Immersive events are the latest feature added to Microsoft teams – but what is it and why does it matter?
Who, what, where, why?
The new system enables organizers to host 3D environments where employees can join as avatars. In this virtual space, team members have the opportunity to communicate, collaborate, and engage in training.
The spaces will be accessible through PC and Mac systems, ideal for companies in the early stages of their immersive collaboration journey. The events can be joined via Meta Quest products as well, for an even more dynamic experience.
Microsoft highlighted in their announcement post that organizers will have creative freedom over their events, customizing the look and activities as required. However, there will be ready-made templates for those no-frills-required events.
The service is now available. It looks to replace Microsoft Mesh, which has been retired.
The opportunities in store
The primary benefit of this new feature is stated simply by the Microsoft team:
Make events more immersive and memorable.
We can already imagine it being rolled out for product launches, new demos, and big announcements. It could even host a few social events in this festive period…
The UC platform boasts that immersive events will help foster interactive workplace experiences without requiring a single line of code from its users.
And its ease of use is one of its biggest strengths. Immersive events will be integrated into the tools that thousands of companies already use daily, such as the Teams calendar and chat.
With that, it seems a world of collaboration and communication productivity has been opened.
What remains to be seen
Like any new product that gets integrated into the workplace stack, there will be concerns around compliance.
Microsoft clarified that immersive events will be covered by the identity management, security, and privacy systems that are already found in Microsoft 365.
But some testing will be required to see how exactly that translates to this virtual space full of digital avatars.
Thinking bigger picture, it remains to be seen how big a step this will be in the progression of the metaverse.
Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted how AI tools can make metaverse design easier and faster than ever before.
However, the test of metaverse success is not just about IT innovation, but about a change in mindset. Where these 3D spaces have long been associated with gaming adventures, companies must now see them as workplace tools.
A final take
Microsoft Teams’ new immersive events have set a foundation for workplace collaboration, right where it is already happening.
But first productivity gains will need to be proven, to spark that cultural shift among the enterprise decision-makers who will lead adoption.
