Microsoft Teams Update: Summer 2022
Video Messages in Teams. The ability to send short video messages to colleagues is something that other products have offered for a while, and which Microsoft has decided would make a welcome addition to the Teams platform. This new feature will allow you to record, review, send and view video messages. These video messages can be sent in both chats and channels, so wherever users tend to do most of their communication, they will be able to use this feature. Sometimes it’s easier for a user to convey a video message than if they sat and typed it out. Some people may even feel that they are more eloquent when speaking, as opposed to writing. Hence, this feature will help a lot of people in their day-to-day work.
Virtual Whiteboards. A digital canvas in meetings that can be used to draw out ideas and concepts during a conversation.
Presenter Mode. Teams integrates with PowerPoint to deliver a highly interactive way for meeting participants to deliver a professional presentation.
Meeting Polls. Polls can be used before, during, or after a meeting as an effortless way to collate data from participants concerning a specific topic.
Display Modes. During meetings, choose between the standard display, the Large Gallery mode (for meetings with lots of participants), or the Together Mode (which superimposes each participants video feed onto a graphical background (such as a seating gallery).
Backgrounds. If you prefer to conceal your work environment, you can blur your background, or replace it entirely with a graphical image.
Real-time Co-Authoring. As Microsoft Teams is fully integrated with the Office 365 suite of applications (which includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneDrive) it means you can open documents, spreadsheets, and presentations within Teams, and you and your colleagues can work on them together within the platform.
Teams Connect. Teams Connect is a feature that gives users the ability to communicate and collaborate with Teams users who are outside of their organisation. Before Teams Connect, if a user wanted to speak with someone who was outside of their organisation, they would need to have a separate tenant that was able to connect with that external user. Now, however, you can communicate with external users from your main Teams account. You can even invite external users into a group chat with yourself and other internal users. Teams Connect also enables one to create shared channels which, likewise, allow you to include external users.
LinkedIn integration. Use LinkedIn profiles, now integrated with Teams, to get to know your colleagues, connect directly and build deeper relationships. From Teams chat, channels, calls, or meetings, you will now be able to view your colleagues LinkedIn profile, including their current role, past experiences, and other insights.
Enhanced user experience on iPad. Microsoft Teams on iPad is now more responsive to screen size, app orientation, and display modes. The Teams app bar and canvas will automatically align based on the screen size available to the Teams app.
Spotlighting. Meeting organisers and presenters can “spotlight” certain meeting participants by displaying their video feed prominently in the meeting window. Up to seven people can be spotlighted at any one time.
Call quality monitor. If the audio or video of your meeting is poor, you can check on what might be the cause. At the top of your call window, click on the three-dot actions icon. From that menu, click on call health. A sidebar will appear along the right showing the status of network, audio, video, and screen sharing.