Previews for Loop components across Teams chats and Outlook emails and collaboration controls in Power Apps are among the biggest announcements for Microsoft’s popular collaboration application during this year’s Build conference.
Features to become generally available for Teams include improved discoverability in the app’s store, a Teams JavaScript 2.0 software development kit (SDK) and Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code, according to the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant.
Coming this summer are previews for approvals APIs for frontline and office Teams users, an app from Figma, new license management capabilities in the Teams App Store, a link unfurling expansion and a Bosch Cognitive Service Maintenance app in Teams, among other new features.
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Microsoft held its Build conference online this week as the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
During Microsoft’s latest quarterly earnings call in April, CEO Satya Nadella talked about the continued importance of Teams for remote workforces and ways the tech giant is adding onto the app, including with the Teams Essentials package of services aimed at small and midsize businesses (SMBs), Teams Phones and Teams Rooms devices to improve an office’s meetings.
Total minutes for the Operator Connect feature used with Teams Phones increased eight time quarter over quarter, Nadella said on an earnings call as an example of Teams growth outside of simple instant messaging.
“Teams is the most used and the most advanced platform for work and the only solution with meetings, calls, chat, collaboration and business process automation,” Nadella said. “And organizations – from enterprises to SMBs – are relying on Teams to run their business. Our comprehensive approach reduces complexity and costs. Microsoft 365 customers can save as much as 60 percent compared to a patchwork of single-point identity, productivity, collaboration and meeting solutions.”
Here are the biggest Microsoft Teams and 365 announcements from Build 2022.