It’s not clear what number of customers really desire to make use of Microsoft Teams exterior of labor, however that hasn’t stopped Microsoft from making an attempt: The free, client model of Teams now has a “Communities” characteristic to attach on-line.

Microsoft is including the characteristic to simply the Android and iOS variations of the free Teams app that it launched last year. A desktop model will come quickly, Microsoft says. Communities provides the flexibility to hitch your folks to a bunch, with shared messaging, calendaring, and group calls.

But the difficulty that Microsoft hasn’t actually appeared to beat is that this: Microsoft appears to need customers to organically signal on to Teams and plan their subsequent night time out, but it surely merely can’t keep away from leaning on its legacy of enterprise functions. The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) will use Teams to attach its 500,000-member group group, set apply schedules, and the like. USA Hockey plans to do one thing much like construct communities amongst grass-roots hockey groups.

The level is that AYSO and USA Hockey communities aren’t being constructed from the bottom up; the organizations will merely inform their members that Teams would be the means the group will talk. That’s not a lot completely different than your employer dictating which net service will probably be used for communication, collaboration, and workflows.

Microsoft

And Teams new Communities seems to be like Teams: While you’ll be capable of administer and reasonable teams, sharing messages and paperwork and organizing occasions, the UI nonetheless seems to be very comparable. “Personalization” seems to be restricted to “branding elements” (Microsoft’s phrases) like a bunch image. You’ll be capable of entry Communities by way of the Home tab on the cell app, although it’s possible you’ll want to modify out of your work account to take action.

It all feels very completely different than how freewheeling, natural communities type on Discord, Snapchat, or different messaging providers. If you’re the kind of one who already has your whole vacation buying achieved, Teams Communities could also be for you. If you like one thing a bit extra chill, Teams Communities most likely isn’t.