At Microsoft’s recent Ignite event, the hosts excitedly branded 2020 the ‘Year of Yammer’, and from the enthusiasm and features on offer, it seems they are taking the statement seriously. To signal their intent, the enterprise social tool got a brand-new sizzle launch video, akin to those they produced earlier in the year for Windows Terminal and SharePoint and the likes of which you’d normally associate with Surface promotions. 

 

However, as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, and all signs so far are that it’s far from a simple repackaging exercise. Based on user feedback and use cases, the tech giant’s latest vision is to focus Yammer on three key areas: community, knowledge and engagement. Key to all this is the app’s ability to enable leadership engagement, company-wide communication, sharing of knowledge and providing a positive experience for employees.

 

But can it live up to expectations, and will 2020 really be the Year of Yammer? Here are five reasons it just might be:

 

1. So fresh, so clean

What would an overhaul be without a fresh new look? Existing and new users alike will benefit from a new user interface (UI) which will be rolled out between January and March of next year, offering a more accessible and intuitive design than previous iterations.

 

For instance, to better enable its users to consume and read content the UI has been optimised and updated with the Fluent Design System, which takes advantage of user design and usage patterns, adapting to user actions used all across Microsoft 365. They’ve also tweaked the header layout to give consistency across the suite of 365 apps, meaning Yammer will no longer stick out like the sore thumb some have referred to it as in the past.

 

They’ve bid farewell to confusing multiple news feeds, too. Instead, the three feeds from before have been consolidated into one for a less crowded appearance, with a ‘card’ appearance aiding in separation of conversations, and easy to spot ‘@’ signs showing users which discussions involve them directly (much like Teams). 

 

As the tool of choice for communicating internally at scale, these are just a few examples of improvements which, when taken as a whole, embody a genuine reimagining of an app to make it more usable, accessible and effective. As Microsoft product evangelist Steve Nguyen put it, “The new Yammer is beautiful, it’s simple, it’s clean.”

 

2. More integration? Suite!

 

As you would hope, the added integration and functionality with Teams is also shared by a number of other apps within the rest of the ever-popular Microsoft 365 suite. You’ll now be able to continue a Yammer conversation without leaving your Outlook inbox. This new feature will mean it’s easier than ever to participate, and will extend the reach of Yammer as a truly organisation-wide communication tool.

 

Yammer’s conversations can also be viewed in much the same way in SharePoint, with the web part maintaining the same style and functionality you’d find in the main app. The added introduction of a unified user profile might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s another feature that users have been waiting for (and will no doubt be pleased to see).

 

Finally, along with these developments comes what some would consider an overdue update, providing enhanced enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance in line with the rest of Microsoft’s offerings.

 

 

3. Teaming up

Yammer’s improved integration with other apps wouldn’t be complete without compatibility with Teams. Since its launch in 2017 the new collaboration tool has been nothing short of a phenomenal success. It’s Microsoft’s fastest-growing application in history, and has effectively claimed top spot as the app with most daily users of any comparable tool. So, it will come as no surprise then, that Yammer has been upgraded with enhanced compatibility with its stablemate. 

 

What this means in practice is you’ll be able to stay connected to the wider conversation within your organisation without having to leave your Teams hub. You’ll be able to take part in company-wide discussions, watch live and on-demand events and engage with your communities exactly as before, while retaining access to your projects, group chats and meetings without the need to toggle between apps. Say goodbye to the days of confusion about where to chat and hello to instant access. 

 

4. Mobile makeover

Given Yammer is the go-to option for big organisations (especially those with a large deskless, mobile or remote workforce), it’s only fitting that the mobile versions of the app for iOS and Android have been given a spruce up, too. Early demos have shown a mobile experience which not only mimics the experience on a desktop or laptop, but fully optimises with the addition of richer content.

 

Improvements for gifs, videos, link previews and file attachments are designed to make sharing a range of visual content even easier. For instance, it means users will now have the ability to record, edit, trim and personalise videos straight from their mobiles. Uploads will also take place in the background, meaning you can continue the conversation while you wait for a larger file to complete.

 

Finally, going forward, mobile users will often find themselves at the front of the queue for new features, with updates made available concurrently or ahead of the web experience. 

 

5. Still the best vehicle for company culture

As Microsoft’s Steve Nguyen explained, “Yammer is an important platform to align your employees on key company goals and key company values. It allows us to bring out the best in your culture, in your employees, your people.”

 

And despite a number of so-called competitors (including the aforementioned Teams), when it comes to acting as a vehicle for company culture in large organisations, there’s still nothing else quite like Yammer. Whether it’s a conversation between two or 200,000 people, the app is arguably unparalleled in its ability to give diversity and inclusion a huge boost within organisations.

 

Being able to communicate to your business more widely, and more importantly to listen and to be seen to act on this information, is undeniably powerful. And when managed properly, a network is truly co-owned, everyone has a voice and you can hear from those who perhaps haven’t been heard from enough so far.

 

 

So, there we have it. A whole host of new features combined with the existing ones we know and love, all in service of a new more focused vision. Whether it’s enough to warrant Microsoft’s big claim of 2020 being the Year of Yammer remains to be seen, but on the evidence on offer so far, it might be likelier than you think.

Richard Acreman is a Partner at WM Reply, a tech firm specialising in enhancing collaborative tools and business systems for large organisations, and publisher of The Complete Guide To Yammer.