Microsoft has released an Essentials version of Microsoft Teams, which is aimed at small businesses. It allows users to have unlimited video calls of up to 30 hours in length. The service costs EUR 3.40 per user per month, excluding VAT.
Microsoft reports that Teams Essentials supports larger and longer video meetings than the free version of the software. Teams Essentials allows users to hold 30-hour meetings with up to 300 people. With the free version, these limits are respectively a maximum of 1 hour and 100 participants. Teams Essentials users also get 10GB of cloud storage. With the free version, this is 5GB.
According to the company, companies that pay for Teams Essentials can also turn to Microsoft for support 24/7. Furthermore, all the free features are the same; the service supports group chats, file sharing and sharing of tasks in a shared calendar. An integration with Google Calendar will also be added to Teams ‘soon’, Microsoft reports.
The new Essentials version for business is also different from the current business plans, Microsoft 365 Business Basic. That Business Basic subscription includes, in addition to Microsoft Teams, access to the full web and smartphone versions of Office programs and 1TB of cloud storage. This Basic subscription also makes it possible to record and transcribe meetings. This existing Microsoft 365 Business Basic has a slightly higher monthly rate of 4.20 euros per user, without VAT. That price will be increased in March 2022, however, but Microsoft has only shared new US rates. The Business Basic subscription price will increase from $5 to $6 in that region.
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