Team collaboration services such as Slack are for the most part geared toward knowledge workers. Microsoft Corp., however, is taking a broader approach by targeting the 2 billion shift workers worldwide who spend most of their time outside a cubicle.

The company today debuted new features for its Teams collaboration service that focus specifically on that market. The highlight is a set of tools for professionals who rely on their smartphones in day-to-day work.

The mobile version of Teams now enables users to communicate with one another by sharing and recording audio messages. This can be more convenient than the default chat for workers who aren’t accustomed to using collaboration tools or simply don’t have time to type up a detailed message.

Teams doubles as a tool as for sharing work-related information. A pair of mobile-only options enable users to share their location and record footage with their phone camera directly via the service. Field technicians dispatched to a malfunctioning cell tower, for example, could provide photos of the hardware to a diagnostics team back at the office.

There are many other tools that provide one or more of these features. Teams’ differentiator is that it enables workers to share files, make calls and partake in chat conversations without having to switch between applications. It also removes the need for enterprises to invest in multiple products.

The other features Microsoft announced today aim to help companies manage their employees more effectively. There’s a new “Praise” feature for acknowledging good work, as well as an interface customization tool for administrators.

“Workers need different capabilities depending on their role,” said Emma Williams, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s modern workplace verticals business. “While some might need access to private chats, calendars, and calls, others may only need access to teams and channels. Information technology administrators can now give each employee role-based access to the primary Teams features they need.”

Further down the road, Microsoft will add an application programming interface for integrating Teams with third-party workforce management platforms. The goal is to streamline the task of allocating shifts to team members. The API will enable managers to plan and share work schedules with staffers directly in the chat window, as well as review change requests.

Microsoft revealed in September that more than 329,000 organizations rely on Teams. Today’s update should make the service more appealing for companies in sectors such as retail, manufacturing and hospitality that employ a large number of shift workers.

Photo: Microsoft