Microsoft recently announced the general availability of the new Microsoft Teams app for Windows and Mac, including education customers. This release also extends to public preview for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and government cloud customers.
The new Teams app, introduced earlier this year in public preview, promises a faster, simpler, and more flexible collaboration experience. During the preview phase, it demonstrated up to two times faster performance while utilizing 50% less memory, marking a significant leap in efficiency.
Key Highlights:
1. Full Feature Parity:
- New Teams now boasts full feature parity for almost all features, including custom line-of-business apps, third-party apps, breakout rooms, 7x7 video, call queues, PSTN calling, and contextual search in chats and channels.
2. Seamless Upgrades:
- Upgrading to the new Teams is quick and seamless, requiring no migration. Classic Teams users will be automatically upgraded in the coming months.
3. Performance Optimization:
- The app is optimized for performance on multiple platforms, utilizing the React framework for improved speed and reduced memory usage. GigaOm reported a two times faster experience, with a 50% reduction in memory and disk space compared to classic Teams.
4. Enhanced User Experience:
- New Teams offers a simplified and streamlined user experience, with improved personalization options for Windows and Mac users. Users can efficiently track messages and notifications with features like "mark all as read" in activity and chats or channels.
5. Inclusivity and Accessibility:
- The new Teams is designed to be more inclusive and accessible, with optimizations for keyboard shortcuts and screen readers. These enhancements ensure a smoother experience for all users.
6. Multi-Tenant and Multi-Account Support:
- New Teams introduces support for Multi-tenant organizations (MTO) and multi-tenant, multi-account (MTMA), allowing seamless cross-tenant communication and collaboration beyond organizational boundaries.
7. AI-Powered Productivity:
- The foundation for next-generation AI experiences, such as Microsoft Copilot, is embedded in new Teams. Copilot assists users in staying on top of tasks, summarizing conversations, and enhancing meeting productivity through real-time suggestions.
8. Future-Ready Capabilities:
- New features and enhancements will be exclusively available on the new Teams, making it the platform for future capabilities and improvements.
9. Easy Adoption:
- The transition to the new Teams requires just one click, allowing users to seamlessly pick up where they left off in classic Teams.
Organizations and users are encouraged to embrace the new Teams to unlock a host of benefits, from enhanced performance and collaboration to advanced AI-driven productivity features.
