Businesses are always on the lookout for the latest, innovative ways in which to unite and connect with their employees, partners, and clients.
Therefore, Microsoft has improved the relationship between Azure Communication Services in Microsoft Teams and the common availability of the Services support for Team Users allowing for the expansion of apps that links them to the Teams platform. This permits companies the possibility to gain and benefit even more from their communication investments.
This improved relationship makes it viable to:
- Create expert company apps that help Team users to facilitate call experiences straight from the app.
- Build brand new workflows that need personalised administration for inbound and outbound calls.
- Lead Teams calling abilities on any devices not currently supported by the basic Teams client.
For Teams: Incorporate calling capabilities into apps
Let’s focus on two brand new resources offered for app improvement:
- Teams users can gain access to tokens with Azure Communication Services Identity
- Control Teams phone calls, meetings, and Teams Voice over calls with Azure Communication Services JavaScript Calling
These latest assets support apps that:
- Let Teams users make and receive calls
- Allow users to join a meeting as a Teams user
- Oversee inbound and outbound calls centred on the Teams Phone System and that combine with Teams call queues
- Respect and abide by designated Teams user guidelines
Facilitate brand-new use cases
Creators can make use of the Azure Communication Services’ support for Teams alongside the Graph API features and additional Azure services for all their client needs.
- One communication platform for businesses
- Strong partnership within line-of-company apps so staff will no longer need to change apps in order to team up with those users inside or outside the company
- The latest business-specific collaborative apps that reach beyond the limits of a fundamental Teams interface
- An improved client and staff coms experience.
Disruptive echo effects, poor room acoustics, and choppy video are common issues that hinder the effectiveness of online calls and meetings.
By way of machine learning and AI, both essential to persistent progress, Microsoft have discovered and are providing advanced improvements in Microsoft Teams that help and solve any video and audio challenges in such a way that it is both scalable and user-friendly.
If this was not enough, Microsoft has also announced the availability of brand-new Teams features that will support users with audio and video challenges such as echoes and bad videos. These include modifying audio in those situations with poor acoustic sounds, echo cancellation, and permitting users to talk and be heard without any disruption. These features develop on top of the newly announced AI-powered features such as increasing the suppression of background noise.
Enhancements for voice and call quality
Echo cancellation
It is very normal or commonplace that, in a call or a meeting if a member has their microphone too close to a speaker, the sound will loop and produce echoes. Thanks to the latest upgrade, Microsoft Teams can now utilise AI to distinguish between the sounds from the speaker and the user’s voice, removing any echoes without limiting the capability of allowing various members to speak at the same time.
Sound corrections for poor room audibility
In certain conditions, room audibility can trigger a sound to bounce, or vibrate, making a user’s voice sound distorted. Now Microsoft Teams utilises a machine understanding model to transform acquired audio signals into superior quality sound as if the individual is talking right into a microphone.
The capacity to interrupt in order for true, natural communications
A genuine, true part of a conversation between people is the capability to interrupt. This is achieved through two-way audio transmission, meaning users can talk and listen to others simultaneously. If a user is not using a headset and they are using a device where the microphone and the speaker are close to each other, it can be hard to eliminate any echoes while still retaining good two-way audio. Microsoft Teams utilises a model “skilled up’’ with over 30,000 hours of speech models in order to maintain the required sound (voices) whilst controlling any annoying audio signals.
Background noise control
Due to the pandemic and remote working, we all have lots of experience of interrupting meetings thanks to a car alarm, someone at our door, dogs barking, etc. Microsoft has now allowed machine learning-based noise suppression as default for Teams users.
Video quality improvements
Microsoft have also recently announced innovations in AI-based screen and video sharing quality optimisation to help leverage AI in order to support all users and their companies to present at the highest standard. These include:
· Live screen optimization that adapts to the content users are sharing. Teams make use of machine learning to identify and modify the attributes of the content presented live, improving the legibility and efficiency of video playback or documents.
· Illumination and focus filters that put users or companies in the best light. The latest Teams AI-driven filters allow users the option to modify filters such as brightness to better adapt to environments with little light.
Employ the latest innovative updates from Microsoft Teams and unite your staff, partners and clients whilst becoming the latest business focused on upgrading and modernizing their company. Get in touch with us today and see why using a reliable, trustworthy, and highly regarded Microsoft consultant will help your business on its journey to digital renovation.
