We have good news and bad news.
If you’re one of the many companies that have started using the “Microsoft Teams” option for communication and collaboration in your workforce lately, then you may be pleased to know that your UC can work seamlessly alongside third-party file sharing services. That means that you can collaborate on documents straight from Google Drive, Dropbox and more.
Now for the bad news – we’re still waiting on guest access that allows people to visit the Teams groups we create, without having a full Microsoft license. When the collaboration solution was introduced back in March, we were told to expect guest access by the end of June. Now, we’re a little way into August, and we’ve still heard nothing.
What’s Going on at Microsoft?
According to the program manager, Suphatra Rufo, the ongoing delay for adding guest users into Teams should only be brief, but as of now, there’s no distinct time-frame for what we should expect. This could be a little frustrating for some businesses, who are wondering how they can engage in conferences with people who aren’t lucky enough to have the full Microsoft set-up.
Rufo explained that Microsoft is simply facing “technical issues”, and that guest access will come soon, as a “top priority” for the brand. However, it’s fair to say that the promise of “soon” is a little vague for businesses who are left dealing with disjointed communication solutions.
Originally, the lack of guest access seemed like something that would be little more than a minor inconvenience, designed to test the grit of people devoted to the Microsoft brand. However, now that Microsoft has bailed on their promise of a June update, customers are starting to feel a little betrayed. After all, guest-user access is crucial from a security and collaborative perspective.
A Little More on “the Good News”
On a more positive note, Microsoft is making some adaptations to their service for the sake of their customers. For instance, the brand will now be extending the file sharing and storage options for Teams, which used to be limited to SharePoint and OneDrive. Today, you can collaborate over Google Drive, Box, Citrix ShareFile, and more. What’s more, as an Office 365 Admin, you’ll be able to configure your storage providers individually from the Admin centre.
Microsoft believes that by introducing new file sharing solutions in Teams, they’ll make collaboration a simpler conclusion for modern businesses. The update is set to be available next month and should make it easier to share, and find feedback in chat without the need to leave the conversation.
For now, the file sharing update might not be enough to placate customers who have been waiting patiently since March for a guest-user solution. However, at least it’s a good sign that Teams is certainly making an effort to evolve on the behalf of its customers – even if it’s not doing so entirely according to schedule.
