Thanks to the latest integration announced by the Microsoft and Meta, Microsoft Teams users can access newsfeed updates in Meta’s Workplace enterprise social network without switching screens. The future plans to enable streaming of Teams video calls directly from Workplace are also in the works.

The integrations are the first between Microsoft’s workstream collaboration tool and Workplace, which has more than 7 million paid subscribers.

The new integrations provide two functions. First, a Workplace app for Teams can be pinned to the Teams side navigation bar or added as a tab to provide access to the Workplace newsfeed within the app. Workplace content can be marked as “important” by Teams admins to draw users’ attention to certain information. Individual users will also be able to pull content from a Workplace group into a Teams channel to highlight to colleagues, as well as react to Workplace posts directly from Teams. The video integration, that is due in early 2022, will let users view a Teams video call from Workplace and comment in real-time. Presenters in Teams will be able to monitor view engagement and reactions in both apps simultaneously.

Photo Credits: Microsoft

According to Angela Ashenden, a principal analyst, the integrations should be of particular benefit to Workplace customers who see the app as their central employee communications solution but use Teams for day-to-day productivity. The integrations make a lot of sense for Meta since they help push information from Workplace to users where they tend to spend the bulk of their time. Ashenden commented:

“By surfacing the newsfeed in Teams, Workplace can continue to reach those employees, while allowing comms and HR leaders to retain control over the communications and employee engagement platform strategy.”

Ashenden also added that while the integrations help connect the two platforms, users of both Teams and Workplace still face challenges which can create confusion for employees.