Microsoft Ignite 2021 is the annual event for companies and ICT professionals and we are going to talk about the most important news that is announced. Microsoft did not disappoint, they presented new features; including their augmented reality platform, more tools for developing cloud services, and new functions for teleworking.
The most important news from Microsoft Ignite 2021
The most notable new feature is undoubtedly Microsoft Mesh, an augmented reality platform based on Azure that the company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen is creating for work meetings, virtual classrooms, distributed industrial development or telemedicine. In order to use this tool, Microsoft notes that the use of its augmented reality glasses, the Microsoft Hololens, will be necessary.
Microsoft Mesh is in a very early stage of development, so its most spectacular function will not be available for a few years. But the company has announced that the platform will offer a set of tools in the upcoming months, so customers can start developing avatars, spatial renderings, and holoportation.
“The new platform is the result of years of Microsoft research and development in areas ranging from hand and eye tracking and HoloLens development to creating persistent holograms and artificial intelligence models that can create expressive avatars,” the company states.
Microsoft plans to integrate all Microsoft Mesh tools into its other professional products, such as Teams and Microsoft 365, as they become available.
More news for Azure
Microsoft Azure is slowly becoming the crown jewel of the company. Its specific weight in global revenue is growing steadily and analysts expect it to become Microsoft’s main business division in the upcoming years.
The most important thing is the launch of Azure Percept. This platform will simplify the development of Edge computing functions using AI by cloud customers so, for example, they can set the system to inform a business manager that a product is running low, or to activate commands for different tools by voice.
Along with the launch of this platform, Microsoft has announced the launch of a kit of associated devices to implement the desired functions, among which is the Azure Percept Vision smart camera, which will be the main tool to collect information on site and process it.
Microsoft has explained that it will give its customers access to the different Azure Percept tools so that they can test their functions and adapt them to the ideas they wish to implement in their businesses. It will also start certifying third-party Azure Percept devices so that the possibilities of applying this technology in different industries and sectors will multiply.
Another important development for Azure is the launch of Azure Synapse Pathway, which will allow data to be migrated in minutes to Azure Synapse Analytics, Microsoft’s big data integration, storage, and analytics platform.
Teleworking is another focus of the company
Another area Microsoft has been pushing in 2020 has been teleworking. Now it has introduced Microsoft Teams Connect, a new channel integrated into the Teams platform that allows administrators to create a shared workspace for both employees within the organization and external collaborators.
In these spaces, individuals can access chats, video call meetings, collaborate on various applications, and work on the same documents in real-time. With this new feature, Microsoft aims, above all, for better integration and control of external collaborators in the company’s various projects.
Another new feature is the launch of Microsoft PowerPoint Live for Microsoft Teams, a tool that allows you to create and edit rich PowerPoint presentations directly in Microsoft Teams. Teams can create the presentations in real-time. This will allow them to edit the documents and communicate at the same time with no problems.