Microsoft has announced plans to bring the comprehensive calendar app from Outlook over to Teams, to help users better manage their schedules.
The tech firm has unified many featured across its Teams and Outlook platforms in recent months, supposedly in a bid to closely align the two solutions whilst also bringing the best features of each to the other.
In April this year it saw a new meeting response option provided in Outlook: ‘Follow’ (in addition to ‘Accept’, ‘Decline’ or ‘Maybe/Tentative’). When selecting ‘Follow’, users could skip the meeting but still be kept up to date with what was covered.
Now, another feature is making its way between the two, with Outlook’s calendar app set to be offered to Teams users from November. Those wanting to get ahead of the game can toggle the new calendar on (in a similar way to how it was possible to switch between Classic Outlook and New Outlook previously), whilst for everyone else the global rollout is expected in early 2025.
For those who do make the switch, Microsoft promises “rich productivity features and the latest innovations like Microsoft Copilot, to help users more seamlessly manage their schedules, prepare for and recap meetings, and even identify optimal days for in-office collaboration.”
Specifically, new features include a command bar that adapts to individual users, customisable timescales, improved filters and more sharing options.
Users could save time through an improved meeting creation functionality, with the scheduling form given an updated look to match its new options.
Elsewhere, closer integration with Microsoft Places allows users to plan more effectively, by seeing their colleagues’ locations and availabilities at a glance.
It can even display weather information for the local area.
“The new calendar in Teams is designed to be familiar and reliable,” Microsoft concluded. “It’s one unified calendar that works across new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, Microsoft Places, and now Microsoft Teams.”
