Microsoft Teams now offer 24-hour video calling for free

Software and cloud computing large Microsoft are introducing a free all-day video and voice calling options for its customers.

The free offering will help users connect with up to 300 participants for as long as 24 hours. The announcement came just a few days after popular video conferencing platform Zoom announced a temporary lift of the 40-minute meeting limit on November 26 (Thanksgiving Day) for all users.

In addition to free all-day calling, Microsoft Teams users will also have the option to include up to 250 participants in a group chat and display 49 members on the screen during virtual chats.

“To help you stay connected in the coming months, you will be able to meet for 24 hours with up to 300 participants until further specified,” Microsoft said in the blog post.

https://twitter.com/MicrosoftTeams/status/1329922472121131012

To start a video call with Microsoft Teams, the host will need a Microsoft account. Once logged in, the host can simply share the meeting link to friends and family who can then join the meeting via the Web for free without even needing a Microsoft account. This feature already exists on video-conferencing apps like Zoom and Google Meet.

In October, CEO Satya Nadella announced that Microsoft Teams had 115 million active users around the world. We have several other features, the company is working on that should see daylight in the coming few months as video-conferencing is going to remain an essential tool during the Covid-19 crisis.