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| Microsoft has a new standalone version of Teams |
Microsoft released Teams Essentials, its first standalone version of Teams for small businesses.
Teams Essentials is $4 per user, per month. Provides access to key meeting features of the Teams platform without having to bundle typical Office applications that require more expensive Microsoft 365 plans.
This standalone version brings Teams closer to Zoom competitors as Microsoft ditched Slack-like channel functionality in favor of a simpler chat interface and focused on meetings and video calls.
The company said the app is Thames' first standalone design developed for small businesses because it brings together features small businesses need to provide service to their customers, including up to 30 hours of call time. Calendar. .
Teams Essentials fills the void in small businesses that have been around since Teams was introduced nearly five years ago.
Small businesses should choose the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan — $5 per user per month, up to $6 in March — or choose competitors like Zoom, Slack and Google Workspace.
The main difference between Teams Essentials and Microsoft 365 Business Basic plans lies in the functionality of Teams and cloud storage.
Compared to 1 TB in Business Basic, Teams Essentials only offers 10 GB of storage via OneDrive.
Teams Essentials also lacks meeting recordings, transcripts, real-time translations, sub-room integration, and whiteboard capabilities.
This standalone version of Microsoft Teams competes with Zoom
Teams Essentials also offers Teams and channel functionality in Teams. Therefore, it is aimed at companies that rely on apps like Teams or Zoom for video calls and meetings. However, private chats and group chats are still valid in Teams Essentials.
Microsoft's focus is on small businesses that rely on Zoom. Introducing a standalone version of Teams is a big step up against Zoom and even Google Workspace.
Microsoft sees an opportunity to attract small businesses that are trying to balance some tools that don't always work together.
Now, if you're part of a small business, you can use Zoom for video calls, Slack for group chats, and Google Workspace for email and calendar.
Over the past period, Google has committed to developing a Gmail-centric chat and communication application, and the Google Workspace is open to everyone. While Slack has apps integration, attempts are being made to make these standalone apps more transparent.
Teams Essentials lacks the application scalability that unites all independent small business solutions. The software giant is working hard to integrate Google Calendar into Teams Essentials as quickly as possible.
If you're a small business, considering the cost of using Zoom, Google Workspace, Slack, and other tools, Teams Essentials at $4 per user per month sounds good.