Microsoft announced yesterday that it's bringing its Teams workplace communication tool to Linux. This is the first Microsoft 365 product to make its way to the Linux operating system, the company said, but it's not clear if it'll also be the last.
Teams is Microsoft's answer to Slack, Yammer and other instant messaging tools meant for professional use. The service evolved from Skype for Business in 2017, and in the two years since, it's said to have reached 20 million daily active users.
Teams was previously only available for Windows 10, macOS, iOS, iPadOS and Android. Yesterday's expansion means it's now available for every major desktop platform--just like Slack, which has a Linux app currently available in beta.
Aside from bringing it to parity with its primary competitor, the introduction of a Teams app for Linux fits Microsoft's efforts to support rival platforms. It's bringing Edge to macOS, for example, and is testing a new Office app for Android and iOS.
In its announcement, Microsoft said that "most" of its customers use a variety of platforms, and it wants its productivity and cloud offerings to support mixed environments.
"It’s also an exciting opportunity for developers who have built apps for Teams to be able to grow their reach to this new set of users," Microsoft said.
More information about how to install Teams for Linux is available via Microsoft's website. Right now, it's the only Office 365 service available for the platform; perhaps the company's desire to reach its users no matter where they are will change that.
