New Microsoft Teams features reshape the future of collaboration

Jul 14, 2020

Microsoft have unveiled some exciting new features for Teams users.

The tech giant have promised to make collaboration easier than ever before in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Microsoft Teams will make virtual interactions "more natural" and "more human", according to Microsoft.

 

Introducing 'Together Mode'

‘Together Mode’ is designed to help people feel more connected and less fatigued by video meetings while working remotely.

Microsoft have developed AI technology that places participants alongside one another, digitally seated with the same background, creating the impression everyone is in the same room.

An avatar, taken from the shoulders up from your webcam stream, is projected into a virtual lecture room along with other participants. Microsoft says your avatars can wave, tap each other on the shoulder and even high-five.

Together Mode will help make meetings more engaging by allowing you to pick up on body language and facial queues much like you would in a real-life meeting.

Having avatars should also make it easier to spot exactly who is talking in a meeting with lots of participants, rather than trying to guess which chat window is lighting up.

 

Dynamic view

Dynamic view gives you more control over how you see shared content and other participants in a meeting.

New controls - including the ability to show shared content and specific participants side-by-side - let you personalise the view to suit your preferences and needs.

This includes virtual breakout rooms, where participants can be split into smaller groups for more focused discussion.

 

Live, real-time reactions

New features to help promote engagement include live reactions and chat bubbles to share your feedback directly and in real time, as well as suggested replies similar to those seen in Outlook and Gmail, allowing you to give quick feedback.

 

Put Cortana in control

Cortana - Microsoft's voice assistant - can also be used to make a call, join meetings, send chat messages and share files.

 

Live captions and transcripts

Microsoft is also adding live transcripts to Teams later this year alongside the ability to translate live captions into subtitles so anyone can follow a meeting that’s being held in another language.

 

Video filters

Before joining a meeting, you can use the filters to subtly adjust lighting levels and soften the focus of the camera to customise your appearance.

"We’ve reached an inflection point," Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365 wrote in a blog post announcing the news.

"As the global response to COVID-19 evolves, communities around the world have moved from an era of “remote everything” into a more hybrid model of work, learning, and life."

"From the kickoff call to the project’s launch - and all points in-between - Teams is the place where people come together to get work done.

"Working alongside our customers, we’ll continue reimagining the future of work and delivering technologies that put people at the centre of every experience."

 

Want to find out how Microsoft Teams can help your business? Call us on 0800 054 6000 or email hello@communicatebetter.co.uk.

 

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