Microsoft Teams users can now access news updates on Meta's Workplace's corporate social network without switching screens, thanks to a new integration announced by the two companies on Wednesday. And plans are also in the works to enable streaming of Teams video calls directly from Workplace.
The integrations are the first between Microsoft's workflow collaboration tool and Workplace, which has more than 7 million paid subscribers. (There are already Workplace integrations with Office 365 applications, including Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive, with support for Teams on the Meta Portal (formerly Facebook) video device scheduled for next month.)
The new integrations offer two functions. First, a Workplace for Teams app can be pinned to the Teams side navigation bar or added as a tab to allow access to Workplace news in the app. Teams admins can mark workspace content as "important" to bring certain information to users' attention. Individual users will also be able to pull content from a Workplace group into a Teams channel to highlight it to their colleagues, as well as react to Workplace posts directly from Teams.
The video integration, scheduled for early 2022, will allow users to view a Teams video call from Workplace and comment in real time. Presenters in Teams will be able to simultaneously monitor engagement and reactions in both apps.
While the two companies compete in various ways (Microsoft Viva Connections also provides social media capabilities, for example, and the two recently revealed competitive visions for immersive collaboration), Wednesday's decision is an acknowledgment that many customers now trust them. a variety of tools to support employee collaboration.
The integration with Teams "will allow people who use both tools for work to stay on top of information and create even more opportunities for engagement across the company," said Ujjwal Singh, Workplace product manager.
Meta
The Meta'sWorkplace for Teams app can be pinned to the Teams side navigation bar or added as a tab for quick access to the Workplace news feed.
Singh, who said earlier this year that a Teams integration is underway, pointed to common customers who have already tested the integrations, Vodafone and Flight Center.
In a statement, Jeff Teper, CVP Microsoft Teams for Products and Engineering, said, "It made sense for us to come together to help our mutual customers unlock collaboration and break down silos within their organizations."
The integrations should especially benefit Workplace customers who see the app as their central communication solution for employees, but who use Teams for day-to-day productivity, said Angela Ashenden, senior analyst at CCS Insight. This is common in large organizations where HR and communications teams depend on Workplace, while IT is responsible for Teams as a platform for collaboration and productivity, he said.
With that in mind, integrations make a lot of sense for Meta, as they help push information from the workplace to users, where they tend to spend most of their time. "By bringing the news feed to Teams, Workplace can continue to reach these employees, while allowing communications and HR managers to retain control of the communications platform strategy and engage employees," he said. .
However, Ashenden noted that while the integrations help connect the two platforms, Teams and Workplace users still face challenges, especially due to the overlap between their respective chat features, Teams Chat, and Workplace Chat., Which can create confusion for employees.
Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc.