Microsoft Teams is solving one of its most annoying issues - but only if you pay
Making sure your customers or clients get the best impression of your business could soon be a lot easier thanks to a new Microsoft Teams update.
The video conferencing service has revealed it is working on a new "out-of-the-box template" for your Microsoft Teams calls that will allow you or your business to set up default settings to make sure everything goes smoothly.
However, the upgrade will initially only be available to Microsoft Teams Premium users, meaning only those that have paid for a subscription will be able to utilize the feature.
Microsoft Teams templates
In its entry on the official Microsoft 365 roadmap, the feature, entitled "controlled-content meeting template" is described by the company as being, "useful when meeting with external participants".
Although exact settings and specifications are not entirely confirmed, the entry suggests that users will be able to set a number of preset defaults for meeting options. This includes controls over lobby bypass, who can present, allowing chat in lobby/in-meeting, and who can record the call.
This should mean a much smoother and calmer meeting experience for the hosts and participants alike, and hopefully bring an end to panicked setting-up and admin scrambling before an important business meeting or pitch call.
The update is currently listed as being "in development", but has an expected rollout start date of October 2023, meaning users shouldn't have too long to wait. Upon release, it will be available to Microsoft Teams users on Windows and Mac alike - but as mentioned, you will need a Microsoft Teams Premium account to access.
The news is the latest in a series of features announced for Microsoft Teams Premium as the company looks to drive users towards its upper-end platform. This includes the addition of live translated transcripts of calls, even if they are carried out in a foreign language.
Microsoft Teams Premium was initially launched in February 2023 as the company looked to offer an upgraded and more personal experience that included a number of AI-boosted plugins and features. This includes GPT 3.5, the AI language model developed by OpenAI, to automate certain mundane tasks surrounding meetings as part of its “intelligent recap” feature.
The company is currently offering Microsoft Teams Premium for $7 per user per month, a 30% discount off the $10 per user "standard price".
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