Are you keeping up with Microsoft updates? The Microsoft Mondays: Microsoft Service Updates series from Total Solutions is here for your needs, and remember that Total Solutions also provides tailored, expert guidance during our consulting process. We are highlighting a few of the Microsoft announced upcoming updates from April:
- Microsoft Teams: New Channels Experience
- Viva Connections Dashboard Customization
- Microsoft Teams: Together Mode Usability Improvements in Teams Meetings
- Avatars for Microsoft Teams (Updated)
- Breakout Rooms participant shuffle
Keep an eye out for Microsoft Mondays for your Microsoft updates or speak with our technical team for your Microsoft needs.
*Updates posted here originally posted by Microsoft in the Microsoft 365 Message Center
Microsoft Teams: New Channels Experience
[MC550081 · Published May 3, 2023]: A new channels experience in Microsoft Teams has been built with an intuitive design that allows teams to focus and stay on tasks, bring everyone up to speed, and actively engage in real-time. The following features will be rolling out:
- The compose box and recent posts will appear at the top of the page. It’ll now be much easier to start a new post, keep up with the latest conversations and participate – giving users the confidence that they’ve not missed anything.
- Every post is now a true conversation that users can focus on. Users can navigate to a conversation view that makes the discussion more engaging and synchronous, just like a chat. Users can also pop out the post, keep an eye on the discussion, while continuing to work on other topics.
- A streamlined information pane will include all the important contextual information like channel’s members and pinned posts so new team members can quickly on-board and for all members to find the information they need, right in the channel.
- Pin posts to make it easy for everyone to know what’s important in the channel and quickly reference it.
- Simplified badging is making it easier for users to understand when there are new unread activities in teams. In addition, the simplified design helps users focus on the specific channels which requires the most attention, like channels in which the user was @mentioned.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 91683
When this will happen:
Standard and GCC: Microsoft will begin rollout in early June and expect to complete rollout by mid-June.
GCC-H and DoD: Microsoft will begin rollout in mid-July and expect to complete rollout by late July.
How this will affect your organization: Users in your organization will not need to make any changes and will get the new channels experience by default.
ADMINS – What you need to do to prepare:
Admins will not need to make any changes.
Viva Connections Dashboard Customization
[MC549347 · Published May 2, 2023]: Microsoft is excited to announce that dashboard customization is now available on Viva Connections Mobile! This feature allows your employees to personalize their mobile dashboard with the information that is most relevant to their work.
Microsoft wants to inform you that this feature is enabled by default for all your employees. However, Microsoft understands that every organization is different, and you may have specific requirements or preferences. Therefore, we want to let you know that as a tenant admin or site operator, you can turn off the feature if necessary. The toggle turn OFF will be available in the dashboard details with the heading “Allow users to rearrange and hide dashboard cards”
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 117428
When this will happen:
Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out the admin settings to turn OFF the feature by early May and it will be available for all tenants by end of May.
For end users, Microsoft will enable this feature only when the settings get rolled out to all the tenants i.e., by end of May/early June.
How this will affect your organization: End user can reorder or hide the cards on their Viva Connections dashboard as per their preference.
ADMINS – What you need to do to prepare:
The settings will be enabled by default. In case you don’t want the end users to customize their Viva Connections dashboard, you need to disable it in settings.
Microsoft Teams: Together Mode Usability Improvements in Teams Meetings
[MC551019 · Published May 5, 2023]: Microsoft is bringing new usability improvements to Together Mode in Microsoft Teams. Participants in Together Mode will have name labels attached to their videos. Name labels will also support status icons that indicate microphone, active speaker, spotlight or pin within the meeting. Additionally, your own video in the gallery will now be removed while Together Mode is active to avoid duplication of the self-preview. Lastly, Together Mode will display raised hands and reactions within the view.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 122127
When this will happen:
Targeted Release and Public Preview: Microsoft will begin rolling out in early May and expect to complete rollout by mid-May.
Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out in early June and expect to complete rollout by mid-June.
GCC-High and DoD: Microsoft will begin rolling out in mid-June and expect to complete rollout by late June.
How this will affect your organization: When users go to View -> Together mode during their meeting they will be able to see reactions, raised hands and name labels with additional statuses like active speaker, pin or spotlight. This makes Together Mode more inclusive and easier to understand what is happening in the meeting.
ADMINS – What you need to do to prepare:
You may want to consider updating the training materials and informing your users of this update.
Avatars for Microsoft Teams (Updated)
[MC533652 · Published Mar 27, 2023 · Last updated May 8, 2023] Updated May 8, 2023: While in Public Preview, Avatars for Microsoft Teams was supported for all SKUs. However, at General Availability, Avatars for Microsoft Teams will only be supported for the following SKUs: Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3, Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium or Teams Premium.
Avatars for Microsoft Teams gives you that much-needed camera break, while still allowing you to collaborate effectively. You can add a new layer of choice to your meetings and represent yourself the way you want with customizable avatars and reactions.
Represent yourself the way you want with customizable avatars and reactions. Save up to three avatars for different meeting types, such as casual, professional, and day to day. Note that Avatars for Microsoft Teams is designed for users 18+. This release is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID: 107969
When this will happen:
- Targeted Release (Public Preview): Microsoft expects to begin rolling out late March and expect to be complete by early-April.
- Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out late May and expect to complete by early July.
How this affects your organization:
You can create your avatar for Microsoft Teams from the Avatars app and select your avatar from the pre-join and in-meeting scenarios.
Create your avatar: You can create your avatar for Microsoft Teams through the Avatars app. To access the Avatars app, you can search and install from the Teams App store, through the pre-join screen by clicking the button ‘Create your avatar’ and in-meeting through the More menu under Effects and avatars.
Select from hundreds of combinations to customize an avatar that represents your physical attributes, wardrobe, accessories, and more. Save up to three avatars for different meeting types.
Before joining a Teams meeting, you can access Avatars from the quick tray when your camera is disabled.
After joining a meeting, you will be able to apply your avatar from selecting Effects and avatars on the side pane under the More menu. Additional settings are provided to express yourself through avatar reactions, update your background, change your camera position and more!
ADMINS – What you can do to prepare:
Since Avatars are based on apps in Teams, you can manage these apps just as you would any others. See this page to learn more about how to manage apps in the Microsoft Teams admin center. Find out more at Manage your apps in the Microsoft Teams admin center – Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn
Got feedback on features in the public preview or other areas of Teams? Let us know straight from Teams via Help > Give feedback. This is on the bottom left of your client.
Breakout Rooms participant shuffle
[MC549343 · Published May 2, 2023] Breakout Rooms Participant Shuffle delivers a new capability to randomly assign participants to rooms also after rooms are created.
Participants can be randomly reassigned both prior to the meeting or during the live meeting.
Shuffling can be applied to all participants or only to unassigned participants, re-distributing them evenly to existing rooms.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 116532
When this will happen:
Targeted Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out mid-May and expect to complete by late May.
Public Preview: Microsoft will begin rolling out mid-May and expect to complete by late May.
Standard Release: Microsoft will begin rolling out mid-June and expect to complete by late June.
GCC-High and DoD: Microsoft will begin rolling out in early July and expect to complete rollout by mid-August.
How this will affect your organization:
Meeting organizers, co-organizers or Breakout Room managers will be now able to utilize new capabilities when assigning participants to Breakout Rooms, both prior to meeting and in meeting:
- Shuffle of all participants
- Shuffle of unassigned participants
ADMINS – What you need to do to prepare:
No preparation is needed. You may want to update your training materials indicating that the participant shuffle is now supported for managing assignments in Breakout Rooms.
Check out previous Microsoft Updates that Total Solutions has posted here -> Microsoft Updates Archives – Total Solutions Inc.
