Microsoft announces a bunch of new features that are coming to Teams

Microsoft is holding its Inspire 2020 conference, and just as with every major event, there's a bunch of Teams news.

First up are Power Platform improvements. You'll now be able to access data from Microsoft Dataflex, which is a built-in relational database in Teams. There's also a new Power BI app for Teams with a better experience for accessing reports, and it has new ways to "connect insight to action".

Moreover, you'll be able to use third-party apps for Teams in meetings now, which is probably even more of a big deal. For example, you might want to add a widget with a tab that opens a third-party agenda or something along those lines.

There are Teams Rooms management improvements. Microsoft says that it aimed to make it easier to set up, bulk manage tasks, and monitor the health of a bunch of devices. But also, Teams Rooms Premium is now generally available. That's a service that leaves the management up to "Microsoft experts".

Then there are improvements for firstline workers. Microsoft is adding a shift scheduler tool that makes it easy to create schedules, letting managers know of conflicts and other things. Also, now available is Time Clock, which lets workers clock in and out for their shifts from wherever they are, although of course, there are geo-fencing capabilities.

Yammer Communities integration is coming as well, as it's now found in the Teams mobile apps. And also for Firstline Workers, Microsoft is adding a Walkie Talkie, which is now in public preview. Companies will be able to use Wi-Fi- or cellular-connected walkie talkies for communicating through the cloud.