Microsoft Teams adds new capabilities to supercharge remote working

Microsoft recently announced new features and capabilities across several aspects of its unified communication and collaboration platform – Microsoft Teams. The move is part of the company’s efforts to empower organizations, teams and individuals with tools that help them stay productive and connected from anywhere.

“This week marks the third anniversary of Microsoft Teams. It’s been an incredible three years, and I’m inspired to see the way organizations across the globe are using Teams to transform the way they work.” Said Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President, for Microsoft 365. “We continue to invest in experiences that will make it easier for teams to communicate and collaborate. The new capabilities we are announcing today reflect our commitment to two things: building the very best online meeting experience for our customers; and bringing technological solutions to traditionally underserved professionals, including firstline and healthcare workers.”

The new features added to Microsoft Teams include Real-time noise suppression to minimize background distractions; Raise hand feature to enable users to send a visual signal if they have something to say during a meeting; Integration with RealWear head-mounted devices for on-site firstline workers to access information and communicate hands-free with remote experts; Bookings App in Teams for easy management and scheduling of virtual appointments; Pop out Chats into separate windows to help streamline workflow and switch between conversations; and Offline and low bandwidth support that will let users read chat messages and write responses even without an internet connection – making it easier to move things forward no matter where they are.

Over the last three years, thousands of organizations, large and small, have discovered how Teams can be their hub for teamwork, helping them to stay connected and engaged. Today 93 of the Fortune 100 use Teams, and 44 million people around the world are using Teams on a daily basis. Industry leading organizations are rolling out Teams enterprise-wide with some having more than 100,000 employees actively using the platform, including Ernst & Young, SAP, and Continental AG, as well as Accenture.