Unveiling New Features in Microsoft Teams Admin Center: A Comprehensive Guide

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 Introduction

In today's fast-paced world, keeping up with technological advancements is paramount. Microsoft Teams continues to be at the forefront of innovation, introducing new features that enhance user experience and streamline administrative functions. This blog post delves into the latest updates, providing insights to maximize their utility.

Screenshot of the Microsoft Teams admin center dashboard. The main navigation on the left lists options like Home, Teams, Locations, Users, Devices, Teams apps, Messaging policies, Voice, Meetings, Policy packages, Planning, Analytics & reports, Notifications & alerts, Other settings, and Provide feedback. The main dashboard showcases various panels: Insight: A card highlighting 'Device utilization low' with a message saying '16 devices had utilization below 10% in the past month. 25 devices had utilization above 75%. Consider re-distributing the inventory for a better experience.' An accompanying image shows a conference room with a table, chairs, and devices. Current summary: A pie chart labeled 'Devices 623' shows segments colored for Healthy, Critical, Non-urgent, and Offline devices. Device distribution by location: A world map with blue dots indicating locations of devices. An option to 'View details' is also present. Device utilization: Bar graphs representing device usage on a Daily, Weekly, and Monthly basis. The bars differentiate between types of devices: Teams phones, Teams meetings, Teams displays, and Teams panels. Overall health profile: Stacked bar graphs for 7 Days, 30 Days, and 60 Days showing the health statuses: Healthy, Offline, Non-urgent, and Critical. MTR usage: A line graph depicting MTR usage over a span of 7 days, 30 days, and 60 days. Devices needing attention: A filterable list with options such as Teams Rooms on Windows, Teams Rooms on Android, Teams Phones, Surface Hubs, Displays, SIP devices, and Panels. Mean time to Health: Bar graphs showing the mean time in health on a Weekly and Monthly basis. The top right of the dashboard has various icons for notifications, settings, and user profile, and a search bar is present at the top center.


1. Teams Device Dashboard

Overview: Microsoft Teams is rolling out a device dashboard that offers detailed information on device health and usage managed through the Teams admin center. This feature also includes data export capabilities, auto-sharing of insights, and alerts on vital metrics.

Background: Unlike the previous Teams Admin Center which only provided current state information, this dashboard enables performance tracking over time. This comparative data provides valuable insights, enabling prompt action when required.

Impact to Administrators: This update empowers administrators to monitor device performance directly from the Teams admin center. By flagging potential issues, it ensures uninterrupted user experiences.

Limitations: Access may vary based on roles. Only admins with global access will view data from devices without a signed-in user.

Screenshot of the Microsoft Teams admin center dashboard. The main navigation on the left lists options like Home, Teams, Locations, Users, Devices, Teams apps, Messaging policies, Voice, Meetings, Policy packages, Planning, Analytics & reports, Notifications & alerts, Other settings, and Provide feedback. The main dashboard showcases various panels: Insight: A card highlighting 'Device utilization low' with a message saying '16 devices had utilization below 10% in the past month. 25 devices had utilization above 75%. Consider re-distributing the inventory for a better experience.' An accompanying image shows a conference room with a table, chairs, and devices. Current summary: A pie chart labeled 'Devices 623' shows segments colored for Healthy, Critical, Non-urgent, and Offline devices. Device distribution by location: A world map with blue dots indicating locations of devices. An option to 'View details' is also present. Device utilization: Bar graphs representing device usage on a Daily, Weekly, and Monthly basis. The bars differentiate between types of devices: Teams phones, Teams meetings, Teams displays, and Teams panels. Overall health profile: Stacked bar graphs for 7 Days, 30 Days, and 60 Days showing the health statuses: Healthy, Offline, Non-urgent, and Critical. MTR usage: A line graph depicting MTR usage over a span of 7 days, 30 days, and 60 days. Devices needing attention: A filterable list with options such as Teams Rooms on Windows, Teams Rooms on Android, Teams Phones, Surface Hubs, Displays, SIP devices, and Panels. Mean time to Health: Bar graphs showing the mean time in health on a Weekly and Monthly basis. The top right of the dashboard has various icons for notifications, settings, and user profile, and a search bar is present at the top center.


2. Nightly Reboot Maintenance for Teams Rooms on Android

Overview: Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android will now benefit from a nightly reboot maintenance window. This feature aims to boost reliability and address potential issues.

Impact to Administrators and Users: This maintenance window, activated by default, will trigger automatic reboots between 1 AM and 3 AM, depending on the device's time zone. Administrators can modify or disable this function via the Teams admin center.

3. Enhanced Device Security

Overview: In a bid to bolster device security, the value of the default admin password in configuration profiles for Android-based Teams devices will no longer be displayed in the Teams admin center.

Impact to Administrators: While the default admin password will be concealed, administrators can still reset it as necessary. This ensures robust security without compromising administrative functionality.

Screenshot of the Microsoft Teams admin center for Contoso Electronics. On the left sidebar, menu options include 'Teams upgrade settings', 'Users', 'Teams devices' with a sub-menu including items such as 'Store', 'Teams Rooms on Windows', 'Teams Rooms on Android', 'Surface Hubs', and several others. In the main content area, the page title reads 'Network settings'. Under this title, there are network configuration settings such as 'DHCP enabled' (with options 'On' and 'Off'), 'Logging enabled', 'Host name' (with input labeled 'host'), 'Domain name' (with input labeled 'domain.com'), and other networking related fields like 'IP address', 'Subnet mask', 'Default gateway', 'Primary DNS', 'Secondary DNS'. Notably, the field labeled 'Device's default admin password' is highlighted with a red box, and its input field is empty. On the top-right corner, there are icon buttons including a search icon, help icon, and a user icon labeled 'MA'.


4. Room Reservation via QR Code in Teams Panels

Overview: In an era of touchless technology, Microsoft Teams introduces a feature that allows users to book rooms using QR codes. This innovative function ensures quick room reservations using the Teams app on Android or iOS devices.

Impact to Administrators: For optimal performance, administrators must ensure the latest Teams Panels update is installed. The feature is activated by default but can be disabled if desired.

Impact to Users: Reserving rooms has never been easier. Users simply scan the QR code using their mobile phone and choose their preferred reservation option in the Teams app.

Limitations: Android users with both personal and work profiles on their devices may encounter scanning issues. For functionality, mobile system/OS scanner must be added in the work profile. Additionally, this feature is exclusive to Shared Device and Pro licenses and requires users to belong to the same tenant as the room.

A digital display for 'Huddle Room 30' showcasing the room's schedule for Monday, June 12, 2023. At the top-left corner, there's a QR code labeled 'Scan to reserve'. The current time, '9:35 AM', is displayed prominently near the top. To the right, there is a list of scheduled meetings for the day: 'Marketing meeting' from 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM with Laurence Gilbertson. 'New Hire Meeting' from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. A slot labeled 'Available' from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. 'Daily SCRUM' from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. On the bottom left corner is an icon denoting 'Room equipment'. There's also a 'Check-in' button on the top right.


Conclusion

Microsoft Teams remains committed to enhancing user experiences and simplifying administrative tasks. These new features are a testament to this commitment. Stay updated and make the most of these exciting innovations.

Location: London, UK

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