Hosting a Microsoft Teams call could soon be a lot less stressful for organisers thanks to a new feature that will allow meeting hosts to control which attendees are able to appear on camera.
As per two new entries in the company’s product roadmap, Teams will soon offer the ability to disable video for specific users, both prior to and during video meetings.
The addition could prove particularly useful in the context of online learning, preventing disruptive students from using video as a means of distracting others, or in scenarios in which only one participant is required to present.
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The option to set blanket rules for the video feeds of all attendees is set to go live in April, with the ability to change the video permissions for specific users arriving a month later.
Removing from call
With many people entirely new to remote working when the pandemic first took hold, understanding of video meeting etiquette was mixed and proper protocol ill-defined.
Now almost a year since lockdowns were first implemented, the vendors themselves are stepping in with assistive tools to help ensure meetings run smoothly.
This new Teams features will add another tool to the crowd management arsenal for admins. Combined with the ability to mute the microphone of specific attendees, the new video management features will allow hosts to prevent disruptions, while still allowing all attendees to listen in.
Microsoft Teams has not just become extremely popular as a workplace tool – it is increasingly being used for educational purposes as well, with over 100 million students now using the collaboration tool.
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