<p>After nearly 14 years of dominating the world of online communication, Skype is officially shutting down on May 5. Once a household name, this pioneering service changed the way we connected with friends, family, and colleagues across the globe. Yet, as new, more dynamic apps like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Slack emerged, Skype&rsquo;s relevance began to fade. Microsoft, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, has now turned its attention to its more successful product, Teams, leaving Skype&rsquo;s legacy behind.&nbsp;</p>
<p><br>Here&rsquo;s a look back at Skype&rsquo;s rise to fame, its eventual decline, and what led to its retirement.</p>
<h2><br>The rise of Skype: Revolutionising communication</h2>
<p><br>When Skype was launched in 2003 by Niklas Zennstr&ouml;m and Janus Friis, it quickly became a game-changer in digital communication. With its free voice and video calling features, Skype bridged distances, enabling users to connect from any corner of the world. Skype&rsquo;s success was undeniable &mdash; it gave us the ability to make long-distance calls without the hefty phone bills and revolutionised the concept of instant messaging and video chat.<br>At its peak, Skype was the go-to platform for anyone looking to communicate across borders. In fact, by 2011, Skype reportedly had more than 660 million registered users and over 300 million monthly active users. It seemed like nothing could topple the giant. But, as the digital landscape evolved, so did the communication needs of consumers.</p>
<h2><br>The Microsoft acquisition: A bold move</h2>
<p><br>In 2011, Microsoft made one of its largest acquisitions, buying Skype for a staggering $8.5 billion. The acquisition was viewed as a strategic move to boost Microsoft&rsquo;s presence in the growing digital communication space. Microsoft envisioned Skype becoming an integral part of its ecosystem, helping to drive communication across its products like Windows, Xbox, and Outlook.<br>But despite the investment, Skype struggled to evolve with changing trends. The platform&rsquo;s design, once groundbreaking, began to feel outdated, and its user experience faltered in the face of newer, more nimble competitors.</p>
<h2><br>Decline in Skype users&nbsp;</h2>
<p><br>While Skype was once unbeatable, its dominance started to wane as new competitors entered the market. Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Zoom became popular alternatives, offering more intuitive and feature-rich experiences. Skype struggled to compete, especially with the rise of mobile messaging and video conferencing tools.<br>Skype&rsquo;s efforts to stay relevant with new features, like its attempt to mimic Snapchat&rsquo;s interface, only made things worse. Users complained of constant redesigns, missed calls, and unreliable syncing across devices. The once-celebrated platform began to feel clunky, losing ground in a fast-evolving market.</p>
<p><br>As Skype&rsquo;s user base dwindled, Microsoft turned its focus to its new platform, Teams. Launched in 2017, Teams was designed to combine chat, voice, and video calling features for the corporate world. Unlike Skype, Teams offered a more comprehensive solution for business communication and collaboration, eventually becoming the go-to tool for professionals.</p>
<p><br>By 2023, Skype&rsquo;s daily active users had dropped to just 36 million, a stark contrast to Teams, which boasted 320 million monthly users. As a result, Microsoft made the decision to phase out Skype entirely, transitioning its communication strategy toward Teams and other products more in line with current user needs.</p>
<p><br>Despite its decline, Skype holds an important place in the history of digital communication. It was not only a pioneer in voice and video calls but also one of Microsoft&rsquo;s first forays into AI, introducing groundbreaking features like real-time translation. While Skype may no longer be part of Microsoft&rsquo;s future, the company has vowed to continue integrating AI into Teams, further strengthening its leadership in the workplace communication market.</p>
<p><br>As Skype fades into the digital history books, Microsoft reassures that it will relocate Skype&rsquo;s employees to other departments rather than letting them go. The tech giant is already making strides in using AI to enhance Teams, signaling that while Skype&rsquo;s story is over, Microsoft&rsquo;s ambition to lead the way in communication technologies is far from finished.</p>
<p><br>Skype&rsquo;s shutdown marks the end of an era in digital communication. From its early days as the pioneer of free calls to its eventual decline, Skype helped shape the way we connect. Though its time has come to an end, Skype will always be remembered as the platform that made international calls and video chats accessible to everyone. As Microsoft moves forward with Teams, it&rsquo;s clear that the future of communication lies in more integrated, business-focused platforms, but Skype&rsquo;s influence will continue to resonate in the way we communicate across the globe.</p>

Business & Economy: How Skype, a leader in digital communication, prepares for its official shutdown on May 05  after nearly 14 years of service.

After nearly 14 years of dominating the world of online communication, Skype is officially shutting down on May 5. Once a household name, this pioneering service changed the way we connected with friends, family, and colleagues across the globe. Yet, as new, more dynamic apps like Zoom, WhatsApp, and Slack emerged, Skype’s relevance began to fade. Microsoft, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion in 2011, has now turned its attention to its more successful product, Teams, leaving Skype’s legacy behind. Here’s a look back at Skype’s rise to fame, its eventual decline, and what led to its retirement. The rise of Skype: Revolutionising communication When Skype was launched in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, it quickly became a game-changer in digital communication. With its free voice and video calling features, Skype bridged distances, enabling users to connect from any corner of the world. Skype’s success was undeniable — it gave us the ability to make long-distance calls without the hefty phone bills and revolutionised the concept of instant messaging and video chat. At its peak, Skype was the go-to platform for anyone looking to communicate across borders. In fact, by 2011, Skype reportedly had more than 660 million registered users and over 300 million monthly active users. It seemed like nothing could topple the giant. But, as the digital landscape evolved, so did the communication needs of consumers. The Microsoft acquisition: A bold move In 2011, Microsoft made one of its largest acquisitions, buying Skype for a staggering $8.5 billion. The acquisition was viewed as a strategic move to boost Microsoft’s presence in the growing digital communication space. Microsoft envisioned Skype becoming an integral part of its ecosystem, helping to drive communication across its products like Windows, Xbox, and Outlook. But despite the investment, Skype struggled to evolve with changing trends. The platform’s design, once groundbreaking, began to feel outdated, and its user experience faltered in the face of newer, more nimble competitors. Decline in Skype users While Skype was once unbeatable, its dominance started to wane as new competitors entered the market. Apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Zoom became popular alternatives, offering more intuitive and feature-rich experiences. Skype struggled to compete, especially with the rise of mobile messaging and video conferencing tools. Skype’s efforts to stay relevant with new features, like its attempt to mimic Snapchat’s interface, only made things worse. Users complained of constant redesigns, missed calls, and unreliable syncing across devices. The once-celebrated platform began to feel clunky, losing ground in a fast-evolving market. As Skype’s user base dwindled, Microsoft turned its focus to its new platform, Teams. Launched in 2017, Teams was designed to combine chat, voice, and video calling features for the corporate world. Unlike Skype, Teams offered a more comprehensive solution for business communication and collaboration, eventually becoming the go-to tool for professionals. By 2023, Skype’s daily active users had dropped to just 36 million, a stark contrast to Teams, which boasted 320 million monthly users. As a result, Microsoft made the decision to phase out Skype entirely, transitioning its communication strategy toward Teams and other products more in line with current user needs. Despite its decline, Skype holds an important place in the history of digital communication. It was not only a pioneer in voice and video calls but also one of Microsoft’s first forays into AI, introducing groundbreaking features like real-time translation. While Skype may no longer be part of Microsoft’s future, the company has vowed to continue integrating AI into Teams, further strengthening its leadership in the workplace communication market. As Skype fades into the digital history books, Microsoft reassures that it will relocate Skype’s employees to other departments rather than letting them go. The tech giant is already making strides in using AI to enhance Teams, signaling that while Skype’s story is over, Microsoft’s ambition to lead the way in communication technologies is far from finished. Skype’s shutdown marks the end of an era in digital communication. From its early days as the pioneer of free calls to its eventual decline, Skype helped shape the way we connect. Though its time has come to an end, Skype will always be remembered as the platform that made international calls and video chats accessible to everyone. As Microsoft moves forward with Teams, it’s clear that the future of communication lies in more integrated, business-focused platforms, but Skype’s influence will continue to resonate in the way we communicate across the globe.

Skype shuts down today: Here’s how it rose to fame and why Microsoft’s focus shifted?

<p>The European Union (EU) has initiated an antitrust investigation concerning Microsoft's practice of bundling its collaboration and communication software, Teams, with its popular cloud-based productivity suites for businesses, Office 365 and Microsoft 365.</p>

<p>This investigation comes after rival company Slack lodged a complaint with the EU, alleging that Microsoft was unfairly tying Teams with its productivity suites, thereby restricting competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) for communication and collaboration products.</p>

<h2><strong>EU's concerns&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>“The Commission is concerned that Microsoft may be abusing and defending its market position in productivity software by restricting competition in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) for communication and collaboration products,” European Commission said while announcing the probe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-support-to-taliban-regime-emboldens-terror-inside-its-borders-un-report-619894">Pakistan's support to Taliban regime emboldens terror inside its borders: UN report</a></p>

<p>“In particular, the Commission is concerned that Microsoft may grant Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers the choice on whether or not to include access to that product when they subscribe to their productivity suites and may have limited the interoperability between its productivity suites and competing offerings," it added.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Microsoft's response</strong></h2>

<p>Microsoft acknowledged the European Commission's action and expressed its commitment to cooperate with the investigation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/typhoon-doksuri-lashes-philippines-as-china-and-taiwan-stay-alert-619883">Typhoon Doksuri lashes Philippines as China and Taiwan stay alert&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>"We respect the European Commission’s work on this case and take our own responsibilities very seriously. We will continue to cooperate with the Commission and remain committed to finding solutions that will address its concerns," Microsoft reportedly said.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Background of the complaint</strong></h2>

<p>In July 2020, Slack publicly accused Microsoft of illegally tying Teams to its dominant Office productivity suite. Slack claimed that Microsoft had forcibly installed Teams for millions of users, made it challenging to remove, and obscured its true cost to enterprise customers.</p>

<p>Microsoft countered the allegations, citing the surge in Teams' adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased demand for video conferencing and digital communication tools.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Russian defence minister's Pyongyang visit | Putin to meet African leaders&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>The EU's approach to regulating digital giants is evolving, with the introduction of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) providing additional antitrust enforcement powers.</p>

<p>The DMA targets powerful digital intermediaries or "gatekeepers" and imposes upfront obligations and restrictions on their core platform services to prevent self-favoring practices like bundling or tying.</p>

<p>Microsoft's business could fall under the scope of the DMA, and the regulation might apply to areas relevant to Slack's complaint, such as communications and cloud services.</p>

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The European Union (EU) has initiated an antitrust investigation concerning Microsoft's practice of bundling its collaboration and communication software, Teams, with its popular cloud-based productivity suites for businesses, Office 365 and Microsoft 365.

The European Union (EU) has initiated an antitrust investigation concerning Microsoft's practice of bundling its collaboration and communication software, Teams, with its popular cloud-based productivity suites for businesses, Office 365 and Microsoft 365. This investigation comes after rival company Slack lodged a complaint with the EU, alleging that Microsoft was unfairly tying Teams with its productivity suites, thereby restricting competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) for communication and collaboration products. EU's concerns “The Commission is concerned that Microsoft may be abusing and defending its market position in productivity software by restricting competition in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) for communication and collaboration products,” European Commission said while announcing the probe. Also Read | Pakistan's support to Taliban regime emboldens terror inside its borders: UN report “In particular, the Commission is concerned that Microsoft may grant Teams a distribution advantage by not giving customers the choice on whether or not to include access to that product when they subscribe to their productivity suites and may have limited the interoperability between its productivity suites and competing offerings," it added. Microsoft's response Microsoft acknowledged the European Commission's action and expressed its commitment to cooperate with the investigation. Also Read | Typhoon Doksuri lashes Philippines as China and Taiwan stay alert "We respect the European Commission’s work on this case and take our own responsibilities very seriously. We will continue to cooperate with the Commission and remain committed to finding solutions that will address its concerns," Microsoft reportedly said. Background of the complaint In July 2020, Slack publicly accused Microsoft of illegally tying Teams to its dominant Office productivity suite. Slack claimed that Microsoft had forcibly installed Teams for millions of users, made it challenging to remove, and obscured its true cost to enterprise customers. Microsoft countered the allegations, citing the surge in Teams' adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased demand for video conferencing and digital communication tools. Watch | Russian defence minister's Pyongyang visit | Putin to meet African leaders × The EU's approach to regulating digital giants is evolving, with the introduction of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) providing additional antitrust enforcement powers. The DMA targets powerful digital intermediaries or "gatekeepers" and imposes upfront obligations and restrictions on their core platform services to prevent self-favoring practices like bundling or tying. Microsoft's business could fall under the scope of the DMA, and the regulation might apply to areas relevant to Slack's complaint, such as communications and cloud services. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

European Union launches antitrust investigation into Microsoft's bundling of Teams

<p>After millions of users across the world were left unable to access Microsoft Corp services like Teams and Outlook, the company on Thursday said it was investigating the outage.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We're investigating issues impacting multiple Microsoft 365 services. More info can be found in the admin center under MO502273.</p>
— Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSFT365Status/status/1618149579341369345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>While the company did not disclose how many people were affected by&nbsp;the outage&nbsp;across the world,&nbsp;Downdetector.com, a website which tracks outages like these showed more than 3,900 incidents of people reporting issues with Microsoft Teams in the country. The website gathers its data from a variety of sources, including user reports.</p>

<p>Users from many locations globally, including Cape Town in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Sri Lanka, Peru&nbsp;and Ukraine, also took to the website to report similar outages. Users also posted similar reports on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/Outlook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Outlook</a> is not working and facing maintenance issue. So are we supposed to go home? 😂<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Outlook?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Outlook</a></p>
— Vanessa D'souza (@Van_chester07) <a href="https://twitter.com/Van_chester07/status/1618155832969170950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Outlook is down for anyone ?</p>
— Fernweh✨ (@poorvi205) <a href="https://twitter.com/poorvi205/status/1618156620537802752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Seems like a major outage at <a href="https://twitter.com/Microsoft?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Microsoft</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Office?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Office</a> !<br />
<br />
Teams, Outlook - everything seems down!</p>
— Ankit Pandey (@AnkitPandey) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnkitPandey/status/1618156318778609672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Looks like Microsoft has gone down. So there goes Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and even authentication to intranet services... There are a load of people in Redmond getting hauled out of bed right now <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/microsoft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#microsoft</a></p>
— 🆂🅺 🌻 (@SK_00001) <a href="https://twitter.com/SK_00001/status/1618156429793271808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Is this a worldwide problem? 😅<br />
Outlook and Teams stopped working properly for me as well.<br />
<br />
*googles*</p>
— Purrtato🥔🐱 (@BasementNyanko) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasementNyanko/status/1618155404164493313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/Microsoft?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Microsoft</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MicrosoftIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MicrosoftIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@satyanadella</a> Microsoft Outlook and Teams application is not working in India. Please help to resolve the issue. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Microsoft?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Microsoft</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MicrosoftTeams?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MicrosoftTeams</a></p>
— AKSHIT KHERA (@AKSHITKHERA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AKSHITKHERA/status/1618155859640733697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>During this interruption of services, most users were unable to exchange messages, make calls or use the other features available on the Teams application, said a Reuters report.</p>

<p>The app is globally used by schools, colleges and workplaces around the world. As per Reuters, it is an integral part of daily operations for more than 280 million people, who use it to "make calls, schedule meetings and organize their workflow."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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After millions of users across the world were left unable to access Microsoft Corp services like Teams and Outlook, the company on Thursday said it was investigating the outage.

After millions of users across the world were left unable to access Microsoft Corp services like Teams and Outlook, the company on Thursday said it was investigating the outage. We're investigating issues impacting multiple Microsoft 365 services. More info can be found in the admin center under MO502273. — Microsoft 365 Status (@MSFT365Status) January 25, 2023 × While the company did not disclose how many people were affected by the outage across the world, Downdetector.com, a website which tracks outages like these showed more than 3,900 incidents of people reporting issues with Microsoft Teams in the country. The website gathers its data from a variety of sources, including user reports. Users from many locations globally, including Cape Town in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Sri Lanka, Peru and Ukraine, also took to the website to report similar outages. Users also posted similar reports on Twitter. @Outlook is not working and facing maintenance issue. So are we supposed to go home? 😂#Outlook — Vanessa D'souza (@Van_chester07) January 25, 2023 × Outlook is down for anyone ? — Fernweh✨ (@poorvi205) January 25, 2023 × Seems like a major outage at @Microsoft @Office ! Teams, Outlook - everything seems down! — Ankit Pandey (@AnkitPandey) January 25, 2023 × Looks like Microsoft has gone down. So there goes Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and even authentication to intranet services... There are a load of people in Redmond getting hauled out of bed right now #microsoft — 🆂🅺 🌻 (@SK_00001) January 25, 2023 × Is this a worldwide problem? 😅 Outlook and Teams stopped working properly for me as well. *googles* — Purrtato🥔🐱 (@BasementNyanko) January 25, 2023 × @Microsoft @MicrosoftIndia @satyanadella Microsoft Outlook and Teams application is not working in India. Please help to resolve the issue. #Microsoft #MicrosoftTeams — AKSHIT KHERA (@AKSHITKHERA) January 25, 2023 × During this interruption of services, most users were unable to exchange messages, make calls or use the other features available on the Teams application, said a Reuters report. The app is globally used by schools, colleges and workplaces around the world. As per Reuters, it is an integral part of daily operations for more than 280 million people, who use it to "make calls, schedule meetings and organize their workflow." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Microsoft investigating Teams, Outlook outage; 'So are we supposed to go home?,' ask users

<p>Microsoft&nbsp;Corp said on&nbsp;Monday that&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;365 services, including Outlook.com and&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Teams&nbsp;and other online services experience outage due to&nbsp;a recent change it introduced.</p>

<p>The outages were confirmed by an official spokesman and Downdetector which aggregates user reports of issues.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">User reports indicate Office 365 is having problems since 5:33 PM EDT. <a href="https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ">https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ</a> RT if you're also having problems <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Office365down?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Office365down</a></p>
— Downdetector (@downdetector) <a href="https://twitter.com/downdetector/status/1310694067735584768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>While&nbsp;Teams is a collobaoration tool that integrates with Office 365, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel are other online subcriptions the tech giant offers.</p>

<p>The developer of Windows and Office software said it did not "observe an increase in successful connections" even after it rolled back the change to mitigate the impact.</p>

<p>"A moment ago nothing was working, then I went into files in Teams and it was working, now nothing is working. Well I guess now I have an excuse to not do work and watch TV," one Twitter user tweeted.</p>

<p>"We're pursuing mitigation steps for this issue. In parallel, we're rerouting traffic to alternate systems to provide further relief to the affected users,"&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;said on its status page, without specifying how many users were affected.</p>

<p>Several other Twitter users complained that the outage meant they could miss their job interviews and deadline for college assignments.</p>

<p>The Xbox maker also said https://bit.ly/339pRgI they were working to evaluate other solutions while they investigate the root cause of the outage.</p>


Microsoft Corp said on Monday that multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook.com and Microsoft Teams and other online services experience outage due to a recent change it introduced.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday that multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook.com and Microsoft Teams and other online services experience outage due to a recent change it introduced. The outages were confirmed by an official spokesman and Downdetector which aggregates user reports of issues. User reports indicate Office 365 is having problems since 5:33 PM EDT. https://t.co/xVELvgTStJ RT if you're also having problems #Office365down — Downdetector (@downdetector) September 28, 2020 × While Teams is a collobaoration tool that integrates with Office 365, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel are other online subcriptions the tech giant offers. The developer of Windows and Office software said it did not "observe an increase in successful connections" even after it rolled back the change to mitigate the impact. "A moment ago nothing was working, then I went into files in Teams and it was working, now nothing is working. Well I guess now I have an excuse to not do work and watch TV," one Twitter user tweeted. "We're pursuing mitigation steps for this issue. In parallel, we're rerouting traffic to alternate systems to provide further relief to the affected users," Microsoft said on its status page, without specifying how many users were affected. Several other Twitter users complained that the outage meant they could miss their job interviews and deadline for college assignments. The Xbox maker also said https://bit.ly/339pRgI they were working to evaluate other solutions while they investigate the root cause of the outage.

Microsoft Office 365, Teams and other online services experience outage

<p>Microsoft has announced a set of new features in its video conferencing&nbsp;app Teams that make virtual interactions more natural, more engaging.</p>

<p>Teams is getting a new feature called 'Together Mode' which will allow users to share the same background.</p>

<p>'It''s great for meetings in which multiple people will speak, such as brainstorms or roundtable discussions, because it makes it easier for participants to understand who is talking,'' Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, said in a statement.</p>

<p>Microsoft also announced to bring Video filters to Teams.</p>

<p>Before joining a meeting, people can use the filters to subtly adjust lighting levels and soften the focus of the camera to customize your appearance.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-teams-now-lets-you-use-your-own-images-as-background-during-video-calls-306216">Also Read:&nbsp;Microsoft Teams now lets you use your own images as background during video calls</a></p>

<p>Microsoft's virtual assistant, Cortana will also be available in Teams in the coming weeks. The users can ask Cortana to make a call, join a meeting, send chat messages, share files, and more.</p>

<p>Microsoft has also introduced Live Reactions which will be able to react during a meeting using emojis that will appear to all participants. "We are also bringing PowerPoint Live Presentations to Teams in the future, further enabling audience engagement right from Teams," the company said in its&nbsp;blog.</p>

<p>Last month, Microsoft Teams introduced a custom background option for video calls</p>

<p>The feature allows you to replace your background in Team meetings with your own custom images or with the ones provided online by Microsoft. Users also have the option to simply blur the background.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/facebook-and-microsoft-allows-employees-to-work-from-home-till-end-of-year-297640">Also Read:&nbsp;Facebook and Microsoft allows employees to work from home till end of year</a></p>

<p>Videoconferencing has become necessary for work and social life as people around the world hunker down at home to avoid the spread coronavirus.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Microsoft Teams allows users to chat, share files, make calls and hold web video conferences. Microsoft charges fees to businesses for its full versions of Teams, but there is a free version that can be used by consumers.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Microsoft has announced a set of new features in its video conferencing app Teams that make virtual interactions more natural, more engaging. Teams is getting a new feature called 'Together Mode' which will allow users to share the same background.

Microsoft has announced a set of new features in its video conferencing app Teams that make virtual interactions more natural, more engaging. Teams is getting a new feature called 'Together Mode' which will allow users to share the same background. 'It''s great for meetings in which multiple people will speak, such as brainstorms or roundtable discussions, because it makes it easier for participants to understand who is talking,'' Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, said in a statement. Microsoft also announced to bring Video filters to Teams. Before joining a meeting, people can use the filters to subtly adjust lighting levels and soften the focus of the camera to customize your appearance. Also Read: Microsoft Teams now lets you use your own images as background during video calls Microsoft's virtual assistant, Cortana will also be available in Teams in the coming weeks. The users can ask Cortana to make a call, join a meeting, send chat messages, share files, and more. Microsoft has also introduced Live Reactions which will be able to react during a meeting using emojis that will appear to all participants. "We are also bringing PowerPoint Live Presentations to Teams in the future, further enabling audience engagement right from Teams," the company said in its blog. Last month, Microsoft Teams introduced a custom background option for video calls The feature allows you to replace your background in Team meetings with your own custom images or with the ones provided online by Microsoft. Users also have the option to simply blur the background. Also Read: Facebook and Microsoft allows employees to work from home till end of year Videoconferencing has become necessary for work and social life as people around the world hunker down at home to avoid the spread coronavirus. Microsoft Teams allows users to chat, share files, make calls and hold web video conferences. Microsoft charges fees to businesses for its full versions of Teams, but there is a free version that can be used by consumers. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft Teams gets new features including Together Mode, Video Filter and Live Reactions

<p>Microsoft has rolled out, in preview, the personal version of its video calling app Teams for both Android and iOS and it will be fully rolled out in the coming weeks.</p>

<p>Users can opt for this feature by adding their personal account or signing up using the phone number. Microsoft Teams will allow users to switch between personal and work accounts.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-teams-now-lets-you-use-your-own-images-as-background-during-video-calls-306216">Also Read: Microsoft Teams now lets you use your own images as background during video calls</a></p>

<p>"Just like you do with Teams at work, you can stay connected with friends and loved ones through messaging and video calling. Create groups to chat and call, so you can stay connected with your family, your book club, your virtual Friday happy hour group, or whoever your group may be. You can also chat or call one-on-one. Our goal is that Teams will become the messaging hub for all your personal chats and video and voice calls, with fun features like sharing GIFs, photos, videos, documents, and even location already integrated," read the official Microsoft blog.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/facebook-and-microsoft-allows-employees-to-work-from-home-till-end-of-year-297640">Also Read: Facebook and Microsoft allows employees to work from home till end of year</a></p>

<p>Earlier this month, Microsoft Teams introduced a custom background option for video calls</p>

<p>The feature allows you to replace your background in Team meetings with your own custom images or with the ones provided online by Microsoft. Users also have the option to simply blur the background.</p>

<p>Furthermore, Teams users can now put on live captions during their calls and meetings. The company is working on introducing AI-based real-time noise suppression in Teams meetings later this year.</p>

<p>Videoconferencing has become necessary for work and social life as people around the world hunker down at home to avoid the spread coronavirus.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Microsoft has rolled out, in preview, the personal version of its video calling app Teams for both Android and iOS and it will be fully rolled out in the coming weeks.

Microsoft has rolled out, in preview, the personal version of its video calling app Teams for both Android and iOS and it will be fully rolled out in the coming weeks. Users can opt for this feature by adding their personal account or signing up using the phone number. Microsoft Teams will allow users to switch between personal and work accounts. Also Read: Microsoft Teams now lets you use your own images as background during video calls "Just like you do with Teams at work, you can stay connected with friends and loved ones through messaging and video calling. Create groups to chat and call, so you can stay connected with your family, your book club, your virtual Friday happy hour group, or whoever your group may be. You can also chat or call one-on-one. Our goal is that Teams will become the messaging hub for all your personal chats and video and voice calls, with fun features like sharing GIFs, photos, videos, documents, and even location already integrated," read the official Microsoft blog. Also Read: Facebook and Microsoft allows employees to work from home till end of year Earlier this month, Microsoft Teams introduced a custom background option for video calls The feature allows you to replace your background in Team meetings with your own custom images or with the ones provided online by Microsoft. Users also have the option to simply blur the background. Furthermore, Teams users can now put on live captions during their calls and meetings. The company is working on introducing AI-based real-time noise suppression in Teams meetings later this year. Videoconferencing has become necessary for work and social life as people around the world hunker down at home to avoid the spread coronavirus.

Microsoft Teams now available for personal use

<p>As work from home has become the new normal, Microsoft Teams has introduced a custom background option for video calls</p>

<p>The feature allows you to replace your background in Team meetings with your own custom images or with the ones provided online&nbsp;by Microsoft. Users&nbsp;also have the option to simply blur the background.</p>

<p>After changing the background, you can preview it before it's applied to your video calls. Microsoft has also rolled out an option to schedule meetings. "This capability builds upon the existing ability to “Meet Now, " the blog said.</p>

<p>Microsoft designers have also created 20 virtual backgrounds to show support for the LGBTQI+ community.</p>

<p>Furthermore, Teams users can now put on live captions during their calls and meetings. The company is working on introducing AI-based real-time noise suppression in Teams meetings later this year.</p>

<p>Videoconferencing has become necessary&nbsp;for work and social life as people around the world hunker down at home to avoid the spread&nbsp;coronavirus.<br />
<br />
Microsoft Teams allows users to chat, share files, make calls and hold web video conferences. Microsoft charges fees to businesses for its full versions of Teams, but there is a free version that can be used by consumers.</p>

<p>In April, Microsoft reported that Teams had grown to 75 million daily users, more than double its early March figure. On one day, it logged 4.1 billion meeting minutes.</p>

<p>"As Covid-19 impacts every aspect of our work and life, we''ve seen two years'' worth of digital transformation in two months," Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft said in April.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


As work from home has become the new normal, Microsoft Teams has introduced a custom background option for video calls The feature allows you to replace your background in Team meetings with your own custom images or with the ones provided online by Microsoft.

As work from home has become the new normal, Microsoft Teams has introduced a custom background option for video calls The feature allows you to replace your background in Team meetings with your own custom images or with the ones provided online by Microsoft. Users also have the option to simply blur the background. After changing the background, you can preview it before it's applied to your video calls. Microsoft has also rolled out an option to schedule meetings. "This capability builds upon the existing ability to “Meet Now, " the blog said. Microsoft designers have also created 20 virtual backgrounds to show support for the LGBTQI+ community. Furthermore, Teams users can now put on live captions during their calls and meetings. The company is working on introducing AI-based real-time noise suppression in Teams meetings later this year. Videoconferencing has become necessary for work and social life as people around the world hunker down at home to avoid the spread coronavirus. Microsoft Teams allows users to chat, share files, make calls and hold web video conferences. Microsoft charges fees to businesses for its full versions of Teams, but there is a free version that can be used by consumers. In April, Microsoft reported that Teams had grown to 75 million daily users, more than double its early March figure. On one day, it logged 4.1 billion meeting minutes. "As Covid-19 impacts every aspect of our work and life, we''ve seen two years'' worth of digital transformation in two months," Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft said in April. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft Teams now lets you use your own images as background during video calls

<p>Microsoft has introduced a new messaging system - Microsoft Teams - which will take on the fast-growing Slack and Facebook&rsquo;s Workplace. The new software will be part of Microsoft&#39;s Office 365 services, a cloud-based software suite that has more than 85 million monthly active commercial users.<br />
<br />
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Planner, Power BI and Delve are all built into Microsoft Teams so that users have all the tools that they need at their fingertips.
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</p>

<div class="embed-container"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nKU-FMzZFF0"></iframe></div>

<p><br />
&quot;Microsoft Teams is an entirely new experience that brings together people, conversations,&nbsp;and content - along with the tools that teams need - so they can easily collaborate to achieve more,&quot; said Microsoft Office team corporate vice president Kirk Koenigsbauer in a <a href="https://blogs.office.com/2016/11/02/introducing-microsoft-teams-the-chat-based-workspace-in-office-365/">blog post</a>.</p>

<p>Aiming to create a modern-day digital workspace for teams, Microsoft has integrated threaded chats into the service to keep everyone engaged. While team conversations, by default, are visible to all members, there is also a way to keep discussions private. Besides, the company has also integrated Skype into Teams so that so users can start voice and video conferences right from there.</p>

<p>Microsoft Teams, which runs on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and other web platforms. is available in preview in 181 countries. The new service is available to Office 365 commercial customers with enterprise or business plans, starting November 2. Its general availability is expected in the first quarter of 2017.</p>

<p><strong>The competition</strong></p>

<p>Microsoft&#39;s new offering Teams will directly compete with Slack, a three-year-old company that has become a leader in a crowded field of new applications aimed at helping workplaces move away from email.</p>

<p>Slack, whose customers include CBS, BuzzFeed, universities and the US government, had over 4 million daily active users in October.<br />
<br />
Slack posted an online message welcoming Microsoft &quot;to the revolution&quot; and playfully advising the behemoth that getting the service right was tougher than it might appear.<br />
<br />
&quot;Wow. Big news! Congratulations on today&#39;s announcements,&quot; <a href="https://slackhq.com/dear-microsoft-8d20965d2849#.66u51ok3w">reads a message</a> from the Slack team. &quot;We&#39;re genuinely excited to have some competition.&quot;<br />
<br />
Facebook, last month, also jumped into this segment with its Workplace application, aiming to leverage the popularity of the leading social network used by around 1.7 billion people.<br />
<br />
(WION with inputs from agencies)<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Microsoft Team will directly compete with Slack and Facebook's Workplace

Microsoft has introduced a new messaging system - Microsoft Teams - which will take on the fast-growing Slack and Facebook’s Workplace. The new software will be part of Microsoft's Office 365 services, a cloud-based software suite that has more than 85 million monthly active commercial users. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Planner, Power BI and Delve are all built into Microsoft Teams so that users have all the tools that they need at their fingertips. "Microsoft Teams is an entirely new experience that brings together people, conversations, and content - along with the tools that teams need - so they can easily collaborate to achieve more," said Microsoft Office team corporate vice president Kirk Koenigsbauer in a blog post. Aiming to create a modern-day digital workspace for teams, Microsoft has integrated threaded chats into the service to keep everyone engaged. While team conversations, by default, are visible to all members, there is also a way to keep discussions private. Besides, the company has also integrated Skype into Teams so that so users can start voice and video conferences right from there. Microsoft Teams, which runs on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and other web platforms. is available in preview in 181 countries. The new service is available to Office 365 commercial customers with enterprise or business plans, starting November 2. Its general availability is expected in the first quarter of 2017. The competition Microsoft's new offering Teams will directly compete with Slack, a three-year-old company that has become a leader in a crowded field of new applications aimed at helping workplaces move away from email. Slack, whose customers include CBS, BuzzFeed, universities and the US government, had over 4 million daily active users in October. Slack posted an online message welcoming Microsoft "to the revolution" and playfully advising the behemoth that getting the service right was tougher than it might appear. "Wow. Big news! Congratulations on today's announcements," reads a message from the Slack team. "We're genuinely excited to have some competition." Facebook, last month, also jumped into this segment with its Workplace application, aiming to leverage the popularity of the leading social network used by around 1.7 billion people. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Microsoft Teams: Everything you should know about this new chat-based service

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