From the rebuilding of UCaaS platforms to video conferencing from inside a car, here are some extracts from popular news stories this week.
Microsoft Plots Teams Overhaul to Boost Performance – Reports
Microsoft is set to launch a new version of Teams in late March designed to significantly improve its system resource usage, according to reports.
- Microsoft Adds More Viva Engage Features as Yammer Retirement Picks Up Pace
- Microsoft Teams Monthly Users Hits 280 Million
- Microsoft Teams Round-Up: January 2023
The Verge has stated that sources claim the tech giant has started to test the new Teams client inside of Microsoft, and there are plans to roll out a preview to external users next month.
Insiders say the new platform is called Microsoft Teams 2.0 or 2.1 and that the new app should use 50 percent less memory, be less taxing on a device’s CPU and be more forgiving to the battery life on laptops.
These improvements should allow the Teams app to open faster and feel more responsive when a user is deploying key functionalities such as meetings and chat messages.
According to The Verge, Microsoft’s new Teams app moves the platform away from Electron and to Microsoft’s Edge Webview2 technology.
The publication also claims that Microsoft has moved to React, a Javascript library, and as a result, will offer UI improvements in the coming months.
The Verge’s report says that a preview of the new Teams app will be available to customers late next month, with Microsoft adding the option to revert to the current application should a user need it.
Organisations Need to Leverage Collaboration Tools for Hybrid Work – RingCentral
Hybrid working should be a joy and not a challenge, according to Steve Rafferty, VP International, RingCentral.
He made the comment during a chat with UC Today following a RingCentral study which looked into the attitude of UK workers towards hybrid working.
The company surveyed 1,002 UK workers aged between 21 and 65 to look into the productivity benefits of a hybrid working model over jobs based in an office full-time.
Less than one in ten (eight percent) of information workers told RingCentral that they want to be in an office every day, demonstrating the popularity of hybrid working.
As a result, Rafferty has highlighted that organisations need to ensure that they can give their employees a hybrid working environment.
He said: “A lot of organisations bought home working solutions during the pandemic, so there is a lot of pain at the moment around how employees can make the most of their working day whilst they are out travelling.
“There are a lot of challenges around that, and more than half of workers would change industry rather than working from an office.
“This is because of the stress of travelling to the office by braving the commute, which is really challenging in these times.
“Workloads have also gone up due to there being fewer people in the workforce because of the cost-of-living crisis, and there are high expectations on people over the amount of work they can do.
“So we’ve really got to help employers understand that there are solutions out there that make hybrid working a joy, and it shouldn’t be a challenge.”
As Rafferty mentioned, more than half of the workers surveyed (58 percent) said they would change jobs or industries to ensure they could work in a hybrid or remote working environment.
This is a trend he expects to see rise in the coming years, especially as organisations tailor their collaboration tools to suit the modern hybrid workplace.
Zoom and Webex Coming to 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Drivers of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be able to hold meetings via Zoom and Webex.
The motoring giant has showcased its new “Superscreen”, which combines multiple screens into a single curved glass panel that covers the entire width of the dashboard.
Using its new technology, Mercedes-Benz is allowing users to access third-party apps, including Zoom and Webex.
Video Conferencing from the Car
The details on deploying Zoom and Webex in the 2024 E-Class are slim at the moment; however, Mercedes-Benz did provide some insight into what users can expect.
For drivers to participate in Webex or Zoom video calls and meetings, the car must be parked, meaning a video call cannot be joined while the user is driving.
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that audio-only calls and collaboration will be supported while the car is moving.
Drivers can use the dashboard camera to capture photos, record videos, and use it to participate in Zoom and Webex meetings.
Access to Zoom or Webex doesn’t require a user to connect their smartphone to the vehicle, meaning the apps are hosted within the E-Class’ built-in third-party app space.
Mercedes-Benz also revealed that the apps will be available on both the passenger side and the central screen, which allows the user to pick the optimal place in the car for their meetings.
Google Introduces 360-Degree Video Backgrounds
Google is set to add 360-degree video backgrounds for Google Meet users on mobile.
The backgrounds, which include several locations such as a beach or a temple, will be added to Google’s existing library of immersive backgrounds.
According to the company, the backgrounds use the device’s gyroscope to allow the background to move with the user.
A Google blog states: “Adding to our existing library of immersive backgrounds, Meet users on mobile can use several new 360-degree video backgrounds.
“These backgrounds—which include a beach and a temple—use your device’s gyroscope to create a dynamic experience that moves with you.”
Google has confirmed that the 360-degree backgrounds are available on iOS and Android for all Google Workspace users and users with personal Google accounts.
Editable Widgets
As well as 360-degree video backgrounds, Google is also making it possible for developers to include interactive widgets to Chat app cards posted in the Chat message stream.
Users will have the ability to add checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdowns to Chat app cards.
8×8 Selected by University of Worcester to Streamline Student Onboarding
8×8 XCaaS and 8×8 Voice for Microsoft Teams have been deployed by the University of Worcester to help with its clearing process.
The clearing process is a system employed by UK universities that students enter when they do not achieve the required grades for their preferred course.
With over 10,000 students, the University of Worcester takes thousands of calls every year during the clearing period and needed a communications platform to help deal with this.
Ged Attwood, Head of IT Operations at the University of Worcester, commented: “We chose 8×8 XCaaS because of its single-vendor cloud communications and contact centre platform, and integration with Microsoft Teams.
“For us, 8×8 stood out thanks to its easy deployment, intuitive functionality, and reliable system maintenance.
“The Clearing process is a high-pressure time, but thanks to 8×8 our agents were able to focus entirely on dealing with the students and providing an excellent service, rather than worrying about carrier downtime or clicking the wrong button.”
According to 8×8, the university’s third-party contact centre system operated separately from its on-campus phone system, resulting in a siloed approach and often leading to downtime for system maintenance.
8×8 also states that the University of Worcester was looking to transition away from legacy desktop phones and towards an integrated service that can accommodate all communications across the contact centre, phone calls, and chat functions.
By deploying 8×8 services, the university’s clearing queue managed thousands of calls between July and October 2022, with no downtime throughout the period.
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