What you need to know
- Microsoft released a long list of new features for Teams in October 2023.
- The biggest change is that the new Microsoft Teams, which is faster while using less memory, is now available.
- A new Channels experience made its way to Teams recently that should help conversations flow fluidly.
Microsoft Teams receives new features every month, but October 2023 was an especially noteworthy month for the platform. New features, performance improvements, and several new Teams Devices rolling out are just a glimpse of everything that's new.
The biggest change to Teams is that there is now an entirely new version of Microsoft Teams available. Microsoft rebuilt Teams "from the ground up to deliver improved performance and enhanced reliability, security, and IT management." The new Teams is up to two times faster than its predecessor while using 50% less memory.
The rollout of the new Teams means plenty of new features. Microsoft rounded up the features in its monthly recap. That post is quite detailed, so it's easy to miss features in a specific section. Below are the highlights of what's new from Microsoft plus some quick notes on the biggest changes.
Meetings
- Meet app in Microsoft Teams
- Live translated transcript
- Collaborative notes in Teams mobile
- Portrait Blur
The Meet app in Teams brings together meeting prep and recap features into a centralized location. In it, you'll see all your upcoming meetings, recent meetings, and content related to meetings, like chats, files, agendas, and shared documents.
Webinars and Town Halls
- Town hall in Microsoft Teams
- External presenter join link in webinars and town halls
Chat and Collaboration
- New channels experience
- People app in Teams
- Specify a link for requesting new external organizations to join a shared channel
I covered the revamped Teams channels experience yesterday. As a quick recap, the improved experience should help conversation flow fluidly, thanks to its new conversation view and revamped compose box.
Teams Phone
- Microsoft Teams Calling Plans available in Hong Kong
- SIP Gateway overhead paging devices support
- New partner integrations for Teams Phone contact center
Teams Rooms and Devices
- Microsoft Teams Rooms, Display, and Panel solutions
- Cisco Room Bar Pro + Room Navigator
- MAXHUB XCore Kit
- Nureva HDL310 audio system certified for large Microsoft Teams Rooms
- Jabra PanaCast P50 Intelligent Speaker
- Logi Zone Wireless 2 Headset
- Lenovo Wired VoIP Headset
- Lenovo Wired ANC Headset Gen 2
IT Administration and Security
- Controlled-content meeting template
- Extended real-time telemetry retention for up to 7 days
Mobile
- Simplifying joining a meeting on mobile
Platform
- Workflows app
- Workflows within channels
Collaborative Apps
- Domo
- Growthspace
- Bigtincan
- Simpatico
- Tigerhall
- 1Page
- Atlas
- Embark
Frontline Workers Solutions
- Walkie Talkie favorite channels
- Choose who to notify when publishing a task list
- Approvals Graph APIs
Virtual Appointments
- SMS notifications in Virtual Appointments meeting template
Teams for Education
- SharePoint Calendar Webpart added in Viva Connections for Education
Government
- Conversational bot in meetings now supported in GCC-H and DoD
Microsoft Teams continues to grow rapidly. The new Teams rolling out was the biggest news related to the platform in October 2023, but it was hardly the only change.
