Communication and collaboration solutions such as Microsoft Teams, have played a critical role in enabling business’ continuity during the past few years. In order to keep improving and enhancing meetings and calls quality, Microsoft announced new Teams features including echo cancellation, adjusting audio in poor acoustic environments, and allowing users to speak and hear at the same time without interruptions. These build on AI-powered features recently released like expanding background noise suppression.
Echo cancellation
During calls and meetings, when a participant has their microphone too close to their speaker, it’s common for sound to loop between input and output devices, causing an unwanted echo effect. Now, Microsoft Teams uses AI to recognize the difference between sound from a speaker and the user’s voice, eliminating the echo without suppressing speech or inhibiting the ability of multiple parties to speak at the same time.
More natural conversations with Interruptibility
Through full-duplex (two-way) transmission of audio, users can speak and hear others at the same time to enhance the ability for clarification or validation during conversations.
Background noise suppression
Two years ago, Microsoft announced the release of AI-based noise suppression in Teams as an optional feature for Windows users. Since then, this feature has continued a cycle of iterative development, testing, and evaluation to further optimization. Through recording significant improvements across key user metrics, Microsoft has enabled machine learning-based noise suppression as default for Teams customers using Windows (including Microsoft Teams Rooms), as well as Mac and iOS users.
Real-time screen optimization adjustment for content sharing
Different types of shared content require varied approaches to ensure the highest video quality, particularly under bandwidth constraints. Teams now uses machine learning to detect and adjust the characteristics of the content presented in real-time, optimizing the legibility of documents or smoothness of video playback.
Brightness and focus filters
New AI-powered filters in Teams give you the option to adjust brightness and add a soft focus for your meetings with a simple toggle in your device settings, to better accommodate for low-light environments.
Source: Microsoft
Microsoft is committed to continue developing new technologies to make online calling and meeting experiences more natural, resilient, and efficient. If you want to learn more about Microsoft Teams Phone key features, please reach out, our UC specialists will assist you through any need your business might have.
