Difference Between Microsoft Yammer and Teams (With Table)

Microsoft Yammer is a social networking site that provides communication and collaboration to organizations privately. In Yammer, those who have access to its network can only use it. For example, a user with Yammer’s internet domain or email address can access the groups in it. Initially, Yammer was not the product of Microsoft, and it was launched singlehandedly by Geni.com in the year 2008. In 2012, Microsoft acquired for US 1.2$ billion.

Microsoft Teams was developed by Microsoft as a business platform that will act as a communication platform. Teams have replaced Skype and Microsoft Classroom as it provides business messaging, videoconferencing, workspace chat, file storage, application integration etc. Because of the present scenario where virtual meetings and meet-up have become a significant part, Teams has gathered its follower due to various features. It has been competing with other apps like Google Meet, Zoom, slack etc., for its users.

Comparison Table Between Microsoft Yammer and Teams

What is Microsoft Yammer?

Microsoft Yammer was built by David O. Sacks, who belonged to Geni company. He launched Yammer in 2008. It was used as an internal feature. After using Yammer for 6 months at Geni, he brought Yammer to TechCrunch50. There it was clear that Yammer will need its separate corporate email address. Then Yammer was redesigned in 2009. Features that included was profile photos for groups, profiles, following suggestions etc. In the coming year, new features like links, topics, Q&A, polls, chat, events, and ideas etc.

Yammer also started the acquisition of different companies like One Drum. The platform has 1 million users in total. Then in the year 2012, Microsoft purchased Yammer. Post-acquisition, it was included in Microsoft Office Suite, and it was integrated into Dynamics CRM. There was a subscription plan to purchase Yammer via the Office 365 plan. Soon Yammer allowed the user to log in them from Microsoft Office and also showed them options in Microsoft Office 365 as a header to include Yammer.

In 2019, Yammer was redesigned by Microsoft, and they called it New Yammer that was based on Microsoft’s Fluent Design systems. Then in November 2019, Microsoft decided to merge the full integration of Yammer with the Microsoft Teams. In 2020 new Native MNode Feature was introduced.

What is Teams? 

Microsoft Teams was launched in 2017 at an online event in New York during an internal hackathon. Earlier, the features that are available in Teams were given by Skype for business and Microsoft Classroom. But these two was merged into the Teams after it became popular. Microsoft Teams has been a direct competitor of Slack. In 2017, Microsoft announced that it would be giving Microsoft Teams for free. But at the same time, it will be limiting the number of users in a group, and the capacity to store files will also be reduced.

In November 2019, due to the hike in the number of users of Microsoft Teams by 1 million users. It introduced a new feature, i.e. Walkie Talkie, where all the smartphones and tablets users over the cellular network or wi-fi can use push to talk technology to speak. That became very convenient for all those employees who can speak to customers for their daily operations. Various features in Teams include Chats where users can text, send emojis etc. Then in Teams, various groups and communities are allowed to join specific URLs sent by the owner or administrator.

Various types of channels can be created. Calling, video-calling can be done. A meeting can also be scheduled and recorded. Users can also check the meeting in progress option. In the Education sector, Teams has created a revolution as it allows teachers to give feedback, conduct quizzes, grade student assignment, distribute forms with office Forms etc.

Main Differences Between Microsoft Yammer and Teams

1. Microsoft Yammer was founded in 2008 by David O. Sacks. Teams were founded in 2017 during a hackathon. 
2. Microsoft Yammer has a wide range of audiences. It is usually met for larger groups to connect. Microsoft Teams is meant for smaller groups and communities.
3. Communication in Microsoft Yammer is usually generic. While in Teams, they are more focussed and goal-oriented.
4. The tone used in Microsoft Yammer can be both formal and informal communications. In Teams, as group members know each other, it is likely to be informal.
5. The purpose of Yammer is to bring people together. The purpose of Teams is to discuss projects, presentations etc., with teammates.
6. As Yammer is an open platform that is no confidentiality. But in Teams, as groups are smaller. There is higher confidentiality as everyone cannot see your messages.

Conclusion

Both Microsoft Yammer and Teams are collaborative platforms. Apart from their different interface. Both are web platforms that agave a multidisciplinary approach. That is it can be used in mobile, tablets as well as in computers. Mostly Yammer and Teams are used where users are fewer. They both are meant for internal communication within the organizations. 

People found in Yammer and Teams may be from businesses and enterprises depending upon the need. Both applications have a communication thread option. Both of them serialize them in an orderly manner. Because these messages are easy to tag and start a conversion. Teams are considered best as Yammer because it has more new features, and now Yammer is merged into Teams.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-5875-0_1
2. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-3849-3_6