tech2 News Staff

Microsoft has introduced a new feature to Office Online which allows users to initiate conversations via Skype within their documents with multiple people.

Office Online will integrate a new feature called 'document chat' which will allow users to chat to one another and work collaboratively on documents. By simply clicking on the chat button in the upper right corner, users can chat with everyone working in the document, thus making it easy to communicate with colleagues.

WinSuperSite reported that as of now, document chat is only available in Word Online and PowerPoint Online which will send notifications to users and alert them to respond as needed. When you initiate or accept a chat request, a chat pane will appear, and it looks similar to the one you can see now in Outlook.com and OneDrive.com.

With Skype available on smartphones and tablets, and with it being introduced to web browsers recently, users can continue their conversations once they are outside the document as well.

Microsoft hasn't provided details as to when exactly the feature will be available or any information on how group chat would work.

Microsoft's new feature does seem familiar to Google Docs where users could chat to others using Hangouts as a communication tool and could be helpful to many Office Online users.