Microsoft Corporation’s (MSFT - Free Report) collaboration and communication platform, Teams, is now available for free to its wide base of 85 million Office 365 subscribers spread across 181 markets. The company had previewed the platform in Nov, 2016.
Apart from the chat functionality and security features built within the platform, Teams can also be integrated with third-party services such as Zendesk, Asana and Hootsuite.
Notably, the platform is available in 19 languages.
The general availability improves Microsoft’s competitive position against Slack, a well-known name in the market.
Why this Move?
Microsoft has had reasonable success with the preview launch of Teams wherein nearly 50K organizations signed up for the product including Accenture, Deloitte, Trek Bicycle and Expedia.
As per a MarketsandMarkets report, the Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) market is estimated to reach a whopping $24.9 billion by 2020 at a CAGR of 10.5%.
Competition is intensifying with the presence of major players such as Slack, Facebook’s Workplace, Amazon’s (AMZN - Free Report) Chime and Atlassian’s (TEAM - Free Report) Hipchat.
However, Microsoft has an edge over its peers due to the popularity of Office 365.
We note that Office 365 subscribers are already familiar with other Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, SharePoint and OneNote, which could pave the way for greater adoption of the Teams platform.
Employees will take relatively less time to get acquainted with the platform in comparison to others offering similar services.
Stock Performance Overview
Shares of Microsoft have underperformed the Zacks Computer – Software industry over the last one year. While the industry gained a modest 22.2%, the stock appreciated only 20.2%.
The underperformance of the stock could be due to softness in the core computing market coupled with an intensifying competitive landscape.
Zacks Rank
At present, Microsoft carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.
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From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
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Microsoft Corporation’s (MSFT - Free Report) collaboration and communication platform, Teams, is now available for free to its wide base of 85 million Office 365 subscribers spread across 181 markets. The company had previewed the platform in Nov, 2016.
Apart from the chat functionality and security features built within the platform, Teams can also be integrated with third-party services such as Zendesk, Asana and Hootsuite.
Notably, the platform is available in 19 languages.
The general availability improves Microsoft’s competitive position against Slack, a well-known name in the market.
Why this Move?
Microsoft has had reasonable success with the preview launch of Teams wherein nearly 50K organizations signed up for the product including Accenture, Deloitte, Trek Bicycle and Expedia.
As per a MarketsandMarkets report, the Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) market is estimated to reach a whopping $24.9 billion by 2020 at a CAGR of 10.5%.
Competition is intensifying with the presence of major players such as Slack, Facebook’s Workplace, Amazon’s (AMZN - Free Report) Chime and Atlassian’s (TEAM - Free Report) Hipchat.
However, Microsoft has an edge over its peers due to the popularity of Office 365.
We note that Office 365 subscribers are already familiar with other Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, SharePoint and OneNote, which could pave the way for greater adoption of the Teams platform.
Employees will take relatively less time to get acquainted with the platform in comparison to others offering similar services.
Stock Performance Overview
Shares of Microsoft have underperformed the Zacks Computer – Software industry over the last one year. While the industry gained a modest 22.2%, the stock appreciated only 20.2%.
The underperformance of the stock could be due to softness in the core computing market coupled with an intensifying competitive landscape.
Zacks Rank
At present, Microsoft carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.
Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars?
Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge.
With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research.
It's not the one you think. See This Ticker Free >>
Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>
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