After a month-long hiatus, I discover myself again within the acquainted but ever-evolving panorama of know-how. My time away was a treasured alternative to disconnect, recharge, and spend time with household and shut kinfolk. To my shock, I spent much less time on LinkedIn throughout my trip. It’s in these quiet interludes which are wanted and we get renewed. And speaking about renewals, I’m humbled and honored to share with you that I used to be renewed for a Microsoft MVP (Most Priceless Skilled) 12 months. That is my sixth 12 months in this system, and it has been a terrific journey. I’ve met and related with so many individuals, that I’d not have met with out being an MVP. All these individuals spark and ignite inspiration and there’s a huge quantity of information, insights and experiences shared! I modified a class a bit this time once more, because it has been the period of AI (Synthetic Intelligence), I obtained dual-category MVP award for Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Groups) and AI Platform (Azure AI Providers). Try my MVP profile!
As I reacquaint myself with the bustling world of thrilling tech, I’m notably centered to the developments in Microsoft’s Cloud. The tempo of innovation by no means stops, and it’s clear that Microsoft Copilot, Groups, and Azure AI haven’t stood nonetheless throughout July. On this publish, I’ll be highlighting some chosen options in Copilot and Groups (& Mesh) which have caught my consideration – I’ll write about Azure AI later. From clever help to collaborative breakthroughs, these instruments are reshaping the way in which we work and work together.
Don’t miss these occasions, the place I’m talking throughout autumn!
Let’s begin exploring what’s new!
Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 Catch up Outlook Phrase Excel Microsoft Groups Customized emojis Activate and off channel publish notifications Microsoft Designer in Groups New Notification choices Microsoft Mesh
Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365
Catch up
I’ve been ready for this one to look. Catch up helps you stand up to hurry with the assistance of Copilot concerning paperwork and conferences. You’ll find this whenever you open Copilot and spot Catch up subsequent to “Strive these prompts”.
Catch up is a brand new tab you possibly can simply open and see what sort of updates there are. I don’t see this but in all tenants the place I’ve entry to the Copilot so it’s nonetheless rolling in.
My private tenant doesn’t have another collaborators, so catch up will probably be much less helpful in that one. However I hope to see this in my work tenant quickly. image at Microsoft’s materials we are able to see higher what this will probably be whenever you see it in your Copilot:
The Catch up characteristic shows personalised playing cards providing vital updates and actionable suggestions, permitting you to swiftly grasp vital factors from supplies and recorded periods that you just didn’t attend or would possibly wish to evaluate. Moreover, Copilot assists in assembly preparation by recommending related paperwork.
Outlook
The side-panel Copilot in Outlook, can provoke now a brand new draft reply to an e-mail message – utilizing the data in e-mail messages. For instance (word: typos don’t matter 😊 )
It creates a brand new draft message in Outlook, and allows you to proceed engaged on the reply from there.
Phrase
I feel the largest information right here is that Copilot’s context has elevated. Now Copilot in Phrase can summarize paperwork containing (approx) as much as 80 000 phrases – that’s about 160 pages. This relies on the language as effectively. My guess is that Copilot in Phrase is now internally utilizing GPT-4o mannequin with 128k token context. As tokens are elements of phrases, it might goal 80k phrases in doc ballpark.
Excel
When customers request Copilot to switch desk information, it outlines the supposed adjustments and presents a button to execute the alterations, giving customers higher perception to find out whether or not to go forward with the alteration. Customers can modify the adjustments earlier than making use of them at their comfort. For instance, I’ve this (very small) pattern dataset:
Once I ask Copilot to spotlight months the place gross sales are bigger than alternatives it exhibits me what it’s going to do. It’s nice how Copilot will probably be saving time when working with conditional formatting in Excel.
After hitting Apply, it does the highlighting for me.
At the moment Copilot in Excel doesn’t have the potential so as to add a sum cell (like for instance Sum of Gross sales), nevertheless it was introduced throughout July that it is going to be coming quickly. Once I simply tried it out, it’s nonetheless summing it the previous method: including a pivot desk to a brand new sheet. Fingers crossed it’ll seem quickly!
Microsoft Groups
Now, let’s get to what’s new in Groups. First, I wish to spotlight one thing enjoyable:
Customized emojis
Sure, you possibly can add your individual photographs and gifs to Groups message reactions. You can begin including your customized emojis by choosing the emoji+ icon proper earlier than the pen-icon to edit your message.
When the pop-out opens, click on the rightmost icon on the underside row.
That is the place you can begin including your individual gifs and pictures by clicking + after which choosing the picture (or gif) you wish to use as emoji. I have already got added Copilot and clippy, however there’s room for extra. When you have got added the picture, you get a window to see instance makes use of and it’s good to enter a novel identify to your response. The identify must be lowercase and with out areas.
And because the data field on high says: emojis you add will probably be seen for everybody in your group. Your identification can be linked to your emoji. Let’s identify this emoji mesh.
After clicking Add emoji you possibly can see mesh emoji in customized emojis.
We will use it usually .
We will additionally add customized emojis to our chosen emojis to react messages.
To edit your favourite emojis, choose the smiley + pen icon subsequent to go looking magnification glass on “Discover one thing enjoyable”.
It’s also possible to add customized emojis to your messages. Simply open the emoji-button and seek for it (or navigate to customized emojis and choose the one you wish to use).
Fairly enjoyable, isn’t it? Including customized emojis is on by default for all customers and admins can delete them.
Proper clicks the emoji, to open data who added it and optionally delete it, when you have delete permissions.
Now, if you’re an admin or enterprise resolution maker nervous about individuals placing every kind of emojis there are controls out there.
Flip the characteristic on/off for the entire tenant by way of the Messaging Settings web page (on by default).
Set which customers can create new emojis by way of the Messaging Coverage teams (on for all customers by default).
Set which customers can delete emojis by way of the Messaging Coverage teams (off for all customers besides admins by default).
Learn extra from customized emojis Microsoft Be taught article.
Activate and off channel publish notifications
If you wish to follow-up dialog in a dialog thread in channels – otherwise you wish to mute it simply click on the … menu within the message to see the choice.
Turning off notifications is particularly helpful, whenever you add one thing to the thread however don’t wish to be bothered by it anymore.
Microsoft Designer in Groups
What is kind of enjoyable (and likewise helpful!), is that Microsoft Designer is now built-in instantly into Groups. You should utilize it in each chats and channels. With Designer you possibly can generate photographs with out leaving Groups in any respect.
Simply at-mention Designer when writing a message and sort in your picture immediate.
Designer then creates the picture on to the dialog
Simply click on the picture open, you wish to use, and duplicate or obtain it.
New Notification choices
And because the closing characteristic, try new notification settings there are for notification sounds.
It’s good to have extra management when sounds are performed with notifications.
Microsoft Mesh
Microsoft Mesh additionally received information throughout July. A number of key picks of current ones:
Occasion templates updatedPrebuilt occasion templates (Meadow and Oasis) have gotten updates. They mechanically now embrace screenshare object, so these templates can be utilized in additional eventualities with out a have to make any sort of customizations. Customization continues to be out there usually, whenever you wish to add photographs, movies, and so forth.
Revisit occasion hyperlinks Use previous hyperlinks you’ve obtained whenever you created your occasion, or share the hyperlink with others, to rejoin previous occasions. Merely choose the hyperlink to open the Mesh utility and rejoin your previous occasions.
Extra avatar reactionsNew avatar reactions are coming each on Groups and Mesh occasions.
Avatar private boundaryThis one will probably be helpful for a loads of individuals. Avatars now have a private boundary to forestall different individuals from strolling via avatars or standing too shut. This helps to extend consolation and security whereas in immersive areas. Avatar private boundary is obtainable in all Mesh experiences.
Updates to community setup necessities, improved audio qualityMicrosoft Mesh is transitioning to make use of Microsoft Groups’ backend for spatial audio, promising improved audio high quality and easier community setup necessities for customers with Mesh app variations 5.2407+. The rollout, beginning now, is predicted to finish by late July 2024. No admin motion is required earlier than the rollout.
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I work, weblog and talk about Future Work : AI, Microsoft 365, Copilot, Microsoft Mesh, Metaverse, and different companies & platforms within the cloud connecting digital and bodily and folks collectively.
I’ve about 30 years of expertise in IT enterprise on a number of industries, domains, and roles.
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