Microsoft Teams Gets One-Click Polls, Scheduled Messages, More

Microsoft lately introduced new options as a part of an replace to its enterprise-centric video conferencing platform, Microsoft Groups. The updates herald new options that embrace the flexibility to view as much as 49 movies on display by default, schedule messages. Customers also can launch prompt polls, and use the newly added unread-only toggle. Microsoft made the announcement as a part of its replace for November 2022 in a weblog publish detailing every of the newly launched options.

First of the brand new options introduced by means of the blog post by Microsoft is the flexibility to launch a one-click prompt ballot throughout a Teams assembly. Presenters can have the flexibility to launch spoken ballot questions by clicking on the launch prompt ballot buttons which can be current on the backside proper of the display. Customers can choose from three buttons with binary responses on the ballot: sure or no, thumbs up thumbs down, and a coronary heart and heartbroken icon. These questions don’t require to be ready prematurely, based on Microsoft — customers can communicate the query out loud after which click on on the corresponding response toggle icon which is able to robotically set off the query to go dwell.

Microsoft claims that Groups is the primary video-conferencing platform to supply such a ‘one-click prompt ballot’ function.

The second function that has been launched to Groups is the flexibility for Public switched phone community (PSTN) dial-in, dial-out, and call-me attendees in conferences to hitch breakout rooms. These customers can even be capable of re-join the principle room assembly when the breakout assembly ends. PSTN calls will now additionally assist an computerized browser launch display pop up that may show related data together with CRM information, case information, and so forth. This function should be enabled by admins within the Groups Admin Middle.

The third function launched is the flexibility to view a most of 49 movies on the display in a gathering at a single time by means of a 9×9 grid structure that replaces the 3×3 grid which solely allowed for 9 movies to be seen at a single time. It is a important soar within the variety of simultaneous movies that may be watched with out having the necessity to click on on any button to navigate to different consumer video packing containers. Nonetheless, the precise variety of movies seen by a consumer will rely on {hardware} or machine capabilities, based on the corporate.

Microsoft has additionally launched transcription for calls on Microsoft Groups on 1:1 calls in addition to group calls on Android. The corporate has additionally launched the flexibility for customers to just accept or block a bunch chat invitation from an unmanaged consumer as an extra security layer.

The video conferencing platform will now additionally permit customers to schedule and ship a message. The function, which has similarities to the one seen on the corporate’s e mail platform Outlook, will permit customers to manually choose a date and time for the chat message to be delivered to the recipient consumer. The function may be accessed by right-clicking the ship button and choosing the schedule ship possibility.

The platform has additionally launched an unread toggle button on customers’ exercise feed, which as soon as enabled will permit customers to view solely chat message notifications that haven’t been learn.

Groups customers can even be capable of begin a Groups Chat with distribution teams, mail-enabled safety teams, and Workplace 365 teams, with as much as 250 members. The platform has additionally tweaked the best way searches inside messages are seen. Chat message searches is not going to be offered with total message threads, as an alternative of single key phrase referencing messages in isolation. The prolonged chat historical past exhibits up as soon as the search consequence merchandise is clicked on, based on Microsoft.