Microsoft has introduced the Microsoft 365 Document Collaboration Partner Program to enable eligible platform providers to integrate Microsoft 365 apps.
As a result, external platform users can share, edit, and co-author Microsoft 365 presentations, spreadsheets, and documents.
These collaborative capabilities were previously made available to Microsoft Teams users, but this latest program brings them to selected third-party platforms, such as Zoom, which has become one of the first organisations to join the Microsoft 365 Collaboration Partner Program (MDCPP) program.
In a Microsoft blog post published on Monday, the tech giant announced the new program: “If you’re an independent software vendor (ISV) who provides a cloud communication and collaboration platform, you may want to offer customers a collaboration experience inside and outside meetings.
That’s why we are excited to introduce the Microsoft 365 Document Collaboration Partner Program (MDCPP), a new opportunity for eligible platform providers to integrate Microsoft 365 apps into their platforms.”
Microsoft continued: “By joining the program, you can enable customers on your platform to view, collaborate, and co-author documents within Microsoft apps. In the past, we’ve provided these experiences to people within Microsoft Teams, and we’re excited to expand it into new platforms.”
Introducing the Microsoft 365 Document Collaboration Partner Program
The MDCPP can either be accessed as a web app or live app.
The web app allows independent software vendors (ISVs) to offer simultaneous collaboration and document editing using Microsoft apps in their own platform, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents from SharePoint and OneDrive for Business.
The live app adds more features via PowerPoint Live and Excel Live, which enable meeting participants to collaborate on documents in real time. Presenters can take advantage of a rich presenter view, presentation tools, and speaker notes.
According to Microsoft, ISVs can benefit from the program through the enhancements that these collaborative experiences will bring, as well as saving them time and money on creating alternative document collaboration functionality.
To join the program, ISVs must be cloud communication and collaboration platform providers, which enables online meetings plus instant messaging or audio and video calling.
Other requirements include paying annual and upfront fees for cost recovery, insurance coverage, and meeting the technical requirements for integration.
Zoom Signs Up
Described by Microsoft as a platform that “delivers limitless human connection”, Zoom is a leader in communication and collaboration with a broad customer base of all business sizes, from small businesses to government organisations.
Zoom already has collaborative capabilities, such as ‘Collaborate mode’, which lets Zoom App users instantly collaborate with other meeting participants within the same application.
Collaborate mode can be used for slide-sharing, editing documents, gaming, and more.
At Zoomtopia last year, for example, Zoom announced ‘Zoom Docs’, an AI-powered “collaboration-focussed modular workspace” that enhances collaboration and productivity.
Nevertheless, by integrating Microsoft 365’s collaborative apps it brings more choice to its users and removes a compelling reason to migrate to Microsoft’s platform otherwise.
Brendan Ittelson, Chief Ecosystem Officer at Zoom, expressed his enthusiasm to join the MDCPP:
We are looking forward to collaborating with Microsoft on this initiative. Working on Microsoft 365 documents within Zoom has been a long standing ask from our shared customers.
“We are pleased to work together to address these customer needs.”
Previously, Microsoft revealed plans to create new ways for competitors to host Office web applications on their own platforms following accusations of anticompetitive behaviour from Slack and the European Union.
