When Microsoft created Teams to compete with then-emerging communication star Slack, it probably didn’t predict a workplace that would instantly become virtually virtual due to a pandemic. That has become an opportunity and motivation for the company to quickly introduce features that will help workers, managers and employers adapt to what has been dubbed the new normal. Microsoft is now announcing its biggest dump of features for teams so far, and, unsurprisingly, it begins by trying to outdo video conferencing king Zoom.
There has been no shortage of services struggling to dethrone Zoom, from Google to Facebook and Microsoft, and Teams definitely falls short when it comes to new features, including some pretty fun ones. Do you want to hold your meeting in a non-physical boardroom or cafeteria? Microsoft teams can definitely do that now.
Now you can also integrate with third-party applications and services to help make meetings a breeze. An agenda app can, for example, show attendees what’s on the table even before the meeting starts. Of course, it all depends on how many third parties will join and Microsoft names only a few that will arrive later this year.
Teams isn’t just for meetings, of course, and Microsoft is rolling out tools to make even asynchronous management easy. Your new Microsoft Lists 365 app has just received some templates that will be released to Teams in August. The shift schedule and time clock will also ensure that there are fewer conflicts when setting everyone’s schedules.
However, not all work is done in the safety and comfort of home, and Firstline workers face this uncertain new world. Many of the new features in Microsoft teams have these kinds of workers in mind to help them stay safe while still working efficiently. In addition to the new Walk-Talkie push-to-talk mode for Android devices, Microsoft has also partnered with companies to integrate equipment with headsets, earphones, and even industrial safety helmets with built-in headphones.
