What’s new this month in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft are always working on ways to improve the experience for employees across their services. Several recent Teams announcements have promised updates and features that will aid speakers and attendees in being more engaged.

Teams Meetings

Shortcut to unmute

Momentarily jumping between muted and unmuted is usually a mad scramble with the mouse, but now users can rapidly respond by using the shortcut to unmute. Simply hold down the Ctrl+Space keys on Windows or Option+Space keys on macOS. To go back to get muted, the keys need to be released. This new feature will be applied by default and can be disabled in Teams Settings > Privacy section and uncheck Keyboard shortcut to unmute.

Custom background on Web
Custom backgrounds are being made available for web users. Users can either blur their background or choose from the backgrounds provided by Microsoft.

Mirror my video

The text in videos no longer have to be flipped. There’s now an option for users to un-mirror and see the text correctly, simply go to device settings and toggle of Mirror my video.

Isolated audio feed capabilities

Microsoft Teams is now equipped with audio feed capabilities which can be used by broadcasters to create high-quality, clean audio mix. Broadcasters can utilise Network Device Interface to  capture the isolated audio feed with the isolated video feed from Teams meetings, allowing for control of both feeds.

Hardware-out functionality

Broadcasters can now select hardware devices with the new function powdered by two industry leaders in the video and audio market, AJA and Blackmagic design. Once a hardware device is connected, Teams will automatically recognise the hardware to then send the individual media stream to the hardware.

The feature can be enabled by allowing the video out from the Hardware meeting policy from the A/V section.

Walkie Talk App in Teams

Need to get a hold of your colleague fairly quickly? The app is now available with a dedicated push-to-talk button on Zebra android devices and all iOS mobile devices. The new app ensures instant and secure communication for workforces to collaborate across geographic locations.

Devices

Front row layout for Microsoft Teams rooms

Designed to enhance hybrid meetings front row is a new layout for Teams Room. Participants will now have greater context of what’s happening cross various aspects of the meeting.

Remote attendees are placed at eye level, whilst other meeting experiences like chat and raised hands are placed to the front of the screen.

Currently the feature is in preview on Window and offers single and dual display modes, across all sizes.

Switching between video cameras in Teams Rooms

Teams Rooms with 1+ video camera attached in the space can be switched across by choosing from the list of available cameras. Admins are able to select a default camera from the device settings which can be used when starting a Teams meetings or call.

Cortana updates

For improved usability, Microsoft as replaced the microphone icon with the Cortana avatar. This will be seen in the out-of-meeting and in-meeting UI. Additionally, voice activation is enabled by default for new device installations, although this can be disabled if needed.

Users can also use ‘Hey Cortana’ to join meetings and perform commands in Teams Rooms. The feature is available in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, India, and the US.

Calling app update for Teams Rooms on Windows

Peer-to-peer calling and group calling functionality is now located under ‘call’ in comparison to previously where it was under the ‘new meeting’.

With the Teams Rooms console, the ‘call’ feature will allow users to dial a number via the dial-pad depending on if a calling plan or direct routing is configured for the room account. Here users will also be able to access the search bar for peer-to-peer calls and group Team calls.

‘Meet now’ support for Teams Rooms on Windows

Need to jump on an ad-hoc meeting? A new update to the ‘New Meeting’ control on the Teams Room console is now named ‘Meet’. A single tap will allow users to invite participants. This change is available if the Teams Room is running in
Microsoft Teams only or Microsoft Teams (default) and Skype for Business modes.

AAD conditional access support for Teams Rooms on Windows

Teams Rooms for Windows now supports Azure Active Directory device-based conditional access controls. Admins can make use of identity-driven signal to control access for Teams Rooms on Windows device accounts. This is inclusive of Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Exchange online services dependant on the device compliance status.

The device-based conditional access controls benefits Microsoft users with an added layer of account security to the built-in security of Microsoft Teams rooms on Windows devices.

Poly Studio E70

Poly Studio E70 is now certified as a camera for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows – perfect for large meeting rooms! The camera is equipped with:
• Dual lenses
• 20 megapixel 4k sensors
• Wide angle and narrow lens for maximum coverage
• Group framing
• Speaker tracking

Lenovo Go Wired Headset

The Lenovo headset has been created to enhance communication and collaboration for office and remote workers. With cutting edge ANC/ENC technology, users will have the tools needed to cancel out distractions.

Meta Portal with Microsoft Teams experience

The smart video calling device now includes the Microsoft Teams app. The new update will allow users to mange their schedules with Teams calendar, take part in meetings, respond to chats and share OneDrive files.

Phone

Transcription for calls

Users can now access transcriptions for one-to-one calls via the control bar within the Call window.

Additionally, call recordings and transcriptions are also available in the call details panels for VoIP and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) calls.

Management

Automatic expiration for Teams Meetings recordings

To support admins in managing storing, a new policy will automatically send newly created Teams meeting recording to the recycle bin after 60 days. The default expiration setting can be changed in PowerShell by admins.

Scoped Teams Device Administration Role

The scoped Team device administration role allows admins to restrict administrative scope by using administrative units in organizations that are made up of independent divisions/ E.g. Businesses with global locations, each city would have its own IT admin managing the Teams devices per location.

App detail page view enhancements in Teams Admin Center

Microsoft have made new additions to the App detailed page with more descriptive app information. This includes detailed information on an app and its management options, descriptive images, videos of the app for Microsoft and its third party apps and app permission information.

For more information on Microsoft Teams, contact our cloud experts today.