Microsoft Teams Insider AI enabling real-time communications with Adam Jacobs, IC3 Principal Program Manager at Microsoft
Feb 24, 2026
Adam Jacobs is a Principal Program Manager on Microsoft’s IC3 real-time communications platform, formerly at Polycom and in IT. He discusses platform scaling and cost trade-offs for AI features. He explains why Cloud Video Interop still matters for enterprises. He describes moving transcription to a scalable platform and real-time vs post-call AI processing challenges.
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IC3 Runs Teams Real-Time Platform
- IC3 is the backend platform powering Teams real-time communications at massive scale.
- Adam Jacobs works in IC3's real-time communications team and coordinates closely with client-side teams to enable end-to-end experiences.
AI Features Multiply Backend Costs
- New features at IC3 are evaluated for cost impact because multiplying by hundreds of millions of users quickly increases expenses.
- Adam sits on an internal COGS council and notes AI features sit in the upper end of compute costs.
Cloud Video Interop Still Critical For Some Customers
- Cloud Video Interop (CVI) still serves large customers and hasn't declined as expected years after launch.
- Adam continues to manage CVI and they keep adding pragmatic features like PowerPoint live support for deployed customers.