Microsoft Teams mixes Slack and Microsoft services to create a new communications platform

Microsoft Teams has long been seen as a Slack competitor, and with good reason. Teams bears a strong similarity to Slack, and to call it a Slack clone with in-built Microsoft services wouldn't be stretching the truth too far. Microsoft has taken this Slack rival and further refined the formula to make it a worthy communications platform for education.At the recent MicrosoftEDU event, the tech giant showcased a number of features that make Teams a compelling tool for students and teachers alike. It packs in the benefits of collaborating as a team with the advantages of Microsoft's Office 365. Better yet, Microsoft has integrated support for emojis and gifs to make it more appealing to youngsters. Which youngster doesn't communicate without emojis, eh?There's not much else known about the app. It features chat threads and channels, much like Slack, as well as dedicated tabs that tie into services like OneNote and Word. Teachers can also monitor students' progress and pitch in where necessary.Apparently, teachers can also create and manage rosters at the beginning of the academic year as well.Details of third-party app support haven't yet been revealed, but we do know that the app will support Windows 10 S, which means that it will be available in a UWP flavour.Teams for education is expected to debut later this year.