This new Microsoft Teams update might take all the fun out of video calls

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Your workplace calls could soon feel even more like being in the office thanks to more customization options for Microsoft Teams.

The company has revealed that companies will soon be able to set a custom background for use during Microsoft Teams video conferencing calls.

This could be a branded background featuring the company logo, or just a uniform design that finally removes the risk of looking into worker's homes during a call.

Teams branding

Microsoft Teams users can already choose to replace the background in their calls with a certain image, as well as picking from a choice of default backgrounds supplied in the platform.

Now, Microsoft is allowing what it calls "org-wide meeting branding" for companies to issue a standarized option for all workers when on a call.

"Customize your meetings with your organization's logo. Upload multiple options, and choose which to use when you're creating a meeting," the menu for the new feature, as spotted by MSPowerUser, says. As well as enable company-wide background images, there is also the option to have specific branding in a meeting lobby.

For now, the option, which is in preview for the time being, is only available for companies where the meeting organizer has an active Advanced Communications license, but it surely will roll out to a wider reach soon.

The news comes shortly after Microsoft revealed its plans for Teams to be the go-to online platform for webinars as well as conference calls with a new update soon allowing the software to support interactive webinars for people inside and outside of an organization with up to 1,000 attendees.

The new Microsoft Teams feature will help users support fully interactive webinars from start to finish, offering tools such as custom registration, rich presentation options, host controls such as the ability to disable attendee chat and video, and post-event reporting.

If the webinar ends up topping 1,000 users, Microsoft Teams can switch to instead offering a 10,000-person view-only broadcast experience.

We've also ranked the best headsets for conference calls

Via MSPowerUser

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Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK's leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he's not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.