Microsoft Places is an AI-powered app to improve hybrid work culture

Microsoft today announced a new solution called Microsoft Places. Microsoft Places is an AI-powered app that will help to coordinate in-office time and connect with coworkers easily.

Location Plan:

• With the Places location plan feature, you can set and share your proposed location schedule with coworkers while also viewing their plans.
• Using the Places app, you can update your location details. You can also use the Outlook Calendar to do the same.
• With the peek card, you can see your closest collaborators who plan to come in and allows quick access to space booking.
• With team guidance in Places, managers can inform employees on when they should be in the office and what the priorities are for each in-office day.

Microsoft Places will be integrated into Microsoft Copilot in the second half of 2024. You can ask Copilot for the best days to visit office and even get the reasons why you should be in office on a particular day. You can also use Copilot to adjust your office schedule and more.

With the Places finder, you can search for rooms and desks in your office to book. With Teams, users can take advantage of bookable desk capabilities that can reserve the spot automatically when you connect your laptop to the monitor. Microsoft also mentioned that end-to-end booking will be further improved with Copilot in the second half of 2024.

With Places expanded presence feature, you can see coworkers who are nearby to better connect with them. In Teams group chats, coworkers can see meeting members locations or type @nearby to notify those around them about an activity or change in the meeting room.

Microsoft Places will also allow IT administrators to get clear informatoon of the space available and what’s actually needed.

Microsoft Places will not be available as a standalone product, instead it will be licensed as part of Microsoft Teams Premium.