Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced the activation of Yammer, its inter-organizational social networking service, for all eligible Office 365 accounts. The move is a push to get more businesses to use Yammer over Facebook at Work. Users will now be in a position to start Yammer conversation from the Office 365 Video Portal and SharePoint. Soon Delve and Skype broadcast will be available. This will give users a simpler platform to share ideas and work together in the open by use of Yammer’s flexible workspace.
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Facebook Inc’s (NASDAQ:FB) Facebook at Work also provides users a platform to create a work account, which is separate from their personal Facebook account. Through this account, a user can employ tools to interact with coworkers. What is shared using Facebook at Work is only visible to people working for the same company. Facebook at Work is expected to be fully launched later this year. The move by Microsoft is viewed as trying to get as many people on Yammer before Facebook at Work is fully launched.
Company analysts and Microsoft customers have been wondering for some time whether Microsoft was committed to the social enterprise service, which it acquired for $1.2 billion in 2012. Since then, Microsoft stated it has been working to refocus Yammer to fit around the teamwork-sharing model and folding some of its technologies into Office 365.
Last year, Microsoft had stated that the company would continue to offer a standalone Yammer client for people who wanted to use it. The company has outlined a roadmap for Yammer, which included commitment to bring Yammer into Microsoft’s fold by moving Microsoft’s data centers and integrating the Azure Active Directory with Yammer service.
By June 2016, Microsoft is aiming to tie Yammer into the Office 365 Group. Once this happens, Microsoft plans to encourage users to take advantage of a ‘cross-suite scenario’. This will include moving Yammer conversation to Skype call, access files via OneDrive, schedule meetings using the Outlook calendar and create tasks in Planner. All this is set to be doable through Yammer/365.
