Microsoft is rolling out a faster and more user-friendly version of its Teams communication app to its corporate customers. Teams has been an essential tool for companies to keep their employees connected during the pandemic, with over 280 million people worldwide using the app every month. Microsoft had previously addressed performance issues in 2020, but in 2021, the company started developing a second-generation software with significant performance improvements.
The new Teams version promises to be three times faster to install, and meetings can be started or joined twice as quickly. The company claims that the new app will use half the RAM and 70 percent less disk space. The app’s foundation has been updated from Electron to Microsoft Edge WebView2 technology, providing significant improvements. Microsoft has also changed the color scheme of Teams, switching from gray to white, and automatically switches to dark mode.
Other improvements include the ability to see all accounts and notifications in a single dropdown menu, making it easier to switch between different Teams instances. The new Teams client will also serve as a foundation for Microsoft’s future work with its Copilot assistant and other AI-powered features. The AI-powered assistant can now be invited to group chats to perform tasks such as meeting scheduling, and it will assist with summaries, recaps, or other questions in meetings and chats.
While there are still some gaps in functionality in the preview version, such as the inability to access third-party apps or line-of-business (LOB) apps, Microsoft has listed over 50 additional new functions of Teams on its blog post. Overall, the new Teams version promises an improved and more efficient experience for users.
