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.
