80 FEATURE A game-changer for Teams BY AMBER HICKMAN Microsoft’s Ilya Bukshteyn discusses the introduction of AI into the platform, plus new features, industry applications and the benefits of a partner ecosystem Microsoft Teams launched as part of the Microsoft 365 suite in 2017, with a freeto-use version available in 2018, and has since developed into a key collaboration platform that is supporting organisations across every industry as the workplace continues to evolve. In the first quarter of 2024, the total number of active Teams users worldwide hit 320 million per month and continues to grow. According to Ilya Bukshteyn, vice president of Microsoft Teams calling, devices and premium experiences, this rapid growth is “a testament to the value customers find in using Teams for communications and collaboration”. Bukshteyn attributes the platform’s success to a variety of features, including everything from the built-in chat and call functionalities to the meeting scheduling and collaborative tools. “Teams is a one-stop shop for all your communication and productivity needs,” he says. Another benefit is that Teams integrates with other Microsoft 365 applications, allowing users to access and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more without leaving the platform. To ensure users consistently get the most out of their Teams experience, Microsoft works to continuously update the platform with new capabilities that boost productivity and make collaboration more efficient. In particular, the introduction of artificial intelligence capabilities has been a “game-changer”, according to Bukshteyn. One of the key AI features in Teams is the new Interpreter agent, which was revealed at Microsoft Ignite 2024 and provides real-time interpretation in up to nine languages. This enables meeting participants to speak and listen in the language of their choice for a more inclusive experience. Other examples include the Intelligent Recap feature, which generates AI-generated summaries of meetings, and IntelliFrame, which provides optimised views of the meeting room to external participants. IntelliFrame also offers “ Teams is a one-stop shop for all your communication and productivity needs”
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