In our last blog we discussed the evolution of Microsoft’s calling and collaboration platforms, from Skype to it’s current calling application available through Microsoft Teams. While Skype was a video calling platform with collaborative features added in, the Teams calling application which is collaborative by design. Still, the industry moves quickly, and user needs develop along with the landscape, so continued additions to these collaborative tools is ongoing and necessary.
To this end, there are several new Microsoft Teams features you may be interested in.
More Streamlined Video Meetings
Last month, Microsoft announced it is developing a new feature which will help colleagues more easily schedule and execute video meetings at any time, even without notice.
The upcoming update, which was listed on the project roadmap for the product, will introduce the new capability which will allow users to create instant “Meet Now” links, which can be utilized to launch directly into a video meeting session. This bypasses usual need for an admin to schedule meetings and create calendar entries – such as times and attendees. Now the person seeking to start a video call can create a link with one click, and sent to an individual, or via pre-existing Teams channels. (Users may recognize the feature as it currently also exists in Google Meet.)
While still under development, the new Teams feature is expected to begin rolling out to users by the end of this month.
Add Expression to Your Chat
Let’s face it, work is more fun with emojis. In a recent post to their User Feedback Forum, a Microsoft representative confirmed that Microsoft Teams is increasing the selection of emojis in an upcoming update. Indicated to be a “significant update”. The ability to add custom emojis, emoji reactions, and GIFs has been one of the most frequently requested feature upgrades from remote workers and students who have been using Teams through the pandemic – although the thread began as far back as 2016, and has nearly 15,000 upvotes.
The Microsoft board administrator acknowledged the request from thousands of users, and indicated that they were reviewing the ability for users to choose from a far more diverse selection of emojis in the near future. Currently users can only choose from 6 quick reactions, which is woefully behind some of their competitors such as Slack, who give users a large library to choose from – as well as the ability to upload their own.
While some may find the upgrade trivial, experts understand the in the absence of personal interaction and facial or body language cues, emojis help build engagement and collaboration, especially important when building rapport with remote colleagues.
Look Behind You
Users will be able to quickly revisit previous areas in Teams with the Back Arrow at the top of the app. When a users hovers over the arrow, a history of conversations, channels, apps, activities, tabs, and files will appear. Choose an item from the list to immediately jump back to that spot in Teams.
Take a Short Cut
New shortcuts have been added to Microsoft Teams, including:
Ctrl+Shift+K (Command+Shift+K on macOS) raises and lowers your hand.
Ctrl+Shift+L (Command+Shift+L on macOS) will prompt your screen reader to read aloud a list of anyone else currently raising their hand.
Do You Need Some Help?
The technology landscape changes rapidly, and it can be difficult to keep up. If your organization is looking to implement Microsoft Teams, or has any other need associated with your IT and network services, call Alliance IT today. We offer a deep bench of expertise and the skills needed to assess your current situation, evaluate your strengths and vulnerabilities, and help you to streamline your IT department within budget.
