Microsoft has added several features to Teams aimed at expanding use of the collaboration application among front-line workers. This includes a Viva Connections mobile app, updates to approvals, and improvements to virtual medical visit management.

While much of the focus around Teams during the pandemic has centered on knowledge workers and the ongoing boom in video meetings, use of the app by front-line workers has increased significantly too, up 150% over the past year, Microsoft said.

Microsoft is one of a number of productivity and collaboration software providers targeting workers in front-line roles, such as those in the retail, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors. These "deskless" jobs have tended to be subject to less investment in digital tools from businesses, though spending has grown in recent years. Facebook's Workplace and Google's Workspace both have dedicated pricing and features for front-line workers, for example, as does Microsoft 365.

From the end user perspective, demand for collaboration tools among front-line workers will continue to rise, according to a recent survey from 451 Research titled "Voice of the Enterprise Workforce Productivity & Collaboration: Work Execution Goals & Challenges Q2 2021."

"We believe that demand for collaboration tools for front-line workers is likely to increase; survey results show that 6 of 10 front-line workers expect that the amount of time that they spend collaborating with their colleagues will likely increase significantly or slightly, more than twice as many as non-front-line workers," said Ra