Adding Mesh Function to Teams … Ranked by Microsoft Metawares

From next year, team users will be able to meet their colleagues in a 3D virtual space. Microsoft has unveiled the digital avatar ‘Mesh for Teams’ that allows you to participate and collaborate in meetings.

Company last 2 daysBurnAt the event, it was officially announced that ‘Teams’ and ‘Mesh’, a chat and video conferencing application with over 250 million users worldwide, will be integrated into the ‘Mixed Reality Platform’. This integration will soon allow team users to create digital avatars in 3D virtual environments.

Released earlier this year Mesh provides tools for building 2D and 3D virtual environments for collaboration and communication. So far, Microsoft has developed a mesh collaboration app for VR headset ‘HoloLens’ users and has also integrated mesh functions such as avatar creation into the social VR software AltSpaceVR.

What is ‘Messi for Teams’?
Basically, mesh and band integration is understood as an alternative beyond voice and video calls. Users can create 3D avatars that represent themselves in a virtual environment and interact with avatars of other participants. Teams’ users can also appear as avatars in an existing video conference grid view. Avatar can mimic user gestures such as mimicking the shape of the mouth according to the voice signal.

Microsoft explains that Avatar interacts in an ‘immersive space’ that recreates a conference room or meeting place. For example, you can create a whiteboard for production team members to place ideas in a virtual space, or place a 3D design prototype on a table. You do not even need a VR headset. Microsoft says ‘Messi for Teams’ can be accessed via smartphone or laptop.

The mesh feature in the teams will be released in the preview in Q1 2022. The price has not been officially announced yet.

Competition for Metavers
Microsoft describes ‘Messi for Teams’ as a metawars concept. It is a term often used to describe a virtual environment for social collaboration. Facebook has recently changed its corporate name to ‘Meta’, taking an active step towards metawares and showcasing its vision for a virtual environment for the workspace. Released last August ‘Horizon Workshops’ offers mesh-like functionality.

There is also Cisco Has been experimenting with VR conferencing technology for many yearsA representative example is the pilot program of the ‘Webex Hologram’, an augmented reality (AR) conference tool where users wear AR glasses and interact with virtual objects. Silicon Valley Startup Spatial has also attracted attention in recent years as a virtual meeting space solution.

Microsoft has announced that ‘Messi for Teams’ aims to provide an immersive conference environment and an alternative to attending avatars without turning on the camera. According to the company, many video conference participants complain of fatigue due to prolonged staring at the camera. Microsoft claims that animation-based avatars can reduce fatigue and stress. A virtual environment is a two-dimensional space where colleagues meet, such as a conference room or conference hall.Together modeBuilt on ‘

Frank X, Vice President, Microsoft Public Relations. Shaw said, “Microsoft’s metawars can be seen as a permanent digital world connected to various elements of the physical world, including people, places and objects.” Businesses accelerate their digital transformation. , Metevors can inspire engagement, partnership and unity.

He went on to say, “Even if not in the same physical space, attending a conference together in a digital space would be the next breakthrough in computing.”

Wayne Kurtzman, IDC Research Director, said: “Microsoft’s decision to support 3D and composite reality in 2D-based teams is significant, and it reflects a larger trend. With a stronger network, social media can become more visible. Doing.

“New immersive platforms have emerged as global needs for education, cooperation and interaction with data grow,” he said.

Kurtzmann also pointed out areas to be vigilant about moving forward. “Your web browser can leave a record of personal data. On an immersive platform, there is a lot more likely to be left,” he said. “This is an issue that all manufacturers and privacy laws must first address.” ciokr@idg.co.kr