This week Microsoft Ignite kicked off its landmark annual online event showcasing leading advances in computing innovation.
This year, the company unveiled several aspects of its research and development into emerging technologies, including MR headsets, immersive communication methods, and AI.
During the update, Microsoft announced that new “immersive spaces” and avatars will be added to its hugely popular Teams application for workplace communication.
According to Microsoft, the company plans to introduce immersive spaces and avatars for Microsoft Teams for general release in January 2024.
What’s new in Microsoft Teams?
With a new update, Microsoft Teams brings the “power” of the Mesh platform that Microsoft unveiled at Ignite to the communications service, allowing customers to design custom workplace avatars without leaving the Teams service.
Mesh is Microsoft’s in-house XR platform that transforms 2D meetings into 3D by leveraging RT3D VR/MR assets and platforms to enhance enterprise collaboration.
But how will 3D transformation affect Microsoft Teams? Quite a lot.
Specifically, the company said Immersive Spaces for Microsoft Teams will introduce avatars to the platform. This feature allows users to create personal 3D avatars based on a variety of customizable features. Interested users can now create avatars for Teams meetings through the desktop application.
This update also brings 3D environments via Mesh to match the avatar system. Teams allows workers to choose an environment suitable for large or small meetings.
Additionally, within an immersive team environment, leaders can manage groups of workers through determined seating assignments and interactive activities.
Immersive spaces also utilize spatial audio systems to enable effective, private conversations. Users can also communicate with animations, such as giving a thumbs up.
2023, a landmark year for the team
Earlier this year, Microsoft first introduced mesh functionality for Teams with an update that introduced avatars to the platform.
In the initial Avatar update, avatars could not move around the immersive space. However, the update first brought a new connection method to the platform.
The May update allows Teams users to create an avatar that best represents themselves through a lineup of customizable visual options.
According to Microsoft, the Avatar feature and the January 2024 Mesh update will help workers combat obstacles like Zoom fatigue by giving them greater dial-in flexibility.
By providing an immersive alternative to webcam-based dial-in methods, immersive Teams features allow users to dial-in without a webcam and replace the traditional video feed with a customizable avatar.
Teams’ new integrated immersive capabilities support workers who can’t share video feeds due to unsuitable work environments or poor internet connections.
This allows distributed teams to continue participating in meetings in a way that cannot be achieved with simple audio-only dial-in options.
On the other hand, immersive features can extend the usefulness of Teams for workers in unsuitable dial-up environments, but streaming RT3D spaces may require a good WiFi connection.
Microsoft is building out its immersive division following the closure of Altspace VR, which had turned several employees to Mesh to design enterprise-grade immersive services.
In 2024, Microsoft will begin distributing and revealing more details about its AI ambitions, as well as the industry metaverse roadmap the company is working on in the background.