Microsoft debuts Teams chat platform with support for Mac & iOS

AppleInsider

Microsoft on Wednesday announced Teams, its own attempt at a workplace chat platform akin to rivals like HipChat and Slack, with support for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and the Web.

The platform integrates with Microsoft's Office 365 suite, as well as outside services like Hootsuite, Intercom, and Zendesk, Microsoft said. Chats can be persistent or threaded, and of course public or private. For voice and video conferencing, Microsoft is offering Skype integration.

Workspaces can be populated with stickers, GIFs, and emoji, as well more practical enhancements through support for extensions and open APIs.

Microsoft is promising enterprise-grade security, including two-factor authentication, but also single sign-on through Active Directory, and support for its cross-app membership program, Office 365 Groups.

At the moment Teams is only a preview stage, and limited to Office 365's Business and Enterprise plans. It is, however, being tested in 181 countries and 18 languages, and will make its official debut in early 2017.

ireland

Yucky hinge. 

rogifan_new

Looks ugly.

razorpit

So is the plan that this replaces Skype for Business err, Lync on the Mac? Or is this the usual case where Microsoft release 2-3 products that kind of do the same things but each does it just half-assed enough that you can't really pick one over the other?

TheINTJ

razorpit said:

So is the plan that this replaces Skype for Business err, Lync on the Mac? Or is this the usual case where Microsoft release 2-3 products that kind of do the same things but each does it just half-assed enough that you can't really pick one over the other?

This is not a Skype for Business replacement. From first appearances this platform brings together quite a few other collaborative applications in the Office 365 suite and allows you to use them in one place. It actually looks pretty slick to me. My only worry is that MS is working a little too fast in bringing all of these features which makes me question what the level of support will be. It won't be a good look to enterprises if they become like Google with Google Apps for Business.

maciekskontakt

Reboot for eauch installation and update like Skype on Windows? No thank you.

crowley

razorpit said:

So is the plan that this replaces Skype for Business err, Lync on the Mac? Or is this the usual case where Microsoft release 2-3 products that kind of do the same things but each does it just half-assed enough that you can't really pick one over the other?

Looks more like Yammer to me, but the integration with Office 365 and persistence across the MS suite makes it interesting.  Would be pretty cool to see it come into the Visual Studio Teams area and some of Microsoft's business services.

bill_bliss

maciekskontakt said:

Reboot for eauch installation and update like Skype on Windows? No thank you.

@maciekskontact - I'm on the Microsoft Teams team and I can assure you there will be no reboots needed. The app transparently updates itself in the background and notifies you to restart when convenient via a dismissable banner at the top of the screen.

razorpit

TheINTJ said:

razorpit said:

So is the plan that this replaces Skype for Business err, Lync on the Mac? Or is this the usual case where Microsoft release 2-3 products that kind of do the same things but each does it just half-assed enough that you can't really pick one over the other?

This is not a Skype for Business replacement. From first appearances this platform brings together quite a few other collaborative applications in the Office 365 suite and allows you to use them in one place. It actually looks pretty slick to me. My only worry is that MS is working a little too fast in bringing all of these features which makes me question what the level of support will be. It won't be a good look to enterprises if they become like Google with Google Apps for Business.

Thats what I'm afraid of. All of these platforms just come and go so fast its ridiculous. By the time you get something rolled out and the users are comfortable with it out comes the next big social app. They look great at launch time but usually end up dying a slow painful death.