Microsoft Teams Announce Upcoming Functionality

Our favourite new features from the July update

Since March, businesses across the world have adapted and moulded their way of working to meet new challenges. Many of us have become a custom to remote working and Microsoft Teams has become a permanent fixture in our working lives, and with over 75 million daily users it’s no wonder Microsoft has dedicated time and resources to constantly improving functionality. 

The latest change was announced this month (July) and brings with it a whole host of exciting changes that will be introduced over the coming months. Monpellier has pulled together our top 5 features to look out for. 

 

 1. Together Mode 

The sight of our colleagues segmented into multiple boxes on our screen may have become the new normal but Microsoft has created ‘Together Mode’ to bring a more human experience to video conferencing. Together Mode uses AI segmentation technology to digitally place video feeds into the same shared background. The new feature can even make participants look towards the active speaker dynamically by mapping features. Once released Together Mode will initially be able to host up to 49 people at one time and will include a couple of possible backgrounds including a lecture theatre and coffee shop. 

 

2. Dynamic Stage 

The Dynamic layout will optimise and adapt the sizing of different video feeds to maximise screen space and create the most engaging set up for those on a video call. Furthermore, to avoid those difficult moments when people find themselves talking over each other Microsoft Teams have introduced the ‘raise hand’ feature which will create a yellow box around the person wanting to speak next. You can also now choose the chat bubbles feature to make chat appear over the video so you don’t have to keep the chat panel open. 

 

3. Whiteboard

Whiteboard in Teams will soon be updated with exciting extras including faster load times, sticky notes, text, and drag and drop capabilities. This will make using Whiteboard in meetings much easier for those who don’t have access to a touchscreen or Surface Hub to participate. For more information regarding Whiteboard check out our Supercharge your Meetings blog – https://www.monpellier.co.uk/supercharge-your-meetings/

 

4. Transcript 

Although transcription is already available within Microsoft Teams the new live caption update will be able to identify who is talking and attribute the speaker’s name. This feature makes note-keeping incredibly easy and gives you a concrete record that you are able to review after each meeting to double-check that you are happy with what has been recorded. 

 

 5. Slash Commands

Slash commands aren’t a brand new feature but they certainly help you navigate Microsoft Teams as efficiently as possible. You can use a slash command to set your status to “online” or “away”. Alternatively, you can make sure you’re not missing out on anything important with /WhatsNew. 

Some of the best slash commands include:

/Files – Shows the most recent files shared with you on Teams.

/GoTo – Lets you jump straight to a channel

/Call – Initiates a call with someone else on Teams

/Help – Delivers assistance via T-bot

/Saved – Takes you to your saved messages

 

For more information regarding Microsoft Teams and other applications within Microsoft 365 give our team a call on 0191 500 8150 and make the most of your subscription.

 

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