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Navigating Microsoft's UCaaS Universe

Written by Joshua Moynehan | Apr 1, 2024 11:00:00 PM

As a leader in both collaboration and communication, Microsoft are dedicated to retaining their position as one of the best UCaaS providers in the world. Because of this you may find yourself getting lost when it comes to staying on top of everything they are doing, what direction they are heading in and how their platform is potentially going to change. To help you get a clear picture of everything that is going on, here is a summary of updates for Microsoft in March 2024.  

Microsoft Teams Updates 

Across March and straying into February, there have been a few Teams updates in security, collaboration and branding. These updates include: 

  • Watermarked recordings to tackle unwanted sharing 
  • The capability to enforce pre-set organizational backgrounds in calls  
  • Enhanced brandability in the meeting launcher UI.  
  • Enhanced capabilities for Microsoft Loop which let users add notes before and after meetings 

Copilot and AI Developments 

The one-year anniversary of OpenAI GPT-4 is marked by Microsoft and NVIDIA's announcement of integrations to fast-track generative AI applications, signaling a strong move towards AI-driven innovation in software and hardware solutions. Microsoft will also be investing €15 million into French AI company Mistral to help them in the race towards AI superiority. 

On top of this, the launch of Microsoft Copilot for Security also exemplifies how AI can transform cybersecurity management through incident summarization, impact analysis, and guided responses. 

This, combined with the announcement of the Microsoft Build event with CEO Satya Nadella at the helm showcases Microsoft's commitment to leading in AI advancements. The inclusion of educational webinars and insightful podcasts further reflects Microsoft's dedication to community engagement and knowledge sharing on topics ranging from AI in contact centers to global deployment strategies and regulatory considerations.  

New Planner in Teams Public Preview 

The recent update in the Microsoft Teams public preview integrates To Do, Planner, and Project for the web, enhancing project management capabilities with AI-driven task optimization through Copilot. Users can access various premium features in Planner via free trial or premium license requests within the app for an easy adoption process and advanced feature testing. 

Operator Connect 

One of the main progressions for Operator Connect is its rapid expansion into new countries as Microsoft endeavors to broaden Teams' telephony solutions on a global scale, enhancing connectivity options for businesses worldwide. 

Upcoming Microsoft roadmap features 

The Microsoft roadmap details future enhancements such as a more informative pre-join screen for meetings and Walkie Talkie support for generic wired headsets. The migration process for Surface Hub 2S to Teams Rooms on Windows indicates a push towards better room system experiences.