*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)
Sēkr, a mobile app that aims to improve and digitize the outdoor travel experience, announced this week that it raised a $2.25 million seed round. In the Sēkr app, users can get access to more than 50,000 campsites throughout the U.S. including the nation's largest database of free campsites. The company is saying it is on a mission to make every step of the planning experience for outdoor travel easier, safer, and more social. Breanne Acio, co-founder and CEO of Sēkr, and Jess Shisler, co-founder and COO, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Valentine's day is right around the corner and love is in the air....or right at your fingertips if you're on dating apps. Lox Club is the dating app that 'kind of hates dating apps.' If you're burnt out from awkward, cringe-worthy, and superficial dating app encounters, it might be time to join Lox Club. Austin Kevitch, CEO and co-founder of Lox Club, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Elon Musk announced that he expects Starship to reach orbit in 2022. The SpaceX CEO delivered updates about the largest space vehicle to be constructed from its Texas facility. Jim Cantrell, CEO and co-founder at Phantom Space, joined Cheddar News to talk about the future of Starship. "I've always done wrong by betting against Elon," he said. "The one thing that I find very curious is it launches 100 metric tons into space, and last year, in the entire year, we launched 750. So, you know, with about seven launches, he could launch every satellite on Earth."
Sheri Bachstein, CEO of The Weather Company and GM of IBM Watson Advertising, joins ChedHER to discuss her successes in this role, and how she's helping women thrive in the c-suite.
Amid a string of recalls for their electric cars, Tesla is also facing a lawsuit over workplace discrimination. The electric automaker is being accused by California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing of a pattern of racial discrimination against Black workers. Caleb Silver, Editor-in-Chief at Investopedia, joined Cheddar News to discuss the numerous technical and safety issues that led to the recalls and the allegations of systemic racist abuse at its Fremont plant. "Tesla disputes these claims, but still you can’t avoid the pattern," he said.
