Microsoft has recently recapped the most recent enhancements to its collaborative platform, Teams. With a whopping 45 new features, along with the profanity filtering control feature, the company has taken significant strides in enhancing meetings, chats, Teams Rooms devices, and various other aspects. Let’s dive into the comprehensive overview of all the noteworthy updates you should be aware of.
Meeting and calling features
In the previous month, Microsoft introduced an exciting addition to Teams meetings called Spatial Audio. This innovative audio feature aims to enhance the clarity of conversations, especially when multiple participants are speaking simultaneously. This feature is supported by Windows and macOS devices and offers an improved auditory experience for users.
Furthermore, Microsoft incorporated a new capability that allows users to personalize captions during Microsoft Teams meetings. Users now have the flexibility to adjust captions’ color and font size, customize the caption window according to their preferences, and conveniently access recent captions. Additionally, the Together Mode view has been enhanced to display name labels for status icons such as active speaker, pin, or spotlight. Reactions and raised hands can now be viewed directly within the immersive Together Mode environment.
Among the other notable updates is the introduction of a lobbying policy that permits up to 10,000 users within a distribution list to bypass the lobby in Teams meetings. Previously, this functionality was limited to 1,000 participants, but with this enhancement, a larger number of participants can conveniently join meetings without encountering the lobby.
New chat features in Microsoft Teams
Microsoft has introduced a brand new chat feature that empowers users to conveniently mark all unread activities as read. With this latest update, compact mode users now have the option to hide message previews within their chat list, enabling a cleaner and more streamlined interface.
Moreover, Microsoft Teams has enhanced its capabilities by allowing IT administrators to effectively manage external call routings for both VoIP and PSTN calls concerning Teams Phones users. Furthermore, users can now specify their work hours and location, which will serve as valuable information for colleagues, providing insights into their availability for in-office or remote meetings. Users’ profile cards will display their location alongside availability details, ensuring clear communication and coordination.
Management and security features
Microsoft has recently revealed enhancements to the security operations experience within Defender for Office 365, specifically tailored for Microsoft Teams. This update brings forth valuable features such as end-user reporting and automatic remediation of malicious entities. Administrators now have the ability to access Microsoft Teams-specific attack insights through the Microsoft 365 Defender portal, facilitating a comprehensive view of security threats.
Additionally, a new widget has been introduced in the Microsoft Teams admin center, offering detailed information regarding unspent Microsoft Azure consumption commitment (MACC). This feature empowers administrators to utilize MACC when procuring Azure benefit-eligible Microsoft Teams apps, ensuring efficient management of resources and cost optimization.
New features for Microsoft Teams Rooms devices
Microsoft has introduced an exciting addition to Teams Rooms on Windows devices, offering support for organization-wide custom backgrounds. It’s important to note that this feature is exclusively available for customers with the Teams Rooms Pro license. With this release, administrators gain the ability to set together mode as the default view for all meeting participants, promoting a unified and immersive collaboration experience.
Furthermore, Microsoft made an announcement regarding a range of new Teams-certified devices in June. These include notable additions such as the Cisco Room Kit Pro for Teams Rooms on Android, Poly Studio X52, and TC 10 for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android, Biamp Vidi 250 camera, Poly Voyager Surround 80 UC Headset, Lenovo ThinkSmart View Plus Teams Display, and many others. These devices are designed to enhance the Teams ecosystem, providing users with a diverse set of options to elevate their communication and productivity.
In summary, Microsoft has introduced numerous updates to its Teams collaboration platform. These include features like Spatial audio, customizable captions, expanded lobby policies, and improved security operations. Additionally, there have been enhancements to chat functionality and the introduction of new Teams-certified devices. These updates aim to enhance communication, productivity, and security within the Teams ecosystem.
Via: Petri.com