Having experienced dramatic growth in recent months, Microsoft Teams is always looking for new ways to improve its service and build on this momentum.
While they’re already in a strong, industry-leading position, Microsoft understands the importance of consistent development, introducing monthly updates to boost progress.
Regular readers of our blog will know that monthly update cycles exist for many of Microsoft’s apps and that improvements are made in direct response to customer feedback.
In September, new features designed to improve calling and meeting experiences have been introduced, allowing users to collaborate and communicate seamlessly throughout their organisation.
Chat filtering
It’s not unusual to have multiple conversations ongoing at any one time, as modern businesses require colleagues to be responsive.
However, keeping track of various threads can be a challenge, as it becomes increasingly difficult to search through records to find important pieces of information upon request.
For this reason, Microsoft Teams has introduced new filtering options for Chat and Teams, allowing users to type in a person’s name to filter for every group, meeting or one-to-one that has taken place.
Other filters allow users to search by keyword, directing them to a specific team or channel without having to scroll through manually.
Secondary ringer
If you’re a regular user of Microsoft Teams, then it’s likely you take phone calls using a headset or hands-free kit to facilitate multi-tasking.
Whilst using a headset can be advantageous, unfortunately it can also prevent you from hearing incoming calls, which ultimately defeats the purpose of using one in the first place.
In response to this issue, Microsoft Teams has introduced secondary ringer functionality, allowing workers with headsets or hands-free kits to hear an incoming call to their computer.
Gone are the days of repeatedly missing important phone calls from a client or colleague, this new feature will enhance collaboration for all users.
Reverse number look up
I’m sure everyone has experienced receiving an incoming phone call from a number or contact that isn’t recognised and the confusion it can cause when answering.
When users aren’t presented with a Caller ID it can encourage them to let it ring out and wait for a voicemail, which could pose a problem if the call is urgent.
Now, if you receive a call in Teams from a PSTN Caller, it will display the caller’s name based on Azure Active Directory data and the Telco provided display name.
This feature is currently available on the desktop version, with plans to introduce reverse number calling to Teams mobile soon.
Meet now – no invites needed
Not all meetings are pre-planned, and there may come a time when a spontaneous meeting is needed to solve an urgent issue.
Microsoft Teams has introduced a ‘Meet Now’ option to address this, allowing users to skip the invitation process and go straight into a new meeting, without unnecessary delays.
To access this feature, users must go into the calendar on the left side of Teams then select ‘Meet Now’ in the top right corner.
From here, you can add people into the meeting and get proceedings underway, without having to go through the calendar and schedule meetings manually.
Streamline important processes…
Collaboration is the key to success and apps like Microsoft Teams can streamline important processes, while enhancing the overall productivity of your workforce.
Allowing colleagues to interact and communicate seamlessly, the app facilitates flexible working by giving users the tools needed to host meetings online, sharing ideas and information without having to meet in person.
These update cycles demonstrate Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to quality, with regular improvements made to enhance the user experience.
If you want to introduce Microsoft Teams to your business, then contact our in-house team and find a solution that meets your unique needs.
Alternatively, if you’d like to learn more about the service, sign up for our ‘Introduction to Teams’ webinar using the link provided: http://bit.ly/2IsiWoj
