On this episode of Decision Point, the Collab Collective's Craig Durr talks with Irena Andonova, Head of Product for Microsoft Teams Devices, about how Microsoft is redefining BYOD meeting room experiences. Their conversation dives into practical strategies and innovations that enhance both user and admin outcomes—without requiring a complete room overhaul.
Or tune in on your preferred streaming platform:
Craig Durr: Everybody, this is Craig Durr, Chief Analyst and Founder of The Collab Collective. Welcome to another edition of Decision Point. This is where we ask real questions—on behalf of IT decision makers—to the product leaders shaping today’s workplace technology. No marketing fluff, just clarity and substance to help you make informed buying decisions.
Today we’re focusing on a use case that’s gaining significant traction: BYOD rooms. And more specifically, the Microsoft Teams strategy for supporting these experiences. Joining me to explore this is Irena Andonova, Head of Product for Microsoft Teams Devices and Rooms. Did I get all that right?
Irena Andonova: You did. Thanks, Craig. I’m Irena, and I lead the Teams Devices product group at Microsoft. I’ve been involved in this space for a while now. Together with Ilya Bukshteyn and Albert Kooiman, we launched what’s now known as Microsoft Teams Rooms. My team also built the device management capabilities that power our Pro Management services.
Craig Durr: Great. Let’s get into it. Why are we still talking about BYOD rooms in 2025? Are they still relevant?
Irena Andonova: Absolutely. Our goal is to deliver excellent Teams experiences in every space—whether that’s a boardroom, a huddle room, or even a bookable desk. We often say every room deserves a Microsoft Teams Room, but we also recognize that getting there can take time. BYOD rooms offer a bridge. From a user experience and IT budget perspective, they allow people to benefit from Teams features—even without native hardware.
Craig Durr: We’ve seen that in our own data. About one-third of all video devices shipped last quarter were enabling BYOD use cases. Sure, the revenue share is smaller, but the volume is still high. Here’s the question: are people treating BYOD as a short-term fix or a long-term strategy?
Irena Andonova: It varies, but what we’ve seen is a journey. Many organizations start with basic setups—maybe just a display and webcam—and then layer on capabilities as needed. Whether it’s for budget reasons or as a trial run, the point is that the experience can evolve.
Craig Durr: Let’s get into what you’ve enabled for those evolving setups. I know you’ve released some powerful new features for BYOD in recent quarters. Let’s walk through those.
Irena Andonova: Sure. With Teams running on users’ laptops, we can detect shared peripherals in BYOD spaces using signals like serial numbers. If the same set of devices is used by multiple unique users, we classify that as a shared space. This is logged in the Pro Management service.
Craig Durr: And this happens entirely within the Teams app on the user’s laptop?
Irena Andonova: Correct. No special install required. The Teams client acts as the agent.
Craig Durr: And once a room is identified as BYOD, you can apply enhancements?
Irena Andonova: Exactly. Previously, users would mirror their screens onto displays in meeting rooms—which could compromise privacy. Now, we extend the screen instead, keeping private chats and content on the laptop while showing shared content on the room display. Meeting controls also stay local to the user’s laptop.
Craig Durr: That’s what you call intelligent presenter tools?
Irena Andonova: Yes. You get control on your laptop and a clean presenter view on the room display—along with features like speaker notes. It’s a more comfortable and confident experience for presenters.
Craig Durr: There’s another feature—roster nesting—that’s worth discussing.
Irena Andonova: Right. In hybrid meetings, we often don’t know who’s physically in the room. Now, with roster nesting, we can identify and group users under the meeting room name. If I’m remote, I can now see that Irena, for example, is in Room 123. That adds clarity to the hybrid dynamic.
Craig Durr: And this is tied not only to the device but the physical room?
Irena Andonova: Yes. Through shared peripherals and Teams’ location intelligence, we can map usage back to real locations. This integrates with Microsoft Places, allowing colleagues to know when and where people are in the office.
Craig Durr: All without needing a new license?
Irena Andonova: Correct. These are baseline features using the Teams client.
Craig Durr: But what about AI-powered features like speaker attribution?
Irena Andonova: For that, users do need Teams Premium or Copilot licenses. When voice profiles are enrolled, we can attribute comments in transcripts to specific speakers—even in BYOD rooms.
Craig Durr: And that attribution fuels action items and meeting recaps?
Irena Andonova: Exactly. Users benefit by seeing what was assigned to them, even if they missed the meeting.
Craig Durr: From an IT admin perspective, what’s the impact of all this?
Irena Andonova: Pro Management lets IT discover and inventory rooms—even non-native ones. Admins can monitor usage, performance, and device health. This supports smarter decision-making about where to invest or upgrade next.
Craig Durr: And the Pro Management Portal consolidates all that?
Irena Andonova: Yes. It gives you a unified view of your entire video estate—native and BYOD alike.
Craig Durr: Now, if I’m ready to move a BYOD room into a native Teams Room setup, how can I do that?
Irena Andonova: We offer OEM upgrade kits—such as Maxhub’s XCore Kit—which bundle a compute unit and a touch console. Paired with your existing peripherals, these transform the space into a fully native Microsoft Teams Room.
Craig Durr: Without a full rip-and-replace?
Irena Andonova: Exactly. That’s the power of our upgrade path. And we’ve taken it further with Express Install options—kits designed to avoid major renovations. You don’t need to drill holes or pull new wires.
Craig Durr: I’ve seen some of those at the Hive. Things like totem-style furniture that integrates displays into the desk setup.
Irena Andonova: Right. We’ve worked with partners like Salamander and Heckler to make room upgrades faster, cheaper, and easier—often installable by one person in under an hour.
Craig Durr: I think that covers the journey well. From understanding why BYOD matters to how Teams supports them today, and where it’s all going. Irina, thank you. This has been a fantastic conversation.
Irena Andonova: Thank you, Craig. I’ve really enjoyed it.
Craig Durr: And for those looking to learn more, visit aka.ms/teamdevices. Until next time, this is Craig Durr with The Collab Collective. Take care.