Discover the Power of New Microsoft Teams: A Game-Changer for Productivity

May 9, 2024

Have you spotted the “Try the new Teams” toggle in your Microsoft Teams app? This isn’t just a minor update; it’s a complete overhaul designed to supercharge the way we work. While Classic Teams served us well, the New Teams experience is packed with performance upgrades and a suite of powerful new features that will transform the way we collaborate. Let’s explore what’s new and why you’ll love the switch!

New Microsoft Teams Performance and Application Upgrades

A faster app optimized for performance on multiple platforms. New Teams will load about two times faster, with similar speeds when joining meetings and switching between chats and channels. New Teams uses up to 50% less memory and disk space than Classic Teams.
A simpler user experience that makes it easier to do more in fewer clicks. Stay on top of your notifications and personalize your experience with fewer clicks. New Teams also features more accessibility options, such as color sensitivity settings and screen reader options.
A more flexible app for seamless cross-tenant communication and collaboration. Organizations often find themselves managing multiple tenants through mergers, acquisitions, subsidiaries, or test environments. The new multi-tenant organizations (MTO) capability in New Teams enables a more seamless experience when collaborating with coworkers
A smarter Teams app to level up your productivity. Microsoft Copilot in New Teams can work alongside you to help you stay on top of your tasks. It can help get you up to speed on conversations, run more effective meetings, and bring your key meeting takeaways, actions, and decisions in one place.

New Microsoft Teams Features to Try

The new Microsoft Teams has introduced numerous cool features! Here are a few of the highlights:

User Presence and Availability: Users can now select a colleague’s avatar or profile photo anywhere in Teams to quickly get an overview of their online status, next available calendar slot in Outlook, work hours, local time, or work location.

People App: The Contacts feature in chat has been replaced with the new People app, which can be pinned to the navigation pane for easy access.

Teams Notifications: Notifications are now fully integrated within Teams, with all preferences managed in Teams Settings.

Theme Setting: Teams Theme now follows the OS Theme by default, providing a consistent appearance with other Office applications. You can also toggle to other theme settings, such as dark mode, light mode, and high contrast mode.

Organizational Chart: Users can easily access an organizational chart from a profile card during a 1:1 chat.

Settings App: The Settings dialog has been moved to an app accessed from the More options menu, streamlining the user interface.

Voice Isolation: Advanced AI noise reduction ensures that only the user’s voice is heard during calls, eliminating background noise like traffic and fans.

Multi-Turn Conversation with Copilot: Users can have a continuous conversation with Copilot in chats and channels, asking for more details or clarification. Copilot in Teams is available on Windows, Mac, web, Android, and iOS. However, you must have a Microsoft 365 and a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to access Copilot in Teams.

Custom Chat Profile Picture: Group chat members can now use a custom profile picture to match their team and group chat topic.

Context-Based File Attach Suggestions: Teams now suggests the most relevant files from OneDrive and SharePoint based on the context of the conversation.

Installing the New Microsoft Teams

Are you ready to make the switch to New Teams? Upgrading is quick and seamless:

Open your Microsoft Teams desktop application.
Flip the toggle next to Try the new Teams.
Pick the Get it now button on the pop-out box. The New Teams will begin installing.
Your Teams app will reboot to open the New Teams. Going forward, New Teams will be the default for actions, such as joining a Teams meeting.

Microsoft Resources for New Teams

Microsoft has created several resources to help their customers smoothly transition from Classic Teams to New Teams. These are great resources to share with your team.

Conclusion

The improvements made to the New Microsoft Teams are designed to make collaboration more intuitive, reduce clutter, and enhance communication. The focus is on creating a more personalized and streamlined experience that aligns with users’ work habits and preferences.

If you are a current KiteTech client and would like help with the New Microsoft Teams, please reach out to the Help Desk for support. If your organization is not a KiteTech partner and you’d like to learn how we can help you leverage technology to drive your business forward, contact us today! We’d love the opportunity to hear more about your business and help you make informed technology decisions that align with your objectives.