Microsoft Teams calls will soon be more interactive than ever due to a new update from the company.
Responding to soaring user numbers across the globe as the coronavirus lockdown forces workers towards remote working, Microsoft Teams will soon support up to nine people on one screen at once.
Previously, users could only see four participants at any one time, meaning even greater collaboration between work or education teams.
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Announced by the Microsoft Teams Twitter account, the feature will be released before the end of April, and is one of several being released ahead of schedule as Microsoft looks to help users across the world benefit from better service.
Users will soon get the opportunity to contact the right person within their organisation using tags, allowing access to co-workers with specific skills, experience or roles. Microsoft says this could allow tagging of specific teams or departments within a business so as not to spam the whole organisation with queries such as customer support.
The update brings Microsoft Teams closer to its competitors, who have leapt ahead in terms of supporting large numbers of users on screen at any time. Zoom, which has rapidly become the service of choice for many, allows up to 49 users at any time on screen, with both WebEx and Google Hangouts supporting up to 25.
In the last couple of weeks, Microsoft had to tweak its cloud services multiple times to ensure uninterrupted services, while Zoom became an epicentre of cyber-security related controversies.
These recent updates from Microsoft are an attempt to improve what is already a great product and although Teams is way ahead of Zoom in terms of robust security, privacy and compliance, the latter is still a favourite among many users for its simplicity and ease of use.
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