Rumor: Microsoft 'Skype Teams' to Rival Slack

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. According to MSPoweruser, Microsoft is prepping a Skype-branded collaboration tool to take on Slack.

Earlier this year, Microsoft reportedly looked into acquiring Slack for as much as $8 billion. But CEO Satya Nadella and co-founder Bill Gates were not convinced; Gates instead suggested the company just roll some of Slack's features into Skype.

It appears that is exactly what the tech titan is doing. The rumored program, dubbed Skype Teams, may look familiar to Slack users, with channels and direct messages, as well as integration with bots and extensions into the UI. But Microsoft hopes to get a leg up over its competition with the introduction of threaded conversations—a feature currently lacking from Slack.

There is also what MSPoweruser calls "The Fun Picker"—a gallery of emoji, GIFs, and memes—and a sidebar for navigating the app.

A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment to PCMag about the reports.

MSPoweruser also tips the inclusion of basic Skype features like video calls, scheduling online meetings, and file sharing, as well as Office 365 and OneDrive integration. The site says Skype Teams might initially launch for Office 365 subscribers, before rolling out to the general public on the Web and Windows devices, as well as Android and iOS.

For more, see PCMag's roundup of the Best Online Collaboration Software.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11:05 a.m. Eastern with a response from Microsoft.