On the 12^th July Microsoft introduced a completely free download of their Office 365 app Teams for small businesses that do not have an Office 365 subscription.  A fantastic opportunity for co-workers to experience the benefits of Microsoft Teams and an insight into the types of apps that come with an Office 365 subscription…

What is Teams?

Teams is a collaborative tool introduced by Microsoft as part of Office 365.  It is a one-stop app for making calls, online chats, meetings, conferences and document sharing.

What is included?

The free version of Teams has some missing features that are otherwise included in the Office 365 subscription version, Microsoft’s way of pushing people towards an Office 365 Subscription of course. However, the free version certainly includes all the features you might expect including:

• Unlimited chat messages
• Audio and video calling
• 10GB of team file storage plus an extra 2GB for each individual for personal use
• Integrated content with Office online apps, e.g built in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.
• App integrations with more than 140 other business apps
• Capability to collaboratively communicate with colleagues and peers inside and outside of your company

Not included in the free version, and what to expect to receive from the fully paid version of Teams:

• 1TB of storage per user
• Scheduled meetings and meeting recordings
• OneDrive, SharePoint, Planner, Yammer, and more Office 365 services
• Exchange email hosting and custom email domain plus web and desktop versions of Outlook

Who is eligible for the free version?

Anyone who does not have a paid Office 365 subscription is eligible for the free version of Teams.  All you need is an email address to sign up. There are plans for those who do not have Teams as part of their paid for Office 365 subscription to download it for 1 years free trial.