As Microsoft Teams emerges as the go-to solution for enterprise collaboration, vendors everywhere are searching for new ways to check more boxes for transforming companies. Thanks to accessible APIs, companies can add extra features to the Teams experience, and expand functionality for consumers. However, some of the most valuable API components have required an extra license.
Microsoft’s $12 Microsoft Teams Advanced Communications licence previously offered access to the compliance recording Graph API, the Contact Centre Graph API, and live events for up to 20,000 people. Microsoft also announced upcoming access to extra features in 2020, such as interactive Teams meetings supporting 1000 participants, and larger overflow meetings with 20k attendees. Custom branded lobbies are on the roadmap too.
Now, as Microsoft MVP, Tom Arbuthnot, explained in his TomTalks blog, the Advanced Communications license will no longer be a requirement to access certain APIs. More specially, Microsoft has eliminated the requirement for recordings and contact centre solutions.
Expanding the Microsoft Teams Experience
According to Tom’s blog, Microsoft announced the recent change in a documentation update confirmed by the team. The Advanced Communications Licence for compliance recording integration, and contact centre solution is disappearing. This means that you won’t need to pay extra to access two of the most valuable APIs offered by Microsoft, for Teams.
Microsoft has removed the requirement language for the Contact Centre API on the advanced communications documentation page. There’s also no mention of needing an advanced license for the recording solution on the Compliance recording page. Notably, as Tom highlights in his blog, the API for the recording service is different to the standard recording solution you get from Teams.
The compliance recording API supports third-party recording solutions for compliance. Microsoft already offers basic recording functionality with Microsoft Teams as default.
What Does the Advanced Communications Licence Cover?
Following the removal of the contact centre API and advanced recording API from the list of exclusive offerings via Advanced Communications, the solution has changed. Advanced Communications now covers:
- Managing company communications: Support for tracking, monitoring, and analysing data on devices and users to ensure more effective experiences
- Tailor meetings: Customize meetings across your organisation for internal and customer-facing experiences. You can set up branded meeting lobbies and implement custom changes across your departments
- Reach larger audiences: Customers can keep audiences connected with live events for up to 20,000 participants and interactive meetings for around 1,000 participants. There’s also support for up to 20,000 participants in view-only meetings
Microsoft’s official documentation about the Advanced Communications add-on for Teams says that the Advanced features are not part of any Microsoft 365 licensing. Customers needing access to the unique features available need to purchase the license as an add-on for the Office 365 experience.
Fortunately, Microsoft is offering a discount of 35% on the license for now. However, it’s difficult to determine whether professionals will continue to pay the per user per month price tag without access to 2 of the most valuable APIs. There’s always a chance that Microsoft will be adding more features to support advanced communications in the future, of course.
Notably, as Tom notes in his blog, if you want to use the capabilities offered by Advanced Communications, you’ll only need the meeting organisers to have an advanced license. You don’t need to give meeting attendees one too. Many organisations may purchase the product for a minimal number of people.
Charging for API Access
It’s difficult to know whether Microsoft will monetise certain features and APIs going forward. Additional licenses are a way to expand on the Microsoft Teams experience, and it seems like Microsoft is holding onto the ability to change certain access options as and when it chooses.
Now that the advanced communication license isn’t required for the contact centre and recording APIs, the question remains of what’s going to happen to these two essential features. Will it be possible to access 2 of the most valuable APIs for Microsoft Teams for free? Will companies have a separate license to pay for alongside their Microsoft Teams experience? At this point, Microsoft hasn’t made any information public.
It seems likely, however, that Microsoft will continue to provide access to advanced features in the form of enhanced licenses going forward.
