Microsoft has launched a new app called “Places” to help businesses and employees better coordinate their hybrid work schedules and office visits. The app is designed to integrate with Microsoft 365 and is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
With the rise of flexible and hybrid working models after the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been spending less time in the office. This has made it challenging for teams to plan and coordinate when everyone will be present in the workplace. Microsoft Places aims to solve this problem by providing a centralized platform for employees to share their office schedules and preferences.
Microsoft Places aims to solve the problem of coordinating hybrid work by providing a centralized platform for employees to share their office schedules and preferences. Employees can select the days they plan to use the office space, and this information will be visible to their colleagues. Managers can also set priority days for team events or important meetings, ensuring everyone is aware of the need to be present. The office schedules will be integrated with Outlook calendars, allowing employees to see when events are taking place in the office and when their colleagues plan to be there. Later this year, Microsoft will integrate Places with its AI assistant, Copilot. Employees can ask Copilot for recommendations on which days to go into the office based on meetings, team events, and coworker schedules. Copilot can even adjust the employee’s schedule and book meeting rooms or desks automatically. Places will include a feature to easily book meeting rooms or shared desks for in-office days, with reminders in the calendar if an employee forgets to book a space. In Microsoft Teams, colleagues who are present in the office will be marked as “nearby,” and users can use the “@nearby” command to notify them about impromptu meetings or lunches. Real estate and facility management teams will have access to analytics showing building usage patterns, popular days, and room utilization data, allowing them to optimize spaces and resources.
Microsoft Places aims to streamline hybrid work coordination by providing a centralized platform for sharing schedules, booking spaces, and leveraging AI assistance. The app will be part of the Microsoft Teams Premium offering, which is currently priced at an additional $7 per user per month (promotional pricing).
Source: This information was obtained from an article by Tom Warren, a senior editor at The Verge, published on May 13, 2024. You can check out the full article here.
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