Tag Archives: Microsoft Teams

Advertorial, News

Microsoft Unbundles Teams from Office 365 Globally

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Microsoft seems to be standardising the uncoupling of Teams from Microsoft 365 to global markets. The move comes a few months after the company was forced to unbundle the app from its productivity suite – Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). Microsoft claims that the move will provide added flexibility and purchasing choices when it comes to using its productivity suite globally.

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Photo by Ed Hardie on Unsplash

Teams was introduced in 2017 and grew in popularity over the course of the pandemic as one of the company’s answers to remote work and productivity. However, in 2020, Slack – one of Team’s main competitors – petitioned the EU alleging anticompetitive behaviour by Microsoft. The complaint alleged that it used its market-dominant Office 365 suite to push installs for Teams and force users to install it without the ability to remove it. This bundling was seen as an anticompetitive act suffocating competition. This complaint has led to ongoing antitrust investigations into the company concerning Teams in the European Union (EU).

The unbundling of Teams from Microsoft 365 comes months into the investigation. It was initially rolled out in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. Now, Microsoft seems to be standardising the unbundling globally both to align with the feedback from the European Commission and to preempt any further legal action that could result from the bundling of Teams in Microsoft 365.

Moving forward, Teams will be offered independently and as part of Microsoft 365 bundles. The app will be offered for USD$5.25 (RM24.95) monthly. Office without teams will be priced at USD$7.75 (RM36.84) to USD$54.75 (RM260.23) depending on the package. The pricing seems to be in line with the EEA pricing. However, it’s worth noting that global pricing has not been released officially.

Business, News

Jabra Unveils PanaCast 50 Video Bar System Empowering Hybrid Work

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With the world struggling to find the balance between working remotely and in the office, hybrid work is emerging as the way of the future. However, organizations and enterprises are finding solutions to empower collaboration and push productivity further. According to a report by Jabra, a staggering 80% of meetings now happen either fully remotely or in a hybrid fashion. Yet, 37% of employees often feel excluded during these hybrid meetings. This highlights the challenges that accompany the transition to hybrid work arrangements.

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To help with this conundrum, Jabra has introduced the PanaCast 50 Video Bar System (VBS). This system is now coming to Malaysia, as part of its PanaCast 50 solution portfolio designed for small to medium-sized meeting rooms.

The PanaCast 50 Video Bar System: Your Ultimate Meeting Companion

The Jabra PanaCast 50 Video Bar System is a comprehensive solution that includes an Android-based compute unit, state-of-the-art System-on-a-Chip (SoC), speakers, microphones, a video camera, and interfaces for network and display, ensuring a hassle-free setup.

One of the standout features is its 10.1-inch touch controller that allows users to manage their meeting experience with a few taps before diving into important discussions. The system, built on top of Android, seamlessly runs Microsoft Teams Rooms or Zoom Rooms. It also supports most major conferencing platforms.

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The PanaCast 50 differentiates itself with an immersive meeting experience. It comes equipped with a Panoramic 4K multi-camera that offers a 180° field-of-view. The system can do this thanks to the onboard AI which stitches the images from the three camera sensors to create lifelike representations of all meeting attendees in the room.

The system boasts four powerful speakers in a zero-vibration stereo setup to help with crystal-clear audio quality. This is further complemented by a total of eight professional-grade microphones featuring voice detection and intelligent algorithms that help tune out residual noise.

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The PanaCast 50 also offers Intelligent Meeting Room Experiences, which include the Virtual Director, Intelligent Zoom, and Dynamic Composition. These features engage remote participants, enhancing the overall meeting experience. It even comes with an AI-powered feature set that allows the system to highlight and focus on people presenting and speaking even in crowded meeting rooms.

Pricing and Availability

The PanaCast 50 Video Bar System is now available in Malaysia for RM26,070.00.