If you’re a follower of Microsoft products, you’ve probably heard about Microsoft Ignite. It is held once a year and provides a lot of fascinating updates and announcements in the Microsoft industry.
Microsoft’s most recent conference was held in October of last year. You may have missed some of the highlights due to the hustle of the recent holidays. As a result, we’re delivering them to you right now.
One thing you’ll notice is that Microsoft Teams received a lot of attention during the event. Microsoft now refers to Teams as “the app at the heart of Microsoft 365.” We can see why the organisation is constantly improving its virtual workspace. Over 280 million people now utilise Teams. It’s not surprising given Microsoft’s introduction of over 450 new Teams features. And this is only in the last year.
Over the course of the article, we’ll go over several Teams additions, as well as other Microsoft App announcements at Ignite, below.
Teams Premium
Microsoft has released a new Teams Premium service that includes a brand new AI component to the platform. Several AI-powered features are included in this service. They make you appear to have your own meeting helper. One of the unique features is the ability to automatically generate chapters from a Teams meeting. Additionally, the software provides tailored highlights for you. This prevents you from having to view the meeting again later. If you’re meeting with people from other countries, you can enjoy real-time caption translations. Another new feature is meeting guides. It organises your meeting selections based on your requirements.
360-Degree Intelligent Camera for Teams Meetings
SmartVision 60 is the world’s first 360-degree intelligent camera for the centre of the room. It is capable of tracking the speaker as they move. A people identification capability is also on the way for the camera. Using SmartVision 60, virtual meetings can seem much more like real meetings. Instead of only watching a small video feed of one individual, the camera movement can record an entire team.
Cisco is Now a Certified Devices Partner for Teams Rooms
Fans of Cisco meeting products in Boardman will be pleased to know they now have more options. Cisco is now a Teams Room Certified Devices partner, according to Microsoft. Teams meetings can now be started on any approved Cisco meeting device.
Microsoft Places
Microsoft Places is one of the virtual workspace apps that will enable the emerging hybrid movement. This is a team management tool that works in conjunction with the rest of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. The office is still open, but for how much longer? During the epidemic, most of the world had to operate virtually. Many businesses and employees discovered that they like it this way. 74% of US businesses have or plan to implement a permanent mixed work style. Microsoft Places is another another example of how Microsoft is driving the hybrid office revolution.
Some of the app’s features include:
- Manage and track where employees are working (at home or in the office)
- Track whether coworkers are away or available
- Track physical room utilisation to make better decisions
Hours & Location Feature in Outlook & Teams
Hours and location are another feature announcement connected to the hybrid working world. This is a new feature added to Teams and Outlook to make scheduling in-person meetings easier.
When you don’t know who is in the office and who is working remotely, it might be difficult to schedule in-person meetings. They will be upset if they had planned to work from home that day. People can now specify their working hours and location with the new hours and location option. They can change it from hour to hour eliminating the guesswork from scheduling.
Loop App Private Preview
Another intriguing app announcement that Microsoft made was about its Loop app. Loop had entered private preview, according to the announcement allowing certain organisations to test it out. Loop is a collaborative workplace tool that allows teams to brainstorm in a virtual environment. To stay up to date, all data taken in from Microsoft 365 apps syncs automatically.
Microsoft Clipchamp Video Editor
You may have seen an unfamiliar software appearing on Windows. Microsoft Clipchamp was officially unveiled during the Ignite conference. It’s a simple video editor for Windows PCs. Have you ever been irritated attempting to repair a video because you didn’t have the correct tool? Then you might want to look into what Clipchamp has to offer. It appears to have a low learning curve.
Get Help Navigating the Microsoft 365 Universe
Microsoft 365 has come a long way in a short period. There are many different app integrations you can use to power your workflow. But it can get a bit complicated without an expert to help. Give us a call today to schedule a Microsoft consultation.