What is Microsoft Loop and why isn’t it integrated with Teams?
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(Pocket-lint) – Microsoft has introduced a new Office application, called Loop, designed to give users a new way to collaborate on documents.
In 2019, Microsoft released the Fluid Framework to give developers the tools to build real-time editing-based applications. At the Ignite conference in November 20021, Microsoft unveiled Loop and revealed that it was based on Fluid. Here’s everything you need to know about Loop.
Everyone please meet #MicrosoftLoop !
Loop is a new app that combines a powerful and flexible canvas with portable components that move freely and stay in sync between apps. https://t.co/Dkn6uBv9Re pic.twitter.com/FKfXmr0fUG
– Nando Costa (@nandocosta_art) November 2, 2021
What is Microsoft Loop?
Microsoft said Loop is a new application that “combines a powerful and flexible canvas with portable components that move freely and stay in sync between applications.”
It’s all very PR at this point, but from what we can tell, Microsoft is giving 365 subscribers a new way to work together, remotely. You can organize everything you need for a project in one workspace and use portable “components” to complete work in chat, meetings, or documents. The idea is that you can use Loop to co-create a project and track the progress with notifications, highlighted changes, status labels, to-do lists, etc.
What can you do with Microsoft Loop?
Microsoft promises to release more information about Loop in the coming months, but the app appears to have three main features:
- Workspaces: they are spaces that allow you and your team to group items together in a project. You can see what everyone is doing and track the progress.
- Pages: they are “outlines” to let you organize components and extract links, files or data for a project. They are flexible and grow as you add them.
- Components: Microsoft describes components as “atomic units of productivity that let you collaborate” on a loop page or in a chat, email, meeting, or document. Components can be lists, tables, notes, or something as specific as a Dynamics 365 customer sales opportunity.
Why isn’t Loop integrated with Teams?
This is actually in progress, with Loop components, but there will also be a dedicated Loop application.
When will Microsoft Loop be available?
Microsoft hasn’t said when the Loop app will be available, but Loop components have started rolling out to other Office apps, such as Teams, Outlook, and OneNote. (To learn more about Loop components and how they work, see the Microsoft Tech Sessions video here.)
Will the use of Microsoft Loop be free?
Presumably, Loop will require a Microsoft 365 subscription, as it will be tightly integrated with other Microsoft 365 Office applications.
Want to know more?
Microsoft has a dedicated Loop web page here, as well as an announcement blog post on Loop here.
Written by Maggie Tillman. Originally published on .