Recently, we’ve seen an increasing demand for deep-level integrations in collaboration apps. During Zoomtopia, Zoom announced its new “Zoom Apps” strategy, that would bring the integrations that companies use every day deeper into the meeting experience.
Microsoft is also announcing a similar move in the same direction. As part of a series of updates for Microsoft Teams in November, Microsoft introduced the arrival of new “Teams apps” experiences. These enhanced integrations appeared alongside a host of other impressive changes for Microsoft Teams, including the appearance of background noise suppression in meetings and new solutions for endpoint data loss prevention.
The Teams apps solutions should help companies of all sizes to create more immersive experiences in Microsoft Teams, for employees that rely on various crucial tools to get work done.
New App Integrations for Teams Meetings
When announcing the arrival of new app experience for Teams, Microsoft acknowledged that collaborating with an app during a meeting used to mean someone sharing their screen while they updated tasks or set reminders. However, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore. Starting immediately, companies will be able to bring the capabilities of the crucial apps that they use directly into their meeting experience – so everyone can interact with them.
Microsoft suggests that a deeper app integration experience will make the time that employees spend together in Teams more effective, productive, and collaborative. Like Zoom noted when they introduced their Zoom Apps (Previously Zapps) solution, the strategy aims to strengthen the connection between your collaboration app and the other tools you’re using.
Rather than using a specific Microsoft tool before and after a meeting, you can now use the service all the way through the collaboration experience. Microsoft has already begun adding new “Teams Apps for Meetings” services into the Teams app store. Options available right now include Monday.com, Asana, Teamflect, Slido, and HireVue. Microsoft promises that more apps are also on the way.
Strengthening App Experiences in Teams
Like the Zoom Apps solution, Microsoft Teams’ new approach to deeply integrated applications should help to make the team collaboration tool even more essential as the heart of the workplace. Microsoft notes that partner developers can get involved and learn how to create Team apps for meetings themselves. Plus, we’ll see the presence of familiar apps from Microsoft within the ecosystem too.
Forms’ integration with Microsoft Teams, for instance, will allow businesses to access insights from their employees with polls in live meetings. You’ll be able to prepare polls in advance and add them to meetings for attendee interaction.
