The wait is finally over as Microsoft has announced that its walkie-talkie feature in Microsoft Teams is now available to the general public.
The feature, first announced two years ago and previewed ever since, allows users of the software giant's video conferencing software to use their smartphone or tablet as a walkie-talkie that can work over both a cellular and wireless connection.
While the Teams walkie-talkie feature works on any Android smartphone by pressing and holding an onscreen button to speak and releasing the button to listen, it's even more useful on rugged smartphones. In fact, many rugged smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 have a customizable button that can be assigned to the Teams walkie-talkie feature so workers don't have to unlock their phone to access push-to-talk.
Teams users can now try Microsoft's walkie-talkie feature on their Android smartphones and tablets, but the company has also gone ahead and integrated the feature into the Teams app for iOS.
Exclusive push-to-talk button
In addition to highlighting how the Teams walkie-talkie feature can be used on Samsung's rugged smartphones, Microsoft also announced an extension of its strategic partnership with Zebra Technologies in a new blog post.
As a result, Teams walkie-talkie functionality is now generally available on a wide range of Zebra mobile devices, including its rugged TC-series, customer-focused EC-series and MC-series scanning device. However, what sets these devices apart from the rest is that they have a dedicated push-to-talk button so frontline workers can instantly and securely communicate with their teams with the push of a button.
In a separate blog post, Emma Williams, vice president of modern workplace verticals at Microsoft, explained how the company's digital walkie-talkie feature is more secure than traditional radios, saying:
“This feature, built natively into Teams, reduces the number of devices employees need to carry and lowers IT costs. Unlike analog devices with insecure networks, customers no longer have to worry about crosstalk or eavesdropping. And since the walkie-talkie works with Wi-Fi or mobile data, this capability can be used in all geographic locations. »
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