Update from Kirk on the Office 365 Team on the new (still in preview) Microsoft Teams service in Office 365:

… Microsoft Teams has picked up momentum since its launch last November. In the last month alone, 30,000 organizations across 145 markets and 19 languages have actively used Microsoft Teams.

(snip)

We’re especially inspired by this early usage. Not only does it show that the product fills a real market need, but it gives us a ton of information to help shape the product leading up to General Availability, which is still on track for this current quarter, Q1 2017. Our customers have been a great guide as we’ve delivered numerous features into the product even since the preview launched—including built-in audio calling on mobile and named group chats, an easy way to keep track of the context of a conversation.

Having access to “tons of information to help shape the product” is a significant benefit for any vendor, and is greatly enhanced in cloud-delivered services. In addition to this information on usage, I hope that the Office 365 Team takes on board the significant early feedback from MVPs and market analysts who weighed in when Teams was announced, including:
– Marc Anderson, Dear Microsoft: I’m Confused. Can You Help Me Collaborate Well?
– Pramit Nairi, Only Microsoft Could Make Teams
– Stuart McIntyre, My musings on Microsoft Teams
– John White, Microsoft Teams and the New Microsoft Social Landscape