Microsoft has revealed a host of updates for Teams, including the new front row meeting layout.
The vendor describes front row as “an immersive room layout that makes interactions feel more natural”.
The layout moves remote participants to the bottom of the screen to increase their prominence in meetings, and puts contextual information around the outside of presentations.
Elsewhere, an update to Teams Rooms will let users split remote participants across multiple displays in a meeting room, making each participant show up larger and more true to life.
Microsoft also gave an update to fluid components, which was announced at Microsoft Build.
Fluid components let users collaborate on lists and tables from within Teams chats, rather than having to leave teams to go to another platform. The latest announcement expands the reach of fluid components, bringing OneNote, Outlook and Whiteboard into the fold.
Microsoft also announced an overhaul of its whiteboard experience which will launch this summer. It claims the whiteboard is now “hybrid focused” and comes with new features such as templates and laser pointers.
An update to Insights, which is part of Viva, will also encourage users to take a few minutes each day to consider their mental health. Headspace, which launches later this month, will feature a curated set of guided meditations and mindfulness exercises.
Insights will also be given a feature later this year for users to configure quiet time. This will let users silence mobile notifications for Outlook and Teams outside of working hours. Microsoft said this is to allow users to disconnect from work when appropriate.
