What's New in Microsoft Teams - Discover updated Features for 2024

The need for a modern workplace is crucial in a rapidly changing world. Microsoft Teams leads this shift, providing a complete platform for effective communication and seamless collaboration. In a fast-paced digital world, connecting teams beyond physical limits is essential. Microsoft Teams gives businesses and individuals a powerful tool to bridge communication gaps.

The latest updates in Microsoft Teams are set to further empower users with innovative new features and tools designed to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and improve team experiences. How can these advancements foster a more productive and collaborative environment? Join us as we dive into the new features of Microsoft Teams in 2024 and uncover the potential of these exciting new developments. 

In this blog, you will find:  

What's the Difference Between Teams and New Teams?

What's New in Microsoft Teams in 2024

🛠️ Enhanced Personalized Meeting Experience in New Teams

🤫 Let AI Eliminate Background Distractions From Your Workspace

🎉Celebrate Team Achievements with Together Emojis in Teams Meeting Chat

😎 How to Activate Copilot in Microsoft Teams Meetings

Next Step: Understanding Microsoft Teams License Updates

Conclusion

What's the Difference Between Teams and New Teams?

Classic Teams refers to the original version of the Microsoft Teams application used for work or educational purposes, while the new Teams has been redesigned to prioritize speed and performance, aiming to provide users with a more efficient, user-friendly, and flexible Teams experience. This includes enhancements such as quicker application launch times and faster meeting join times, allowing Teams users to dedicate more time to their business tasks.

Access to the new Microsoft Teams is included in current Microsoft 365 and Office 365 subscriptions with a Microsoft Teams license, ensuring that previous licensing investments in Classic Teams remain valid.

The new Teams builds upon the foundation of classic Teams, retaining familiar features while introducing new functionalities. It is designed to be easily accessible and focuses on feature updates and capabilities exclusive to this updated version. This allows users to easily connect to the new Teams to benefit from the latest developments.

How Do You Activate New Microsoft Teams from Classic Teams?

To transition to the new and improved version of Microsoft Teams from the classic edition, simply follow these steps:

1. Open the Teams desktop app on your Windows device.

2. Turn on the “Try the new Teams” toggle at the top left of the Teams window.

3. Select “Get it now” from the pop-out dialogue. The new Teams will start installing.

4. Your Teams app will reboot your device to open the new Teams.

In the new Teams, you can experience improved performance and flexibility with faster app switching, chat responses, and meeting/call join times. Enjoy the same familiar layout with optimized battery and memory usage.

What's New in Microsoft Teams in 2024?

The new Microsoft Teams brings many exciting features and updates to help you stay connected, organized, and productive. Here’s what’s new in the latest version.

Enhanced Personalized Meeting Experience in New Teams

Understanding the value of personal expression in digital spaces, these updates are designed to enable users to tailor their online presence and interactions during Teams meetings. With the introduction of custom Teams Backgrounds and Avatars, attendees can craft a distinctive and engaging meeting atmosphere. This fosters a stronger sense of connection and community, bridging the gap even when participants are miles apart.

Showcase Your Personality with Custom Teams Backgrounds

Changing the background can enhance your video meetings or calls. You can blur the backdrop, substitute any image you choose, or select from various Microsoft Teams virtual background templates.

✅ Virtual Backgrounds: Enhance video meetings with Teams virtual backgrounds or blur your surroundings for privacy.

✅ Branded Backgrounds: With Teams Premium, display your company’s logo or a specific image as your background.

✅ Persistent Settings: Your chosen background remains for all meetings and calls until you change it.

✅ AI-Generated Decorate Effect: Use the Decorate effect to personalize your background with five unique options.

Avatars in Microsoft Teams Meeting 

Stay engaged and maintain your presence during meetings even when you're off-camera by using avatars in Teams.

You can customize your avatar to represent yourself and add the Avatars app from inside Microsoft Teams. Turn off your camera in a meeting and select More options > Effects and avatars to choose or create your avatar. 

Let AI Eliminate Background Distractions from your Workspace

In busy settings such as airports, crowded offices, or remote locations with background noise, ambient sounds can interfere with Teams calls and meetings.

Voice isolation offers advanced noise suppression technology powered by AI and selectively filters out your voice from the surrounding cacophony, including other voices. This ensures your communication remains crystal clear and free from distractions for your colleagues or clients during Teams meetings.

Here are steps to enable Voice Isolation in Microsoft Teams calls and meetings:

1. Open Teams Settings: Click on your profile picture in Teams and select “Settings”.

2. Navigate to Devices: In the left sidebar, choose “Devices”.

3. Enable Noise Suppression: In the audio settings, the noise suppression toggle is enabled for all Teams users by default. This AI feature will reduce background noise during your calls.

4. Verify Voice Isolation: Once you’ve set up your voice profile, the voice isolation option will be automatically selected for you. To verify, proceed to your Audio settings in your Teams meeting and scroll down to the Noise suppression toggle. You should see the Voice Isolation sub-option available.

Celebrate Team Achievements with Together Emojis in Microsoft Teams Chat

Together Emojis allow these little icons to interact with each other. Imagine sending a high-five emoji to a friend in Microsoft Teams chat, and instead of just appearing on their screen, it triggers a fun animation where the emojis actually come together for a virtual high-five! Celebrating achievements, showing support, or spreading good vibes is a delightful way to engage with teammates.

Using Together Emojis is easy. Whether you’re on your desktop or mobile device, open Microsoft Teams and find the high-five emoji. Send it to someone, and watch the magic happen! The emojis will come together, creating a dynamic and playful experience. So next time you want to celebrate a win or cheer someone on, give them a virtual high five with Together Emojis!

How to Start Copilot in Microsoft Teams Meetings

Enhance productivity in Microsoft Teams meetings with Copilot as your personal assistant to maximize engagement and ensure no critical information is missed. Discover the best ways to use Copilot in Teams for increased productivity during and after meetings.

To activate Copilot in Microsoft Teams, ensure that the meeting is being transcribed to unleash Copilot's capabilities (the organizer can opt for Copilot without transcription). Please keep in mind that the capabilities of Copilot are restricted to meetings held within the organization of the participants.

• How to Use Copilot in Microsoft Teams During a Meeting

Joining a meeting late? Get a summary of the meeting so far by selecting Open Copilot from the meeting controls. Wait for the summary to pop up on the side of your meeting window and get up to speed on what you may have missed.

Use prompts in the Copilot compose box during meetings to enhance effectiveness. Prompt ideas include: "Where do we disagree?", "How did [participant] respond?", "What questions can move the meeting forward?", "Identify gaps in arguments", and more. Choose from additional prompts for recaps, action items, follow-up questions, and meeting notes.

A few minutes before a meeting's scheduled end, Copilot will prompt participants to wrap up, summarizing key discussion points and highlighting agreed-upon next steps, including assigned tasks. Participants can use Copilot to check for any unresolved issues or open topics from the agenda, or ask related questions to ensure a thorough wrap-up.

How to Use Copilot in Microsoft Teams After a Meeting

Copilot in Teams meetings will also be available in the Recap tab once the meeting has ended. Intelligent recap is included with Teams Premium, an add-on license that enhances Teams meetings with personalized, intelligent, and secure features. Intelligent recap is also available with the Copilot for Microsoft 365 license. From your Teams meeting chat, navigate to the Recap tab and open Copilot.

Consider these helpful prompts that may spark your creativity. You can adapt or customize them to suit your specific needs:

• What inquiries were raised, answered, or left unresolved?

• How was the overall atmosphere of the meeting?

• Summarize participants' comments in a more simplified manner.

• Why did a meeting attendee express approval of a particular idea?

• Identify each participant's primary concerns and areas of excitement.

• Share any innovative ideas from meeting participants with the product team.

• Compose an email summarizing the meeting outcomes and action items to all attendees.

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Next Step: Understanding Microsoft Teams License Update

If you're considering utilizing the power of Microsoft Teams but haven't secured a license yet, you'll want to stay informed about the latest licensing updates that took place on April 1, 2024. Discover how these changes impact existing and new users to make informed decisions moving forward.

On April 1, 2024, Microsoft announced adjustments to licensing for Microsoft 365, Office 365, and Microsoft Teams. These changes aim to provide clarity and consistency for customers worldwide. Here is a summary of the main changes: 

1. New Licensing Approach Worldwide:

Microsoft Teams is no longer included in Commercial Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

2. Changes to Commercial Suites:

For new subscribers located outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, the updated licensing requires the purchase of two separate SKUs:

☑️ A Microsoft 365 or Office 365 suite (excluding Teams), and 

☑️Microsoft Teams Enterprise as a standalone product.

3. Existing Subscribers:

Existing subscribers who have Teams included in their current plans can still enjoy the benefits of their existing licenses. Additionally, they have the flexibility to transition to the new lineup when their contracts are renewed.

4. Pricing:

The standalone Microsoft Teams Enterprise option is $5.25, while the pricing for Office 365 and Microsoft 365 packages without Teams varies depending on the selected plan.

Want to learn more about the update? Feel free to contact us. As a Modern Work Solutions Partner for Microsoft, ProServeIT is dedicated to supporting you throughout your Productivity Journey with Microsoft teams—from discovery and levelling up to ongoing managed services.

Watch the video and book a meeting to make your modern work journey more smooth with us!

Conclusion

Experience the new features of Microsoft Teams in 2024! With boosted performance, personalized meeting interactions, and cutting-edge tools like AI-powered noise suppression and Copilot, Teams is revolutionizing communication and connectivity in the workspace. Embrace the new Teams experience today to unleash the full potential of these dynamic updates. 

Partner with ProServeIT, your go-to Modern Work Solutions Partner, to elevate your productivity journey with Microsoft Teams. Reach out to us for more information and embark on your modern work transformation journey!