Microsoft Places is a new connected workplace app that reimagines flexible work. Available soon with your Microsoft Teams Premium Licence.
People continue to want flexibility at work—Microsoft research shows that nearly half (48%) of global employees are likely to ask their direct manager for a more flexible work schedule or location in the next year.*
But people also want to feel connected to their colleagues and their company. AI innovation is already improving how we work; improving where we work is the next opportunity. With Microsoft Places, an app that reimagines flexible work, AI can make coordinating in-office time and connecting with coworkers even easier.
Top features:
1. Fosters improved coordination and connection:
- Easily coordinate across coworkers and spaces in the office. Places location plan allows you to set and share your proposed location schedule with coworkers while also viewing their plans.
- Features are accessible across surfaces you regularly use for coordination and collaboration, like Outlook and Microsoft Teams
- Integration of Places data into Microsoft Copilot will make coordination even easier. Coming in the second half of 2024, you will be able to use Copilot to understand which days are best to come into the office.
- With expanded presence, a new Places feature that appears across Microsoft 365 apps, you can see coworkers who are nearby. With awareness of who is around, quick chats can happen in-person or an overdue lunch can be scheduled.
*May 2024 Work Trend Index survey, Microsoft.
2. Optimise the effectiveness of the workplace:
- Understanding of what spaces are available and how they are being used. Combining intent and actual occupancy patterns available in Places allows administrators to see a clearer picture of the space available and what’s actually needed.
- Improve the utilisation of spaces is another important input in managing the workplace: more integrated check-in functionality for conference rooms and shared desks, administrators can adjust policies to automatically release unused rooms or desks that have been booked.
- Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro Management provides valuable space and device utilisation data for meeting and collaboration spaces and shared desks that can help validate intent data in Places.
- Coming in the second half of 2024, the data from Places will enable Copilot to provide additional intelligence to guide IT admins and Facilities professionals on how to manage and adapt space.
- How it works: Places will be licensed as part of Microsoft Teams Premium, contributing to the Teams vision to build a smart workplace.
To find out how Symity can help you with this, get in touch.
For a practical demo, watch the video.
For more information on our Microsoft Teams Room offering, visit our MTR Hub.
Wesley Budd
Strategic Partner Manager - Microsoft & MTR Vendors
Symity