In my last blog about Microsoft Loop, Loop was just an announcement at Microsoft Ignite. After some applications such as Teams and Outlook started supporting it, Loop is now generally available at loop.microsoft.com.
Licensing is always a big question with Microsoft. Luckily, the licensing for Loop is straightforward. A user needs one of the licenses below:
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Microsoft 365 E3
- Microsoft 365 E5
In addition, Loop storage will now start to count against SharePoint storage, and workspaces will have a maximum size of 1 TB.
It’s exciting to see how Loop is shaping up! While the product is still in its infancy, I’ve been using it with others at Withum since it went to public preview. Back then, there was no app in the Microsoft Store, but that has since changed and is now available in the browser and in the Microsoft Store. The basics are there and it’s getting easier to see how this can become a tool used daily. Loop actually reminds me a lot of the now wildly successful Teams when it was first released.
Using Loop
In concept, Loop is like a wiki and can be used to store any type of information. I think it will stand out under specific scenarios where a lot of content is created collaboratively and updated frequently. For example, I don’t think it makes sense to use it for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or formal announcements.
Below are examples of scenarios that seem best suited because they create a lot of content:
- Planning a large meeting/conference
- Early stages of writing a large proposal
- Creating a campaign, such as a marketing campaign
Loop Features
Loop features have improved with more integrations, including third parties like Jira and Trello. The most exciting is Planner, which will be the centerpiece for Microsoft’s work management moving forward. Copy the link to your plan, and the full plan will display on the Loop page. The Tasks list available as a component already syncs with To Do or Planner, making it easy to track tasks.
Loop Management
Loop has an admin center with a toggle to enable or disable the app across the tenant. Microsoft says data will respect your existing data security and information compliance controls. It’s important to note that Loop components created outside of the Loop app are stored in the original creator’s OneDrive. This is something to keep in mind when offboarding an employee, as OneDrive data will be deleted when the account is deactivated. When components are created in the Loop app, they are stored in the Syntex repository services.
While it’s great having Loop components shared everywhere, it might also be good to know where they are shared. Loop has limited management features for this, which shows you where a component is shared. With components being so easily shared and edited from that location, it’s important to know where they are being used.
Microsoft Loop is an exciting change in the world of collaborative work at Microsoft. It integrates Teams and Office apps using Fluid Framework while providing a single place to collaborate. Dive into the Loop and experience a new way of working today!
Contact Us
Find out if Microsoft Loop makes sense for your organization. Contact a member of Withum’s Digital Workplace Solutions Team today to get personalized guidance and implementation.
