Microsoft has launched Teams Essentials, a standalone version of Teams aimed at small businesses.
Traditionally, Teams (other than the limited function free version) has only been available in bundles with other Microsoft services. The new Teams Essentials tier provides a way for small-medium businesses (SMBs) to purchase the tool independently at a reduced cost.
The subscription service supports video conferencing with up to 300 people, group chat, and organization features through a single app. It also features Outlook and Google Calendar integration. Moreover, it features group chat templates to host meetings with stakeholders, teams, and polls.
Microsoft Teams for Business features list
| Features | Teams Essentials | Teams Business Basic | Teams Business Standard |
| Max group meeting size | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Meeting length | 30 hours | 30 hours | 30 hours |
| Cloud file storage per user | 10GB per user | 1TB + 10GB per license | 1TB + 10GB per license |
| Office suite | No | Yes | Yes |
| Transcription | No | Yes | Yes |
| Webinar hosting | No | No | Yes |
| Customer appointment management | No | No | Yes |
| Attendee registration and reporting tools | No | No | Yes |
| Single-sign on | No | Yes | Yes |
| Enforced multi-factor authentication | No | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced auditing and reporting | No | Yes | Yes |
| Configurable user policies and analytics | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price | CA$5.10 per user per month | CA$6.40 per user per month | CA$16.00 per user per month |
Microsoft Teams is now available from various Microsoft Cloud Partners including Ingram, TD Synnex, and Crayon, as well as directly from Microsoft. Find the full feature breakdown on Microsoft’s website.