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With the launch of Planner, Microsoft’s answer to Trello, some of Microsoft’s premium customers can already take advantage of the new tile in their... Move Over, Trello, Microsoft Planner Is Here

With the launch of Planner, Microsoft’s answer to Trello, some of Microsoft’s premium customers can already take advantage of the new tile in their Office 365 apps.

Microsoft has certainly been busy. Windows 10 is a done deal, the purchase of LinkedIn is rolling along, so why not launch a brand-new feature in Office 365 that takes on one of the handiest collaborative tools to come along in ages?

10.-Office-365-Planner-Charts-View

Planner has a few key differences over Trello, of course. Rather than the card system that so many collaborative assistance users are familiar with, Planner relies on buckets to organize the tasks you and your team members have to do. Progress is mapped out in multi-colored charts to show tasks and progress at a glance.

One of the biggest benefits users may experience is the seamless integration with file sharing due to the fact that this is all powered through Office 365. Team members can attach files, open them, read them, edit them, and more, all without ever having to leave Planner.

Planner also offers a one-stop view of everything you’re working on, even if you have plans for different projects, different teams, or even different companies, as in the case of using Planner to keep yourself on-task with multiple clients’ projects or as a freelancer, for example. The My Tasks dashboard shows you every plan you have going, as well as your completion status on each of those plans, all in one screen.

Interestingly, while Planner has only launched for certain subscription levels within the platform, Microsoft’s team claims they are reading every piece of feedback they get. That’s a sign that they understand the ramifications of encouraging people to move from one tried-and-true collaboration platform to a brand-new one, and they’ve promised that updates and improvements will be coming quickly based on users’ experiences.

Of course if you prefer the idea of Trello, then give a try – it’s available from FileHippo!