As Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) came to a close last week, Microsoft shared stats ahead of new Teams from Microsoft. According to Frost and Sullivan, 46% of organisations are invested in office and meeting room modernisation projects, fueling huge growth in new spaces, meeting technology investment and refresh to creating inclusive tech-enabled spaces to improve employee experience. As space continues to shift from banks of desks and cubicles, collaborative and hybrid huddle and meeting rooms play a crucial role in this transformation, enabling better collaboration and productivity for hybrid work.
46% of ITDMs are kicking off office modernisation projects and creating tech-enabled spaces to improve employee experience. | Frost and Sullivan
Microsoft Teams Rooms continues to be at the forefront of this evolution, bringing intelligence and innovation to meeting spaces from a host of leading meeting room equipment manufacturers such as Cisco and Yealink.
On the back of this – Microsoft unveiled Teams Rooms Express Install. This is designed to make the setting up of Teams Rooms for smaller and “focus” meeting rooms much faster and simpler.
Express Install for Teams Rooms
The newly introduced Express Install for Microsoft Teams Rooms is an installation option the offers a streamlined, quick, and easier deployment and configuration process that delivers a full Teams Rooms experience in focus/huddle and small to medium sized meeting rooms. Key benefits include:
- Quick Installation: In a smaller space (which make up most deployments) like a focus room or small meeting room for up to day 6-8 people, installation can now be completed by one person in as little as one hour, with minimal labor and “no need for specialists” according to Microsoft.
- No Custom Room Modifications: The hardware for these rooms can now be installed without lengthy and complex room modifications, reducing costs and installation time.
- Full Teams Rooms Experience: Users still get the same great meeting experience they are used to with any other Teams Room, with the same Teams Rooms application and certified hardware.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership: This rapid deployment approach and reduced complexity lowers the total cost of ownership of Teams Rooms even further is making it easier to for businesses to scale up meeting rooms and provide exemplary hybrid meeting experiences.
Benefits for IT
This Express Install option is designed to reduce the effort and complexity process for IT admins and Teams Room deployment teams. , A/V techs, and other professionals responsible for deploying meeting rooms. Benefits include:
- Reduced Professional Service effort: Installation can be done faster without the need for multiple specialists or complex modifications.
- Flexibility: certified devices certified for Teams are already in the device ecosystem, allowing for flexible deployment options.
- Compact and Efficient: Hardware such as tabletop stands, wall mounts and new video bars with integrated mics and multiple camera are ideal for faster and efficient installation.
The evolving role of your Teams Room partner
As well as reducing cost for deployment thereby improving the ROI and upfront cost, also means you can leverage other key value add services from your partner or customer install teams.
- Hardware Procurement: be sure to work with your partner to validate the hardware bundles and accessories that support this new express Install.
- Support and Managed services: Microsoft partners support Teams Rooms post-deployment by offering ongoing proactive monitoring and management, user training, feature annoucements and remote or onsite support.
- Adoption Services and Training: one of the often neglected services is that of training for employees to ensure they get the best from Teams and Teams Room features such as intelligent recap and Copilot as well as new features that are always rolling out.
- Solution Showcases and Roadmap: Use your partners to showcase and demo these new solutions.
Yet more new features coming to Microsoft Teams Rooms
Users will soon benefit from further new enhancements and capabilities introduced for Teams Rooms, which improve the overall meeting experience. Key features include:
- Multiple Camera View: Remote meeting participants will soon be able to switch between up to four different camera feeds, ensuring they have the best angle at any time.
- Cloud IntelliFrame: This video framing capability enhances the visibility of people in the room for online meeting attendees. This is now available on Teams Rooms on both Android and Teams Mobile devices.
- Miracast Support: coming soon, users (and guests) will now be able to wirelessly project and share content from their PCs to the Teams Rooms (including Surface Hub and Meeting boards) using the Miracast standard in addition to cable connect and Teams Cast (via Teams app), making it easier to collaborate and share information.
- Microsoft Edge support is also coming “soon” to Surface Hub 3 and other Windows-based touch board form factors in Teams Rooms. This addition will allow users to seamlessly access websites and line-of-business web applications on touch boards anytime whether during a meeting or outside of one.
- Start or Stop Recording: users will now be able to start or stop recording in room from the room console in Teams Rooms on Windows without needing a companion device. This feature unlocks powerful productivity tools like meeting transcripts, intelligent recap, and the ability to query a meeting with Copilot.
Conclusion
With the introduction of Express Install for Teams Rooms, new capabilities for touch boards running Windows, and continuous enhancements that improve remote experiences, Microsoft reaffirms its commitment to delivering top-tier technology solutions for modern workplaces.
These innovations make it easier and faster to scale up meeting rooms, enhance collaboration, and provide a better overall experience for businesses,and employees freeing up resources and spend to focus on user adoption training and support, improving user experience and reducing TCO.
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