Technicians Can Now Use Spatial Annotations Direct In Teams, With D365 Field Service

Spatial annotations have just hit general availability in Dynamics 365 Field Service, marking another, huge step forward in the realm of augmented reality for frontline technicians and engineers.

Anyone who’s been using D365 Field Service, Guides or Remote Assist (with the appropriate licenses) will find the new spatial annotation feature the next time they log in to their Microsoft Teams mobile app… at no extra cost to themselves or their organisation. 

Before now, using spatial annotations would necessitate the use of either a dedicated mobile app or HoloLens 2.

However, you can now use 3D inking and arrow placement directly in your Teams mobile or desktop app, during any 1:1 call or Teams meeting instead of having to access Microsoft Teams within the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist and Guides application.

That means anyone who’s constantly on the move with their job can have all their core collaboration capabilities in a single app… simplifying their job and eliminating the need to switch apps constantly.

Using spatial annotations will be as straightforward as joining a Teams meeting or making a call.

With just a front-facing camera on a phone, users can share their view with remote participants for real-time collaboration whilst in the flow of work.  

Technicians in the field can place 3D arrow and ink annotations by tapping on their video to discuss with remote peers.  

Desktop users can then see this video feed and add their own annotations to overlay important information on physical objects, enhancing comprehension and enabling workers to fix issues faster. Users will be able to move and change angles without losing track of annotations anchored to their environment.

Another benefit to being able to access spatial annotations directly in the Teams mobile will be fewer apps for admins to provision, update and audit.  

Users will also benefit from end-to-end encryption, data loss prevention and compliance certifications through the Teams mobile app. These additional security measures are there to add extra protect against unauthorised access to your confidential company information.  
 

However, it’s also worth remembering that since spatial annotations in now on general availability through the Teams app, the standalone Remote Assist app will be deprecated and no longer supported.