Microsoft kicked off its second Ignite conference of 2021 today, and there’s some big news regarding the Microsoft 365 productivity ecosystem. Indeed, the company unveiled today Microsoft Loop, a new collaborative canvas allowing teams to collaborate across Microsoft 365 apps.
Microsoft Loop includes 3 elements: components, pages, and workspaces. Loop components are an evolution of the existing Fluid components, and they can take the form of a task list, table, agenda, or Dynamic 365 record that will stay in sync across Microsoft 365 apps.
These Loop components can be embedded in Office products as well as accessed via the upcoming workspaces and pages, and will sync in real-time so they’ll stay updated across the Loop system. Loop components will start rolling out across Microsoft Teams, Outlook and OneNote this month, and Microsoft plans to add new elements including Voting table and Status tracker.
As for Loop pages and Loop workspaces, they will be available in a new Microsoft Loop app that will make its debut in the coming months. With Loop pages, customers will be able to organize Loop components on a flexible canvas that can also integrate files, links, or data. “Pages are optimized for thinking together and getting work done. They can start small and continue to grow to match the size of your ideas and projects,” explained Wangui McKelvey, general manager, Microsoft 365.
With Loop workspaces, the upcoming Microsoft Loop app will provide shared spaces where teams can work at the same time from different apps on Loop components. “Workspaces make it easy for you to catch up on what everyone is working on, react to others’ ideas, or track progress toward shared goals,” explained McKelvey.
Loop components, pages, and workspaces are all built on Microsoft’s Fluid Framework open-source platform, which provides real-time collaboration across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. The company plans to share more details about its new Microsoft Loop app in the coming months, but Loop components are rolling out in preview across Microsoft 365 apps this month.
