Working collectively can flip nice concepts into actuality and convey individuals collectively as a staff. We’ve been taking note of our prospects’ evolving wants within the AI-powered office, which require sooner, less complicated, and smarter options to attain extra. Over the previous 12 months, we’ve made Microsoft Groups twice as quick and added new options like clever recap for conferences; customized emojis for enjoyable and expression; co-editable code blocks for builders; “Meet now” for fast, casual huddle in chat; and extra.
We’re thrilled to announce the following step in our journey to form the way forward for collaboration with the introduction of the brand new chat and channels expertise. This new expertise is designed that will help you collaborate extra effectively and successfully. It’s easy by default, enabling everybody to remain on high of what issues, and it’s highly effective on demand, permitting you to prepare info and talk your manner. The brand new chat and channels expertise is coming to public preview in November.
“The redesigned Microsoft Groups chat & channels expertise has simplified the best way we work at T‑Cell. It has streamlined our communication, and our workers admire the flexibleness to customise Groups to match the best way they wish to collaborate.”
—Aravind Manchireddy, SVP, Know-how Operations, T‑Cell
Easy by default
The tempo of labor has elevated exponentially, making it tougher to maintain up with the excessive quantity of conversations, handle messages scattered throughout totally different areas, and discover info. We’ve redesigned the chat and channels expertise to simplify your digital workspace by bringing chats, groups, and channels into one place underneath Chat. This integrates each chat and channels into your crucial workflows, making it simpler to entry, triage, and manage your conversations.
At launch, a self-service, guided onboarding stream throughout the product will assist customers uncover the brand new expertise and configure it to their preferences. Customers preferring to maintain chat and channels separate can simply achieve this through the onboarding course of, or at any time later, with no need IT help.
The brand new @mentions view helps you rise up to hurry on messages directed at you in a single place, guaranteeing conversations that require your consideration don’t slip by the cracks. Breeze by your day by day triage with the brand new filters that provide help to give attention to what’s necessary now, like unread messages in chats or channels, with out muted conversations or assembly chats getting in the best way. Catch up asynchronously on assembly chats at your comfort with Copilot assembly recap.
Highly effective on demand
Speaking and collaborating with a number of individuals on a number of initiatives can really feel like attempting to maintain your desk or workplace organized. Simply as a cluttered workspace could make it more durable to search out what you want and keep productive, a busy digital workspace could make it difficult to catch up, discover info, and keep efficient all through the day. The brand new chat and channels expertise in Groups empowers you to prepare your work atmosphere to suit your wants. With customized sections, you’ll be able to carry all related conversations on a mission or matter collectively into one place, be it in chats, channels, conferences, together with Groups bots or AI brokers. The brand new favorites part is accessible for everybody by default, bringing collectively all of your pinned chats and channels from the earlier expertise.
Each person has a singular manner of working. Now, you’ll be able to customise Groups chat and channels to align together with your private workflow and most popular info consumption type. With new controls, you’ll be able to select to view chat and channels individually, see message previews, or show all channels in a single listing. This manner, you create a digital workspace that actually helps you soar.
See what’s subsequent for the brand new chat and channels expertise in Groups
Embark in your journey with the brand new chat and channels expertise right this moment and rework the best way you join, focus, and collaborate. Be part of lots of of shoppers like VML, who’re utilizing the brand new chat and channels expertise as a part of the Groups personal preview program.
Your work isn’t restricted to only a desktop, so we’re excited to carry the brand new chat and channels expertise to all units for seamless productiveness. That is coming to desktop, cell, iOS, and Android, guaranteeing you’ll be able to keep linked and environment friendly wherever you’re.
We’re simply getting began, and we’re dedicated to creating Groups extra streamlined and less complicated with enhancements like threaded conversations. We’re starting to check threaded conversations with prospects this quarter and can broaden testing in early 2025, with broad availability anticipated in mid-2025.
To study extra and deep dive into the total listing of options, go to the Tech Neighborhood weblog and the new Microsoft Adoption web page. Prospects with entry to Groups public preview will be capable of check out the brand new interface beginning in November 2024. To activate, select “Get began” if you see the welcome display screen for the brand new chat and channels expertise.
For the newest analysis insights on the way forward for work and generative AI, go to WorkLab.
