Microsoft Teams to Add New Live Chat Feature for Small Businesses

Microsoft Teams is adding a Live chat feature for small businesses.

Published: Jan 08, 2025

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Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft Teams will add a Live chat widget that allows small businesses to communicate with website visitors.
  • Businesses can manage customer interactions, assign chats to team members, and track requests in a centralized dashboard within Microsoft Teams.
  • This new Live chat feature will initially be available to U.S.-based customers.

Microsoft Teams is getting a Live chat feature that will enable small businesses to interact directly with customers on their websites. The company has announced on the Microsoft 365 admin center that this new tool will initially be available later this month for U.S.-based customers with Microsoft 365 Business subscriptions.

With this new live chat widget, visitors to the company’s website will be able to initiate a chat with the business team. The customer support team will be able to respond within their existing Microsoft Teams chat and channels.

The new chat tool will enable small businesses to easily collect contact details from businesses on their website. Moreover, it will automatically assign website visitors to available team members in Microsoft Teams for real-time interaction. They will also be able to manage customer conversations directly within Microsoft Teams, including reassigning or closing chats as needed.

microsoft teams live chat
Talk to customers directly in Teams (Image Credit: Microsoft)

Additionally, this new feature will share customer requests and chat transcripts in a specific Teams channel for follow-up. A centralized dashboard will let business teams track all customer requests within a specific period.

Configuring the new Live chat feature in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft notes that this new live chat widget will be disabled by default in Microsoft Teams. IT admins will be able to configure this feature through the Teams Admin app for end users within their organization.

Microsoft expects to roll out this new chat integration to all small businesses worldwide by late March 2025. This feature will be available across all platforms, including desktop, web, iOS, and Android.

Last week, Microsoft announced some changes to recording policies in Microsoft Teams. The company will use separate Teams recording policies for Town halls and webinars. These new controls will be available for commercial customers by late February. Enterprise admins will be able to manage the settings for Teams recording policies through the Teams admin center or with PowerShell.

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