The last month of the year is here, and it also signals the November 2022 update of Teams, which summarizes the features coming to Microsoft’s well-known communication platform. In its recent announcement, the Redmond company confirmed many new features, experiences, improvements, and even a newly certified device for Teams. Here is a quick summary of the update.
Meetings
- Easier poll process via one-click defined binary responses that allow instant answers to spoken poll questions.
- The ability for dial-in, dial-out, and call-me PSTN participants to join breakout rooms, then return to the main room when breakout rooms end.
- New default automatic viewing of 49 (7×7) videos without making additional settings, though it might vary by hardware or device capabilities.
- Updated pre-join, dynamic view, and the updated control bar on Teams for the web using Chrome and Edge browsers. Other experiences were also made.
Calling
- Automatic browser launch screen pop for accepted incoming PSTN calls, giving users CRM data, case data, and other relevant information.
- Transcriptions for 1:1 calls and group calls on the Teams app for Android.
Devices
- Improvement in Microsoft Teams Rooms Companion Device experience, wherein video streams of remote attendees will be prioritized (they will be optimized and enlarged) over those of in-room participants on the room display.
- Hot desking support in portrait mode of Teams displays.
- Reservation extension if hotdesk is available and the ability to choose the end-time of a hotdesking session.
- Licensing updates are introduced, wherein the existing Common Area Phone (CAP) license has been rebranded to the Teams Shared Devices license that now offers the hotdesking experience.
- The Poly G7500 device is now certified for large meeting rooms for Microsoft Teams on Android.
Chat and Collaboration
- Ability to accept or block a group chat invitation from an unmanaged user.
- The send button can now be right-clicked to access the schedule send feature.
- Users can now start a Teams Chat with Distribution Groups, Mail-enabled Security Groups, and O365 Groups.
- Clicking search message results will show the entire message thread for better context.
- Teams now has an “Unread only” toggle button in the activity feed panel to filter unread threads,
- Ability to upload documents to be signed from OneDrive for Business when creating an e-signature request in Approvals.
Management
- The ability for administrators can manage the entire lifecycle of Surface Hubs as Teams devices from the Teams admin center.
- The “Unread only” toggle on Activity Feed is now available.
Government
- Teams Connectors to roll out to US Government Community Cloud customers.
- For US Government Community Cloud High customers, users can start using Teams casting to wirelessly connect to a Teams Room and display content from the Teams desktop client (Windows and Mac).