Microsoft integrates digital payments into Kaizala app

With the aim to help the first-line workforce become more productive, Microsoft on Tuesday enabled digital payments services on its enterprise social network app "Kaizala" in the country.

To begin with, Microsoft has integrated payment services of Yes Bank and MobiKwik. Payment integration with Microsoft Kaizala will enable users to quickly send or receive money without having to leave the "Kaizala" application.

"We see an opportunity for technology to give first-line workers more intuitive, immersive, and empowering experiences and, thereby, help organisations achieve greater efficiency, enhance their customers' experience," said Rajesh Jha, Executive Vice President, Office Product Group, Microsoft.

"Office 365, including Microsoft 'Kaizala', Microsoft 'Teams' and Outlook, aims to connect this mobile-first and mobile-only workforce for modern collaboration and teamwork," Jha added.

With Microsoft Kaizala, users have the option to make peer to peer payments in one to one and group chat conversations via the MobiKwik wallet and via Yes Bank's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) integration.

The UPI payment integration on Microsoft Kaizala works with all 86 banks that are already participating in UPI. There are nearly 1.9 billion first-line workers globally, and a large portion of this workforce is based out of India.

"When we launched Microsoft Kaizala for India in July 2017, we provided consumers as well as businesses with a secure chat platform to collaborate and be productive on the go," said Rajiv Kumar, Corporate Vice President, Office Product Group, Microsoft.

"Payment transactions within the app was a key demand from our users for getting work done and we are happy to offer it today in collaboration with Yes Bank and MobiKwik," Kumar added.

Existing Office 365 customers, through an early adopter programme, can avail 12 months of free subscription of "Kaizala Pro" for their users. Microsoft Kaizala is being used by over 900 organisations, including Yes Bank, State Bank of India, Apollo Telemedicine, Narayana Hrudyalaya, United Phosphorous and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.

At the government level, more than 30 departments with over 70,000 workers in the Andhra Pradesh government are using "Kaizala" for real-time governance and day-to-day work. Microsoft Kaizala is available as a free mobile app on Android, iOS and Windows platforms for individual users.

"We are glad to collaborate with Microsoft Kaizala and bring seamless payments to businesses and users by employing our state-of-the-art UPI platform," said Ritesh Pai, Chief Digital Officer, Yes Bank.