If you visit the Microsoft Ignite session catalog today, you will see that there are already more than 120 Windows-related sessions for IT implementers at this year’s conference. With a wide variety of deployment, security, and management sessions—as well as hands-on labs—you’ll definitely be able to gain the knowledge you need to get that Windows 10 deployment project off the ground, keep your infrastructure secure and up-to-date, and simplify the way you manage Windows devices.
With so many sessions; however, it can be hard to figure out where to begin so here’s a list of sessions you shouldn’t miss:
- Deployment – Deployment expert Michael Niehaus is presenting several sessions, including a handy overview of what’s new and what’s coming, but don’t miss your chance to ask the experts about Windows 10 deployment and servicing. Michael will be joined by security expert Chris Hallum, management expert Bruno Novak, and Chris “the App Compat Guy” Jackson and you’ll have 75 minutes to bring your toughest questions and gain insight from the panel. I also recommend attending Michael’s session with Maya Subramanian to get up to speed on Windows AutoPilot, a new option for the user-driven cloud deployment of Windows 10.
- Security – The best way to find out about the latest security capabilities in Windows 10 is to attend Chris Hallum’s “What’s new in Windows 10 security?” breakout session. From there, find out what Windows 10 helps to protect out of the box (and what you can do about the remaining threats) with Erdal Ozkaya’s “Halt hackers: Do those tricks still work with Windows 10?” and go a little deeper into securing Windows 10 devices using Microsoft Intune, Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), and System Center Configuration Manager with Dune Desormeaux.
- Management – If you’re looking to transition to modern management, make sure you attend “New modern management features for IT pros” with Tanvir Ahmed and Janani Vasudevan and Maayan Bar-Niv’s session on cloud-based management strategies for Windows 10 and Office 365 ProPlus with EMS. Paul (W10) Huijbregts’ Achieving a modern workplace with Windows 10, Enterprise Mobility + Security, and Office 365 would also be a good option. I would also recommend attending at least one session on Windows Analytics, such as Rama Shastri and Marc Shepard’s overview breakout session, to learn how to Windows Analytics can help you manage upgrades, updates, and device health. Finally, with the Fall Creators Update on the horizon, check out Patrick Kettner’s session to find out what’s new for Microsoft Edge in terms of manageability and secure enterprise browsing.
- Odds and ends – If you’re an IT professional (or school administrator) responsible for setting up PCs for your school or school district, be sure to check out Craig Ashley’s session on setting up Microsoft Education. If you’re into DevOps, consider attending Vladimir Postel and Arian Ghotbi’s session on getting more from your existing enterprise apps on Windows 10.
There is also still room for the pre-day sessions, a great way to kick off your conference experience:
- Deploying Windows 10 in the enterprise using traditional and modern techniques
Michael Niehaus will walk you through the new deployment options in Windows 10 made possible by Azure AD and MDM tools—and the changes that Windows 10 introduces to traditional image-based techniques using tools like MDT and Configuration Manager. Michael will also cover how Windows Analytics can simplify the deployment process.
- The Hacker Playbook: How to think and act like a cybercriminal to reduce risk
Microsoft MVP Paula Januszkiewicz, Microsoft MVP will help you learn how to identify vulnerabilities, strengthen your systems, and stop the data breaches that litter the news today. Paula will also go over the latest threats and solutions—including the newest security features of Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016.
Last, but certainly not least, don’t miss the keynote on Microsoft 365-powered devices and get your hands dirty with our Windows 10 hands-on labs, which will cover everything from in-place upgrades to Windows as a service.
Hopefully, this post will help you start building your own personalized schedule and get the most out of your time at this year’s conference.
What other sessions do you recommend?
Do you know of any unofficial Windows events happening in Orlando during the week of Ignite?
Share your thoughts and share your schedule with other community members to show them what you’re interested in attending.
Hope to see you there!
~ Nathan
