Microsoft has unveiled a series of enhancements for its Teams during the Microsoft Ignite 2023 developers conference. Among these innovations, the company has declared that the immersive spaces feature, which allows users to engage in meetings as 3D avatars within virtual environments, is set to become widely accessible in January 2024.
Teams' Immersive Spaces for Interactive Meetings
The immersive spaces feature in Teams, positioned to redefine virtual meetings, has entered the public preview phase since October. Teams users will be provided the capability to attend meetings represented by avatars in a variety of 3D spaces. These spaces are more than just venues for conventional discussions; they extend to social interaction opportunities, permitting team members to engage in activities such as roasting virtual marshmallows and participating in icebreaker questions. The platform facilitating the creation of these custom virtual spaces, Microsoft Mesh, is likewise expected to reach general availability at the start of 2024.
Microsoft Mesh launched in public preview during May this year. Microsoft Mesh is a platform that enables hybrid teams to collaborate more easily and effectively in immersive environments. You can create or import 3D scenes, make them interactive with cloud scripting, add dynamic content and customize interactions with physics tools. You can also host and manage immersive events and virtual conferences with advanced event management features. Microsoft Mesh is a platform that helps developers and creators to build the future of collaboration.
Additional Features and Compatibility Updates
Beyond the highly anticipated immersive spaces, Microsoft Teams meetings are poised to receive further feature updates. These include enhancements to Teams chats and channels—with improvements such as the addition of group chat profile pictures and customizable default reactions. Moreover, an updated Teams experience has now been made accessible on the web via Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome browsers, amplifying the service's compatibility and user accessibility.
Microsoft's commitment to evolving Teams showcases an endeavor to remain at the forefront of online collaboration, providing users with innovative ways to interact and work together virtually. The integration of Mesh-enabled 3D environments aims to transform online meetings by offering a more interactive and engaging format that promotes both productivity and team-building through a diverse range of virtual activities.
