft Teams was announced on November 4 and it’s what Microsoft is describing as a chat-based workspace in Office 365. My understanding is that this is in preview at the moment, and it’s expected to be available first quarter in 2017.
Here is a short video showcasing Teams.
It looks like they are going head to head with Slack. Although Slack does have the lead, don’t count out Microsoft (… remember Netscape). Adding this feature to the user base for Office 365 will certainly help get them closer to the leader.
Looking for threaded chats? We got it
One difference between Teams and Slack – Threaded chat. That is one thing I hear from folks who use Slack a lot, and how it should have threaded conversations. Also, something that I’d like to see as well.
Teams (preview and final) will be available to Office 365 commercial customers with one of the following plans: Business Essentials, Business Premium, and Enterprise E1, E3, and E5. It’s also available on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and the Web.
Work less and do more with Microsoft Flow
Microsoft has also recently taken on IFTTT with their version called Flow – Work Less, Do More. Which help you create automated workflows apps and services. You can also download the mobile app, in fact, if you do a search on Microsoft in the app store, it may surprise you just what they have available, especially the items from Microsoft Research.
It will be interesting to watch as Teams picks up steam. Are you a Slack user, what are your thoughts on Microsoft entering this market? Are threaded conversations important to you? Let me know on Twitter, thanks for reading.