What you might want to know
- Microsoft Groups gained a number of new options in September 2022, together with collaborative annotations in conferences and Mum or dad Connection for educators.
- A number of Groups licensed gadgets rolled out final month as properly.
- Microsoft optimized Groups for Mac gadgets with Apple silicon, which drastically improved the efficiency of the app.
Microsoft Groups is without doubt one of the most up to date apps in Microsoft’s library. With so many options rolling out every month and a number of other variations of Groups to maintain monitor of, it is easy to overlook a couple of options. Fortunately, Microsoft gathers collectively each new characteristic on the finish of every month. Here is what shipped to Groups in September 2022, as outlined by Microsoft (opens in new tab).
Efficiency
Microsoft optimized Groups for Mac computer systems utilizing Apple silicon. The change brings a “important enhance” to efficiency, in response to the tech large. Groups was obtainable on Macs earlier than final month however needed to run by emulation, which is not as environment friendly as working natively.
Conferences
As conferences are one of many core experiences of Groups, it is no shock that they acquired a number of new options final month. Cameo in PowerPoint Stay launched, as did collaborative annotations in Groups conferences. Microsoft additionally added assist for language interpretation.
Listed here are all the new conferences options for Groups:
- Cameo in PowerPoint Stay
- Collaborative annotations in Groups conferences
- Language Interpretation
- Choose Collectively mode for everybody within the assembly
- Pre-assign channel members to breakout Rooms
- Transcription created robotically throughout recordings
- Use a rating ballot to prioritize or re-order objects for efficient resolution making
- Usability enhancements to in-meeting notifications
- Enhancements to informational messages in conferences for iOS and Android
- Go away a gathering on all my gadgets
- Assembly transcripts in Microsoft Groups for Android and iOS
- Background blur and results for Citrix and VMWare
- HID Assist for VMware
- Convert a Phrase/PDF type or quiz to Microsoft Kinds with one click on
Calling
Only some calling options rolled out to Groups in September, together with the flexibility to play maintain music for individuals ready to be transferred.
- Music on maintain for name switch
- Early media assist for compliance recording
- Block inbound federated VoIP calls
Gadgets
Groups gadgets are constructed to facilitate communication inside particular areas. There are a number of forms of gadgets, together with these with shows, telephones powered by Wi-Fi, and Groups rooms gadgets. Here is every thing Microsoft added for Groups gadgets in September:
- Entrance row expertise replace
- Single show mode
- Twin show mode
- Be part of a Groups assembly utilizing a gathering ID
- 18 movies for twin show Groups rooms
- Mute/unmute standing in your room video
- In-room noise suppression management
- Share tray replace
- Pin and conceal the room video for Groups Rooms on Home windows
- Flip off cut up gallery with XML setting
Licensed gadgets
The PolyCCX 505 Enterprise Media Cellphone and the Logitech Brio 500 & 505 cameras rolled out in September. The previous is a touchscreen cellphone with built-in Wi-Fi, whereas the latter two are enterprise webcams.
Chat & collaboration
It is now an choice to pick the obtain location for saving information by the desktop consumer of Groups.
Over on the cell facet of issues, Groups on iOS and Android will now ask if a message needs to be translated if it is not in your most well-liked language.
- Select most well-liked obtain location for information
- Clever chat message translation in Groups for iOS and Android
Energy Platform and customized improvement
Groups customers can now use apps inside Groups Cellphone VoIP calls and immediate conferences. The addition helps carry these experiences to parity with different conferences and calls.
Administration
Admins at the moment are capable of customise the Groups admin heart dashboard. To personalize the expertise, admins can drag and drop playing cards and widgets. Listed here are all the adjustments:
- Dashboard customization in Groups admin heart
- Consumer request configuration to exterior methods (URL redirect)
- Coverage propagation in Exercise log
Groups for Schooling
Mum or dad Connection was added to Groups for Schooling. The software permits educators to speak with the dad and mom or guardians of scholars utilizing info supplied by Faculty Information Sync. A small handful of different education-related options additionally shipped final month:
- Mum or dad Connection
- LTI apps integration with Schoology LMS
- Brightspace (D2L) LMS integration with Microsoft 365
- Dwelling web page for Groups for Schooling class groups
- Activate a category from contained in the Groups Courses LTI app inside your Studying Administration System (LMS)
- View video recordings and attendance studies inside LMS
- Timed quiz
Frontline staff
Microsoft added a pair of options for frontline staff final month. Admins can now use a Groups PowerShell command and two CSV information to deploy as much as 500 groups and add 25 customers per group.
Extra filters have been additionally added to the Approvals checklist, making it simpler to seek out content material.
Authorities
Authorities shoppers utilizing Groups acquired a comparatively quick checklist of latest options in September.
- Remoted audio feed for GCC-Excessive and DoD
- Attendance Dashboard for GCC-Excessive and DOD
