Key Takeaways
- Microsoft has updated Teams with new Copilot integrations, improved chat features, and UI enhancements.
- Enterprise customers gain access to meeting recording management and improvements in AI-generated insights.
- Teams Rooms, devices, and Phone receive updates including multi-panel check-in and new certified devices.
Microsoft adds new features to its products, like Teams, on a regular basis. Towards the end of each month, it publishes a roundup of all the features it introduced in a particular software, just like it did for Excel a couple of days ago. While the change log for Excel wasn’t particularly huge, the company has now detailed an exhaustive list of changes present in Teams, as usual.
What’s new on the chat and collaboration front?
Microsoft has introduced further integration between Copilot and Teams. Those with a Copilot for Microsoft 365 license can use the AI technology to adjust their messages, making them more persuasive and inclusive, among other things. Similarly, customers can leverage intelligent message translation features in chat to translate a message sent in a different language into their preferred language, or choose which languages not to translate.
Slash commands can now be utilized to perform certain quick actions, like opening a chat in a new window or recording a video clip. Furthermore, customers can click the Meet now button in group chat to quickly join a group call and also use Loop components to co-edit code directly in Teams instead of sending multiple code blocks through chat. In the same vein, users can unfurl permalinks to preview pieces of code as well. Finally, the compose box’ UI has been updated to make it more intuitive and there are lots of features in tow for multi-tenant organization (MTO) customers too – you can read more about them here.
What about meetings, town halls, and webinars?
Enterprise customers can use a plugin for Copilot for Sales directly in Teams, allowing the AI model to process your messages and return insights regarding your conversations. Similarly, meeting organizers can now also manage access to meeting recordings, transcripts, and AI-generated insights. Although the default configuration provides access to everyone, admins can modify this to restrict access. In the same vein, presenters driving meetings can move their presenter toolbar and optimize video while sharing their screen.
Moreover, meeting notes powered by Loop can now be accessed in channel meetings as well as Government Community Cloud (GCC) environments. There are lots of other infrastructure enhancements too: meeting transcript file storage and management has been improved and more admin policies for downloading meeting transcripts have been added.
In terms of consumer-facing enhancements, you can mute and unmute yourself through the Windows Taskbar, set up SMS notifications in Microsoft Bookings, take advantage of new wardrobe options for Mesh avatars in Teams. Mac users can finally begin using Mesh as a part of the recent general availability rollout too.
What should I look forward to in Teams Rooms, devices, and Phone?
When it comes to Teams Rooms, customers can leverage multi-panel check-in on Teams panels, along with bookable desks. Additionally, the following devices are now Teams-certified:
- Poly Studio Base Kit G9 Plus
- AVer CAM520 Pro3
- Sennheiser TeamConnect Bars
- Q-SYS VisionSuite
- Lenovo Wireless VoIP Headset
- Logi Zone 305 Headset
Finally, Teams Phone users can utilize intelligent call recap, stream music for callers on hold, and efficiently manage DnD settings while presenting their screen. That’s not all though, Microsoft has lots in store in terms of platform enhancements and better solutions for frontline workers – you can read all about them here.