Microsoft Teams gets spatial audio, QR codes on Teams panel, more to improve meeting experience

Microsoft Teams update: As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, restrictions imposed on physical meetings and social distancing have also been lifted. People have started attending office and the relevance of online video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet is also decreasing. These platforms are now reinvigorating themselves to remain relevant. Following the same lead, Microsoft has introduced new features on its Teams platform such as QR codes for instant room reservations to spatial audio that makes virtual meetings feel like you’re in the same room. Let’s have a details look at all these features.

QR code

The QR code feature will allow users to book a room for a meeting with fewer steps by scanning a QR code in the scheduling panel with their mobile device. They can do this instantly, for any future date or as a part of a scheduled meeting. Users can scan these QR codes to either schedule a new meeting with the pre-populated room or view the room’s availability and book the room for their meeting with one click. 

Spatial audio

This feature brings spatialized audio to the meeting room. With this feature, remote attendees’ voices will come from the direction their frame is oriented on the room display. However, this feature will work with meeting rooms that have stereo speakers Certified for Teams with right and left capabilities.

Video gallery segmentation with unified backgrounds

This feature uses Microsoft AI to give an impression as if remote participants are in the same room. It does it by removing the individual backgrounds, adjusting the video participant size, and applying a unified background design. With this feature background distractions are removed so that all the participants can focus on the people in the meeting. 

New remote management setting

Microsoft has introduced a new admin setting in the Team Admin Center. With these settings, admins are now able to remotely control the ability for users to book an ad-hoc meeting. This can be done by using the ‘Reserve’ button on the panel through the room reservation setting on Teams Admin Center.

Meanwhile, Microsoft recently introduced buttons to zoom in, zoom out, and restore the original size while viewing content shared via the screen-share feature on Microsoft Teams.