The next big update to Windows 11 will arrive later this year, and Microsoft plans to talk about hybrid work and its new operating system at its April 5 event. Chief Product Officer Panos Panay will be on stage to talk about Windows 11 for business customers and how Microsoft is contributing to the hybrid work scenario.
The event’s theme is “Windows Powers the Future of Hybrid Work,” and it’s a business solutions-focused event, so you can expect to hear about Microsoft Teams, Windows 365, cloud computing, and similar services. Meanwhile, Microsoft is also expected to announce new consumer-focused features during the event.
Microsoft is expected to provide demos of the new Windows 11 features aimed at professionals and highlight major improvements to Windows and Microsoft 365 this year. As you probably know, Windows 11 has been positioned as an operating system for a mix of work and study. In fact, Microsoft officials have said that the company wants to modernize the entire user interface, while still offering advanced features that make users more productive.
Looking forward to this event
While Microsoft’s event is about hybrid work, the company still plans to discuss Windows 11 improvements for business customers, and Panos Panay will take the stage and talk about the future of the desktop operating system.
Windows 11 version 22H2 officially announced
Microsoft hasn’t officially announced version 22H2, but we know the company is testing it in the Insider Dev and Beta channels. The company may use the event to tease the features of the 22H2 version.
The next update includes new touch gestures, a task manager and improvements to settings, start menu, action center, and other behind-the-scenes improvements around the taskbar, such as the much-requested drag-and-drop feature.
Smart Clipboard and Smart Actions
One of the new known features is Smart Clipboard and Actions. As the name suggests, Smart Clipboard will help users easily perform certain work-related tasks. For example, if you copy an email address with Smart Clipboard enabled, you’ll be able to perform a “smart action” or suggested action, such as an unsolicited request to perform a task in the Outlook app.
Outlook for Windows 11
Speaking of the Outlook app, Microsoft has been working on the One Outlook (redesigned web-based Outlook) app for a while now. The Outlook for Windows 11 app will be a web-based app that will replace the Outlook desktop client on Windows and macOS.
Outlook One will also feature a new interface built on top of Outlook Web, which will support native Windows 11 features such as the share menu, context menu, notification center, and more.