![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/teams.9jpg-300x169.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
During lockdown, we got the ability to change the video call background<\/strong> so other participants couldn\u2019t see where you were really calling from, provided you were using a machine that was powerful enough to process the backgrounds. There are a couple of hacks that let you add custom backgrounds and, like many people, we all added pictures of our favourite spots around New Zealand. I also added a couple of work-branded backgrounds as an experiment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Background features are now rolling out to the mobile versions of Teams as well – Apple iOS and presumably Android.<\/p>\n Here are our favourites:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. You can now have 9 video callers<\/strong> on the screen at once. This will be one of the most popular features in the next update of Teams. For now, you turn it on manually, and in time this will become the default. Just be aware that the more video feeds, the more internet performance is required. Microsoft say that it will automatically adjust the number of video feeds to optimise your experience, but we\u2019re yet to use this enough to get a clear assessment of that. The worst case scenario is that you have to turn out the number of feeds for some meetings \u2013 that seems perfectly acceptable. There is more coming, with a tweet from Rish Tandon (Microsoft CVP Engineering for Microsoft Teams) promised they will soon let us see ALL participants in the meeting at the same time .<\/p>\n 2. Hands Up<\/strong>.\u00a0 This one is pretty simple but effective. It can be hard to get the attention of the meeting host sometimes, especially if you are on \u2018mute\u2019 or on a call with some very active participants that\u2019s making it hard for you to get a word in. You can now raise your hand so that they can see you have a contribution to make to the discussions 3. End Meeting for All<\/strong>.\u00a0 This can be is a bit of housekeeping. When the meeting is done, the organiser will now be able to shut it down for every one \u2013 great when you have lots of participants on the call and one or two walk away as the call ends, leaving it running.<\/p>\n 4. Auto-Lobby admission<\/strong>.\u00a0 If you have meetings with people outside your organisation, you might have noticed how sometimes people go into a \u2018Lobby\u2019 and have to wait to be accepted. That makes sense in many situations but sometimes it can be a real nuisance. You can click on the \u201cMeeting Options\u2019 in the appointment and change it to let people get straight in without the lobby barrier. Finally, number 5 is coming soon. The one feature we\u2019re looking forward to that is coming by mid-year is to have multiple Windows \u201cMulti-Window Chat\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 so you can have multiple chats or video callers AND shared content on the screen at your preference.<\/p>\n How to get the most from Teams<\/strong><\/p>\n Firstly, these updates are rolling out slowly. It might take a few weeks to appear for you. You can accelerate the downloads if they are available by picking \u2018check for updates\u2019 from the right hand top menu. If it is available, you\u2019ll see the 3×3 option in your settings, and for now you turn it on manually, and in time this will become the default. Just be aware that the more video feeds, the more internet performance is required.<\/p>\n I really like Teams because it combines video-calling with messaging and discussions. It includes online file sharing, and it lets us embed intelligent forms and work processes. Teams is so much more than any of these things individually, because it gives us the ability to bring these capabilities together and combine them to create immersive work experiences. The result is allowing us to be more efficient and more productive. Of course, that can require some guidance and handholding for some people as not everyone has the same interests or strengths. That\u2019s why we offer Adoption and Change Management services with our colleagues at Kambium.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Likewise you can use Teams, or you can really USE teams and get the most from it. That includes<\/p>\n We can you help you with all of these to help your organisation to become real Team players!<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Imagine trying to survive lockdown without tools like Teams? Necessity has made us all experts in video-calling, and it\u2019s left us wanting more! During lockdown, we got the ability to change the video call background so other participants couldn\u2019t see where you were really calling from, provided you were using a machine that was powerful […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"[header2 text=\"Imagine trying to survive lockdown without tools like Teams? \" align=\"left\" color=\"#336A40\" margintop=\"\"]Necessity has made us all experts in video-calling, and it\u2019s left us wanting more!<\/strong>\n\n[wow_spacing size=\"20px\"]\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/TeamsTweet-300x138.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/TeamsHands-300x64.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/TeamsOptions2-300x126.png\")
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/TeamsOptions-300x134.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n\nDuring lockdown, we got the ability to change the video call background<\/strong> so other participants couldn\u2019t see where you were really calling from, provided you were using a machine that was powerful enough to process the backgrounds. There are a couple of hacks that let you add custom backgrounds and, like many people, we all added pictures of our favourite spots around New Zealand. I also added a couple of work-branded backgrounds as an experiment.\n\n \n\nBackground features are now rolling out to the mobile versions of Teams as well - Apple iOS and presumably Android.\n\n[wow_spacing size=\"20px\"]\n\n[wow_colorme]Here are our favourites:[\/wow_colorme]<\/strong>\n\n\n\n1. You can now have 9 video callers<\/strong> on the screen at once. This will be one of the most popular features in the next update of Teams. For now, you turn it on manually, and in time this will become the default. Just be aware that the more video feeds, the more internet performance is required. Microsoft say that it will automatically adjust the number of video feeds to optimise your experience, but we\u2019re yet to use this enough to get a clear assessment of that. The worst case scenario is that you have to turn out the number of feeds for some meetings \u2013 that seems perfectly acceptable. There is more coming, with a tweet from Rish Tandon (Microsoft CVP Engineering for Microsoft Teams) promised they will soon let us see ALL participants in the meeting at the same time .\n\n2. Hands Up<\/strong>.\u00a0 This one is pretty simple but effective. It can be hard to get the attention of the meeting host sometimes, especially if you are on \u2018mute\u2019 or on a call with some very active participants that\u2019s making it hard for you to get a word in. You can now raise your hand so that they can see you have a contribution to make to the discussions\n\n3. End Meeting for All<\/strong>.\u00a0 This can be is a bit of housekeeping. When the meeting is done, the organiser will now be able to shut it down for every one \u2013 great when you have lots of participants on the call and one or two walk away as the call ends, leaving it running.\n\n4. Auto-Lobby admission<\/strong>.\u00a0 If you have meetings with people outside your organisation, you might have noticed how sometimes people go into a \u2018Lobby\u2019 and have to wait to be accepted. That makes sense in many situations but sometimes it can be a real nuisance. You can click on the \u201cMeeting Options\u2019 in the appointment and change it to let people get straight in without the lobby barrier.\n\nFinally, number 5 is coming soon. The one feature we\u2019re looking forward to that is coming by mid-year is to have multiple Windows \u201cMulti-Window Chat\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 so you can have multiple chats or video callers AND shared content on the screen at your preference.\n\n[wow_spacing size=\"20px\"]\n\n[wow_colorme]How to get the most from Teams[\/wow_colorme]<\/strong>\n\nFirstly, these updates are rolling out slowly. It might take a few weeks to appear for you. You can accelerate the downloads if they are available by picking \u2018check for updates\u2019 from the right hand top menu. If it is available, you\u2019ll see the 3x3 option in your settings, and for now you turn it on manually, and in time this will become the default. Just be aware that the more video feeds, the more internet performance is required.\n\n[wow_spacing size=\"15px\"]\n\nI really like Teams because it combines video-calling with messaging and discussions. It includes online file sharing, and it lets us embed intelligent forms and work processes. Teams is so much more than any of these things individually, because it gives us the ability to bring these capabilities together and combine them to create immersive work experiences. The result is allowing us to be more efficient and more productive. Of course, that can require some guidance and handholding for some people as not everyone has the same interests or strengths. That\u2019s why we offer Adoption and Change Management services with our colleagues at Kambium.<\/a>\n\n[wow_spacing size=\"15px\"]\n\nLikewise you can use Teams, or you can really USE teams and get the most from it. That includes\n\n \t