All About Interwebz: The start of a new era for Microsoft Teams is here

Microsoft has rolled out an update for Teams that will change the way many people collaborate with colleagues and perform their daily tasks on the platform.

The update introduces functionality from Microsoft Loop, a new application designed to help workers cooperate on tasks in real-time with portable components that synchronize across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

As per a new blog post, Loop components have now arrived for Microsoft Teams, unlocking a variety of opportunities to streamline workflows, as well as minimizing the number of apps workers are required to juggle.

For example, users can post a data table or list of actions into a Teams channel, where all members are able to edit the content and see any changes live. The content will also remain up-to-date wherever else the components have been deployed (say, in a Word document or PowerPoint presentation).

“Loop components offer teams more flexibility in how they get work done - ensuring everyone always has access to the latest information. Where it is contributing in real-time or at a time that better fits your team’s schedule, Loop components enable you and your team to stay connected without worrying about working with stable information,” explained Microsoft.

Microsoft Loop comes to Teams

First unveiled at Microsoft’s annual Ignite conference last month, Loop is made up of three elements: components, pages and workspaces.

Loop workspaces are shared spaces that contain everything relevant to a specific project. Loop pages, meanwhile, are described as “flexible canvases” where users can organize their various components and draw in files, links or data.

“For years, the established patterns of work were clear. Communication took place via email and content creation was mostly documents, spreadsheets and presentations,” wrote Microsoft in a separate blog post, when Loop was first announced.

“In the last 18 months, the world has changed, and we have adapted to a new working environment where people had to complement traditional communication tools and in-person collaboration with alternative solutions. But we need to go further. That is why we are reimagining Office, adding new apps to respond to new opportunities, and making Office a universal, interactive canvas.”

Deployed in Microsoft Teams, Loop components have the potential to change the way remote and hybrid workers collaborate with colleagues in a significant way. And this is just the start, Microsoft says; additional components are expected to be announced at Microsoft Build next year.