Microsoft is preparing an update for collaboration platform Teams that will help people make use of the full breadth of available features.
As per a new entry in the company’s product roadmap, Microsoft Teams will soon give users a way to petition admins for access to blocked apps and integrations.
“[The new feature will] enable users to discover Teams apps in the store and request approval from administrators,” the company explained.
The access request system is still currently under development, but is slated to roll out to all users by the end of next month.
Microsoft Teams apps
Since the start of the pandemic, the volume of third-party integrations available for platforms like Teams, Zoom and Slack has shot through the roof, affording users access to a wider range of functionality (e.g. cloud storage, CRM, calendaring etc.) from within a single client.
However, it’s not uncommon for administrators to limit the type or number of Microsoft Teams apps employees are allowed to install, in an effort to ensure neither security nor productivity is compromised.
But soon, if an employee feels a third-party application has been unduly banned, they will have a formal avenue through which they can request access.
This isn’t the only way Microsoft has attempted to augment the Teams app store in recent weeks, either. Last month, the company announced a new system to help identify the most useful and relevant apps on a user-by-user basis.
Once the update takes effect, users will benefit from intelligent recommendations and “a landing page optimized for ease of discoverability”. Microsoft also says it will rejig the app categories to make it simpler for people to find the services they are actively searching for, including those built and deployed by in-house developers.
Combined, the two updates should help reinforce the status of Teams as a central hub for working (a long-time goal of Microsoft’s), by ensuring users have access to all the functionality they need.
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