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How Much Does It Cost To Build An App Like Microsoft Teams?

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How Much Does It Cost To Build An App Like Microsoft Teams?

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App development

Develop Credibility and Trust

World-class app development that allows you to start, run and grow your business.

Building a custom app can boost your brand's trust and credibility, ultimately benefiting your business in the long run. We will discuss the following topics:

1. Reputation Management
2. Customer Support and Engagement
3. Data-Driven Decision Making
4. Demonstrating Social Responsibility

A well-made custom app can dramatically improve your brand's marketability and reputation. A trustworthy app will show that you are dedicated to providing top-notch goods and services. As a result of knowing they can rely on you, your clients and business partners will have more faith in you.

A custom app also strengthens your brand identification by demonstrating your professionalism and attention to detail.

Customer Support and Engagement
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A custom app enables you to offer personalized customer support and engagement, helping you address the unique needs and pain points of your African target market. 

By incorporating in-app support features, such as chatbots, help centres, or direct communication channels, you can provide timely assistance to your users, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty. 

This level of support also encourages users to share their positive experiences with others, further boosting your brand's credibility.

Data-Driven Decision Making
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You may get useful user data through custom app creation, giving you insights into user behavior and preferences. You may improve your app and broader business strategy by studying this data and making wise decisions.

Delivering a more individualized experience for your users is made possible by a data-driven strategy. This helps to increase their faith in your brand and ultimately ensures that they will stay visiting.

Demonstrating Social Responsibility
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Putting money into a customized app that caters to your target market's needs demonstrates your commitment to social responsibility.

You can showcase your brand's dedication to having a beneficial influence by developing an app that takes into account regional difficulties, environmental issues, or social issues that are pertinent to your audience.

This thoughtful approach to app creation not only strengthens the integrity of your brand, but it also appeals to customers who value companies with a clear sense of mission.

Custom App development

Benefits of Custom App Development

World-class app development that allows you to start, run and grow your business.

Imagine custom app development as an expert chef crafting a personalised menu for their restaurant. Just as a meticulously planned and executed meal can leave diners with a memorable culinary experience, a custom app is specifically designed to cater to your business's distinct needs and objectives, leaving a lasting impression on your users. 

Investing in custom app development offers several advantages, including:

  1. Improved user experience
  2. Increased efficiency
  3. Competitive advantage
  4. Higher profitability
  5. Seamless Integration with Existing Systems
  6. Enhanced Flexibility and Adaptability
Improved user experience
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A custom app allows you to create an interface that is tailored to your target audience, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience. By focusing on the preferences and expectations of your users, you can craft an app that not only meets their needs but also delights them with personalized features and intuitive navigation.The best part? If you develop an app that your users love, you ensure that they keep coming back for more and turn them into lifelong customers.

Custom apps can be designed to streamline business processes and boost productivity. By automating repetitive tasks, integrating with existing systems, and providing real-time data access, custom apps empower your team to work more efficiently and make informed decisions quickly, just like a well-tailored suit that enables effortless movement and comfort.

A unique app helps you stand out from the competition and attract more customers. In a world where off-the-shelf solutions are abundant, a custom mobile app acts as a distinctive and exclusive suit that sets you apart in the crowd, showcasing your brand's personality and commitment to providing a superior experience.

A well-designed app can generate increased revenue and improve customer retention. By offering a memorable and engaging user experience, your custom app encourages users to continue using your services and make purchases. It's akin to wearing a sharp, tailored suit that not only grabs attention but also instils trust and confidence in your brand, ultimately resulting in increased profitability.

Custom app development enables seamless integration with your existing systems and third-party applications. This ensures a smooth flow of data between various platforms, enhancing communication and collaboration within your organization. The ability to integrate effortlessly is like having a versatile tool that easily connects and works in harmony with other components in your business ecosystem.

As your business evolves, a custom app can be easily modified or expanded to accommodate changing requirements and market trends. This adaptability is like having a dynamic strategy that can be adjusted and fine-tuned to suit your business's changing needs, ensuring continued relevance and success in an ever-changing environment.The benefits don’t just stop there though. If you want to build trust and credibility with your customers, a custom app is a great way to do so.

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Pivoting and Iterating

Investing in custom app development can be expensive, but being open to pivoting and iterating based on market feedback is crucial to ensure long-term success. By adapting your app to the ever-changing needs and preferences of your target market, you can stay ahead of the competition, increase user satisfaction, and maximize your return on investment.

Encourage users to provide feedback and reviews, which will help you identify pain points and areas for improvement. By addressing these concerns, you demonstrate your commitment to serving the unique needs of your users, enhancing your app's credibility and increasing user satisfaction. Tools like in-app surveys, app store reviews, or social media can be used to gather feedback and gauge user sentiment.

Iterate Based on User Data
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Analyze user behaviour and engagement data to understand how your app is being used and identify potential bottlenecks or areas of friction. By making data-driven decisions, you can prioritize improvements and new features that will resonate with your audience, maximizing the impact of your development budget and efforts.

As you adapt your app based on market feedback, be prepared to allocate resources for ongoing updates and improvements. While this may increase your app's overall cost, the benefits include increased user satisfaction, reduced churn, and ultimately, higher long-term profitability. Regular updates also demonstrate your commitment to delivering a high-quality app experience tailored to your users' needs.

Adopt a flexible, agile development methodology that enables prompt iteration and change in response to market feedback.

Your app will stay relevant and helpful to your target market if you are receptive to user needs and can swiftly pivot and make adjustments.

By prioritizing products and enhancements that have the greatest impact, an agile methodology can also assist you in managing development expenses more successfully.

While it's essential to iterate and adapt your app based on user feedback, it's also crucial to balance this with innovation and forward-thinking. Continuously explore new technologies, trends, and market opportunities to ensure your app stays ahead of the curve and caters to the evolving needs of your user base. By striking the right balance between adaptation and innovation, you can maintain a competitive edge and secure long-term success for your app.

App development

The Importance of UX and UI

Creating an outstanding user experience and design is crucial for a successful app. A well-designed app should be visually appealing, intuitive, and user-friendly.

  1. Consistency: Consistent design elements throughout the app, such as typography, colours, and button styles, create a unified look and feel. This consistency reduces the cognitive load on users, helping them navigate your app with ease and understand its functionality more quickly.
  2. Simplicity: A simple and uncluttered interface reduces distractions and makes it easier for users to focus on the tasks at hand. Strive for a minimalistic design by eliminating unnecessary elements, using whitespace effectively, and prioritizing essential features.
  3. Feedback: Providing feedback, such as visual cues and confirmation messages, helps users understand the results of their actions. This can include animations for button clicks, success messages for completed tasks, or error messages when something goes wrong. Clear feedback enhances user satisfaction and encourages continued use of your app.
  1. Understand your target audience: Research your users' demographics, needs, preferences, and behaviours to tailor your app to their expectations. Conduct surveys, interviews, and usability testing to gather insights that help shape your app's features and design.
  2. Use clear navigation: Intuitive navigation is essential for a positive user experience. Implement well-organized menus, easily accessible search functions, and recognizable icons to help users find their way around your app effortlessly.
  3. Optimize for performance: Fast loading times and smooth performance are critical for user engagement. Optimize your app's code, reduce file sizes, and use efficient algorithms to ensure your app runs quickly and seamlessly on various devices.
The Impact of Good Design on App Adoption and Retention
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Higher app adoption rates and greater client retention result from spending money on excellent design and user experience. A well-designed app has a higher likelihood of being passed along by users and being used again, which leads to better ratings, word-of-mouth advertising, and long-term success.

App development

Security Considerations for App Development

In today's interconnected digital world, app security is paramount. We take a look at some vital security considerations.

The Privacy Act of 1974 is the primary privacy regulation in America that regulates the sharing of data. The Privacy Act governs how federal agencies may gather, utilize, and disclose personal information. Individuals are given specific rights under it, including the ability to access and update their personal information, and federal agencies are required to protect such data from illegal disclosure.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for health information, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) for financial information, and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) for children's online data are just a few federal laws that deal with privacy and data sharing in addition to the Privacy Act. Additionally, each state has its own privacy laws that could offer additional protections.

Keep up with the latest security threats and best practices, such as incorporating multi-factor authentication, securing APIs, and using secure coding practices. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments can help identify potential weaknesses and protect your app from emerging threats.

Working with Trusted Vendors
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Select a reputable development partner with a proven track record in security best practices, like Scrums. A reliable vendor will prioritize security throughout the development process and help you build a secure app that meets industry standards and best practices.

Scrums.com provides high quality engineering teams to scaling enterprises at lower costs. Scrums.com designs, builds, deploys and maintains custom software that gives scale-ups the opportunity to grow world-class businesses.

Scrums.com provides high quality engineering teams to scaling enterprises at lower costs. Scrums.com designs, builds, deploys and maintains custom software that gives scale-ups the opportunity to grow world-class businesses.

How much does it cost to build an app?
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Microsoft Teams

How Much Does It Cost To Build An App Like Microsoft Teams?

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Reliability

95%

Quality user stories into production rate

Happy customers

82

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Consistent delivery

1,200+

Successful projects delivered

Work with experts

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Years of software specialisation

Introduction

With the rise of remote and hybrid work environments, Microsoft Teams has emerged as one of the top enterprise communication platforms, offering users a unified experience for chat, video calls, file sharing, and collaboration. Building a platform like Microsoft Teams is no small endeavor. It encompasses multiple domains, from real-time communication to integration with productivity tools like Microsoft Office, and secures compliance with U.S. enterprise regulations like SOC 2 and CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act).

The cost of building an app similar to Microsoft Teams can vary significantly based on the scope of features, back-end infrastructure needs, and ongoing maintenance. However, by understanding the critical factors—from platform compatibility and third-party integrations to security considerations—you can develop a realistic plan for your project’s app development cost.

In this article, we’ll break down the different development factors and the unique challenges that arise when creating a Microsoft Teams app alternative tailored for U.S. users.

Platform and Device Compatibility

When developing an enterprise communication tool like Microsoft Teams, platform compatibility is a key consideration that impacts overall cost. Users expect communication to flow flawlessly, whether they are on iOS, Android, Windows, or macOS. Ensuring multi-platform and cross-device integration is essential to offering a consistent user experience.

iOS and Android Development

In the U.S., your app must support both iOS (Apple) and Android devices, as a significant portion of users engage with these operating systems. However, Android is a more fragmented system, meaning your app development cost will likely increase with the need to support multiple device models, screen sizes, and operating system versions.

Unlike social media or gaming apps, enterprise apps like Microsoft Teams need to ensure that real-time features, including messaging and video calls, work seamlessly across all devices. This involves additional testing and optimizing for reliability, performance, and battery efficiency across various mobile devices.

Cross-Platform Development

Many businesses consider using cross-platform development tools like React Native or Flutter to reduce development time and cost. While cross-platform tools can save money by allowing developers to write one codebase for both iOS and Android, some native functionalities—such as real-time notifications and performance enhancements—may require additional adjustments, increasing development costs.

Desktop and Web-Based Versions

In addition to mobile compatibility, desktop versions (Windows, macOS, and Linux) and a web app are essential for enterprise communication apps like Microsoft Teams. Workers frequently switch between their mobile devices, laptops, and desktop systems, and the app must perform consistently across all platforms to keep users loyal.

Building both desktop apps and web-based applications adds another level of complexity and cost, as custom app development must account for user interface changes, window resizing, and desktop notifications, among other factors.

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Design and User Experience (UX/UI)

Designing for an app like Microsoft Teams requires a focus on functionality and efficiency. Enterprise communication relies on a clean and intuitive user interface, where minimal clicks lead to maximum productivity.

User-Centric Design

U.S. enterprises expect efficiency in design, where users can access and understand features with minimal frustration. Given that this app will target businesses, simple and minimalist navigation is crucial, along with clear labeling and well-designed hierarchies of information. Improperly designed workflows can result in users feeling confused, abandoning the app, or choosing competitors.

Customizable User Experience

One important feature that U.S. businesses value is customization. This may involve customizable workspaces, team themes, or the ability to choose light/dark modes. For companies using platforms like Microsoft Teams, allowing teams to mold the platform in ways unique to their team’s branding preferences becomes a factor in long-term engagement.

Building customizable features can increase user retention rates but also raises costs in UX development, as designers will need to account for various use cases and flexibility.

Read more about User Centered App Design.

Responsive Design

In the U.S., workers expect their tools to perform effectively across both desktops and mobile devices. The app’s design needs to remain responsive—automatically adjusting based on screen sizes. Mobile-first design is essential today but must be balanced with an intuitive desktop-friendly user experience.

Achieving this requires development expertise in responsive design, which can increase both design and front-end development hours, thereby boosting the app development cost.

Read more about Responsive Design and Mobile-First Success.

Integrations with Third-Party Services or External Systems

One of the distinct advantages of Microsoft Teams lies in its extensive integrations with other productivity tools and third-party applications. Any business messaging platform looking to compete must include these versatile integrations, as they can greatly extend the platform's utility.

Audio/Video Calling Integration

To support high-quality audio and video calls, your app would need integration with third-party services such as Twilio or Agora, which provide APIs for embedding video and voice functionalities into the app. These external services guarantee near-zero latency during live calls, but they come with licensing fees, increasing the app's ongoing operational costs.

Calendar and Project Management Tools

Many Teams users rely on Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, and services like Asana to manage projects. Your app must successfully integrate these third-party systems for seamless transitions between communications, scheduling, and task assignments. Building robust APIs for these integrations increases both cost and required development time, due to the rigorous testing and compliance checks needed to sync data in real-time between multiple providers.

Payment Gateway Integration

If you plan on introducing tiered subscriptions or offering premium app features, you will need to integrate payment processing services. These may include Stripe, PayPal, or Google Pay. Ensuring secure handling of user payments while maintaining PCI-DSS compliance introduces another development layer.

The deeper the level of third-party integrations, the longer your team will spend ensuring seamless operation between systems—raising both the development timeline and the overall app development cost.

Database & Back-End Infrastructure

The back-end infrastructure for an app like Microsoft Teams needs to be extremely reliable, scalable, and able to process a vast volume of real-time data without delays. Given the collaborative nature of the app, the platform needs to support everything from real-time communication to file storage and complex database queries for users across multiple time zones.

Cloud Infrastructure

The app’s infrastructure will require top-tier cloud services to handle real-time data processing, document sharing, and video conferencing. Leading providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure enable the efficient handling of tasks like data storage, user authentication, and file synchronization.

The app development cost might fluctuate based on whether you opt for a shared cloud environment or invest in a dedicated infrastructure capable of delivering enterprise-level security and uptime. For large-scale corporate products, the latter is often necessary, especially when dealing with sectors like finance, healthcare, or government.

Data Transmission and Syncing

Corporations using apps like Microsoft Teams require real-time message syncing across devices, fast file retrieval, and smooth user interactions with minimal downtime. Developing robust API architecture that supports instant messaging and lightning-fast file uploads places considerable demand on your database management system.

Building proper redundancies and data protection mechanisms to maintain uptime during high-volume periods adds another layer of cost. You’ll need continuous monitoring, scaling capabilities, and database administration to meet quality of service (QoS) expectations.

Ongoing Maintenance and Updates

Even after the app is built and launched, maintaining its performance and staying secure and compliant with the latest regulations will require ongoing maintenance and updates.

Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements

High usage of your app platform will inevitably expose bugs, crashes, or unintended behaviors which require immediate attention. Updates to Google Play and the Apple Store might also necessitate changes to your app’s functionality or UI, increasing long-term costs.

Security Patches

Security is a major concern in the corporate sector, especially when handling sensitive financial documents or proprietary business communications. Your development team will need to release regular security patches to prevent data breaches and ensure compliance with U.S. privacy laws such as the CCPA and GDPR.

Scalability and New Features

If your Microsoft Teams-like platform gains traction, scaling the architecture to accommodate more users and developing new features based on customer feedback will incur additional costs. These updates can range from introducing new collaboration tools, refreshing the user experience, or adding advanced features like AI-driven task automation.

Ongoing maintenance is a crucial (and often overlooked) factor when calculating the long-term cost of your app’s development.

Team Expertise and Location

The cost of developing an app like Microsoft Teams also depends heavily on the expertise of your development team and where they are located.

U.S.-Based Development Teams

Building an enterprise communication platform for U.S.-based enterprises often involves hiring U.S.-based development teams, which come at a higher hourly rate but ensure adherence to security and data regulations like HIPAA for healthcare sectors, if applicable. U.S. developers typically charge between $150-$250 per hour but offer deep knowledge in enterprise compliance and industry skill sets required to handle large-scale data-heavy applications.

Offshore Development Teams

To lower costs significantly, you may choose to work with an offshore development team from countries in Eastern Europe or South Asia . Their rates, which range from around $25-$100 per hour, can significantly reduce labor expenses, but there may be management challenges, such as time zone differences and potential communication barriers. However, these teams often provide high-quality work at competitive pricing, particularly if managed properly.

Combining U.S.-based project managers with an offshore development team can give you cost savings while maintaining productivity and quality.

Read about Onshore vs Offshore Outsourcing.

Hidden Costs & Miscellaneous Factors

1. QA & Testing

You’ll need advanced QA testing to ensure that your app functions smoothly for audio and video calls, messaging, file uploads, and more. Particularly for an enterprise application, load testing and performance testing across different devices running various operating systems (Windows, Android, iOS, macOS) will require significant resources.

2. App Store Fees and Guidelines

Both Apple and Google Play Stores charge a 30% commission on in-app purchases or subscription pricing models. This is a recurring cost, and many regulatory guidelines must be strictly followed when submitting updates to both app stores.

3. Legal and Compliance Costs

Handling client data in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government requires strict compliance with specific regulations (e.g., SOC 2 or ISO 27001). Achieving these certifications might require cybersecurity audits, contractual agreements on data handling, and adherence to CCPA and GDPR laws in the U.S. and other regions.

What Makes This App Category Unique in Terms of Development?

Developing an app like Microsoft Teams presents unique challenges because it combines real-time communication, file collaboration, and project management in one integrated platform. The app also facilitates inter-team coordination through AI-powered automation and deep integration with third-party tools.

Microsoft Teams has the added benefit of simplified workflows via its integration with Office 365 and regular third-party services, setting it apart as an enterprise powerhouse. While building a similar app, you will likely need to offer seamless team management, unified distributed workspaces, and centralized communication under one roof—all of which increase the complexity and cost of development.

U.S. market preferences lean toward having customizable workspaces, single sign-on (SSO) functionalities, and enterprise-specific security protocols like SOC 2 compliance and data loss prevention (DLP), further driving both development and compliance expenses.

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At Scrums.com, we specialize in designing custom, enterprise-focused apps built for U.S. businesses. Contact us for a custom app development estimate today, and let’s create something exceptional!