Microsoft to Launch Facebook-Like Social Media Network Inside Teams

Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, has announced the company’s plans to take on the likes of Facebook with its own social media network, called Viva Engage, which is going to sit inside Microsoft Teams and aims to enhance the experience of outgoing Yammer Communities.

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Microsoft Viva Engage “will be a new and enhanced experience of the current Yammer Communities app for Microsoft Teams and brings new capabilities to connect people, find and share knowledge, express yourself, and find belonging at work,” Viva’s CVP Murali Sitaram explained in a blogpost.

Viva Engage will have features like storyline and stories which will allow employees to connect with their colleagues and share “thoughts, knowledge, and experiences though conversations, images, and videos.” It bears mentioning that Microsoft’s social media network is aimed more at the business community like LinkedIn and not the average user.

According to Microsoft, Viva Engage has been created keeping the hybrid work mode in mind and through the social media network, the company is looking to give leaders “new tools to shape culture and align their workforce by unlocking communication and engagement opportunities.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s new social media network gives employees “new ways to build a sense of community, strengthen relationships with co-workers, share their work and perspective, and find answers to their questions.”

Microsoft Viva Engage is coming in late August and once its launched, the Communities app on Microsoft Teams will be rebranded as Viva Engage and it can be used on the desktop, on the web, and the mobile apps. As for those users who are already using the Communities app, the admin will not need to make any changes to settings to bring in Viva Engage.

Yammer customers will be able to deploy and pin Viva Engage on the left rail of Microsoft Teams via the Teams Admin Center.

“Viva Engage will continue to show the same network, home feed, and communities that you see today in Yammer.” said Sitaram in the blog post. “Any content created in Yammer.com or mobile – including community conversations, storyline posts, and stories – will be viewable in Viva Engage. Likewise, content created in Engage will show up in Yammer native experiences,” he added.

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