Explore the latest technologies shared at this year's Microsoft Ignite with insights from MVPs.
Did you have a chance to read the article "MVP’s Recommended Microsoft Ignite 2024 Session" that we published the week before Microsoft Ignite 2024? It featured top recommendations from 20 Microsoft MVPs, and we hope their insights have been helpful on your learning journey.
In this follow-up article, seven MVPs from different regions will share their key takeaways and insights from this year’s Ignite. They will highlight must-watch sessions and share their own blogs and videos inspired by the latest information presented at the conference.
Gary Raife, M365, United Kingdom
Personal Blog - What does a crying toddler, coffee and Copilot Agents have in common?
“I have just written a personal blog about Copilot Agents and creating a "Clinical Knowledge Agent" for primary care in the UK, I think it might be a bit of a game changer once people in the NHS realise how powerful it is.”
Lesley Crook, Business Applications, M365, United Kingdom
Personal LinkedIn Post: M365 Adoption & Change visions
“Analytics are only meaningful with data to measure so if you lack #adoption it’s pointless 📉”
“If you have successfully deployed at least two Viva products eg., Viva Learning or Viva Insights this might be of interest to you. hashtag#SkillsinViva in private preview, interconnecting with LinkedIn graph.”
Lisa Crosbie, Business Applications, M365, Australia
Suggested Session - BRK274 Explore technical details and applications of Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat, Copilot Pages, and Copilot Actions
“This is an incredibly clear, well-paced overview of Biz Chat, Copilot Pages, and Copilot Actions, showing what you can do with practical and easy to understand examples. This is a highly valuable session for business users who want to understand these capabilities and how to use them. Don't be put off by the title saying, "technical details", this is very well presented for non-technical business users.”
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Personal YouTube Video - Microsoft 365 Copilot: Top Announcements from Ignite!
“My video working through what's important and why in the Microsoft 365 Copilot headline announcements.”
Mezba Uddin, M365, Cloud and Datacenter Management MVP, United Kingdom
Suggested Session - BRK102 Introducing Azure AI Foundry Agent Service to scale your AI agents
“For those exploring how AI-driven autonomy can transform their work, this session is a must. It dives into using Azure AI to create multi-agent systems capable of tackling complex tasks and enhancing decision-making. As autonomous agents become integral to innovation, this session provides timely strategies and practical insights to help you deploy them in real-world scenarios and drive efficiency like never before.”
<Relevant Microsoft content>
Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals: AI Overview - Training | Microsoft Learn
Muhammad Samiullah, Developer Technologies, Microsoft Azure, Pakistan
Suggested Session - BRK242 How to run a successful Azure data analytics project
“If you’re exploring how to make your Azure data analytics projects more impactful, I highly recommend the session "How to Run a Successful Azure Data Analytics Project" from Ignite. It’s packed with practical insights on unlocking Azure’s powerful capabilities, like real-time analytics and seamless AI integration, while sharing actionable tips on best practices and tools like Synapse and Power BI. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, this session gives you the clarity and confidence to make your analytics projects a success.”
<Relevant Microsoft content>
Introduction to Azure for students - Training | Microsoft Learn
If you’re new to Azure and want to explore its basics, I’d recommend starting with the Introduction to Azure module. It’s a great way to learn about cloud computing and understand how Microsoft Azure, along with its tools and services, can help solve common problems—especially as a student. It sets a solid foundation before diving into advanced topics like running data analytics projects.
Shrushti Shah, Business Applications, M365 MVP, India
Personal Blog - Enhance Efficiency and Productivity with the Latest Microsoft 365 Copilot Updates - Ignite Edition | LinkedIn
“This is my LinkedIn article which is a go to guide for all the Microsoft 365 Copilot users. This article holds a compilation of my favorite announcements from Microsoft 365 Copilot.”
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Suggested Session #1 – Studio801 Microsoft 365 Copilot New agents & tools to empower IT with Rajesh Jha
Suggested Session #2 – BRK 165 What's new with Copilot Studio and agents
Suggested Session #3 – GS05 - Unlock the Value of Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio
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Suggested Content #1 – Create agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio - Training | Microsoft Learn
“The highlight from this Ignite was Copilot/Agents. I am sure many people are curious to get their hands wet on building custom copilots as per their business case. This learning path guide makers on building their own copilots.”
Suggested Content #2 – Introducing new agents in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Community Hub
“Microsoft announced a set the preview of new agents in Microsoft 365. These agents supercharge Copilot – adding specialized skills and knowledge while automating specific tasks. These out-of-the-box agents take on unique roles, working alongside or on behalf of a team or organization to handle both simple, mundane tasks to more complex, multi-step business processes. These agents in Microsoft 365 will drive the next level of business value for every organization.”
Takahiro Miyaura, Mixed Reality, Japan
Suggested Session - BRK288 Transform end-user computing experiences with Windows, Windows 365 and Intune
"It was easy to understand that end-users can utilize Windows in various ways and how to manage them was introduced with comprehensive content and demonstrations. The demo also showed how effective the migration to Windows 11, Windows 365, and Intune are in securing end-users' security and productivity, which I think will be useful for our understanding.
Above all, I am personally very interested in Windows in Mixed Reality, which was introduced during this session, and I look forward to the public preview version that will be available in December."
To learn more about Microsoft Ignite, please visit the following websites.
Microsoft Ignite (Official website)
Microsoft Ignite 2024 Book of News (Stories)
Microsoft Ignite: Drive AI transformation and learn about AI (Microsoft Learn)
Ignite Edition Challenge: Microsoft Learn Challenge (Microsoft Learn)
The challenges end on January 10, 2025, at 4:00 PM (16:00) UTC
Full Keynote: Satya Nadella at Microsoft Ignite 2024 (YouTube)
Microsoft Ignite 2024 (Playlist on Microsoft YouTube)
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