With the evolution of technology and the integration of the internet, software developers have adapted their applications to provide greater versatility and capitalize on the advantages offered by the online realm. The Office suite of applications originally emerged to enable users to create various types of documents locally. As time progressed, Microsoft took the initiative to update these applications, incorporating collaborative features.
However, Microsoft’s efforts extended beyond enhancing their renowned office applications. They also focused on developing solutions that were previously overlooked, such as enterprise messaging applications that harness the potential of Office to compete with platforms like Slack. Additionally, they introduced the ability to collaborate on projects without solely relying on the Office suite. In the following discussion, we will delve into these collaborative capabilities.
What can we do with Microsoft Loop
In a new endeavor to compete with the versatile platform Notion, Microsoft has introduced Microsoft Loop. As the company founded by Bill Gates in the 1970s, Microsoft aims to provide a solution that caters to various uses and establishes itself as a contender in the market, coinciding with Notion’s upcoming 10th anniversary. Loop focuses primarily on the business world while remaining inclusive to other sectors. It empowers users to collaboratively create work environments where real-time contributions are made, akin to working on a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document.
Microsoft Loop offers a range of functions that are organized into four interconnected sections:
1. Components: This encompasses the diverse elements that users can create, such as documents, checklists, surveys, tables, and text fields, among others.
2. Pages: Pages serve as the canvas where users can assemble and incorporate the components created in the previous section.
3. Workspaces: This section enables users to group together all the sections/pages they have created for a particular project, allowing for seamless organization in a unified location.
4. Workspace: As the name suggests, workspaces store all the project-related information, serving as the central hub for collaboration and management of project materials within Loop.
How does it work
To begin using Microsoft Loop, the initial step is to create a list containing all the users who will be involved in our project, with a maximum limit of 50 individuals. Furthermore, we need to establish the specific level of permissions for each member.
The user permission controls in Microsoft Loop resemble those found in the online collaboration features across the applications within Microsoft 365. Once the workgroup is established, it is the responsibility of the administrator(s) to create the workspaces where all the sections within the project will be developed.
Upon accessing Microsoft Loop, we navigate to the right-hand section and click on the “+” button to create our first project, assigning it a name. All content created, whether components, pages, or others, is organized into separate directories for easy and efficient access.
To explore the full range of options available in Microsoft Loop, we can review the pre-existing projects displayed by default. This provides us with a comprehensive understanding of the extensive capabilities offered by this new Microsoft tool.
How to Download Microsoft Loop
Microsoft Loop is currently accessible through any web browser, making it available to users regardless of their operating system. As of now, there is no dedicated application for Windows or any other operating system. This deliberate approach by Microsoft ensures that anyone with a Microsoft account can easily start utilizing this tool and fully benefit from its offerings.
While the platform is currently only available in English during its beta phase, it is fully functional. As time progresses, Microsoft Loop will become available in Spanish and other languages, removing language barriers and allowing users to maximize its potential.
To address screen size limitations, Microsoft plans to release mobile applications for accessing the platform. However, it is important to note that both the applications and the platform itself are currently in the beta phase, undergoing further development and refinement.
