*By Bridgette Webb*
Microsoft is trying to turn up the heat on Slack, announcing a free version of its workplace collaboration tool Microsoft Teams on Thursday.
The company hopes the platform's ability to integrate with other Microsoft programs will give it a leg up on the industry leader.
“We have power of the full collaboration suite in there,” said Lori Wright, general manager of Microsoft 365 in an interview with Cheddar on Thursday.
Previously Teams, which was launched in 2016, was only available to those with an Office 365 subscription. The free version will include support for up to 300 people, with unlimited chat messages and search as well as integration with 140 apps. It also has a new option to blur out the background during video calls, something Wright said will "take out all of the distractions." Users will get less storage than on the paid plan, though, and won't have access to features like scheduling and recording meetings.
Slack does has its own free version, but that only allows users to search the last 10,000 messages and integrates with just 10 apps.
As of March, 200,000 businesses globally were using the paid version of Teams, less than half of the half million organizations on Slack.
Microsoft's efforts in workplace communications demonstrates the opportunity big tech companies see.
Facebook launched its own collaborative platform, Workplace, in 2016 and has reportedly signed up about 30,000 organizations. Last month the tool was made free for nonprofits and education providers.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/microsoft-picks-up-the-slack)
The dating app Bumble has sponsored bills and pushed lawmakers to criminalize the online practice of sending unsolicited nudes or “cyberflashing." Payton Iheme, Bumble's head of public policy for the Americas, joined Cheddar News to discuss why the app was going after the harassing behavior beyond its own platform. "Now, while we went to work internally in the company, and we created something called private detector to automatically blur those images so the user can decide if they want to see them, there's nothing for the rest of the internet," she said. "And so that's why we went to work with these laws."
The founder and president of Cyborg Mobile Kobie Hatcher has been on a strong trajectory to disrupt his industry with a program called The New Technologists. It's not only meant to address the diversity gap within large tech companies but also help pave the way to transform the lives of young BIPOC students. He joined Cheddar News to talk about how he's working to make a difference with the lack of diversity in tech. “There's truly no lack of talent out there. It's just identifying them and letting them know that, hey, I've been in the tech sector for over 20 years. I see you. I know what you can bring, bring it, we need it," Hatcher said.
Constituent service platform Indigov recently raised $25 million in a Series B funding round. Indigov bills itself as a constituent relationship management tool that helps elected officials improve the way they organize, respond to, and engage those they serve. The startup's services are being used by federal, state, and local governments across the country, including the U.S. House of Representatives. Alex Kouts, founder & CEO of Indigov, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The 2022 NBA playoffs are intensifying as four teams vie for an NBA finals berth. Tonight, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors can book their finals ticket with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, while Miami will be feeling the 'heat' tomorrow night, facing elimination against the Boston Celtics.
And with the growing popularity of sports betting, the NBA playoffs offers a potential money-making opportunity for fans. Trysta Krick, host of BetMGM Tonight, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Snap stock saw the worst day ever after a large drop in price on Tuesday following warnings of revenue and earnings slowdown. This trend caught on with other social and digital media stocks due to fears that brands heavily relying on advertising get hit with the same inflation struggles. However, some analysts note that Snap may be a unique case due to a rapid, possibly unsustainable, expansion leading to the current grim forecast.
