Microsoft Teams Gets New Features to Boost App Adoption and Engagement

Microsoft Teams

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft Teams now offers more than 2,000 downloadable applications in its app store.
  • Microsoft has improved app management and usage with new features like real-time enforcement of policies and settings and simplified app installation processes.
  • Microsoft has introduced tools to help Teams administrators better manage user app requests.

Microsoft has announced several updates to enhance the adoption and engagement of apps in Microsoft Teams. The company highlighted that the Teams app store now boasts over 2,000 downloadable applications.

Microsoft has made some improvements to the way organizations can view and handle requests for apps. Specifically, the company has added a new “User Requests” tab to the App Details page in the Teams Admin Center. This tab provides IT administrators with more information about app requests, including the requester’s name, job title, email address, and the date the request was made. Users will also receive notifications about the status of their request, whether it has been approved or denied.

Microsoft Teams Gets New Features to Boost App Adoption and Engagement
App request flow improvements

Currently, administrative actions like permitting, blocking, and pinning of apps could take up to 48 hours to be completely enforced on the client side. Microsoft is introducing real-time enforcement of policies and settings to improve the app availability and management experience. Additionally, Microsoft Teams admins can now manage resource-specific consent permissions for apps on the Entra ID admin portal.

Microsoft has released a new feature for the Teams app store that enables users to rate and review apps. This feature will help users to discover new apps and provide valuable feedback to the developers. Moreover, IT admins can now specify which users and groups can install Teams apps to comply with the governance requirements of the organization.

Additionally, Microsoft plans to roll out a new update to streamline the Teams app installation experience in Spring 2024. It should reduce the number of steps required to use an app in Microsoft Teams. Microsoft will also roll out an improved search experience in the coming months. This release will allow users to search for applications by keywords, reviews, and app usage data.

Microsoft Teams Gets New Features to Boost App Adoption and Engagement
Streamlined app install workflow

Microsoft Teams removes admin approval for activity feed notifications

For developers, Microsoft has eliminated the need for admin approval on activity feed notifications. The latest update also allows developers to show member profile pictures on Adaptive Cards.

Lastly, Microsoft has partnered with Matter, a third-party app developer, to enhance the adoption and engagement of its Teams app. This new integration enables employees to celebrate their work anniversaries and birthdays, receive branded rewards, and gain recognition for their accomplishments. The app also provides real-time insights to help managers measure the effect of recognition on employee performance, engagement, and retention.