Microsoft Teams Insider

Jenny Hicks, Technical Director at Midwich UK, joins the podcast to share insights on AV distribution and the evolving Microsoft Teams Rooms landscape.• What distribution is and the value it brings to the Microsoft Teams Rooms ecosystem• How the pandemic accelerated UC adoption and shaped hardware preferences• The rise of all-in-one devices and why refresh cycles have slowed• Sustainability, ESG reporting and the case for modular systems• Why Microsoft certification matters and how hardware choices affect long-term support• AI readiness and future-proofing meeting room investmentsThanks to Logitech, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud.

Henry Levak, VP of Product at Logitech for Business, leads conferencing and workplace hardware. He unveils Rally AI Camera Pro, a dual-camera PTZ with optical zoom plus a wide digital camera. He previews a compact digital Rally AI Camera with in-wall fabric-covered mounting. He explains multi-camera support for Microsoft Teams Rooms, connectivity options, and design choices for discreet installs.

Brennan McReynolds, Product Strategy Lead for Microsoft Places, shares key insights on the evolution of Microsoft Places one year after its launch. He discusses how Places enhances flexible work planning with Microsoft Calendar and Teams, focusing on in-person collaboration over universal desk booking. Brennan highlights the integration of spatial data and occupancy signals, demonstrating how this supports future Copilot experiences. He also explains the functionality of the Places directory and the Graph APIs in managing workspace environments.

JT Elliott, Unified Communications and Collaboration Manager, at Toyota Financial Services, shares his journey from traditional AV to deploying over 300 Microsoft Teams Rooms with Logitech.JT's career path from courtroom AV systems through 7-Eleven to Toyota Financial ServicesThe decision to standardise on Logitech Rally Bars and Rally Board 65 for 300+ rooms and plans to deploy 150 more.Experience deploying 125 Rally Boards in just six weeks with integration partner AVI-SPLWhy Toyota chose Android-based MTRs and the flexibility of Logitech's platformThe importance of observability and reliability in room system operationsMigrating from Direct Routing to Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams PhoneThanks to Logitech, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud

Discover the latest in Microsoft Teams and AI innovations for 2026. Exciting features like Copilot Chat in Teams and new Office app agents are on the horizon. With 26 million Teams Phone users, Microsoft emphasizes community engagement and streamlined collaboration. Hear about device updates from Barco and Yealink, plus insights on scaling Copilot adoption in major firms. This quick overview is packed with announcements, strategies, and future plans to enhance workplace productivity.

Bill Compton, Head of Digital Adoption at Centrica, shares how he's driven Microsoft Copilot adoption across a diverse 22,000-person organisation—from field engineers to call centre agents to knowledge workers.Building a strong digital champions network through gamification and peer-led changeLeveraging the included Copilot Chat to build AI literacy across the entire organisation before scaling premium licencesTaking a measured approach to Copilot rollout: starting with 25 licences and scaling to 2,000 paid M365 Copilot based on demonstrated valueCreating hybrid adoption events that reached over 3,000 employees through live streaming and on-demand contentGathering real user prompts and use cases to build internal stories and identify championsAddressing the challenges of reaching diverse workforces in protected environments like call centres and offshore platformsThanks to Luware, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud

Tom Arbuthnot dives into the exciting December 2025 updates on Microsoft Teams and Copilot. Discover the default integration of Anthropic models in Microsoft 365 and the arrival of GPT-5.2 with new selector features. Get insights on the upcoming Microsoft Planner updates and the automatic voice enrollment for improved meeting experiences. Highlights include compliance call recording innovations and the latest device news, featuring Jabra's new smart dock. Plus, learn about the roadmap for Teams enhancements in the near future!

Mo Khalifa, an AI Workforce Specialist at Microsoft, dives deep into AI adoption in the Big Four professional services firms. He reveals how Copilot enhances personal productivity with email summaries and morning briefings. The conversation explores creating custom agents using Copilot Studio and personalizing workflows through WorkIQ. Mo tackles concerns around data sovereignty and compliance, while emphasizing a 28-day habit-building strategy for successful adoption. He also highlights the evolution of agent workflows and the importance of tailored prompts for specific roles.

Richard Sewell, IT Manager, at the Chartered Institute of Housing discusses the organisation's decade-long telephony transformation, from traditional PBX through hosted VoIP to Microsoft Teams with Voca contact centre.• The journey from restrictive on-premises PBX systems to flexible cloud-based solutions• Challenges of hot-desking with legacy systems and how Microsoft Teams solved them• Why user adoption and training matter more than the technical migration itself• Managing contact centre users with Voca's presence controls, analytics, and supervisor dashboards• Lessons learnt about extension numbers, call transfers, and user expectations in Teams• How visibility and reporting encourage accountability in hybrid working environmentsThanks to AudioCodes, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud.

Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO, at Virgin Voyages, and Michael Levy, CEO, at Numonix, discuss how Virgin Voyages is pioneering the work from sea movement with unlimited Wi-Fi and innovative remote work packages.Virgin Voyages' unique approach to crises —boutique hotel experience, no kids, free Wi-Fi, and no nickel-and-dimingHow Richard Branson's vision for free Wi-Fi for crew and passengers enabled the work from sea programmeWorking remotely from the Caribbean using Microsoft Teams with Starlink connectivityHow the shift to remote work post-COVID has made working from anywhere, even sea, a realityFor the full video, watch here.Thanks to Numonix, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud