Posts by Joaoferreira

Bringing Microsoft Places from Digital to Physical with Appspace Kiosks

This week felt a bit different, so I’m bringing something from my day‑to‑day work at Appspace into the blog. At ISE in Barcelona we showed, for the very first time, the kiosk integration for Microsoft Places. As a Product Manager who loves creating integrations on top of the Microsoft platform, seeing this come to life in the physical world was a great moment.

Microsoft Places gives organizations a digital layer for their workplace, from maps to space information and everything needed to keep spaces managed and used more efficiently. What we’ve done at Appspace is take that digital layer and give it a physical presence through our kiosks and workplace devices, so people can actually interact with Microsoft Places data as they move through an office.

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By João Ferreira Feb 5, 2026 Microsoft Places 0 Comments

Hands-On Microsoft 365 Pulse – Weekly Updates (Week 5)

It’s a new month, which means your monthly recap for SharePoint, Copilot, Viva, and Teams is here. Plus, this February I’m diving into another blog post marathon – one post every day! The first two are already live, so if you’re curious about turning your Copilot into autopilot, or what’s new with Microsoft Places, go check them out!

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By João Ferreira Feb 2, 2026 Uncategorized 0 Comments

Microsoft Places licensing — what changed and why it matters

Microsoft Places licensing has shifted from a per‑user, Teams Premium‑based model to a per‑space model centered on the new Teams Shared Space license. In practice, end‑user experiences like Places Finder and Places Explorer are now included for virtually all M365 users with calendar access, while advance desk booking, auto‑release, and space analytics are unlocked by licensing the physical spaces themselves.

Let’s put this in context with a short story. Imagine Contoso Workspace, a 600‑person hybrid company that wants everyone to see maps and book desks, but only cares about managing 120 actual desks and meeting rooms. Under the old model they had to consider licensing people; under the new one they just license the spaces they manage. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about the change and how to adapt fast.

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By João Ferreira Feb 2, 2026 Microsoft Places 0 Comments

Turn Your Copilot into Autopilot – Automated Prompts on a Repeating Schedule

I like to start the day with Copilot, but I don’t want to type the same prompt every morning. The fix is simple. Turn a good prompt into a small routine that runs for you, gathers the signals you care about, and sends a clean briefing before I even sit down at my desk.

Microsoft has quietly added this feature that lets you schedule a Copilot prompt, so you don’t have to remember to run it every morning. It’s simple, lightweight, and works directly inside Microsoft 365 without needing Power Automate or Copilot Studio.

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By João Ferreira Feb 1, 2026 Copilot 1 Comment

What’s new for Copilot – January 2026

Copilot had another massive month, more than 50 updates across Microsoft 365, so instead of trying to cover everything up front, I want to call out a few changes that genuinely make day‑to‑day work easier. The first one is all about convenience: you can now press the Teams button on your certified Bluetooth headset or earbuds and instantly trigger voice in Microsoft 365 Copilot from the Teams mobile app on iOS. With voice becoming a bigger part of how we use AI at work, removing all the taps and menus makes Copilot feel much more natural and accessible.

Another update that stood out to me is Copilot ability to create and view Outlook rules using natural language. Anyone who has ever tried to manage rules in Outlook knows how tedious that interface can be. Now you can simply describe what you want to move emails, filter newsletters, clean up inbox noise and Copilot builds the rules for you.

My final highlight is the addition of AI workflow templates in Microsoft Teams. These let you automate repetitive tasks using scheduled prompts, without touching Power Automate or building anything complex. It’s perfect for recurring follow-ups, status pings, reminders, or routine check-ins.

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By João Ferreira Feb 1, 2026 Copilot 0 Comments

Hands-On Microsoft 365 Pulse – Weekly Updates (Week 4)

Two updates stood out for me this week because they fit perfectly with how we work today.

First, the SharePoint Knowledge Agent now includes an AI Audio Overview, with support for more languages. In a world of constant meetings and information overload, being able to listen to SharePoint news instead of reading it makes communication more accessible, more inclusive, and easier to fit into busy days.

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By João Ferreira Jan 26, 2026 Pulse 0 Comments

Hands-On Microsoft 365 Pulse – Weekly Updates (Week 3)

Microsoft 365 continues to accelerate into 2026 with updates designed to bring people closer and make work feel more connected. Viva Engage communities are coming directly into Microsoft Teams by March–April, giving organizations a seamless space for asynchronous conversations, without extra licenses or setup.

If you use the Researcher agent on Microsoft 365 Copilot to create deep, research-driven content, it is becoming even more versatile. You’ll now be able to export your reports into PowerPoint, PDF, Infographic, or even an Audio Overview, unlocking new ways to present insights and share knowledge across your organization.

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By João Ferreira Jan 19, 2026 Pulse 0 Comments

Hands-On Microsoft 365 Pulse – Weekly Updates (Week 2)

Welcome to the first Pulse update of 2026! You might still be stretching your muscles after a well-deserved break, but Microsoft 365 is already at full speed delivering update after update. And leading the charge this year is Microsoft Teams, which kicked off January with major improvements to private channels.

Private channels now align with shared channels for compliance, making governance simpler and more consistent. Teams also scales up with higher channel and member limits plus the ability to schedule meetings in private channels—bringing more flexibility and better collaboration to your organization.

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By João Ferreira Jan 11, 2026 Pulse 0 Comments

Hands-On tek Turns 14!

What do these two boxes have in common? One says FrontPage 98, the other says SharePoint 2001. At first glance, they look like relics from a different eras, but they share a story that shaped my career.

Today, Hands-On tek turns 14 years old. Fourteen years ago, I was sitting in a master class about Android development, when I decided to start a blog. I had no idea that decision would lead me here. Every year, I’ve marked this anniversary by telling stories about the blog or about myself. This year, I want to take you even further back, before the blog, before my career, back to when I was 12.

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By João Ferreira Jan 10, 2026 Events 2 Comments

Hands-On Microsoft 365 Pulse – Weekly Updates (Week 52)

The last week of 2025 was pretty quiet for Microsoft 365 updates, but it still managed to deliver one of my favorite features of the year, the new SharePoint and Microsoft Lists agent for Copilot. I’ve been waiting
for something like this, and it’s great to see it finally land.

I took a few weeks off to enjoy the holidays with my family. This year, we decided to escape the cold up north and headed to Uruguay for some summer sun. Even while I was away, I couldn’t resist putting together my early recap of the top 5 features of the year.

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By João Ferreira Jan 2, 2026 Pulse 0 Comments