Microsoft unveils preview of new collaboration software Microsoft Teams

Microsoft has announced the preview launch of Microsoft Teams, a new chat and cloud-based workspace that provides tools to help teams collaborate and communicate.

Available to Office 365 commercial customers, the chat tool offers team conversations that are visible to everyone, as well as private chat and a library of emojis, GIFs, stickers and memes, while the hub enables users to start voice and video meetings and work with Microsoft office documents within the software.

Teams are able to customise Microsoft Teams to suit their needs, including creating channels to organise conversations by topic and the ‘Tabs’ feature, which provides quick access to frequently used documents and applications.

Data on the software is encrypted at all times, with ‘multifactor’ authentication for advance identity protection to ensure security and compliance with data protection standards.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, commented: “At Microsoft we aim to empower every person and organization with the technology to be more productive as individuals and in groups.

“Office 365 is the broadest toolkit and platform for creation, communication and collaboration. Microsoft Teams adds a new experience to Office 365 as the chat-based workspace designed to empower the art of teams.”

How does Microsoft Teams compare to Zoom? Check out our 2024 review.