New BYOD Features Come to Microsoft Teams

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) rooms are increasingly becoming a favored choice for both individual and small meeting spaces in the office. They offer a familiar and flexible plug-and-play solution for employees who need a quick place to meet. 

In this article, we’ll dive into how Logitech and Microsoft are improving BYOD rooms for employees by offering streamlined meeting experiences, and for IT administrators by providing new automated BYOD device detection in the Pro Teams Management Portal. 

The Advantages and Challenges of BYOD Rooms

At its core, a BYOD room allows employees to conduct meetings directly from their laptops while still utilizing the in-room display and video bar. This setup is beneficial as it allows end-users to operate within a framework that they’re used to—connecting a laptop to a display and a webcam. In addition to the familiarity for the user, BYOD rooms are also versatile because of their inherent interoperability between virtual meeting platforms. Users can simply connect their laptop, and use whichever meeting platforms are installed on their system. However, along with their advantages, BYOD rooms also present challenges for both employees and IT administrators. 

For end users, while the experience of plugging in video bars and display cables to their laptop may be familiar, they don’t always use all the features of the device and display to their full benefit. While the video bar may be plugged into their laptop, users don’t always select the camera, microphone, and speakers as their video and audio devices. Additionally, due to lack of time, or knowledge, users may not always extend their desktop to the in-room television display and instead, simply utilize a screen mirror. 

For IT administrators, upkeep has always been a challenge for BYOD rooms. Since BYOD rooms aren’t always networked, IT teams find it difficult to monitor and manage devices as they’re not visible on Pro Teams Portal or Teams Admin Center. 

Addressing User Challenges in BYOD Rooms with Shared Display Mode

With the introduction of Shared Display Mode for BYOD Rooms, Microsoft Teams will now automatically open an extension of the Microsoft Teams interface to the in-room display when it detects the laptop is connected to a video bar and external display. 

Utilizing the Shared Display feature, users no longer need to manually extend their desktops when connecting to the in-room television display. During meetings, end-users still retain full access to familiar controls, including camera controls, screen sharing, chat, and gallery layouts. Users can also navigate away or minimize the Teams client on their laptop without impacting the content displayed on the television, enabling employees to take notes or use other applications without disrupting the meeting. Perhaps most important, Shared Display mode doesn’t mirror what’s on the user's laptop, so private messages and notifications won’t appear on the television display.

Be sure to watch our video below for an overview of how shared display works in a Logitech BYOD room.

Single Cable BYOD Connection with Logitech MeetUp 2

Logitech MeetUp 2 is our latest innovation designed to enhance BYOD conference rooms. MeetUp 2 is designed to deliver AI-powered speaker and group framing with our RightSight 2 technology to allow for better engagement and more productivity.

Included within MeetUp 2 are six beamforming microphones, supported by AI-powered sound algorithms to make it so in-room participants seem like they’re sitting right next to the microphone. 

Finally, for BYOD rooms, MeetUp 2 introduces BYOD mode that facilitates a single cable connection via an active USB cable. This feature allows users to connect directly to a USB-C port in their device, eliminating the need for a dongle. 

Addressing IT Administrator Challenges with Auto Discovery in Pro Teams Portal

The introduction of Auto Discovery for BYOD devices in the Pro Teams Portal enhances visibility for IT administrators, enabling them to see rooms and devices that may have previously gone unnoticed. 

Auto Discovery occurs once a device has been used by five different users. At this point, Microsoft Teams recognizes it as a shared device and adds it to the inventory list in the devices tab in Pro Teams Portal. IT administrators can then associate a device to a room, then assign a room license to groups of displays and devices. Assigning a room license then offers room monitoring benefits and also unlocks usage reports with call quality and utilization. This feature is available for all Logitech devices certified for Microsoft Teams.

The challenge of optimizing small and individual meeting spaces for ease of use and effective management is one that many organizations encounter. However, with the addition of these new features, we’re streamlining the way that users and administrators use and manage BYOD rooms. Be sure to check out the videos to learn more.