Each month, our M365 PACE experts give us their insights into what’s new on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. Here are some key announcements for Microsoft Teams and SharePoint you need to know about from December 2022.
Microsoft Teams meetings
Microsoft Teams: Support for co-organisers to manage Breakout Rooms
(Microsoft Roadmap ID 105014)
With this new feature, co-organisers of Microsoft Teams meetings can create, manage and move between Breakout Rooms just like organisers. With the updated feature, co-organisers will be able to:
- create rooms;
- configure room settings, including appointing additional Breakout Room managers;
- assign participants;
- add or remove rooms;
- open or close rooms;
- send announcements;
- rename or delete rooms.
Users assigned as co-organisers in the main meeting will be able to create and manage Breakout Rooms on behalf of the organiser. They will be automatically assigned co-organiser in Breakout Room meetings and will be able to access and modify meeting options for any Breakout Room. They will be treated like organisers as soon as rooms are opened, able to join and move freely between them.
The preview of this new feature is being rolled out this month, while the standard release is expected to be completed over January 2023.
Microsoft Forms: Instant Poll in Teams meeting
(Microsoft Roadmap ID 96670)
Screenshot showing the option to ‘Launch instant poll’ in the Teams meeting Polls app.
Microsoft Forms is introducing a new Instant Poll question type in the Polls app available in Teams meetings. The new feature will allow presenters to quickly launch a binary poll to gather responses from meeting attendees.
If you’re presenting, you can launch polls without any advanced preparation – all you need to do is say your question out loud and click the icon corresponding the response you’d like people to answer. Microsoft Polls is currently the only app that offers a one-click instant binary poll.
Screenshots of the three available response options in Instant Polls.
Microsoft Teams chats
Delete chats
(Microsoft Roadmap ID 90723)
Screenshot showing how to access the ‘delete chat’ option in Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams is introducing the option to delete chats. You can permanently delete entire conversations from your recent chats. This won’t affect what any other users in the chat will see.
You can delete 1:1, group and meeting chats in which you participated. This only deletes the chat for you – the conversation history doesn’t change for any other people in the chat.
Admins can turn off this capability from the admin portal under messaging policies. If it’s turned off, users will no longer see the option to delete chat.
Admin portal option to switch off delete chat in messaging policies.
SharePoint
New SharePoint site templates – including one for Microsoft Syntex users
(Microsoft Roadmap ID 102380)
Screenshot showing the new options within the template menu for SharePoint sites.
Microsoft is introducing three new SharePoint site templates that will make it easier to create sites for:
- HR departments;
- showcasing events;
- contract management powered by Microsoft Syntex.
SharePoint site templates save you time, target specific scenarios and help train you in the art of the possible. There is a wide, growing collection of templates for team and communication sites, and all the templates are easily configurable post-deployment.
The two HR and events templates will allow you to highlight and showcase content, and share the information across your organisation. The HR site brings together all the information your employees need to navigate the complexities of employment and benefits. The events template includes a variety of layout suggestions to help you highlight any upcoming event.
With the contracts management template, powered by Microsoft Syntex, you have the opportunity to learn more about how Syntex works while getting started straight away. This template comes with a pre-built tutorial and some established models that will help your team get started with Syntex.
Find out more about M365 PACE
Are you finding it challenging for your organisation to stay ahead of change in Microsoft 365? Our M365 PACE service provides you with tailored, expert guidance to help you focus on what’s most valuable. Get in touch to find out more about staying ahead of change in Microsoft 365.
