Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams

Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams Features

Important: For details on required Horizon Client versions, Horizon Agent versions, and Teams client versions for each feature see VMware Knowledge Base article 86475.

Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams offers the following features:

Accepting and making audio and video calls
Multiparty audio and video conferencing
Transfer, forward, mute, hold, and resume a call
PSTN calls using a dial pad
Desktop screen sharing
Multi monitor screen sharing and screen picker for screen sharing
Screen sharing on VDI and RDSH desktop sessions and RDSH published application sessions is supported for Windows, Mac, and Linux clients.
Volume control from the remote desktop
Secondary ringer
Active speaker identification
Live Captions for 1:1 and Team Meetings
Custom Together Mode Scenes
E911 and Location-Based Routing (Windows and Mac clients only)
WebRTC 1.0
Give control of screen sharing on VDI and RDSH desktop sessions (Windows, Mac, Linux endpoints)
Take control of screen sharing on VDI, RDSH desktop sessions and RDSH published application sessions (Windows, Mac, Linux endpoints)
Multi Window and Pop-out chat
HID Headset controls for Windows end points*
Background Blur and Effects for Windows end points*

In addition, Microsoft supports the following features. Contact Microsoft for any issues with these Microsoft Teams features:

Gallery View (2x2)
Large Gallery (7x7)
Together Mode
Call Queue
Live Webinar (optimized)
Call Quality Dashboard
Transcription Support
Spotlight
Camera can be on while screensharing (Horizon 2106 or later)*

Attention: Features marked with an asterisk (*) will only become available as Microsoft Teams updates are released. Check the Microsoft 365 roadmap to see when each feature will be activated by Microsoft.

For other Microsoft Teams features supported with VDI, see the Microsoft documentation Meetings and live events.

Note: If Microsoft Teams is optimized on a virtual desktop and you encounter generic issues or certain features missing, check the Microsoft Teams web client for the same behavior. Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams on virtual desktops is based on Microsoft Teams web client that leverages WebRTC technology. If you see the same behavior on the web client, contact Microsoft for assistance.

Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams System Requirements

The Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams supports these configurations.

Table 1. Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams System Requirements
System	Requirements
Microsoft Server	Microsoft 365
Microsoft Teams Client (Optimized)	Microsoft Teams Desktop Client x64 Microsoft Teams Desktop Client x86 See the Microsoft documentation for installation instructions. Note: Microsoft Teams web client is not supported with Teams Optimization Pack. Web browser media offload is supported with Browser Redirection. See Configuring Browser Redirection for supported browsers and clients. Consult Microsoft documentation for supported browsers for Microsoft Teams web client.
Virtual desktop operating systems	Minimum requirement is 2 vCPU for operating systems supported for Horizon Agent.
Client machine operating systems	Minimum hardware requirement is 2.4 GHz dual core. Windows: Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams with Windows client is supported with Horizon Client 2006 and later for VDI desktops, and Horizon Client 2012 and later for RDSH remote desktops and Microsoft Teams as a published application. Mac: Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams with Mac client is supported with Horizon Client 2103 and later. Linux: Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams with Linux client is supported with Horizon Client 2106 and later. Chromebook: Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams with Chromebook client is supported with Horizon Client 2111 and later. To use Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams with Chromebook, Settings > Enable Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams must be enabled. This setting is enabled by default with Horizon Client 2203 and later. For more information see "Configure Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams in Horizon Client for Chrome" in the Horizon Client for Chrome Guide. HTML Access: Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams supports the HTML Access Web client running in a Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser. Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams is supported with HTML Access Web client 2111 and later. To use Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams with Chrome or Edge, Settings > Enable Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams needs to be enabled. This setting is enabled by default with HTML Access Web client 2203 and later. For more information see "Configure Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams in HTML Access" in the Horizon HTML Access Guide .
Deployments	On-premises and cloud: VDI Non-persistent desktops RDS published desktop deployments RDS published application deployments (not supported with versions prior to Horizon Client 2012 or Horizon Client 5.5) Cloud: Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session and all deployment types for Horizon Cloud Services on Azure.
Display Protocols	VMware Blast and PCoIP (no RDP)
TCP Port	9427
Network	IPv4
Microphones and Webcams	Same devices that are qualified to work with Microsoft Teams
Audio codecs	For details, see https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Formats/WebRTC_codecs. SILK Opus G.722
Video codecs	For details, see https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Formats/WebRTC_codecs. AVC/H.264 VP8 VP9
Media Feature Pack	Must be installed on the remote desktop for Windows 10 N and KN versions. You can install Media Feature from the Microsoft download page: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48231.

Installing and Configuring Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams

The Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams feature is installed by default with Horizon Client for Mac, Horizon Client for Linux, Horizon Client for Windows, and Horizon Client for Chrome. For Horizon Client for Windows, end users can deactivate Media Optimization using the client settings.

To use the Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams feature with Horizon Client for Chrome or the HTML Access Web client, the Enable WebRTC Redirection option must be activated in the client settings. To use screen-sharing capabilities with these clients, the Enable screen sharing for Microsoft Teams virtualization option must be activated in the client settings. Both the Enable WebRTC Redirection and Enable screensharing for Microsoft Teams virtualization options are activated by default.

Horizon Agent must be installed before you install Microsoft Teams. If you install Microsoft Teams before installing Horizon Agent, delete the %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams folder and relaunch Microsoft Teams.

The Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams group policy setting must be activated to use the feature. See VMware WebRTC Redirection Features in VMware HTML5 Feature Policy Settings.

See the Microsoft documentation Teams for Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure for installation, setup, and deployment requirements, guidelines on persistent and non-persistent desktops, and limitations of using Microsoft Teams in a remote desktop.

Microsoft updates their Teams recommended version periodically. Check Microsoft for updates and install the latest recommended version to access new features without updating Horizon Client or Horizon Agent.

For more information about installing and configuring Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams, see the TechZone article Microsoft Teams Optimization with VMware Horizon.

Note: Media optimization for Microsoft Teams is not supported in Horizon Agent 7.12 or earlier and Horizon Client versions 5.4.3, 5.4.2, 5.4.1, 5.4, and 5.3 or earlier due to UX issues. These UX issues have been fixed in the latest release of Horizon Agent and Horizon Client.

Pairing Modes for a Session

A user can check if Microsoft Teams is running in optimized mode, fallback mode, or natively in the virtual desktop (no optimization). On the top right corner of the Microsoft Teams interface, click the user icon and navigate to About->Version to see a banner under the user icon describing the Microsoft Teams version and pairing modes:

Optimized: If the banner shows VMware Media Optimized, then Microsoft Teams is running in the optimized mode. In this mode, the Enable Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams GPO is activated, Microsoft Teams is running in the virtual desktop, and audio and video is offloaded to the client machine.
Fallback: If the banner shows VMware Media Not Connected, then Microsoft Teams is running in fallback mode. In this mode, the Enable Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams GPO is activated and Microsoft Teams has tried to start in Optimized mode, but the Horizon Client being used does not support Microsoft Teams optimization. RTAV is used and audio and video from Microsoft Teams is not offloaded to the client machine. Fallback mode has the same limitations as Optimized mode. When you make a call in fallback mode, you see a warning sign on the call:
Your device does not support VMware optimization. Audio and video quality may be reduced. Talk to your IT admin.
No Optimization: If the banner does not show VMware text in the message, the Enable Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams GPO is not activated. RTAV is used and audio and video from Microsoft Teams is not offloaded to the client machine.

Background Blur and Effects

Background blur and effects allow the user to blur their background or select an available background image before or during a video call or meeting.

We currently support:

Selecting background blur effect which will blur the user’s background during a video call.
Selecting Microsoft defined images as a background during a video call.

Limitations:

Uploading a user’s custom image to be used as a background is not supported.
Selecting a tenant-specific background image uploaded using Admin Center is not supported.
Teams Background Blur setting is not saved after disconnecting or logging off of the desktop or when Teams service is restarted.

HID Headset Support

HID (Human Interface Device) usage is supported only on Windows client endpoint.

We support:

Volume up and down
Mute/unmute button
Call accept and reject

We do not support:

Hold/Resume

E911 and Location-Based Routing

This feature is supported for Windows and Mac clients only.

To support Dynamic E911 for Horizon Client, you must activate OS location services for the client application. See Configuring E911 Services for Microsoft Teams in the Horizon Client for Windows Guide and Horizon Client for Mac Guide. Static E911 does not need location services to be activated.

The Enable E911 for Microsoft Teams group policy setting must be activated or not configured to use the feature. See VMware WebRTC Redirection Features in VMware HTML5 Feature Policy Settings.

Limitations of Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams With All Clients

Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams has the following limitations for all supported client platforms. Contact Microsoft for Microsoft limitations.


Limitation	Comments
Outgoing application window sharing is not supported.	VMware limitation
The camera light stays on if the user puts the video call on hold (but video is not sent).	Microsoft limitation
When minimizing a Microsoft Teams video call window, the small Microsoft Teams window in the lower right corner will not show an active video.	Microsoft limitation
Microsoft Teams running in fallback mode on an RDSH machine cannot access the remote machine’s microphone and speaker.	See the KB article https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/84205 for a workaround.
VDI participants cannot create breakout rooms but can join only.	Microsoft limitation
Live Events is not optimized, but supported as an attendee. Producer and presenter roles are not supported for a VDI user.	Microsoft limitation. As a workaround, use Live Events (Web) client with browser content redirection. See https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/88274 for details.
Media bypass for direct routing is not supported.	Microsoft limitation
1080p video is not supported.	Microsoft limitation
Zoom in and out function in Microsoft Teams is not supported.	Microsoft limitation
Microsoft starts meetings with a lower resolution and gradually increases the resolution based on network conditions, such as bandwidth of meeting participants and video window size.	Microsoft limitation
Quality of Service (QoS) in Microsoft Teams is not supported.	Microsoft and VMware limitation
Test Call button is not available	Microsoft limitation
3x3 video gallery is not supported.	Microsoft limitation
Give control while screen sharing is not supported if Teams is an RDSH Application.	VMware and Microsoft limitation
When screenshare is being controlled by a peer, the cursor sometimes moves to the last location of the controller.	VDI limitation
In the sharing toolbar, the Give Control toolbar only shows two participants at a time. To scroll to other participants, use the up/down arrow keys.	Microsoft Limitation.
When screen sharing, the sharing toolbar might be hidden under the Horizon Client toolbar when Horizon Client is in full screen.	To access the Microsoft Teams sharing toolbar, do one of the following: Hide the Horizon Client toolbar. Exit Horizon Client Fullscreen (use Horizon Client in window mode). Drag the floating Horizon Client toolbar to another location.
Shared system audio/computer sound is not supported while screensharing.	Microsoft Limitation

For a list of other Microsoft Teams limitations on VDI, see the Microsoft documentation Meetings and live events.

Limitations of Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams With Specific Clients

Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams has the following limitations for certain client platforms.


Limitation	Comments
HID: Not supported for non-Windows clients. For Windows end points, hold and resume are not supported.	Microsoft limitation
Background Blur and Effects: Not supported for non-Windows clients. For Windows end points: Users can only use available Microsoft background images. Tenant-based background images configured by IT admins and custom backgrounds are not supported.	Microsoft limitation
Volume control from remote desktop is not supported on Linux clients. To change the volume during the call, change the volume of the Linux client. To use the Linux Client volume hardware volume buttons, first make Horizon Client active by clicking on the Horizon Client toolbar (if the desktop is full screen), or the Horizon client window title bar (if the desktop is in window mode).	VMware limitation
Media Optimization on Linux and Mac clients does not support proxy configuration.	VMware limitation
The following screen-sharing limitations apply to the Chrome client and HTML Access Web client: Content in the screen-sharing window turns black when the window is minimized. The mouse cursor disappears when a native client window moves in front of the screen-sharing window. Screen-sharing content disappears when the user locks and then unlocks the client operating system.	VMware limitations
The following screen-sharing limitations apply to the Chrome client and HTML Access Web client: When a user shares all or part of their screen, the shared area is not surrounded by a red outline as expected. When a user selects an option in the "Share your screen" dialog other than the specific browser tab being used by the client, that user can inadvertently share their local desktop.	Google limitations
On the HTML Access Web client, Media Optimization becomes unavailable when the browser page is refreshed. To use Media Optimization after a page refresh, restart Microsoft Teams on the remote desktop.	VMware limitation
Media Optimization does not support multiple-monitor configurations with the Chrome client and HTML Access Web client.	VMware limitation
Media Optimization is not supported on the Chrome client and HTML Access Web client if Microsoft Teams is published as an application.	VMware limitation
If you activate or deactivate location sharing to support the E911 feature using the VDI client or agent GPO policy, the cached E911 location status continues to display on the VDI Teams call page until Teams is restarted on the VDI desktop.	VMware limitation
In both native and VDI Teams, locations shown by the E911 feature might not match those shown in Google Maps.	Microsoft limitation
Due to a Microsoft issue, if you log out and then back into either native or VDI Teams, there can be a delay of up to two minutes before the emergency location of the client device is displayed by the E911 feature.	Microsoft limitation

Knowledge Base Articles Related to Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams

For Knowledge Base articles related to Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams, search “HorizonTeamsOptimization” in VMware’s Knowledge Base or go to https://kb.vmware.com/s/global-search/%40uri#q=HorizonTeamsOptimization.

For details on required Horizon Client versions, Horizon Agent versions, and Teams client versions for each feature see VMware Knowledge Base article 86475.

See the Microsoft documentation Teams for Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure for installation, setup, and deployment requirements, guidelines on persistent and non-persistent desktops, and limitations of using Microsoft Teams in a remote desktop.

Microsoft updates their Teams recommended version periodically. Check Microsoft for updates and install the latest recommended version Horizon Client or Horizon Agent.

For more information about installing and configuring Media Optimization for Microsoft Teams, see the TechZone article Microsoft Teams Optimization with VMware Horizon