Microsoft announces free version of Teams for freelancers and small businesses

Microsoft announced a free version of its collaboration software Teams at a digital event on Monday. The new version, which is immediately available worldwide in 40 languages, is designed for small businesses and groups of colleagues who don’t have access to their company’s commercial Office 365 subscription. Teams is available as part of Microsoft’s Office 365 suite, which has just been rebranded to Microsoft 365.

Microsoft said in an official blog post that the free version is ideal for freelancers and small business owners. Free version for up to 300 people includes unlimited chat, built-in audio and video calling for individuals and groups, 10 GB of team file storage, plus 2 GB per person for personal and actual storage. It comes with a number of features, including: – Create content using Office Online apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

The free version of Microsoft Teams also integrates with over 140 business apps, including Adobe, Evernote, and Trello. The company also says that by leveraging Microsoft’s secure global infrastructure, users can communicate and collaborate with anyone inside or outside their organization.

Users can sign up for the free version of Microsoft Teams using their corporate or personal email address. Please note that it is only available to those who do not already have a paid Office 365 commercial subscription. Microsoft says existing Office 365 commercial customers who try to sign up for free will be directed to a “managed experience” in their existing tenant. The company also said it will soon introduce a one-year free trial for existing Office 365 commercial customers whose subscription plans do not include a Teams license.