If your team is still working remotely then these Microsoft Teams updates are definitely going to up your work from home game.

2020 has accelerated a digital shift in the way we communicate both professionally and personally. We not only depend on apps like Microsoft Teams to stay connected with family and friends, but we also need them to stay productive while working remotely. Here at PACE, our people and our clients depend on apps like Microsoft Teams to maximize daily communications and productivity. There are many new updates that they’ve started to roll out to make our communications with each other feel that much more human. Here are some of the latest Microsoft Teams updates that we are super excited about.

• File system integration improvements between Teams and SharePoint/OneDrive. Microsoft is rolling out the same file sharing and access control experience in Teams that business users like yourself already know from other Microsoft 365 apps, including OneDrive, Outlook, or Office. Soon, when you go to share a file from within Teams, you’ll have the option to create sharing links that provide access permissions to anyone, people within your organization, people with existing access, or specific people, including those in a private conversation or group chat. You can read in further details about how to share files from OneDrive here.
• Tasks App. For a long time, Microsoft isolated tasks within different systems like Outlook, OneNote, Project, SharePoint and Azure DevOps. They all had separate task lists with no single place to see everything you needed to get done. These new Microsoft Teams Updates will start the integration of Planner and To-Do into Teams as the Tasks app, announced last year at Ignite. It creates a single place to see tasks from multiple sources. You can now take the chaos out of teamwork tasks and get more done! Planner also makes it easier for your team to create new plans, organize and assign tasks, share files, chat about what you are working on, and get updates on progress.

[caption id="attachment_8529" align="aligncenter" width="408"] Here's What The Microsoft Teams Task App Update Looks Like[/caption]

• Together Mode. This Microsoft Teams Update will be great during meetings where multiple team members need to present. Take for example staff meetings, brainstorm sessions or round-table discussions. This will make it easier for participants to understand who is talking. Together mode with auditorium view is rolling out now and will be available this August! See what it will look like here.
• Dynamic View. Dynamic view builds on the meetings enhancements Microsoft announced last month, which will include a large gallery view where you can see video of up to 49 people in a meeting simultaneously. There will also be virtual breakout rooms, which will allow the meeting organizer to split participants into smaller groups.

  [caption id="attachment_8530" align="aligncenter" width="379"] Here's What The Microsoft Teams Dynamic View Looks Like[/caption]

• Video filters. We have all tried video filters on Instagram, Snapchat and other social media apps, and now it's finally coming to Microsoft Teams! Before joining a meeting, you can use the filters to subtly adjust your lighting levels and soften the focus of the camera to customize your appearance! How cool is that?
• Live Reactions. Non-verbal cues like smiles and head nods can be difficult to notice in online meetings, making it challenging for presenters to gauge audience reactions. Soon, you will be able to display your live reactions during a meeting using emojis. Live reactions are a shared feature with PowerPoint Live Presentations, which allows audience members to also provide instant feedback to the presenter.
• More control in meeting options. Now, you have the option to make everyone—even people from your company—wait in the meeting lobby when they join a meeting you have organized. To access this setting, open the "Meeting" options. Then, where it asks, “Who can bypass the lobby?” select “Only me”.
• Channel meetings in an instant. Microsoft Teams Updates like this one, makes it easier now more than ever to start a meeting in a channel. Select the “Meet” button at the top of a channel and choose to meet right away or to schedule a meeting. When you choose "Meet now", you will get the same options for setting your audio and video up before you join as you do for other meetings.

[caption id="attachment_8531" align="aligncenter" width="414"] Here's What The Microsoft Teams Meet Now Feature Looks Like![/caption] For more Microsoft Teams Updates, make sure to visit their official page here. To keep up with more awesome updates that your remote team can leverage, make sure to check out our blogs every month for news articles just like this. If you're not one of our clients, and you're looking for help with remote tools and apps for your company, reach out to us at [email protected]. Looking for more resources on cybersecurity solutions for your business? Please visit our Cyber News web page here.