Microsoft Teams: New features for developers and admins
We’ve been swimming in a sea of changes ever since we switched to a remote workstyle. As the situation evolved, the adoption of hybrid work for the long run started to seem more like a reality. All of us have been walking along this path with no previous experience, and as we move along, new necessities are brought to light.
Since we started adopting this new workstyle, we’ve relied on our favorite communication and collaboration app: Microsoft Teams.
As Microsoft is aware of the challenges and changes our work life is experiencing, Teams is constantly updated, with new features and possibilities for better collaboration.
In May 2021, Microsoft announced a few new features for developers and admins in the Microsoft Teams collaboration app. Here are some of the available, on preview and coming soon features.
Available now
- Universal actions for Adaptive Cards
If you wanted to create an Adaptive Card, you had to separately create one for Teams and one for Outlook. However, with the new universal action model ‘’Action.Execute’’, you can build one Adaptive Card to deploy it across Teams and Outlook.
With one bot-based integration, it works on both apps. This feature is available in both the desktop and mobile app.
- Microsoft Teams Developer Portal
Developers can manage apps via web or within Teams. With the Developer Portal you can configure and register apps in a single, central location.
Some of the features this portal provides are to manage environment configurations, app usage insights, and collaboration with peers.
- App Customization
With App Customization, admins can rebrand third-party apps to match their organization’s branding. This way, the third-party app can have the same look and feel, tailored to fit each customer.
Customization app helps users have a better understanding and faster adoption of new external apps.
- Integrated apps in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center
With the integrated apps in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, admins can configure user access and complete tasks across Teams and Outlook. After an app is deployed, the admins won’t have to jump from one Admin Center to another.
You can link apps together for a unified deployment in Partner Center.
Preview
- Shared stage integration
This new feature allows users to add and share an app with other attendees. This enables an in-the-moment collaboration, and is extremely helpful for sharing designs, project boards or to work on the whiteboard.
Shared stage feature gif from the Microsoft Tech Community
- Fluid components in Microsoft Teams (in private preview)
This allows end users to send tables, action items or a list through messages. These can be co-authored and edited by everyone and shared across Office applications. This feature promotes quick alignments across teams and increases efficiency. It decreases the number of meetings and length of chat threads.
- App configuration
In the Teams Admin Center ‘’Settings’’, developers will be able to configure and tailor apps to their organizations specific needs.
Coming soon
- Together Mode extensibility
This extensibility will allow admins to create their own custom scenes for the Together Mode in Microsoft Teams. Through a design tool in the Developer Portal, they’ll be able to create customized scenes and configure where each user is shown on the screen.
This feature contributes to inclusiveness and engagement in meetings.
- Admin notifications for custom apps
Once a developer submits a line-of-business app to the tenant catalog, admins will receive a notification through a team and channel, through an opt-in control. By clicking ‘’more details’’, admins will be able to review and approve the developer’s app.
- Direct purchases & invoice billing in Teams Admin Center
Purchasing third-party apps directly from the Teams Admin Center will be a reality this summer. As well as using invoice billing, the preferred enterprise payment method.
- New design for the Teams app store
The Teams app store will be redesigned, it’ll provide an easy-to-use layout. A curated and hand-picked list of apps, based on popularity and recommended based on usage.
These are a few of the new features Microsoft Teams announced for developers and admins. If you want to read more detailed information about each of the mentioned features, read this.
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