Microsoft adds chat to web version Word and Powerpoint

Microsoft will make it possible to chat with colleagues within the web versions of Word and Powerpoint. The functionality should be brought to Office Online in the coming weeks and is based on Skype.

The Redmond-based company announced the arrival of chat on its blog. The web versions of Word and Powerpoint should soon have a chat button, after which you can talk to colleagues who are working on the same document or presentation. This should promote collaboration within Office Online, where multiple users can work on documents or presentations at the same time.

Because the chat functionality works with Skype, it is possible to continue the same conversations within the Skype application. Conversations made within Office Online can also be read back via the Skype app.

For the time being, Excel and OneNote seem to fall by the wayside and it is unclear whether and when chat will be added to this. Earlier, Microsoft already built chat features in its web services Outlook.com and OneDrive.