Microsoft Teams Insider

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

Tom Richards, Senior Director, Strategy and Planning at Cisco, discusses the evolution of the Cisco and Microsoft partnership and how Cisco Microsoft Teams Rooms brings enterprise-grade management, AI capabilities, and multi-platform flexibility to Microsoft Teams Rooms.• How Cisco and Microsoft moved from competition to collaboration, delivering full MTR experiences without compromising RoomOS capabilities• The engineering behind containerising Android and MTR within RoomOS, creating a unified management architecture that scales to thousands of devices• Distance Zero AI at the edge: intelligent camera framing, microphone beamforming, and background noise removal that adapts in real time• Multi-platform flexibility allowing organisations to run native MTR mode or RoomOS UI mode with seamless Webex and Zoom integration• How Cisco devices are evolving beyond collaboration tools into workplace investments, providing occupancy sensors and building data for facilities teams• The MDEP (Microsoft Devices Ecosystem Platform) initiative and what it means for the future of Android-based Teams Rooms devicesThanks to Cisco, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud

Rick Garcia, EVP of Product & Marketing at Momentum, shares insights on integrating AI with Microsoft Teams for enhanced communication. He discusses how telcos can leverage AI-driven productivity to serve existing customers and transform simple workflows into responsive experiences. Garcia highlights the power of features like Power Automate and Copilot, and emphasizes realistic expectations for AI in customer experience. He also illustrates practical applications, such as missed-call detection and staffing automation, showcasing the immediate benefits of AI texting workflows.

In this discussion, Sean Keegan, Developer Evangelist for Azure Communication Services at Microsoft, dives into the world of communication APIs and their transformative potential. He highlights the surge in voice usage combined with AI to enhance interactions. Sean shares insights on low-code solutions via Copilot Studio for seamless voice agent creation and emphasizes the benefits of bi-directional audio streaming for more human-like interactions. Real-world applications, such as in healthcare and retail, showcase how these technologies can bring tangible benefits and insights.

Listen to Sean Gilmour, Principal Product Manager Lead for Advance Calling - Microsoft Teams, and Pratichi Dash, Product Manager - Dynamics 365 Contact Center Voice and Conversational AI , explain Teams Phone Extensibility (TPE), Unify and how they enable a single, unified phone system across UCaaS and CCaaS.• What TPE is, how it works with Azure Communication Services, and why the Unify certification matters for a level playing field• How Dynamics 365 Contact Center uses TPE to reuse existing Teams Phone architecture and Operator Connect carriers• Coexistence with Azure PSTN/Direct Routing today, with Microsoft recommending TPE going forward• Practical AI today: agent-assist with summaries, translation and guidance, plus the roadmap towards intelligent IVR and smarter routing• Seamless call movement between Dynamics agents and Teams SMEs for faster resolutions across the organisationThanks to Numonix, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud

Gareth Bleasdale, Senior GTM Manager: Modern Work and AI at Microsoft, explains what Copilot Chat is, how it differs from consumer AI, and practical steps to adopt it safely across your organisation.What’s included in the free Copilot Chat with Entra accountsSecurity and governance: enterprise protections, encrypted web queries, audit and e‑discoveryNew capabilities: unified history, memory and personalisation, in‑app chat in Word and Excel, GPT‑5 accessAdoption playbook for IT, business decision makers and end users, plus Microsoft‑funded programmes and resourcesWhere agentic patterns fit: web‑grounded agents on the free tier and pay‑as‑you‑go options for tenant‑grounded workflowsCheck out Gareth’s webinar on 17 November 2025Thanks to Landis, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud