The role of the office has changed completely over the past few years and it’s getting harder to find a good reason to go, other than simply because management said so. It’s not rare that employees find themselves frustrated about going alone to the office, doing work they could have done from home. To add to this problematic, companies are having them return to spaces that haven’t evolved since 2019.
Leaders must be aware that investing in office spaces that are right for their employees will have a direct impact on productivity and collaboration. That is why today we present to you: Connected Workplace and Microsoft Places.
Connected Workplace to optimize workspaces
Microsoft has come up with a new category of technology solutions called Connected Workplace. It helps create modern workplaces that are equipped with the right technology to allow employees to achieve their best work. It enables admins to use the information collected to learn and easily adapt spaces to their employees’ dynamic needs.
Introducing Microsoft Places
In October 2022, Microsoft announced their new connected workplace platform: Microsoft Places. This platform was thought to reimagine hybrid and in-person work.
Source: Microsoft
Features and capabilities available with Microsoft Places
Hybrid scheduling – Leverages common data signals from Outlook and Microsoft Teams to view the week ahead and synchronize your schedule with your coworker’s or close collaborators’.
Intelligent booking – To discover available spaces to match your meeting purpose and mix of in-person or remote participants. It also gives recommendations for the shortest commute times, and the best times to leave based on that day’s traffic and scheduled meetings.
Wayfinding – Gives access to a map on the user’s mobile device that guides them to the right place; avoiding wasting time looking for the right conference room using outdated building signs.
Hot desk booking – Enables a view of where your closest colleagues are sitting, to choose your desk accordingly.
Serendipitous meetups – To rebuild and strengthen bonds, Microsoft Places allows colleagues to easily create impromptu meetups and share with others in the office.
Space insights – Insights such as utilization data, energy saving opportunities, and occupancy trends, guide leaders to dynamic space adjustments on particular days/occasions.
Space optimization – Leaders can reduce available floors on lighter days in order to save energy expenditures and improve the workplace experience.
Microsoft Graph – Microsoft Places will be integrated with the Microsoft 365 apps and services customers use daily, like Outlook, Teams, and Microsoft Viva. It will leverage and enhance the data available on Microsoft Graph, combining people and place signals.
How to get started?
Microsoft Teams Rooms seems to be the right starting point for organizations. Apart from being one of the most critical hybrid enablers for offices, its usage and management data will be leveraged in Microsoft Places.
Using the right technology, leaders can transform offices to fit their employees’ ever-evolving needs. Create responsive, flexible, and dynamic places to work with Microsoft Places, the platform that will help make the promise of hybrid work a reality.
For more information about this new platform, please contact one of our Microsoft licensing experts. We are happy to help.
