Microsoft Teams Insider

Jenny Hicks, Technical Director at Midwich UK, joins the podcast to share insights on AV distribution and the evolving Microsoft Teams Rooms landscape.

• What distribution is and the value it brings to the Microsoft Teams Rooms ecosystem

• How the pandemic accelerated UC adoption and shaped hardware preferences

• The rise of all-in-one devices and why refresh cycles have slowed

• Sustainability, ESG reporting and the case for modular systems

• Why Microsoft certification matters and how hardware choices affect long-term support

• AI readiness and future-proofing meeting room investments

Thanks to Logitech, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud.

Henry Levak, VP of Product for Logitech for Business, shares exciting new product announcements ahead of ISE 2026.

• Rally AI Camera Pro: a dual-camera PTZ solution combining optical zoom with a wide-angle digital camera, designed with a shallow profile

• Rally AI Camera: a compact digital-only variant with in-wall mounting options and fabric covers for discrete, design-friendly installations

• Multi-camera support for Microsoft Teams Rooms, enabling up to four cameras on Microsoft Teams Rooms on Windows

• Logitech’s native bluetooth headset portfolio

• Logitech Spot: the battery-powered environmental sensor now shipping, with upcoming Microsoft Teams and Places integration

Thanks to Logitech, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud.

Brennan McReynolds, Product Strategy Lead for Microsoft Places, at Microsoft, shares what changed during Places’ first full year in general availability and what is coming next as hybrid work patterns continue to shift.

• How Places supports flexible work planning in Microsoft Calendar and Microsoft Teams, including building and room context

• The evolution of desk booking on maps, location check-in signals, and improving confidence in finding the right space

• Why Places is focused on in-person connection and collaboration, not desk booking for everyone

• How the Places directory and Microsoft Graph APIs enable partners to manage buildings, floors, rooms, desks, and maps at scale

• Three integration patterns: spatial data in and out, occupancy and check-in signals, and extensible experiences like visitor management and digital signage

• How location context feeds Work IQ and future Copilot experiences for planning, scheduling, and room selection

Thanks to Brennan for his valuable insights.

JT Elliott, Unified Communications and Collaboration Manager, at Toyota Financial Services, shares his journey from traditional AV to deploying over 300 Microsoft Teams Rooms with Logitech.

JT's career path from courtroom AV systems through 7-Eleven to Toyota Financial Services
The decision to standardise on Logitech Rally Bars and Rally Board 65 for 300+ rooms and plans to deploy 150 more.
Experience deploying 125 Rally Boards in just six weeks with integration partner AVI-SPL
Why Toyota chose Android-based MTRs and the flexibility of Logitech's platform
The importance of observability and reliability in room system operations
Migrating from Direct Routing to Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams Phone

Thanks to Logitech, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud

MVP Tom Arbuthnot shares all the latest Microsoft Teams and Copilot news and announcements in less than 15 minutes for the first update of 2026.

Many thanks to Landis for their continued support.

Deck
Microsoft 365 AI Workplace - 2026 Focus Areas​
Microsoft’s continued AI Focus in 2026​
7 New Microsoft Copilot Roadmap Features​
26M Teams Phone Users​
8 Microsoft Teams New Features and Updates​
7 New Teams Rooms and Devices​
Events
Useful Links:
Briefings
AI Voice Agents with Azure Communication Services - Sean Keegan, Developer Evangelist for Azure Communication Services at Microsoft​
Microsoft 365 Copilot Agents, Features and Control - Deep Dive with Rolf Tröndle - Rolf Tröndle walks through what’s new with Microsoft 365 Copilot.​
Contact Center Options for Microsoft Teams - Native vs Connect vs Extend vs Unify - Alistair Pidd, Professional Services Director, at Pure IP discusses contact center strategies for Microsoft Teams​
Teams Insider Podcasts
Scaling Microsoft Copilot Adoption 22,000 Diverse Users at Centrica with Bill Compton, Head of Digital Adoption at Centrica​
Copilot and Agent Adoption in the Big Four Professional Services Firms with Mo Khalifa, Workforce AI Specialist at Microsoft​
From PBX to Microsoft Teams and Voca Contact Centre at the Chartered Institute of Housing with Richard Sewell, IT Manager​
Working from Sea: Virgin Voyages Transforms Remote Work with Nirmal Saverimuttu, CEO, at Virgin Voyages, and Michael Levy, CEO, at Numonix​
What Cisco Rooms bring to Microsoft Teams Rooms with Tom Richards, Senior Director, Strategy and Planning at Cisco​