Microsoft Teams continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with a slew of updates rolled out over the past month that enhance collaboration, security, and AI integration. Whether you’re an IT admin, a frontline worker, or a power user, there’s something new for everyone. Here’s a roundup of the most impactful changes.

 Smarter Collaboration with AI Agents

One of the most exciting developments is the expansion of AI-powered agents across Teams:

  • Channel Agents: Now in public preview, these agents live within Teams channels and assist with meeting agendas, task extraction, summaries, and proactive updates like status reports.
  • Facilitator Agent: This AI assistant helps run meetings more efficiently by managing agendas, tracking time, taking real-time notes, and even answering questions during meetings.
  • Office Agent: Leveraging Anthropic’s Claude models, this feature allows users to generate Word and PowerPoint documents directly from Copilot chat, with Excel support on the way.

These agents are part of Microsoft’s broader push into “vibe working,” a term coined to describe a more fluid, AI-augmented work style.

 Enhanced Security and Compliance Features

Security remains a top priority, and Microsoft has introduced several new features:

  • Explicit Consent for 1:1 Call Recordings: Users must now provide explicit consent before recordings or transcriptions begin in one-on-one Teams calls.
  • Prevent Screen Capture: Available with Teams Premium, this feature disables screen capture during meetings, turning the screen black if a capture is attempted.
  • Granular External Access Controls: Admins can now allow specific groups (e.g., Sales or Finance) to chat externally, moving away from the previous all-or-nothing approach.

 

Device and Admin Experience Upgrades

  • Saved Items Return to Mobile: The beloved “Saved Items” feature is back on mobile, making it easier to bookmark and revisit important messages.
  • Real-Time Mic Feedback: A new mic volume indicator in meetings helps users monitor their audio levels live.
  • Countdown Timers in Meetings: Keep meetings on track with visible countdown timers that all participants can see and control.
  • Remote Log Collection: Admins can now collect Teams diagnostics logs remotely, streamlining troubleshooting without user disruption[5].

 

Copilot Everywhere

Microsoft is unifying the Copilot experience across Office apps and Teams:

  • Unified Copilot Chat: Now accessible across Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, even for users without a full Copilot license (with limited functionality).
  • Anthropic Claude Models: Microsoft 365 Copilot now supports Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Opus 4.1 models from Anthropic, offering more creative and coding-friendly AI options. However, these models run on AWS, so organizations must consider data governance implications

Real-World Adoption and Use Cases

Across the UK public sector, councils and universities are actively migrating to Teams for voice and contact center solutions. Features like conversational IVR, PCI-compliant payment handling, and omnichannel support (including WhatsApp and SMS) are being adopted to modernize communication infrastructure.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, our roadmap includes plans to roll out:

  • Call Transcription and Sentiment Analysis: Expected by December 2025, this will bring deeper insights into customer interactions.
  • Customizable Wallboards: For real-time contact center monitoring.
  • Expanded Teams Chat Integration: Including WhatsApp and other messaging platforms.

 

Microsoft Teams is clearly positioning itself as the central hub for modern, AI-enhanced collaboration. Whether you’re managing a contact centre, running University communications, or just trying to stay productive, these updates are worth exploring.