Microsoft has unveiled a new Office app called Loop which is designed to offer hybrid workers a more fluid way to collaborate and share documents.
The new service is based on the Fluid Framework tools the company launched in 2020.
Loop consists of three elements - Loop components, Loop pages, and Loop workspaces - and is described as an app that "combines a powerful and flexible canvas with portable components that move freely and stay in sync across apps".
Essentially, Microsoft is looking to offer more value for 365 subscribers and improve the ways they can work together in hybrid environments.
Loop components is an evolution of Fluid components, which are single units of productivity that help users collaborate and complete tasks, whether that's over chat, email, meetings or documents. It can be as simple as a list, or as sophisticated as a customer sales opportunity, according to Microsoft, with the service remaining in sync, no matter where a user works.
This includes a voting table, which Microsoft says makes it easy for teams to brainstorm and finalise decisions together. There is also a 'status tracker' that teams can use to gather information, track progress of a project and monitor the status of the team's involvement.
Loop components will also have some business-specific features, such as Dynamics 365 records, which is aimed at business workflows.
Loop pages are also part of Loop components. These are flexible canvases where teams can organise their components, pulling together files, links or other forms of data to help their collaborative workflows. Pages are "optimised for thinking together and getting work done", according to Microsoft, where they can start small and continue to grow to match the size of the team's ideas.
The final element is Loop workspaces, which are shared spaces that allow teams to see and group their projects. It allows all members of the team to catch up on what everyone is working on, react to ideas and track the progress of team goals.
There isn't an official release date for Loop but Components have begun to be released for some Microsoft services. At present, there isn't any dedicated support in Microsoft Teams, but an app is thought to be in the works.
