Get all the comfortability you need to interact with your team members right from your home’s comfort through the Microsoft Teams Together Mode.
Microsoft today presents some important updates for Microsoft teams. The Tech giant has been planning and working on a new “together mode” for teams or groups since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and is designed to create a virtual live avatar of itself to help you better attend meetings.
Microsoft uses AI to segment your face and shoulders and place you and your colleagues together in a virtual space.
This room can be an environment that resembles a meeting room, cafeteria, or other places where you would typically hold personal meetings. I had the opportunity to discover this new mode earlier this week.
At first, it was a bit terrible, especially since you can greet your employees, hit them on the shoulder, or clap them. Once you’ve gotten over the funny or terrible parts, this seems like a much better way to get rid of the visual distractions you normally see in great gallery views in meetings.
Almost everyone on the planet has been working from their respective homes since the pandemic started. While several services like Google, Google Meet, and Zoom are becoming increasingly popular, Microsoft Teams are not lagging.
Although some features are missing, Microsoft has worked to introduce new and improved features for Microsoft teams. The latest addition is the “ensemble mode.” We’ll take a look.
What is Microsoft Teams Together mode?
The Microsoft Teams Together Mode is a virtual filter for your meetings, with which all members can be displayed in a common virtual room. Microsoft has currently added the function to an auditorium.
However, the company plans to add more virtual backgrounds when it is made available to all users. Microsoft Teams uses AI mapping to crop your face and shoulders and create your avatar.
This avatar is placed with your colleagues in a virtual environment to limit background distractions. Avatars also interact and allow you to perform various actions with your employees, including hitting the fives and shoulders.
The company has released detailed information about all features that have been added to Microsoft Teams.
How Do I Activate Together mode?
Activating the Microsoft Teams Together Mode is a straightforward process. If the update is available for you, follow the instructions below to get started.
- Open the Microsoft Teams desktop client on your PC and join a meeting as usual.
- After the meeting begins, click the “3 dots” menu icon in the upper right corner of the screen next to the “raise your hand” icon.
- Simply select “Ensemble Mode” from the drop-down menu that appears to activate it.
- Ensemble mode is now activated, and you should be able to see each avatar in an auditorium environment.
- Note: According to initial reports, only hosts can currently activate Together mode.
When should the Microsoft Teams Together Mode be used?
The Together mode is ideal for meetings with multiple stakeholders.
- Shared mode is an ideal option for people who need to attend multiple meetings in turn.
- It is ideal for seminars and educational courses where it is difficult for people to pay attention.
- Speakers who rely on audience feedback to advance their meetings also benefit from the Together mode.
When shouldn’t Microsoft Teams Together Mode be used?
- If you want to share your screen because the current version of Together mode is not compatible with PowerPoint presentations.
- When you are in a high-motion environment where you move a lot, or your butt is in constant motion.
- Suppose you want to have more than 49 participants. Together mode currently only supports up to 49 participants in a meeting.
How Many Participants can join in on Together mode?
Microsoft Teams uses a dynamic algorithm to add or remove participants from your screen based on the number of currently connected members.
The Together mode can support a maximum of 49 participants at the same time and gives the impression that everyone is in the same room.
You can also interact with your employees’ avatars in shared mode by hitting them or touching them on their shoulders.
How Many Backgrounds will come with Together Mode?
Together mode only offers a background when you first start in August. This is your traditional view of the auditorium, which you may have seen in the various teasers published by Microsoft.
This background gives the impression that all meeting participants sit together in a single auditorium conference room, where they are able to communicate with each other and discuss upcoming business plans.
Microsoft plans to release more backgrounds with different interiors and settings to help you set an environmental aesthetic for your current gathering.
This means that if you need to make an important announcement, you can choose a limited, well-lit area where you can make official announcements.
And if you’re planning an informal update meeting, you can select a different background. There is no official date for the release for newer background for now. However, if the feature’s first launch goes well in August, Microsoft could launch new funds in the coming weeks.
Conclusion
Most of these new features from Microsoft Teams will be added to the app later this year. They are a clear sign of how quickly Microsoft responds to competition and an ongoing pandemic that is affecting our lives and learning.
Microsoft even involves Lenovo and Yealink to create new special screens for Microsoft teams. These dedicated team devices have a touchscreen and a hands-free function via Cortana. The ThinkSmart View by Lenovo will be one of the first Microsoft Teams displays and will resemble the company’s existing smart displays supported by Google