The Live Share SDK, announced at Microsoft’s Build event this week, lets developers turn any third-party application into a “multiplayer” Teams app. Credit: Microsoft Looking to make screen-sharing more interactive so colleagues can collaborate using third-party apps directly in Teams video meetings, Microsoft this week unveiled Live Share, a Teams SDK extension that’s now in preview. It lets developers customize applications so users can co-edit and co-create while on a call together. Announced Tuesday at Microsoft’s Build conference, Live Share uses Microsoft’s JavaScript-based Fluid Framework and is hosted on the Azure Fluid Relay cloud service and allows developers to build apps without writing back-end code. Azure Fluid Relay will be available in mid-year, but Microsoft did not say when Live Share will be generally available. Microsoft has added a variety of ways to interact with third-party apps in recent years, including the “share to stage” functionality announced last year that lets Teams users access products such as Mural and Miro during a video call. But while previous updates relied on bringing existing “multi-player” elements in third-party apps into Teams, Live Share lets developers customize a wider range of apps for use within Microsoft’s collaboration app, said Nicole Herskowitz, vice president for Microsoft Teams. “It basically makes every app a ‘multiplayer’ app in a live meeting,” said Herskowitz in an interview ahead of the Build event. “It’s a really hard problem to solve — a lot of apps are not built that way — but we’re making it very easy for developers to do that.” Some of the companies that have already been building prototypes using the Live Share SDK include Frame.io, Hexagon, and SkillSoft (these are not currently available for users). With Hexagon’s 3D design and visualization software, for example, it’s possible for users to zoom in and out, manipulate models, view data, and even make edits directly from Teams. Developers at learning and development software platform SkillSoft have created live share functionality that allows any Teams meeting participant to pause and annotate a video. Microsoft said it will also start to bring more interactive experiences to its own first-party apps too. “Releasing capabilities such as Live Share and the Azure Fluid Relay service at Build demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to investing in Teams as a platform,” said Kevin Kieller, co-founder of Microsoft consultancy EnableUC. “Whether the Live Share capability is useful for end users relies on the interest, ingenuity, and creativity that Teams app developers employ using this new platform feature.” Related content news analysis Apple earnings: About that iPhone 'slump' in China Based on information from Thursday's earnings report, it seems that data pointing to an iPhone slump in China were over-baked. By Jonny Evans 03 May 2024 9 mins iMac iPhone Apple news Microsoft begins to phase out ‘classic’ Teams Microsoft is encouraging Teams customers to move to the new, faster version of the collaboration app; the older version will be switched off next year. By Matthew Finnegan 03 May 2024 3 mins Microsoft Teams Collaboration Software Productivity Software news analysis Apple confirms it will open up the iPad in Europe this fall The latest efforts to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act mean developers can offer to side load apps to both iPhones and iPads in the EU. Apple has also taken steps to improve what it offers to smaller and non-commercial developers in the By Jonny Evans 02 May 2024 6 mins iPad Apple Mobile Apps news Udacity offers laid-off US workers free access to its courses for 30 days Sign-ups will be available over the next 30 days By Lucas Mearian 02 May 2024 4 mins Technology Industry IT Jobs IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe