Microsoft announced at Inspire 2022 that Viva Engage will be integrated into the Teams and Microsoft 365 platform.
Viva Engage, the newest app in Microsoft Viva, is designed to help people and teams to feel more included in the hybrid workplace.
The social app is built on the foundation of Yammer and allows users to connect with coworkers, find answers to questions and share their own stories.
Seth Patton, GM of Microsoft 365 Product Marketing, said: “Hybrid and remote work has made it difficult for people to feel connected to one another and to the mission of their organization—our relationships and sense of connection at work have shrunk.
“Leaders are tasked with delivering a reimagined employee experience that meets employees’ expectations while bringing a sense of community, connection, and inspiration to day-to-day work.
“Our Work Trends Index shows that 43% of leaders believe that relationship-building is the greatest challenge of hybrid and remote work. Yet, building social capital is crucial for organizational success.
For those who lead in a business, Viva Engage is a place for them to share news and strategies, speak with employees and weigh in on conversations.
They will have access to features like virtual events, pinned conversations, and create announcements that send notifications across Teams, Outlook and Viva Connections.
For employees, Viva Engage enables them to build communities and professional networks with their coworkers, as well as share their work or find answers to questions.
Users can share their perspectives through the storyline feature, which can be done in two ways, via a post or stories.
Posts can include text, photos, videos, links and files and can reach followers and colleagues in Microsoft Viva Connections, Outlook, Teams, and Yammer.
Stories, similar to other social media platforms, allow the user to share short videos or photos for things such as a quick update, celebrating a milestone, and more.
Stories are shown at the top of the storyline on a carousel and appear in Outlook, Teams, and Yammer for easy discoverability.
Microsoft Viva Engage can be accessed on the web, desktop and mobile versions of Microsoft Teams, meaning users can share content from anywhere.
Viva Engage will be available to all current Microsoft 365 commercial customers at no additional charge; however, users must have a Yammer license to use the app.
Microsoft says that in late August, the Communities app for Teams will be rebranded as Viva Engage with the beginning of the storyline public preview.
During Inspire 2022, Microsoft announced that LinkedIn would be integrated into Teams, meaning users can access the social media platform from the Teams app.
