Microsoft Teams Will Soon Let You Combine Personal and Work Accounts

The latest feature to be rolled out by Microsoft Teams will make life easier for both business and individual users.

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:

0 out of 0
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

  • Lots of customizability
  • Affordable
  • Completely free
  • 300 participants
  • Integrates with Microsoft 365
  • High quality video and audio
  • Reliable and secure
  • Lower cost than competitors
  • Easy to use
  • Feature-rich free version available
  • Intuitive interface
  • Feature-rich software
  • High quality video
  • Easy setup
  • Low cost, flexible pricing
  • Browser functionality
  • SSL/128-bit AES encryption
  • 1080p video and HD audio,
  • Integrates with third-party apps
  • Good value
  • No analytics
  • Free – no single sign-on
  • No gallery view for guests
  • Steep learning curve
  • No free plan
  • Poor audio quality
  • Occasional bandwidth issues
  • Recording costs extra
  • Unsophisticated chat function
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Written by:
Aaron Drapkin is Tech.co's Content Manager. He has been researching and writing about technology, politics, and society in print and online publications since graduating with a Philosophy degree from the University of Bristol six years ago. Aaron's focus areas include VPNs, cybersecurity, AI and project management software. He has been quoted in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, The Daily Mail, Computer Weekly, Cybernews, Lifewire, HR News and the Silicon Republic speaking on various privacy and cybersecurity issues, and has articles published in Wired, Vice, Metro, ProPrivacy, The Week, and Politics.co.uk covering a wide range of topics.
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