Microsoft ($MSFT) is teaming up. All the way up.
In the Apple ($AAPL) Store, Microsoft has earned more than 100,000 new ratings for its Teams videoconferencing app in just a few weeks a signal of massive engagement as more folks chat remotely.
It isn't just Zoom ($ZM); nor is it just Facebook's ($FB) video messaging products. All over the world, as people undertake shelter-in-place safety practices, they're still reaching out to communicate with family, friends and loved ones - especially as the ones around them during a quarantine may become somewhat irksome after week five. It means apps old and new are getting a fresh look from consumers, like Webex's app. But not all apps are created equally.
In the Apple Store, Teams clocks in with a rating slightly above a 4.2/5, Zoom is near a 4.5/5, Webex is sub-4/5, and Facebook Messenger Kids earned a rating higher than 4.2/5. Microsoft is more than holding its own on this front.
Teams' trajectory is far more impressive when tracked in the Google Play ($GOOG) Store, shown above. In the Google app platform, Microsoft's Teams app is closing in on 200,000 new ratings since the pandemic's onset - or nearly doubling its tally for years leading up to the Coronavirus outbreak. In the Google Play store (not shown) Teams' rating is slightly under 4.2/5, but it's noteworthy that user ratings have still been rising for years, reflecting improvement.
As it keeps making upgrades to make its products more like popular competitors', Microsoft still has an opportunity to continue taking market share from up-and-coming competitors thanks to its collaboration software. What's less clear, is how people who flocked to some communication platforms respond to returning to life after Coronavirus, and whether any of the companies in this space can develop a truly sticky product, or if they've just solved a very temporary need for free software in their market.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- Zoom's Facebook engagement is soaring as people livestream everything
- Healthcare tech company Veeva is powered by Zoom - and now it's growing
- Facebook's Messenger Kids app sees engagement soar