Around the world teamwork is on the rise. Research suggests employees now work on nearly double the number of teams than they did just five years ago. This means more than ever people are reliant on their peers to help get things done. But a “one size fits all” approach does not work when it comes to group collaboration—different tools appeal to different groups and address unique needs.

Microsoft Teams

is the new chat-based workspace in Office 365. It 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. It is one app that brings your team’s conversations, meetings, files and notes together in a single place for open and seamless collaboration.

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Although some believe the application is redundant to Yammer, Microsoft Teams performs different tasks.

Teams are generally smaller while Yammer is for larger groups. Groups share some characteristics with teams but their levels of interdependence and task coordination are normally lower. Team members constantly engage in fast-paced, real-time communications and collaboration. To be most effective, they need a tool that allows them to (1) quickly go back and forth in their conversations and (2) quickly access shared files and collaboration tools such as SharePoint or OneNote. Organizations and large departments are groups; their members share high-level goals and the end products are the result of a collective work effort. Unlike teams, group members tend to have very few interactions in their everyday tasks.

Microsoft Teams is highly appropriate for smaller groups that get created, have a relatively short or defined life, and are then retired. Microsoft Teams are focused of chat, and Yammer is focused on conversations. If you need to get a quick group of collaborators together around a specific goal, Microsoft Teams is likely the right tool, but if you’re trying to build a community, Yammer is likely a better choice.

Although there are some areas of overlap between the social computing tools, the decision is a combination of personal preference and applicability to the task at hand.

Microsoft Teams is going to be generally and globally available on March 14. Want more information about Microsoft Teams or how to get the social application? Contact Vorsite at sales@vorsite.com or (206) 781-1797.