Since the beginning of the pandemic, the world of work has been undergoing a massive process of change. Microsoft wants to get involved here with the software Teams and is providing it with a number of new functions – it should be ready for the home office.
Location independent telephone system and planned hardware
Probably the most important innovation is the establishment of an independent telephone system. Microsoft has set itself the noble goal of not only supplementing the conventional office telephone, but replacing it. This is to be made possible by combining the advantages of a classic telephone with those of an online telephone. In the future, Teams can be used with the usual office number regardless of location – calls can be received directly in the home office or made from there.
This new function is to be combined with suitable hardware: Microsoft would like to bring teams hardware onto the market in cooperation with other companies. This will not only involve special touch screens with camera and microphone, but also simple USB telephones. In the USA, the first Teams-devices, which are being developed in cooperation with Lenovo and Yealink, are expected to appear before the end of this year. Microsoft plans to start selling telephones next year.
Meetings with up to 20,000 participants
Even the usual meetings will change a lot. Microsoft has announced that up to 20,000 people will soon be able to attend a meeting. However, such a meeting will no longer be interactive – the limit here is 1,000 participants. The huge meetings are therefore particularly suitable for digital conferences and lectures where one person is supposed to speak in front of a large audience.
Individualized meeting rooms
In order to make teams even more attractive for companies, Microsoft will also be offering the possibility of individualising their own digital meeting rooms in the future. For example, companies will soon be able to integrate their company logos or design the digital lobby, in which participants wait for the meeting to begin, according to their own wishes.
