One of Microsoft Garage’s latest project is HiveOut. The service was announced last month and has now been rolled out officially. Users can check out HiveOut on the Garage website. It is also available on Android devices for users in India.
The app is focused on bringing group messaging to schools and colleges running Office 365. HiveOut brings new tools for tracking progress and managing content. The idea behind the service is to give students tools in mobile groups to work together more efficiently.
There is a clear focus on helping students in countries with lesser communication means. At the moment HiveOut is exclusive to customers in India. However, we are sure Microsoft Garage would roll this out to other regions if it is successful.
On the official app page, Microsoft explains why India is an ideal debut region for the service:
“India has one of the highest number of students in the world. Students are important to us. Phones are at the front and centre of everything they do. Communication and cloud apps have become productivity enablers for these digital natives. To “do more together”, students need to be constantly in touch and sharing. But working together is not all smooth sailing. Conversations are chaotic; information is scattered, disconnected and difficult to retrieve; tracking progress is complicated; and decision making is just plain hard.”
Features
There are some cool features bundled into HiveOut to ensure such as the ability to create polls and events. Below is a more detailed look at what the service brings:
- HiveOut with your work and fun groups: Your group chat and content in one place helps you get more done together.
- Group Board: All your shared content is available in one place. The board keeps your group on the same page.
- Hashtags: Track multiple group topics together via Hashtags. You can hashtag anything Group chat and board items.
HiveOut is available now on the Google Play Store for users in India. The app is open to education locations that have Office 365. The app also integrates with other Microsoft services like Bing and Skype.
