Microsoft which is known for products like Office 365 is working on an upgrade for its video conferencing platform Microsoft Teams which will make one of its most beneficial features available to a wider range of users.
Microsoft, which is known for SharePoint, is providing the option to blur the video backdrop to clients operating Microsoft Teams on virtual desktop infrastructure, according to a new article in the corporation’s product roadmap (VDI).
“Users on Microsoft Teams utilizing VDI on Azure Virtual Desktop/Windows 365 may conceal their backdrop in their video conference and call,” according to the article.
The functionality seems to be in the works, but it should be accessible to Teams members by the end of this month.
Ever since the shift to working remotely, a number of video conferencing solutions have included virtual backdrop capabilities, that allow the user to disguise the area around them with a custom overlay.
A much more passive approach is to obscure the backdrop, which has the combined impact of disguising anything potentially compromising that could be lying around in somebody’s room or home office while also placing emphasis on the person’s face.
Though Teams has had the same capability for some time, it’s only been accessible to users of its desktop and mobile clients.
Following the addition of background effects to the web browser in January, Microsoft is now rounding out the package by providing the capability to Microsoft Teams users on Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365. The overarching goal is to guarantee that all Teams users have a uniform meeting experience, regardless of whatever client or hardware they use to call in.
Aside from the virtual background’s functionality, the company has produced a number of recent changes to Microsoft Teams with this objective in mind, such as the ability to manage calls via Bluetooth devices, merge work and business accounts, and enable screen-sharing settings throughout all clients.