Today, Microsoft is making its long-awaited Mesh for Teams immersive VR meeting platform available to enterprise end users. The service is now available to clients, allowing them to access Microsoft’s dynamic virtual teleconferencing solution via their desktop or Meta Quest headset.
A new addition to Microsoft’s popular teleconferencing service gives Teams users immersive virtual meeting rooms and customizable avatars ready for a variety of use cases.
According to Microsoft, immersive mesh meeting spaces foster a variety of enterprise use cases, including employee onboarding, town halls, brainstorming sessions, team socials, and networking events.
After a long period of development, the immersive mesh platform is now available for PC and Meta Quest VR devices, enabling enterprise end users to leverage services from the likes of Takeda, Accenture, BP, and Mercy Ships.
Leo Barella, Chief Technology Officer at TakedaAdded:
The world of work continues to evolve at a rapid pace, but the importance of human relationships has never disappeared. Lunchtime conversations, hallway chats, and coffee chats often hold the key to workplace success and employee happiness.
Barella also said Mesh for Teams is a proven “game changer” and that Microsoft’s service makes Taekda’s hybrid meetings “more collaborative and immersive.”
Berella also added:
We’re a people-first organization, and we want all of our employees to feel a true sense of belonging and connection from day one, no matter where they are in the world. Messi is helping us achieve this.
This news comes as Microsoft pursues an industrial Metaverse future, launching enterprise-grade XR services such as Mesh for Teams and Dynamics 365 for businesses in 2024.
Mesh for Teams, overview
Mesh for Teams is a set of tools that enterprise customers can use to create virtual immersive spaces to meet specific business needs, including employee events, tours, product showcases, and training.
XR enterprise end users can choose from a variety of immersive environments pre-built on the Mesh platform and personalize those spaces using code-free Unity tools. This allows end users to create meeting room templates that can be accessed and edited by the entire organization.
End users can also host large-scale events on the immersive platform by adding visual elements such as banners, videos, and presentation content, Microsoft explains. The no-code suite comes with configuration tools that give operators unprecedented control over mesh events.
Additionally, with Mesh for Teams, Microsoft has developed an avatar system that allows workers to create digital representations for use in Mesh virtual meeting spaces. All Teams users can access the avatar system through the desktop application and get ready to dive into Mesh starting today.
Respected Partner Lineup
To launch Mesh for Teams and demonstrate the value of the solution for enterprise customers, Microsoft is collaborating with a lineup of respected launch partners to help solve the specific pain points of enterprises dealing with remote work tasks.
Leo Barella added it.
The future of work is no longer just an abstract concept. It’s already here and it’s transforming the employee experience. Microsoft Mesh allows you to create custom virtual environments that perfectly capture the spaces that represent your operating model, corporate philosophy, and values. Employees around the world, regardless of location or role type, can engage in a virtual world that brings their company to life in engaging and meaningful ways and helps them feel a real connection. We’re really just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential use cases and benefits.
Additionally, Microsoft partner Accenture is introducing Mesh to approximately 300,000 new international hires through One Accenture Park, a virtual campus custom-built on the platform.
Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership and People Officer at Accenture. said:
(Mesh) allows new participants to discover Accenture’s culture, core values, and how Accenture creates value for our customers, employees, and communities. It is done in a collaborative and immersive way that transcends space and location. This, combined with key face-to-face experiences, deepens human connections like never before.
BP also leverages the Mesh platform to connect global team members, reduce costs and improve sustainability. BP’s VP and Global Head of Design, Roger Rohatgi, He noted that Mesh’s immersive visualization environment “paves the way” for the company’s digital collaboration future.
Rohatgi also said that by collaborating with Microsoft and leveraging the Mesh service for Teams, BP is exploring how to use cutting-edge technologies for faster, more informed and safer decisions as it pursues its ambition to become “an integrated energy company.” “I explained that I could do it.
Pursuing an industrial metaverse
With a roster of respected industry partners, Microsoft appears to be taking the right steps to establish its industry metaverse vision. While the launch of Vision Pro is poised to turn the XR space upside down, Microsoft’s keen focus on client acquisition proves that XR is right for business today and could potentially push Microsoft to the forefront.
Can other XR hardware and software providers reach the same level of enterprise adoption that Microsoft is seeing? maybe. Microsoft already has a strong presence in the industry with a broad portfolio of workplace solutions. However, given that Apple and Meta have close relationships with businesses, the same can be said for their competitors.
Last year, Microsoft officially launched immersive avatars for its Teams service and is gearing up for Mesh’s debut this week. In addition to recent Mesh for Teams updates, the company is developing its Dynamics 365 AR/MR workflow platform, positioning itself as a leading XR service provider from virtual meetings to assisted reality solutions.
Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 software is equipped with advanced technologies such as AI, MR, and IoT to provide users with new and innovative features. Adopting these technologies will benefit companies using Microsoft Teams and Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 MR headset in their AR workflows. This means users will have access to tools that will help them get the most out of their AR and MR devices for real-world industrial purposes. . Dynamics 365 Field Service customers also have access to the service thanks to free access to Dynamics 365 Guides and Dynamics 365 Remote Assistance.