Microsoft Teams will soon make the unnecessarily arduous task of switching between your personal and work accounts a thing of the past with a new update.
The update makes it easier for those using the web conferencing service to take personal calls with the security provisions afforded to their work accounts.
First announced way back in February 2021, Microsoft has now entered the ‘roll out’ period, according to the Microsoft 365 roadmap – so the feature will be available very soon.
What Will the Update Allow Team Users to do?
According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, after the update, “Teams users will be able to chat with team members who are outside their work network and have a Teams personal account.”
The main benefit of the change is being able to stay under the security and compliance provisions provided for companies and organizations whilst on 1:1 calls with personal Teams account users.
The change will be rolled out to all Microsoft Teams users worldwide, so regardless of what country you or your business is based in, you’ll have access to this new feature.
Microsoft Teams and the World of Hybrid Working
Video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams – as well as competitors such as Zoom – ballooned in popularity during 2020, and have continued to add more companies to their customer base since then.
The last six months have seen Microsoft add various features to make it a more functional program for users and, in turn, make their businesses more efficient.
Updates rolled out in December 2021 meant switching between chats and channels a lot quicker in an effort to provide better app performance.
Beforehand, in October, Teams rolled out its revamped whiteboard feature and made it possible to add in images and shapes, as well ramping up the number of templates available to 41.
And, the month before that, Microsoft added a feature that automatically turns on live transcription – which was rolled out earlier in 2021 – when you start recording a meeting.
Is Microsoft Teams the Right Fit for My Business?
If you’re yet to jump on the web conferencing bandwagon – or you’re finding the current application you’re using unsatisfactory for your business’s needs – it might be time to consider Microsoft Teams.
According to Enlyft, 14% of Businesses using Microsoft Teams produce computer software, another 7% provide Information Technology and Services, 6% are in the Hospital and healthcare industry and 5% are Education Management teams.
Microsoft Teams is a flexible program that can cater to not just teams of different sizes, but teams in a broad range of industries.
The big advantage of Microsoft Teams is, if you’re already using Microsoft Office in your day-to-day workday, then you’re going to experience seamless integration. This puts it ahead of other competitor apps like Slack because, for instance, you can invite people to a meeting and then all work on the same Microsoft Word document together.
The other advantage of Microsoft is the number of updates it rolls out – just like the one discussed at the beginning of this article – so you and your business will are guaranteed to never get left behind.
Of course, Microsoft Teams isn’t the only web conferencing service out there – check out our table below to see how it fares against its rivals:
| Price from The lowest starting price for a paid plan. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs. | User rating Average rating given by iOS and Android users in App Store and Google Play Store reviews | Best for | Pros | Cons | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| RingCentral | Microsoft Teams | GoTo Meeting | Zoom | Webex | Zoho Meeting | Lifesize |
| 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.2 |
| Security | Microsoft 365 users | Sound and video quality | Beginners | Larger businesses | Value | Users that need hardware |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
