The Teams communications platform will receive a significant facelift next year. Microsoft will integrate its 3D platform Mesh into the program.

There are big plans for Microsoft Teams. The technology giant will integrate its 3D platform Mesh into its communications program next year. This is reported by The Verge.

New plan

Mesh was built on Azure and was intended as an entry-level platform for developers. However, major changes in Microsoft’s VR/AR division have taken the project in a different direction.

Layoffs, layoffs, and the closure of AltspaceVR led to a drastic turnaround. A year ago there was also the surprising collaboration with Meta, which made teams available via the other tech giant’s headsets, among other things.

Virtual meetings

In recent months, Mesh has already evolved into a platform for 3D meetings and events within Microsoft Teams. With full integration, users can hold meetings in a virtual environment without a VR headset. Of course the hardware helps, otherwise it remains a 2D experience in a 3D world.

Microsoft also uses spatial audio and audio zones. This allows smaller groups to have separate conversations in the same virtual location.

Yancey Smith, a GM with the department mixed reality from Microsoft, even hinted at the arrival of Copilot. For example, users could generate objects or notes during a virtual meeting. However, that is still in the future for now. In any case, these plans will be a big step compared to the regular avatars you can now create in Teams.