Skip to content

Episode #36 – Microsoft Teams features from 90 days in 20 mins – Vol 1

In this episode which is similar to Episode 29, we cover are massive amount of features in Microsoft Teams that have been launched, rolling out or announced in the past 90 days. We've pulled all this information from Office 365 message center, Microsoft Tech community, Office 365 Roadmap with Teams filter and Enterprise Connect Announcements.

Here is the list of features covered:

General Teams/Management

  • Add up to 100 people to a group chat
  • "Announcements" Feature - ability to format a threaded conversation Banner
  • Manage Discoverability of Private Teams
  • Sharable File Links
  • Flow can now notify individual users within Teams - Rolling out
  • Microsoft Teams desktop app coming to new Office 365 ProPlus installs
  • Calendar App replaces Meetings App In Teams
  • Teams PowerShell Module now GA
  • Private Channels
  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
  • Teams App Setup Policies - what order of the apps shows in Teams
  • Teams Groups Size now support up to 100
  • Org-wide teams have higher size limits, so they can have up to 5000 members in a team.  Admins, feel free to add away! Create that big team you've always wanted
  • Show and hide teams to stay organized

Calling

  • Music on Hold
  • Secondary Ringer
  • Busy on Busy
  • Teams Calling for Everyone
  • Dynamic E911 , Location based routing
  • Device Ecosystem - EC more items certified now and showing off next wave of devices
  • Call park policies
  • Auto attendants / Call Queues

Meetings

  • Single toolbar for controls in Meetings and Calling
  • Share system audio in a Teams meeting
  • Live Events – Formally Skype Meeting Broadcast is now generally available
  • Microsoft Whiteboard – Allows users to ink together in a whiteboard you share in a Teams meeting
  • Outlook mobile supports Teams Meetings - create and join a meeting from Android or iOS
  • Desktop Sharing in Teams Meetings now available in the Chrome Browser
  • Bring analog whiteboard into meetings – allows you to put a camera on an analog whiteboard and teams converts it into digital ink
  • 9 square video
  • Background blur with custom backgrounds is coming
  • New-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy to manage meetings chat
  • Live Captions – ability to transcribe speakers voice into text in a meeting.  English is in preview now with other language support rolling out
  • Teams support for Meeting Migration Service
  • Surface Hub 2

Industry Vertical

  • Multiteam Support in Shifts - This only affects users that are on multiple Shift teams. These users will now be able to navigate to other teams via the top header. Shift features will now allow users to select the correct Team before performing team specific actions.
  • Time clock in Shifts - This feature is available to be enabled on Teams Web/Desktop and will be opt-in. Ability to start and stop shits within a geo fence.
  • Firstline Worker capability - Graph API for Shifts allows for integration with Enterprise workforce management systems.
  • Firstline Worker capability - Praise -  With Praise, your users will be able to recognize their colleague’s contributions by sending various badges their way. “Leadership,” “team player,” and “problem solver” are just a few options.
  • Priority Messaging Health Care - priority notifications allow an urgent message to send alerts to the recipient every two minutes for up to 20 minutes, and ability to integrate electronic health records built with the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard with Teams
  •  Templates
    • Education templates such as Class, Staff, and PLC teams
    • Retail templates such as Store and Manager Collaboration teams
    • Healthcare templates such as Ward and Hospital teams
    • You can design your own templates, but Microsoft has also provided a number of industry-specific templates to get you started