From Teams news and an acquisition to a boom in enterprise sales, here are extracts from popular stories this week.
All the Teams News from Microsoft Build 2022
Microsoft’s Build 2022 developer conference has kicked off, with updates coming across the majority of its portfolio.
We’ve rounded up the news coming out at the start of the event, with more set to follow over the coming days.
Tools to Embed Teams Features
Graph APIs for Teams, which are available in preview, will let developers embed Teams Chat and Channels into other application, enabling users to collaborate through Teams in other apps without needing to open multiple tools. These APIs were first revealed by Microsoft in beta last month.
Meanwhile, Microsoft revealed that developers will soon be able to use low-code tools to embed Teams collaboration capabilities such as Chat, Meetings and Tasks in Power Apps using a drag-and-drop interface.
In the world of CPaaS, Azure Communications is getting a sample app builder which lets developers build and deploy “sample apps” for virtual appointments in a matter of minutes with no coding.
The apps will be compatible with Microsoft Bookings, along with the Graph and ACS UI Library.
The builder is open source and available via GitHub.
Toolkit for Visual Studio Code
Microsoft said it has added new capabilities to the Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio code which it says will make it easier to embed an existing web app into the Teams platform, while also using it to launch an app to Teams mobile and Outlook.
The toolkit was first revealed at Build 2020
The Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code is generally available, with the Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio 2022 available in preview.
BT Launches Teams Voice Offering for Channel Partners
BT Wholesale has launched a hosted Teams offering for channel partners, which it says will let them deploy voice for their customers without the need for specialist IT skills.
Teams Direct Connect will be powered by BT’s Wholesale Hosted Communications (WHC) allows access to Hosted PBX or Hosted SIP Trunking from directly within the Teams applications.
Gavin Jones, Channel Director at BT Wholesale, said: “Bringing Microsoft Teams into our WHC portfolio was a natural next step for our partners and their customers.
“At BT Wholesale we want to ensure our propositions are adding the best value. Microsoft Teams is a great platform that many businesses rely on, but we wanted to take our support further by adding the extra functionality of allowing phone calls.
“This is a simple and cost-effective way to get calls in Teams so that we can deliver the greatest benefits to our partners and their customers.”
BT says its WHC platform is the first in the UK to use Microsoft’s Operator Connect to deliver a wholesale platform.
Zoom sees Enterprise Boom
Zoom saw revenue climb in Q1 as its focus on the enterprise market bore fruit.
The collaboration vendor saw sales rise 12 per cent year on year to just under $1.1bn, but revenue from larger enterprise customers rocketed 31 per cent.
Enterprise sales accounted for 52 per cent of Zoom’s revenue, with its SMB-focused online business accounting for the rest.
- Zoom Whiteboard Collaboration Tool Now Available
- Zoom Improves Hybrid Learning Experience in Education
- The Best Lighting for Zoom Meetings
The number of enterprise customers hit 198,900 – up 24 per cent from the same quarter last year.
The enterprise push has been aided by Zoom’s focus on areas that complement its meeting credentials – specifically chat, Phone and its recent contact centre offering.
Speaking on an earnings call with investors, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said when asked about upselling customers of Zoom Meetings:
“I do not think that is complex because the trusts are established.
“Customers always ask about our product road map. They want us to offer more value to them based on the very consistent front-end experience and seamless back-end architecture and the cost to deploy Zoom Meetings, Zoom Chat and also deploy Zoom Phone [and] Zoom Rooms.
“Now, the contact centre is a no-brainer to customers. [They’re saying] ‘Yes, I trust your brand, I trust your capabilities, and we’d like to test your contact centre as well’.”
Zoom also revealed that Zoom Phone hit three million users during Q1.
Daisy Acquires UC Provider to ‘Enhance Microsoft Relationship’
Daisy has announced its takeover of the UC product and service provider, Communicate Better which will improve its relationship with Microsoft.
- Daisy acquires XLN for a reported £210m
- Daisy Boosts Health Portfolio with Latest M&A
- Daisy Names New Group CFO
The acquisition, which is in effect from today, also expands Daisy’s unified communications portfolio.
It follows an announcement last month in which Daisy made clear its intentions to double down on the modern workplace, connectivity, unified communications, cloud, cybersecurity and operational resilience. The purchase of Communicate Better helps to achieve many of these objectives.
Dave McGinn, Daisy Communications CEO, said: “I am delighted with the acquisition of Communicate Better.”
“This is a promising partnership to add to our flourishing portfolio, increasing our footprint in telephony products, enhancing our Microsoft relationship, and accruing telematic products.
“I am excited to welcome our new colleagues and customers to the Daisy family and to continue our journeys together”.
Communicate Better’s technology is mainly geared towards remote working, and it enhances Daisy’s IT, mobile, telephony, and telematics solutions.
