Tom Arbuthnot's Microsoft 365 Perspective

Many thanks to Pure IP Enterprise Voice, this month's Empowering.Cloud Benefactor. I recently spoke with Alistair Pidd about the five Microsoft Teams Phone User personas.

Microsoft Teams Monthly Update Video July

Check out my monthly Microsoft Teams update for July, all the news you need to know in less than 15 minutes on LinkedIn or Empowering.Cloud.

You can also catch the audio version on the Teams Insider Podcast feed.

Microsoft Teams News

Mercedes becomes the first to add in-car Microsoft Teams video calls!

The new feature enables drivers to join Teams meetings using the car's built-in camera and microphones, even while the vehicle is in motion. The system automatically turns off the reception of video streams and shared content while driving. Other participants can continue to see the driver, or the driver can switch off their camera.

This feature, called Enhanced Meetings for Teams, is coming starting with the upcoming CLA. More is coming: Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft are developing integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot, one of the first implementations of generative AI in cars.

Microsoft Teams is introducing a new meeting join pop-up "banner" this month. The banner pops for meetings you accepted or tentatively RSVP'd, and enables direct joining (listing all your meetings if you are double or triple-booked. Screenshot and details in MC1115979

Intelligent meeting recaps will incorporate content shared on screen into the AI-based summary. An excellent new capability. However, it appears to be available only if you have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.

Remember, before Copilot, back in 2021, when we were all going to live in the Mesh and the Metaverse? Microsoft is scaling back this vision. Microsoft Mesh will retire on December 1, 2025, and recommends that users who seek a 3D experience schedule Immersive events in Teams. MC1111181

M365 Copilot Updates

This week, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Agent. ChatGPT agent allows ChatGPT to complete complex online tasks on your behalf. It switches between reasoning and action, conducting in-depth research across public websites, uploading files, connecting third-party sources (such as email and document repositories), and performing actions like filling out forms and editing spreadsheets.

Very quickly after the announcement, Jared Spataro said this will come to Microsoft 365 Copilot in two ways:

• Researcher agent will get a new "computer use mode" so it can complete complex tasks on your behalf.
• Microsoft will launch a new autonomous agent that functions like a member of your team. You define the job description and parameters—then put it to work on your PC. This new agent will be provisioned with an Entra ID and managed through Intune.

New on Empowering.Cloud

• Understand Microsoft's Native AI Agents, Researcher, Analyst and more with Microsoft Senior Copilot Solution Engineers Alev Tamer and Chris Wheeler
• Global Microsoft Teams Phone Rollout: Keys to Success - practical strategies here
• Mastering Microsoft Teams Queues App: Use Cases & Walkthrough with MVP Zach Bennett and Emily Kirby George, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Teams Calling
• The 5 Microsoft Teams Phone User Personas for Deployment Success - Alistair Pidd at Pure IP Enterprise Voice gives great insight into how to persona map for Teams Phone success

Teams Insider Podcast

• Managing Microsoft Teams at Enterprise Scale with Callum Moore, Enterprise Product Manager for Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft's AI Shift and Fastest Ever Changes with Mary Jo Foley, tech journalist and Editor in Chief at Directions on Microsoft.
• Operators Driving Customer Success - Colt and AudioCodes Live Platform strategic partnership with David Renfree, Manager of UC Sales Specialists at Colt Technology Services, and Jason Wyatt, EMEA Marketing Director at AudioCodes.
• Transforming Meeting Spaces with AI: The year ahead, Mehryn Corrigan, WW Channel Sales Teams Rooms with Mehryn Corrigan, Microsoft Global Channel Sales Lead for Microsoft Teams Rooms.

On Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube

Events

Online events:

• Mastering Microsoft 365 Change and Message Center - with Ally Ward, M365 Product & Platform Services Manager at a global legal firm and MVP Michael Blumenthal - breaking out all the year-to-date stats from ChangePilot - 29th July
• Copilot Fireside Chat with Bas Breskelmans, Microsoft CTO Copilot Studio - 31st July
• Teams Fireside Chat with Patrichi Dash, Product Manager, Dynamics 365 CS at Microsoft - 14th August
• Microsoft Teams Devices Ask Me Anything - 20th August

In-Person events:

• Microsoft UC User Group London September 2025 - 24th Sept
• UCX London - 1st - 2nd October - planning some great Microsoft talks and a user group takeover

More on our events page.

As always, if you have questions, corrections, thoughts, or feedback, please reply and let me know. I read all the replies.

Thanks

Tom

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