Microsoft Windows 11 mixed business event: What to expect

Next week Microsoft will reveal how the company is building Windows for the future of hybrid work. special event, Windows Powers the Future of Hybrid Work, on April 5th, and will feature Panos Panay, President of Windows and Surface Operating Systems, and CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella. It is expected to cover a variety of new Windows 11 features for security, productivity, and management, both in client and in the cloud.

So what exactly are we likely to see next week? We’ll likely get early glimpses of Microsoft’s vision for building Windows for a new world of remote work. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stressed how important the transition to hybrid business is for Microsoft. “Hybrid work represents the biggest shift in the way we work in our generation,” Nadella said last year. “And it will require a new operating model that includes people, places, and processes.”

Microsoft has made several changes to Microsoft Teams during the pandemic, making it easier to use for participants and remote workers who are adapting to the realities of hybrid work. While Windows 11 includes some improvements to multi-screens, multitasking, and Teams integration, it’s clear that Microsoft has an opportunity to build more into the operating system’s core.

Smarter clipboard

One of the first new Windows 11 features we expect to see next week is the Smart Clipboard. Windows 11 already has a Clipboard where you can store and paste multiple items, but Microsoft is working on suggested actions you can take with the items in your Clipboard. These might be suggestions to call a number through Microsoft Teams or Skype if you copied one, or send email if you copied an email address.

References to this Smart Clipboard and its suggested actions feature Appeared In recent Windows 11 builds, this is likely to be a productivity feature we’ll see from Microsoft.

Tabs in File Explorer

Another advantage it has Back In the latest versions of Windows 11 dev are tabs in File Explorer. This feature is highly needed They first appeared as groups In Windows 10, before Microsoft Project Cancellation To bring tabs to each app. It now appears that tabs are set to return to File Explorer in Windows 11 soon.

Tab support is currently hidden within Windows 11 dev and Microsoft versions He said last month It will begin testing beta features in Windows 11 that may never ship. The tabs in File Explorer are probably just an experiment, but if Microsoft is aiming to improve the productivity of Windows 11, this feature seems like a perfect example for its April 5th event.

New email app for Windows

The built-in Mail app for Windows 11 needs an overhaul, and it looks like it’s on the way. Microsoft has been testing a new Outlook app that will eventually replace the built-in Mail app on Windows. The codename is Monarch or “One Outlook”, the The app was first leaked over a year ago As a web-based and lightweight alternative to win32 Outlook.

ZDNet I mentioned recently Microsoft is planning to officially announce this new Outlook app in the spring, so the April 5th event definitely looks as good as ever.

Microsoft Teams and the 3D metaverse

Microsoft has promised to Bring 3D avatars to Microsoft Teams It’s in the first half of 2022, so we’ll likely take a closer look at it next week. These new 3D avatars are designed to combat meeting fatigue, so you don’t always have to enable your webcam. It’s also part of a broader push into Microsoft’s metaverse environment, and you won’t need to put together a VR headset to use it. Microsoft will use artificial intelligence to listen to your voice and then animate these avatars accordingly.

We’re also likely to see some Microsoft visions for the future of hybrid and metaverse work with Windows 11 and Microsoft 365. Build immersive meetings for Teams and complete Microsoft Mesh platform Over the past year, Nadella is optimistic about the metaverse.

“We feel very well positioned to be able to discover what I think is basically the next wave of the internet,” Nadella said. During a Microsoft earnings call earlier this year. “I think the next wave of the Internet will be a more open world where people can build their own worlds, whether they’re organizations, game developers, or anyone else.”

We also expect to see more Teams features and possibly additional integration in Windows 11. Microsoft already has a Teams client built into Windows 11, but companies are required to install a separate one to use work accounts. Arranging this in Windows 11 should be part of Microsoft’s plans to improve hybrid work with Windows 11.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft is adding a lot of productivity and security features to its Edge browser to make it stand out from Chrome, Firefox, and others. We expect to see more additions that focus on blended work and productivity.

Edge PDF Reader appears set to include some much-needed improvements soon with full support for table of contents, thumbnail views, and Much more. Reddit users have also discovered the return of the Workspaces feature, which basically works like your browser’s virtual desktop. Microsoft originally started testing this feature last year, and the latest versions of Edge Canary show that it may be about to make a comeback.

Photo: Leopeva64-2 (reddit)

Security and management

It wouldn’t be a Microsoft business-focused event without some security and management announcements. We expect Microsoft to announce some new security and management features for Windows 11 and Windows 365 next week. These would likely fall under Microsoft’s broad Endpoint Manager, which includes Intune, Autopilot, and Configuration Manager.

Microsoft was on a mission to improve security in Windows 11, particularly with the requirements for TPM and Secure Boot. The last addition is a file At-risk driver ban list for Windows Defender, and we expect to see other improvements to protect Windows 11 from the complications of remote work.

the edge The Microsoft event will be covering Windows on April 5th, so stay tuned for the latest news.