Microsoft continues to drive the development of the metaverse. Microsoft Mesh, a set of new features inspired by Metaverse, is now generally available as part of the Teams communication software, the company reports. Mesh is designed to help employees build stronger emotional connections with geographically dispersed teammates.

• Microsoft is introducing Metaverse-style features, known as Microsoft Mesh, to its Teams communications software.
• Mesh is designed to help remote employees build emotional connections with their colleagues.
• The feature gives Teams access to pre-built, immersive 3D locations that can be customised using an editor.
• Mesh also offers the opportunity to familiarise new employees with the company’s policies and culture.
• This feature has been successfully used by Accenture to onboard 300,000 employees since 2021.
• Companies can create personalised spaces and use the Mesh app themselves or purchase it through the Meta Quest App Store.

The screenshots of Mesh in Teams published by Microsoft are similar to other Metaverse scenarios we have already seen. Legless avatars gather in a magical virtual environment that has the potential to transform, for example, a boring conference call into more interesting interactions that strengthen interpersonal bonds.

According to a study by Microsoft, making connections between remote workers is a challenge and organisations need like-minded employees if they want to be successful. Mesh is available exclusively for Meta Quest headsets and is seen by the company as the answer to this problem.

The way it works is that teams now have access to pre-built, “immersive” 3D locations that can be selected when starting a new conference call in the app. These are the digital equivalent of Fantasy Island. One option is a futuristic house on a hill with indoor and outdoor meeting rooms, as shown in the Microsoft video. These 3D rooms can be modified with a “no code” editor and selected within the Teams application. These rooms are reportedly created using the Unity engine. According to Microsoft, companies can also create their own Unity rooms.

Mesh also offers onboarding for companies as a channel. According to Microsoft, this can help new employees quickly understand company policies and fit into the company culture from the outset. As proof, Microsoft cites the successful deployment of 300,000 employees from the consulting firm Accenture from 2021 in a specially created virtual campus. New employees can even travel on the virtual monorail to view teaching materials, network with other employees in shared rooms or attend lectures in virtual lecture theatres.

Although Mesh is not free, Microsoft offers companies a free six-month trial period. It is necessary to liaise with the IT department as the Teams service needs to be configured to support Mesh. In addition, companies can set up personalised areas. Finally, each employee must have a Quest headset. If you want to use the Mesh app yourself, you can also download it from the Meta Quest App Store.