Video calls on Microsoft’s Teams surge 1,000%

Teams competes with the likes of Google, Cisco, Facebook and Zoom. (Facebook pic/Microsoft 365)

SAN FRANCISCO: The number of calls made using Microsoft’s Teams videoconferencing software surged 1,000% in March as people collaborated online due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company said Thursday.

It also said a new record of 2.7 billion “meeting minutes” in a single day had been reached on the platform.

“We’ve been inspired by the ways our customers are connecting during meetings in Microsoft Teams,” Jared Spataro, Microsoft 365 corporate vice-president, said in a post.

“We’ve seen bosses show up to meetings as virtual potato heads and team stand-ups turn delightfully silly.”

Videoconferencing has become de rigueur for work and social life as people around the world hunker down at home to avoid spreading the deadly coronavirus.

Teams competes with online video and meeting services hosted by competitors including Google, Cisco, Facebook and Zoom.

“Trends in the data and conversations with our customers show us the world is realising we can effectively connect across distances in a way some never thought possible before,” Spataro said.