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3 min read

Microsoft 365 improves web and desktop productivity with new features in Office that help people brainstorm, create, and present

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With school back in session and work schedules ramping up, this time of year can be hectic. So it’s the perfect moment to highlight app updates and enhancements that help you work more productively—with the flexibility and mobility that modern life demands. We’re committed to empowering people to use the cloud to work and learn from anywhere, and Office for the web now fully enables this new productivity.

Today, we’re excited to announce new features to help you brainstorm, create, and present more effectively

Practice makes perfect with Presenter Coach in PowerPoint for the web

Public speaking doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking. Our public preview of Presenter Coach in PowerPoint for the web uses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help business professionals, teachers, and students become more effective presenters.

When you enter rehearsal mode and speak into a microphone, Presenter Coach gives you real-time on-screen feedback to improve public speaking skills. This includes helpful tips on pacing, including inclusive language, using too many filler words like “basically” or “um,” and avoiding the sense that you’re just reading the slides.

At the end of the rehearsal session, a handy report highlights the areas for improvement. Currently, Presenter Coach only works in English. We’ll continue to add new capabilities and improve performance in the coming months.

Read about our product design research process.

 

PowerPoint icon.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Present like a pro.

Presenter Coach in PowerPoint for the web is now in public preview.

Present, annotate, and interact naturally with Inking in Office for the web

Today, we’re announcing new capabilities to help you create more effective presentations in Office for the web—including Inking in PowerPoint for the web. Now that you can present in PowerPoint for the web and ink and annotate in real-time, there’s no need for a laser pointer to highlight or point to important information.

Animated image of Inking used in PowerPoint on a pop quiz about the solar system.

Ink has come a long way since we first introduced it. Based on the great feedback, we made numerous improvements to Inking in Slide Show across all platforms. One of our top requests from customers—the ability to effectively animate process flows and diagrams—is now possible with the new Ink Replay in Slide Show feature. Ink appears, step by step, to create impactful animations that bring work and ideas to life.

Animated image of animations being used in PowerPoint to highlight the anatomy of lettering.
Ink Replay animations on PowerPoint for Windows and Mac, as well as annotating with digital pen in Slide Show on PowerPoint for the web, are available for Office Insiders and rolling out now. Additional Inking in Office for the web support will be coming soon.

Brainstorm together and get work done with new Microsoft Whiteboard templates for desktop

We’re also announcing templates in Microsoft Whiteboard to help you collaborate more effectively—whether you’re trying to brainstorm your next big idea or get everyone on the same page. These templates can help you run more effective meetings with KANBAN sprint planning, SWOT analysis, project planning, learning, and more.

Animated image of sticky notes being used in Microsoft Whiteboard.

Pre-created layouts provide an immediate structure—with helpful tips for running activities—and expand to fit all your content. Read more about the new Microsoft Whiteboard templates.

Microsoft Whiteboard templates is now in public preview for Windows 10 and rolling out to iOS within a few days. To add templates, click or tap the Insert button in the toolbar.

Bring your ideas to life with new 3D models and lesson plans in Office for desktop

Visual learning is essential for effectively educating students in the digital age. 3D in Office allows anyone to easily communicate their ideas by inserting their own 3D models or selecting one from our library of content. Based on overwhelming feedback from the Office community, we have added a set of 23 education-based 3D models and 10 lesson plans on topics, including geology, biology, and space.

Animated image of 3d models being used in Microsoft PowerPoint.

These engaging models help parents and teachers quickly communicate comprehensible and retainable information to students. Created by Lifeliqe, the new lesson plans complement the models to create a comprehensive learning experience.

The new 3D models and lesson plans are now generally available to Office 365 subscribers in Windows. To learn more about all our education-related news for September, please visit the What’s New in EDU blog.