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Configure desk pools and workspaces (optional)

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You can use Microsoft Places to configure clusters of desks for your organization. Desk clusters are managed together and known as desk pools (they're also referred to as workspaces). By using desk pools users in your organization can reserve a place to work, when they visit the office.

This article helps you create desk pools to enable desk booking for your organization. Once you know how your desk pools look, and how many desks are in each pool, you can create them for your users to book in-office workdays. Changes to desk pools reflect in approximately 24 to 48 hours.

Prerequisites

Set up desk pools and enable workspaces in Microsoft Places Finder

First you create resource accounts for desk pools and update the directory information for each desk pool (the mailbox type is workspace). Use the following PowerShell template to create a new resource account and room mailbox that represent the desk pool.

Connect-ExchangeOnline 
New-Mailbox -Room -Alias <alias> -Name <workspace name> | Set-Mailbox -Type Workspace 
Set-MailboxCalendarConfiguration -Identity <alias> -WorkingHoursTimeZone "<TimeZone>" -WorkingHoursStartTime 09:00:00 
Set-CalendarProcessing -Identity <alias> -EnforceCapacity $True -AllowConflicts $True

Use the following PowerShell example to define (and locate) the new desk pool in the building so it appears in Microsoft Places Finder.

Connect-MicrosoftPlaces
$building = Get-PlaceV3 -Type Building | Where-Object -Property DisplayName -eq '<Building Name>'
$floor = Get-PlaceV3 -AncestorId $building.PlaceId | Where-Object -Property DisplayName -eq "<Floor Name>"
Set-Placev3 -Identity <alias> -Capacity 10 -Label "<DeskPoolName>" -ParentId $floor.PlaceId

You can also use the optional PowerShell template to restrict the access of who can book a desk pool.

Set-Calendarprocessing <alias> -BookInPolicy <BookableGroupDL>

You can also use the optional PowerShell template to define more attributes for a desk pool.

Connect-MicrosoftPlaces 
Set-Placev3 -Identity <smtpAddress> -IsWheelChairAccessible $True -Tags "Monitor", "Docking Station"