Since the appearance of Windows 10, Microsoft It has been turning its business model to focus more on services and somewhat less on what were its flagship products for decades: its operating system and the Office suite. This change has led to things like the introduction of advertising into the system and the default presence of things like a Candy Crash installer. The company, far from rectifying, seems to be willing to go further, so has introduced an ad for Teams, its communication and collaboration platform, in the Get Help app in Windows 10 and 11.
Many services and websites live at least partially from advertising and it is something that has been assumed, while Android has accustomed many to seeing it in applications as well. However, when it comes to the operating system or a part of it, many still raise an eyebrow when they see advertising there. At least Teams is a product of Microsoft itself, but that has not prevented more than one from being upset.
The Get Help app (Get Help in English) is designed for the purpose of helping users solve problems they are experiencing in Windows. System users type in the problem they are facing, which can range from not being able to set up a scanner to not being able to install specific applications developed by Microsoft, to possible solutions, which can be step-by-step instructions, running tools specifics or suggestions. Depending on the problem, a specific solution, suggestion, or nothing is provided.
Microsoft Teams ad in the Windows Get Help app.
So far, nothing that is not normal and logical, but things get cloudy when it is discovered that the Get Help application may end up showing Teams advertising, a platform that undoubtedly has its uses and is popular within its segment, but that looks out of place in that situation. The ad appears to be displayed with a delay, possibly because it needs to be fetched from Microsoft servers first, and may require or be more likely to appear if logged in at the operating system level.
Fortunately, The announcement is not that it is particularly invasive, it is not even flashy, but it is an indication that Microsoft is determined to promote its services in any way possible., although for this you have to carry out somewhat questionable maneuvers. If the user decides to pay attention to the advertising and clicks on the link, they will be directed to the Microsoft Teams Essentials plan, which from Spain costs 3.70 euros per month. The question here is: what does an individual user want to sign up for Teams for? On the other hand, we cannot forget the recent controversy of forcibly opening the links present in Microsoft Teams and Outlook in the Microsoft Edge browser.
