Microsoft launches India specific productivity app Kaizala

Microsoft on Wednesday officially launched their India specific mobile-first productivity app called Kaizala. The app is designed for large group communications and work management. Kaizala app makes it simple for organizations to seamlessly communicate, collaborate, and complete tasks bringing together desktop users and mobile- only users who may be within or outside their organizations.

“Microsoft Kaizala, a made for India product, brings together the two disparate worlds of mobile only messaging apps and a digitally integrated modern workplace,” said Anant Maheshwari, president, Microsoft India. " The product will make it possible for organizations to interact with everyone both within and outside, seamlessly and with rich content. Microsoft Kaizala has been optimized for 2G networks to enable connectivity in remote locations and offers features with offline support", said Mr. Maheshwari.

Kaizala is a messaging tool in its core, that is designed to help organizations connect with large numbers of people inside and outside their organization, easily coordinate tasks across the value chain, and gain actionable insights. Essentially Microsoft Kaizala can be labelled as the WhatsApp for the enterprise, and it comes in a time where more and more people are resorting to the popular messaging service to get things done.

Kaizala's applications go beyond from general organizational productivity, as earlier this year the app was used during the elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh by the Election Commission to effectively survey people in the state. Similarly, the Andhra Pradesh state government also use the service for various tasks including reporting of corruption cases directly to the chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. According to the statement from Microsoft, more than 30 government departments and over 70,000 users in the Andhra Pradesh state government use Microsoft Kaizala for day to day work.

On the other hand, Microsoft Kaizala has seen significant adoption among Indian organizations such as YES Bank, Apollo Telemedicine, Republic TV, United Phosphorous Limited, and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, who are currently piloting the solution for their internal teams.

The key features of Microsoft Kaizala include 1:1 and hierarchical group chat, media and document sharing, built-in actions for polls, survey and announcements, and work management. All these features are available for free to the user while a pro version brings additional features such as user management, public groups, and advanced reporting and analytics.

The app is available to download for free from both Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Microsoft Kaizala Pro is available to purchase standalone at a price of Rs 130 per user per month.