Microsoft has been spoiling us with new products recently, but it’s been a while since the company introduced an entirely new category of device. This is set to change next year with the launch of MS Teams Panels.
At a time when space management is a matter of safety as well as efficiency, MS Teams Panels are designed to simplify room allocation and prevent overcrowding. Built by Microsoft partners Crestron and Yealink and available in March 2021, the panels can be mounted outside meeting rooms.
These small, highly specialised devices will show details of the room’s current occupancy and will allow you to book the room for a future time and date. If the room is unavailable, the device can use Bluetooth beaconing to find other nearby rooms that are free. These will be displayed along with the building’s floor plan and can be reserved at the touch of a button.
Microsoft has already streamlined the scheduling of meetings significantly with the Outlook Scheduling Assistant and its Room Finder feature. MS Teams Panels will act as a second line of defence against scheduling conflicts, hopefully making clashing meetings a thing of the past.
Even as your staff begin to return to the office, social distancing measures are likely to remain in place for some time. By using features such as MS Scheduling Assistant and MS Teams Panels to effectively schedule meetings, you can ensure that safe occupancy levels are maintained. Taking steps such as these is a great way to show your staff that you value their safety, and this can go a long way towards reducing anxiety levels.
