Microsoft Teams’ New Premium Tier Features Explained

Smart meeting recaps and real-time translations of 40 different languages are just two of the new features from Teams.

Microsoft is rolling out a new premium service for collaboration tool Microsoft Teams, and one of the top features is an AI-powered tool that automatically recaps video meetings.

Other new tools coming to the platform include meeting guides, custom branding, and live translation for captions that will further break down language barriers. It's another example of how business software is adapting to a hybrid-first world.

Teams Premium will be available to all by the end of 2023. Here's how those features will all work.

What's Coming to Microsoft Teams Premium

Announced in a recent blog post, Microsoft's latest tier adds all its new tools at a single price (still to be disclosed), with no add-ons offered or needed. Here's our at-a-glance summary of the biggest new features:

Live translation for captions

This service offers real-time translations from 40 spoken languages, letting each user tailor their subtitles to match their preferred language. It's a cool way to keep everyone on the same page by accommodating everyone's unique preferences.

Microsoft is just a tad late to the party on this one, as Zoom announced its own live-translate captions earlier this year, albeit as a paid add-on.

Meeting guides

With this, you can set up custom meetings in order to quickly pick out which template you need when you need it, from a help desk call to a brainstorming meeting.

Intelligent recap

This offers an AI-powered post-meeting summary. Teams already offers a version of the meeting recap feature, but not one that sorts out the best gems from the entire haystack of meeting notes.

Customized meeting branding

Finally, Premium will let you add your own company brand to custom backgrounds, together modes, and the meeting lobby itself.

Better security and analytics will also be available with the new service.

The first look at Teams Premium will arrive with a preview in December 2022, and general availability will roll around in February of next year. The AI-powered features will slowly roll out across the first half of 2023 as well.

Is Teams for You?

We've rounded up all the top business meeting software options on the market on our main guide to web conferencing software. Top picks that we think beat Microsoft Teams overall include GoTo Meeting and Zoom. You can check out a quick comparison table below.

That said, Teams still has a lot to offer, and is constantly adding new features and abilities to its existing services. And, with a whole new Premium experience coming in 2023, Teams is leveling up yet again.

0 out of 0
Price from
The lowest starting price for a paid plan. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs.
Best for
Free plan
Breakout Rooms
Whiteboard
Audio-Conferencing
Pros
Cons

Zoho Meeting

GoTo Meeting

Zoom

RingCentral

Webex

Google Meet

Microsoft Teams

Lifesize

BlueJeans

Value

Sound and video quality

Beginners

Security

Larger businesses

Google Workspace users

Microsoft 365 users

Users that need hardware

Users that need customer support

Yes (paid plan) – VoIP, Phone & Toll-Free

Yes – VoIP, Phone & Toll-Free

Yes – Add-on audio plan allows you to add Call Out, global Toll-free & local dial-in for premium countries

Yes – Companies get a single audio conferencing bridge dial-in phone number for easy universal access.

Yes – Audio-only calls can be created when a host generates an Audio pin

Yes – Just call the number listed on the meeting invite, or join via the link and turn off your camera

Yes – but only in selected countries, and each user dialing into meetings will need an audio-conferencing license.

Yes – in a meeting contact card, users can tap the phone number under Details to call using their default phone or voice app

Yes – Easy access to audio conferencing is provided via a traditional PSTN number

  • Low cost, flexible pricing
  • Browser functionality
  • SSL/128-bit AES encryption
  • High quality video and audio
  • Reliable and secure
  • Lower cost than competitors
  • Easy to use
  • Feature-rich free version available
  • Intuitive interface
  • Lots of customizability
  • Affordable
  • Feature-rich software
  • High quality video
  • Easy setup
  • Google Calendar compatibility
  • Saves chat logs
  • Easy integration with Google apps
  • Completely free
  • 300 participants
  • Integrates with Microsoft 365
  • 1080p video and HD audio,
  • Integrates with third-party apps
  • Good value
  • Amazing sound quality
  • Lots of features
  • Many software integrations
  • Recording costs extra
  • No free plan
  • Poor audio quality
  • No analytics
  • Free – no single sign-on
  • Occasional bandwidth issues
  • Spotty connectivity
  • No gallery view for guests
  • Steep learning curve
  • Unsophisticated chat function
  • Connectivity issues without update
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Written by:
Adam is a writer at Tech.co and has worked as a tech writer, blogger and copy editor for more than a decade. He was a Forbes Contributor on the publishing industry, for which he was named a Digital Book World 2018 award finalist. His work has appeared in publications including Popular Mechanics and IDG Connect, and his art history book on 1970s sci-fi, 'Worlds Beyond Time,' is out from Abrams Books in July 2023. In the meantime, he's hunting down the latest news on VPNs, POS systems, and the future of tech.
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