Tom Arbuthnot's Microsoft 365 Perspective

Many thanks to Neat, this month's Empowering.Cloud Benefactor.

This week Neat GA'd their Neat App Hub and App Marketplace. MVP and friend of the community Graham Wash explains all and shows me how Neat Share can share App Hub apps into a Teams Rooms meeting.

Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 News

The big news this week is in Microsoft Copilot Consumer. Microsoft launched Voice (marketing video) and Vision (marketing video) and a range of smaller updates. You can see the influence of Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman and his team after Microsoft hired him and key Inflection AI staff.

These are not in M365 Copilot yet, but it is always interesting to see what comes first in the consumer version. I have no doubt we will see variants of these capabilities in the business versions eventually.

In Microsoft Teams, we got three interesting Teams Phone updates:

• Ability to buy pay-as-you-go calling plans for non-US users when you have a US-based tenant
• Callbacks for call queues - included in Teams core
• Improved Survivable Branch Appliance capabilities, including redirecting Call Queues/Auto Attendants

I discussed them with Kevin Peters, Director of Business Strategy.

The new VDI solution for Teams on AVD/Windows 365 environments now generally available.

Microsoft Places will be generally available in Q4 CY24, deployment beginning November. Two new service plans will be available: Places (core) and Places Premium (part of Teams Premium).

• Microsoft Places Core: Includes setting up location plans, viewing collaborators' plans, scheduling in-person meetings, hybrid RSVP management, and more.
• Microsoft Places Premium: Adds features like Places Finder, intelligent booking, Places Explorer, Places Space Analytics, and auto-release policies.

Places Core will be included in most O/M365 plans: Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Standard/Premium and Microsoft 365 or Office 365 E1, E3, E5 Microsoft 365 or Office 365 F3.

Stay tuned for some more content on Places soon.

I recently wrote a blog on the Benefits of the latest Android OS on Microsoft Teams Rooms and Devices and am working on blogs on AOSP and MDEP, what we know so far.

On the Teams Android devices ASOP transition, check out the excellent session AOSP for Microsoft Teams Devices - Teams Rooms Learning Hour with Matt Slomka, Senior Technical Program Manager.

A reminder to check out Teams Fireside Chat this week, we are going deep into the Microsoft Queues app, now in public preview.

UC Expo London Videos

I had a great time at the UC Expo this week in sessions on Teams Contact Center Options, Teams and Copilot roadmap, and a panel that gave the customer's perspective on M365 Copilot. I had some great conversations and demos you can see here:

• ​The journey to Teams Phone and cloud PSTN with Andy Steinke at Pure IP
• ​Dongle-free Teams headsets and the Logi MeetUp 2 with MVP Randy Chapman
• ​i12, 12x Optical zoom MTR cameras and USB over ethernet extenders with Neil Fluester at Crestron
• ​What are AudioCodes bringing to the competitive Teams Contact Center space with Jon Zoltie
• ​Luware's new Teams Attendant Console hands on live demo with Oli Lifely

Expert Briefings

• ​Microsoft Teams Transcription and Compliance Controls - Everything you need to know with Nate Loback, Chris Hurlebaus and Jon Lua at Microsoft
• ​Hands-on testing of the Logitech Sight center of room companion camera with Randy Chapman
• ​Copilot Usage Reports - Kevin Kieller
• ​A 'Field Test' of the Crestron Videobar 70 with Neil Fluester
• ​Understanding Ribbon LEAP - a Call Flows Digital Twin for SBC Change and Upgrade Confidence with Greg Zweig and Cobi Gurievsky

Teams Insider Podcast

• ​Teams Phone Mobile, a perspective​
• ​Tampa International Airport - Embracing Microsoft Teams and AV Innovation​
• ​Microsoft Copilot's Role in Compliance, Governance and Adoption​
• ​Comparing Dynamics 365 Contact Center to Teams Contact Centers​

On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube​

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Events

Online:

• ​Teams Fireside Chat Queues app with Stella Lin and Casandra Marrero - October 10th
• ​Microsoft Teams Devices Ask Me Anything - EMEA/NA and APAC - October 22/23
• ​AVI-SPL Webinar: ​Next-Gen Collaboration with Signature Microsoft Teams Rooms - October 22nd
• ​Teams Rooms Learning Hour - November 5th
• ​Crestron Intelligent Video: Enhancing Microsoft Teams Rooms in Any Space - November 12th
• ​Converged Communications Partner Sales Bootcamp - 2-4 / 3-5 December

In-Person:

• ​Maximize Teams Potential Pexip Roundtable I am hosting, 24th October, London
• ​Microsoft UC User Group London - November 27th, London