Microsoft is working on a new update for its video conferencing software (opens in new tab) that will allow organizations with supported devices to use multiple cameras in Microsoft Teams (opens in new tab).
There is a catch though as this new multiple camera feature will only work on select Microsoft Teams Rooms (opens in new tab) devices.
For those unfamiliar, Microsoft Teams Rooms is a dedicated hardware and software solution for video conferencing that was previously called Skype Rooms. Microsoft Teams Rooms devices include headsets (opens in new tab), speakerphones (opens in new tab), desk phones (opens in new tab) and Teams displays, collaboration bars, webcams (opens in new tab) and more.
According to a new post (opens in new tab) on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, this feature is currently in development and is slated to roll out to Microsoft Teams Rooms devices like the Surface Hub 2S (opens in new tab) in January of next year.
Switching between multiple cameras
Once this new feature is available, organizations that have a meeting or conference room with more than one video camera connected to Microsoft Teams Rooms will be able to switch between them while in a video call.
To do so, they'll need to click on the icon that depicts an arrow going through a rectangle at the bottom of a Teams meeting to see a list of available cameras. From here, they'll be able to switch between cameras seamlessly without interrupting their meeting.
As more devices have built-in cameras than ever before, this new update to Microsoft Teams Rooms will allow organizations to take advantage of them. Some possible use cases include being able to switch between a wide group shot and having one individual on camera as well as being able to give attendees a close up view of a product or design.
Now that Microsoft is adding multiple camera support to Microsoft Teams Rooms, the company could eventually add this same functionality to regular Teams meetings so that individuals can also give their meetings more of a cinematic feel.
Looking to improve your video calls? Check out our roundups of the best video conferencing software (opens in new tab), best business webcams (opens in new tab) and best headsets for conference calls (opens in new tab)
Via ONMSFT (opens in new tab)
