Microsoft Places is the new ‘share my location’ app for work
Microsoft is launching a new application called Places, which will offer employees and organizations balancing home and in-office work a better way to figure out who is where, and when.
You’ll probably immediately know if you or your team might be using Places, given that you’re already familiar with your company’s attitude towards remote work. It’s clear that some companies would like to convince their workers to return to the office, while some workers would rather avoid the stress and expense of a commute and work from home.
Places is designed to balance that tension, Microsoft said. First off, the app can be used as a standalone indicator of who will be in the office, and when. But it will also be integrated into both Outlook and Copilot, so you can visually see which team members will be where, or just ask Copilot to sum it all up. Copilot integration will take place during the second half of 2024, Microsoft said.
Microsoft outlined its Places plans in a blog post, with a surprising amount of graphics describing what Places will look like. We’ve reproduced a few here. Here’s what Places will offer:
Location plans: You can set you location for a given period, and check to see whether your coworkers (or your boss) will be in too. A “peek card” sums your plans up.