Slack: Microsoft Teams not only copies our product but our ads too
.jpg)
Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but it's not so pleasant when the mimicry is performed by an 800lb gorilla who wants to eat your lunch.
Microsoft this week announced that its answer to messaging platform Slack, Microsoft Teams, now has 20 million daily active users (DAU), making it almost twice the size of Slack. Teams has achieved that in just two years since its launch, thanks in part to being bundled with Office 365.
Slack has argued that DAUs don't reflect user engagement and says users from its paid customers spend more than nine hours a day connected to Slack, and more than 90 minutes per day actively using it.
Microsoft defines DAUs as "as "the maximum daily users performing an intentional action in the last 28-day period across the desktop client, mobile client and web client".
Needless to say, competition is fierce in the enterprise chat space but Teams is an existential threat for Slack, whereas for Microsoft it is just a part of a much bigger pie in Office 365 and Microsoft 365.
In a Twitter post titled 'ok boomer' – a reference to younger generations who feel ripped off by the Baby Boomer generation – Slack draws attention to the similarities between its own ad for the Slack Frontiers conference in April and later promotional videos, and Microsoft's 'The Art of Teamwork' ad, which was published in November.
The Verge sourced the videos for Slack's Frontiers ad and Microsoft's Teams promotional video. There are similarities between the two but they are perhaps not as significant as Slack claims.
Nonetheless, both videos depict balls travelling along grooves, intersecting at various points to create something bigger. In other words, teamwork enabled by collaboration software.
Soon after Microsoft launched Teams, Slack placed an ad in The New York Times congratulating Microsoft and said it was "genuinely excited to have some competition".
At the same time, it stressed that Microsoft can't create something people really love by making a "big list of Slack's features and simply checking those boxes".
Slack's promotional videos – and to an extent Microsoft's November ad – reflect Slack's message at the time: "We've spent tens of thousands of hours talking to customers and adapting Slack to find the grooves that match all those human quirks. The internal transparency and sense of shared purpose that Slack-using teams discover is not an accident. Tiny details make big differences."
Megan Quinn, general partner of Spark Capital, an early investor in Slack, joined Slack's campaign to question the substance of Microsoft's DAU numbers.
After Microsoft announced its 20-million DAU milestone, she retweeted a post from October stating that "not all DAUs are created equal". The post included an image of the top five rising 'related queries' for Microsoft Teams on Google Trends. The results don't look flattering for Microsoft.
Google Trends shows that interest in Teams has steadily increased over the past year. However, the top four rising 'related queries' for Microsoft Teams currently are: How to get rid of Microsoft Teams; how to disable Microsoft Teams; Microsoft Teams keeps reinstalling, and stop Microsoft Teams from opening.
source zdnet
Industry: Unified Communications

Latest Jobs
-
- CyberArk Architect
- London
- Upto £110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Are you ready to lead from the front and drive innovation in the Identity & Access Management (IAM) space? We’re looking for a seasoned CyberArk Architect who has CDE-CPC ideally or experience with privilege Cloud, someone who can lead with vision, execute with precision, and inspire teams to deliver excellence. As a key leader in our organisation, you’ll bring your strong business acumen and a technology-focused, innovative mindset to the table. You’ll be driving strategic initiatives, shaping transformation programs, and empowering teams to think big and deliver even bigger. Acting as a subject matter expert in CyberArk Leading strategic transformations in: Identity Governance Privileged Access Management (PAM) Access Management Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships within the team Communicating clearly and confidently — both written and verbal — to deliver updates, raise potential issues, and share insights If you are interested in the above position we are looking for people with: deep expertise and a successful track record in IAM strategy, delivery, or assurance with CyberArk Hold relevant certifications such as CDE in Privileged Cloud or Guardian Have experience in a client-facing role (preferred, but not essential) Thrive in a hybrid working environment and are available to work from our or client London office three days a week Lead with clarity, communicate with impact, and adapt quickly to changing priorities
-
- OUTSIDE IR35 Splunk Engineer- SC Cleared.
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
OUTSIDE IR35 Splunk Engineer- SC Cleared. You will be responsible for consolidating Splunk ES data from multiple feeds into a single pane of glass to enhance visibility and streamline security operations.
-
- Identity & Access Management Architect
- Edinburgh
- Upto £95000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Location: Edinburgh | Hybrid Working | Permanent Are you an experienced Identity & Access Management professional with a passion for designing and implementing cutting-edge security solutions? We are looking for a Lead Architect, where you’ll play a key role in helping clients enhance their IAM capabilities, protect critical data, and navigate complex security challenges. About the Role As a Lead Architect, you will be responsible for shaping and delivering IAM strategies, designing robust security solutions, and driving long-term digital transformation. You’ll leverage your expertise to provide strategic guidance on areas such as: Identity Governance & Administration (IGA) Privileged Access Management (PAM) Access Management (AM) Entitlement Management Directories & Authentication Solutions You will have the opportunity to work with innovative technologies and frameworks, ensuring that businesses can securely manage access to critical assets while enabling growth. What You’ll Be Doing Providing subject matter expertise in IAM and leading transformation projects for clients Developing IAM roadmaps, operating models, and governance frameworks Driving innovation by integrating IAM capabilities into wider digital transformation strategies Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients and stakeholders Designing and implementing scalable IAM solutions to meet business needs What We’re Looking For Proven experience in IAM strategy, solution architecture, or assurance Strong leadership skills with experience guiding technical teams Ability to work in a client-facing role, delivering clear communication and insights A technology-focused, innovative mindset with strong business acumen Willingness to work from our Edinburgh office 2-3 days per week
-
- Security Architect - Cloud - Consultancy London
- London
- N/A
-
Security Architect with a focus into Cloud (AWS, Azure or Google Cloud Platform) needed. You must have client facing consultancy experience. This mean you must have experience working with clients helping them to meet their security design needs. That could include working with existing internal teams to understand, review and mitigate / uplift existing Cloud Security designs, or perhaps helping clients set out / understand their current needs and deliver their cloud security strategy. (Or anything in between) Technical knowledge is of course essential but working with clients to understand and solve their Cloud Security design challenges is vital. You must obviously have a current history working as a cloud security architect. You will need to be commutable to London. Whilst a hybrid role the expectation is 3 days a week in the office / meeting clients. International relocation or Visa sponsorship isn’t available for this role. Apply on this page and arrange a call here https://calendly.com/d/crpz-m7j-wyx