Microsoft Teams is getting a new LinkedIn integration
Chat participants will see each others' social network profiles from March
Microsoft Teams is getting a new LinkedIn integration that will give users access to colleagues' profiles on the professional social networking site.
According to the company's roadmap for Microsoft 365, users will be able to see their colleagues' LinkedIn profiles when in a one-on-one chat.
Microsoft added the feature to the road map last week, and it will enter general availability in March.
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This addition follows enhancements to Microsoft Teams in public preview, including a compact chat option that lets users select a view displaying more chat messages and the ability to promote invitees to co-organizers.
Microsoft has been tying Teams more closely to its other products of late. It included tighter Teams integration with Windows 11 by displaying Teams contacts directly on the Windows taskbar for Teams personal users.
LinkedIn isn't the only online service integrating with Teams. In November Microsoft also announced an integration deal with Meta's rival Workplace collaboration service. This will enable the two services exchange content with each other so that Teams video will live stream directly into Workplace groups.
LinkedIn, which Microsoft acquired in 2016, has not always been happy with people accessing its data. hiQ Labs sued the professional social network, forcing it to allow access to its user-generated data. It won on appeal in 2019 but last year the Supreme Court vacated the decision, referring it once again to the ninth circuit court.
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Microsoft is also planning some other feature enhancements for Office 365, including easy access to Teams files from its OneDrive storage service. This update, which will be available in April, will see the company add a 'Your Teams' section to OneDrive's 'More Places' page.
Danny Bradbury has been a print journalist specialising in technology since 1989 and a freelance writer since 1994. He has written for national publications on both sides of the Atlantic and has won awards for his investigative cybersecurity journalism work and his arts and culture writing.
Danny writes about many different technology issues for audiences ranging from consumers through to software developers and CIOs. He also ghostwrites articles for many C-suite business executives in the technology sector and has worked as a presenter for multiple webinars and podcasts.