đ⨠Are you ready for a power-packed, productive, and inspiring October? â¨đ
Here we go, friends! đ The October Calendar is officially here, right on time, as always! đď¸đŻ This month, weâre bringing you a lineup of world-class sessions designed to help you: đ Explore the https://www.linkedin.com/company/101186090/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true# ecosystem from new perspectives đĄ Gain practical skills you can apply immediately đ¤ Connect with experts and a global community of learners đ Stay ahead with the latest innovations in Azure, AI, Power Platform, Security, and beyond. What makes this calendar stand out is the incredible diversity of voices and expertise it brings together. đ Youâll hear from global speakers who share not just theory, but real-world experiences across different industries, giving you insights that truly matter. And the best part? â° No matter where you are in the world, the sessions are scheduled across multiple time zones so you can always join in. Even better, everything is completely free and open, because learning and growth should be accessible to everyone. đ đ Check out the full list of sessions, register today, and prepare yourself for an amazing month of learning, networking, and growth. đĽ This isnât just another calendar, itâs your chance to grow, connect, and be inspired alongside thousands of passionate learners across the globe. đ Letâs make October unforgettable together in the https://www.linkedin.com/company/101186090/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true# way! đ đ˘ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaspersvenmozartjohansen/ đ October 4, 2025 06:00 PM CET đ Get started with a modern zero trust remote access solution: Microsoft Global Secure Access đď¸ https://streamyard.com/watch/3APZGyZFRyQS?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 đ˘ https://www.linkedin.com/in/akanksha-malik/ đ October 7, 2025 19:00 PM AEST đ October 7, 2025 10:00 AM CET đ Unlocking Document Insights with Azure AI đď¸ https://streamyard.com/watch/M6qvUYdv58tt?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 đ˘ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexdekoning/ đ October 11, 2025 06:00 PM CET đ Azure Functions and network security.. Can it be done? đď¸ https://streamyard.com/watch/RHzXr5bpYHFY?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 đ˘ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeevarajankumar/ đ October 7, 2025 18:00 PM AEST đ October 19, 2025 09:00 AM CET đ D365 Field Service 101 đď¸ https://streamyard.com/watch/RtDkftSxhn7P?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 đ˘ https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyankashah/ đ October 21, 2025 19:00 PM AEST đ October 21, 2025 10:00 AM CET đ FSI and Gen AI: Wealth management advisor with Azure Foundry Agents and MCP đď¸ https://streamyard.com/watch/Vb5rUWMBN9YN?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258 đ˘ https://www.linkedin.com/in/monaghadiri/ đ October 25, 2025 06:00 PM CET đ The Role of Sentence Syntax in Security Copilot: Structured Storytelling for Effective Defence đď¸ https://streamyard.com/watch/EtPkn2EZkauD?wt.mc_id=MVP_350258Power Up Your Open WebUI with Azure AI Speech: Quick STT & TTS Integration
Introduction Ever found yourself wishing your web interface could really talk and listen back to you? With a few clicks (and a bit of code), you can turn your plain Open WebUI into a full-on voice assistant. In this post, youâll see how to spin up an Azure Speech resource, hook it into your frontend, and watch as user speech transforms into text and your appâs responses leap off the screen in a human-like voice. By the end of this guide, youâll have a voice-enabled web UI that actually converses with users, opening the door to hands-free controls, better accessibility, and a genuinely richer user experience. Ready to make your web app speak? Letâs dive in. Why Azure AI Speech? We use Azure AI Speech service in Open Web UI to enable voice interactions directly within web applications. This allows users to: Speak commands or input instead of typing, making the interface more accessible and user-friendly. Hear responses or information read aloud, which improves usability for people with visual impairments or those who prefer audio. Provide a more natural and hands-free experience especially on devices like smartphones or tablets. In short, integrating Azure AI Speech service into Open Web UI helps make web apps smarter, more interactive, and easier to use by adding speech recognition and voice output features. If you havenât hosted Open WebUI already, follow my other step-by-step guide to host Ollama WebUI on Azure. Proceed to the next step if you have Open WebUI deployed already. Learn More about OpenWeb UI here. Deploy Azure AI Speech service in Azure. Navigate to the Azure Portal and search for Azure AI Speech on the Azure portal search bar. Create a new Speech Service by filling up the fields in the resource creation page. Click on âCreateâ to finalize the setup. After the resource has been deployed, click on âView resourceâ button and you should be redirected to the Azure AI Speech service page. The page should display the API Keys and Endpoints for Azure AI Speech services, which you can use in Open Web UI. Settings things up in Open Web UI Speech to Text settings (STT) Head to the Open Web UI Admin page > Settings > Audio. Paste the API Key obtained from the Azure AI Speech service page into the API key field below. Unless you use different Azure Region, or want to change the default configurations for the STT settings, leave all settings to blank. Text to Speech settings (TTS) Now, let's proceed with configuring the TTS Settings on OpenWeb UI by toggling the TTS Engine to Azure AI Speech option. Again, paste the API Key obtained from Azure AI Speech service page and leave all settings to blank. You can change the TTS Voice from the dropdown selection in the TTS settings as depicted in the image below: Click Save to reflect the change. Expected Result Now, letâs test if everything works well. Open a new chat / temporary chat on Open Web UI and click on the Call / Record button. The STT Engine (Azure AI Speech) should identify your voice and provide a response based on the voice input. To test the TTS feature, click on the Read Aloud (Speaker Icon) under any response from Open Web UI. The TTS Engine should reflect Azure AI Speech service! Conclusion And thatâs a wrap! Youâve just given your Open WebUI the gift of capturing user speech, turning it into text, and then talking right back with Azureâs neural voices. Along the way you saw how easy it is to spin up a Speech resource in the Azure portal, wire up real-time transcription in the browser, and pipe responses through the TTS engine. From here, itâs all about experimentation. Try swapping in different neural voices or dialing in new languages. Tweak how you start and stop listening, play with silence detection, or add custom pronunciation tweaks for those tricky product names. Before you know it, your interface will feel less like a web page and more like a conversation partner.đ Navigating the Azure AI Seas đđ¤
The world of Azure AI services is vast, and this session is your map to explore it! Join me as we dive into the breadth of Azureâs AI capabilities and how they can be applied to real-world scenarios. đš Whatâs in store: ⨠Live demos to showcase whatâs available and how to get started ⨠Insights into choosing the right Azure AI services for your needs ⨠Exploring Cognitive Services for vision, speech & language understanding ⨠Leveraging Azure OpenAI for Generative AI use cases ⨠Managing the full ML lifecycle with Azure Machine Learning ⨠Hands-on experience in Azure AI Foundry ⨠Real-world examples of AI in action By the end, youâll not only discover the ocean of services available but also gain the confidence to begin testing and implementing Azure AI in your own projects. đđĄ Donât miss out â this is your chance to unlock the potential of Azure AI! đď¸ Date: 13 September 2025 â° Time: 18:00 (CEST) đď¸ Speaker: Kim Berg đ Topic: Navigating the Azure AI seasCall for Speakers - Azure AI Connect 2026
Call for Speakers: Shape the Conscience of AI at AI Connect 2026 Greetings Innovators, Builders, and Thinkers, Last year at AI Connect, we celebrated the dawn of a new age. Today, we stand in the bright, intense light of that new day. Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future promise; it is a present reality, reshaping our world with astonishing speed. With this incredible power comes a profound responsibility. The most important work is no longer just about building more capable AI, but about building more conscionable AI. AI Connect is a 5-day event dedicated to this mission. We are calling for the boldest minds in the field to guide the conversation. We will move beyond the "how" of technology to confront the "why" and "what if." We will ask the hard questions: As we develop powerful new tools, are we architecting a better future? How do we embed our values into the silicon and code that will define the next generation of intelligence? We seek speakers who can illuminate the path forward. If you are working on, researching, or have a powerful perspective on the following, we want to hear from you: Key Themes for Discussion: The follwing are some ideas. This is an orientation list, we will look into ALL submissions even if they are not aligned with the main theme! Architecting Trust: Sessions on Explainability (XAI), fairness audits, bias mitigation, and creating transparent AI systems that earn human trust. The Agent & The Collective: Exploring the potential and pitfalls of autonomous agents, A2A communication, and multi-agent systems. Are they a force for unprecedented progress or unmanageable complexity? From Model to Mandate: Practical sessions on implementing responsible AI governance, navigating the regulatory landscape, and creating ethical frameworks that stick. Securing the Future: Deep dives into AI safety, alignment research, data privacy, and robust defenses against adversarial attacks. Generative AI in the Wild: Real-world case studies on deploying LLMs and generative tools responsibly, focusing on reducing harm, grounding in truth, and delivering real value. AI for Humanity: Inspiring stories and technical breakdowns of how AI is being used to tackle global challenges in climate, healthcare, education, and social equity. Why Lend Your Voice to AI Connect? Drive the Agenda: Help set the direction for the responsible development of AI. Elevate Your Impact: Share your work with an engaged audience of professionals and leaders. Build Your Network: Connect with peers who share your passion for ethical technology. Inspire the Next Generation: Your insights can empower hundreds of others to build with purpose. Feel free to partner with a colleague for a joint session to offer a richer, more diverse viewpoint. Session Format: Sessions are 60 minutes in length, designed to be interactive and leave a lasting impression.Azure AI Foundry Agents - Azure AI and APIM integration
Azure Innovators Hub & Global AI Athens Community presents: Azure AI Foundry Agents All you need to know about building agents with Azure AI and APIM integration! đ ď¸ Live Event Highlights Join us for an immersive, hands-on experience where weâll explore: Creating and managing powerful Agents using Azure AI Foundry Handling threads, messages, and orchestrating Agent behaviors Implementing robust Agentic solutions with real-world scenarios Leveraging ready-to-use Templates to accelerate development Integrating APIM for seamless and secure API connectivity ⨠Whether you're a developer, AI enthusiast, or solution architect, you'll leave with practical skills and an end-to-end Multi-Agent Solution built during the session. đŻ Perfect for tech professionals, innovators, newcomers and community members looking to deepen their Azure AI expertise and connect with fellow thinkers in Athens. Join Live EventModel Mondays S2E8: On-Device & Local AI
Model Mondays S2E8: On-Device & Local AI Welcome to Episode 8! This week, we explored how AI is moving from the cloud to your own device, making it faster, more private, and more accessible. We also saw a real-world customer story from Xander Glasses, showing how AI can help people with hearing loss. RFD Observability tools in Azure AI Foundry: Real-time model telemetry, auto evals, quick evals, Python grader. GitHub Copilot Pro with Spark: AI pair programmer for code explanation and workflow suggestions. Synthetic Data for Vision Models: Training accurate models with procedurally generated data. Agent-Friendly Websites: Making sites accessible to AI agents via APIs, semantic markup, and OpenAPI specs. MCP (Model Context Protocol): Standardizing agent memory and context for scalable AI.Azure AI Translation Preprocessing Workflow
In today's global enterprise landscape, translation accuracy and efficiency are critical to delivering seamless multilingual experiences. Yet, many organizations struggle with inconsistent results, API errors, and high costs when using machine translation services. That's where our custom-built Azure AI Translation Preprocessing Workflow comes in. đ Solution Introduction The Azure AI Translation Preprocessing Workflow is a purpose-built solution designed to bridge the gap between raw document inputs and high-quality machine translation outcomes. Developed in response to real-world enterprise challenges, this service automates the preprocessing of multilingual documents, ensuring they meet Azure AI Translateâs strict formatting and content standards. By intelligently analyzing, validating, and optimizing files before translation, it empowers organizations to achieve greater accuracy, lower costs, and eliminate common API failures. Whether you're dealing with inconsistent document formats, embedded content, or language detection issues, this workflow provides a scalable and intelligent foundation for enterprise-grade translation pipelines. Itâs not just a toolâitâs a strategic enabler for global communication. đŻ Why This Service? This solution was designed to address real-world challenges faced by enterprise teams using Azure AI Translation Services: đ Azure AI Translate Ready: Fully optimized for Azure's translation service standards. đ 92% Translation Quality Improvement: Pre-validates and optimizes content for better results. đ° 30% Cost Reduction: Intelligent content filtering reduces unnecessary translation costs. ⥠Zero API Errors: Format validation prevents common Azure AI service failures. đ Intelligent Analysis: Advanced content segmentation and language detection. ⨠Key Features đŻ Azure AI Translate Optimization Readiness Scoring (0-100%): Quantifies document preparation for Azure AI Translate. Language Detection: Automatic identification of document languages. Content Segmentation: Optimizes text segments for Azure's 5,000 character limit. Format Compliance: Ensures Strict Open XML Document standards. Translation Quality Enhancement: Intelligent content filtering and preparation. đ ď¸ Core Capabilities Multi-format Support: Converts DOCX, DOC, RTF, ODT, TXT â DOCX. Comprehensive Validation: Advanced DOCX format verification. Content Intelligence: Detects and analyzes translatable text. REST API: 9 endpoints with interactive Swagger UI documentation. Background Processing: Async file processing capabilities. Detailed Analytics: Word counting, language hints, content type analysis. đ§ Technical Excellence FastAPI Framework: High-performance async web framework. LibreOffice Integration: Professional document conversion. Comprehensive Logging: Detailed operation tracking and metadata. Error Handling: Robust validation and error recovery. Docker Ready: Containerization support for easy deployment. đ Real-World Impact This solution was born out of a critical support case where translation failures were impacting production workflows. By automating preprocessing and validation, we not only resolved the immediate issue but also architected a scalable, long-term solution that enhances translation reliability and reduces operational overhead. đ˘ Get Involved Explore the GitHub repository, contribute, or adapt the solution to your enterprise needs: đ https://github.com/vinod-soni-microsoft/azure-ai-translation-preprocessing-workflow Letâs build smarter, faster, and more reliable translation workflows together.Deploy Open Web UI on Azure VM via Docker: A Step-by-Step Guide with Custom Domain Setup.
Introductions Open Web UI (often referred to as "Ollama Web UI" in the context of LLM frameworks like Ollama) is an open-source, self-hostable interface designed to simplify interactions with large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4, Llama 3, Mistral, and others. It provides a user-friendly, browser-based environment for deploying, managing, and experimenting with AI models, making advanced language model capabilities accessible to developers, researchers, and enthusiasts without requiring deep technical expertise. This article will delve into the step-by-step configurations on hosting OpenWeb UI on Azure. Requirements: Azure Portal Account - For students you can claim $USD100 Azure Cloud credits from this URL. Azure Virtual Machine - with a Linux of any distributions installed. Domain Name and Domain Host Caddy Open WebUI Image Step One: Deploy a Linux â Ubuntu VM from Azure Portal Search and Click on âVirtual Machineâ on the Azure portal search bar and create a new VM by clicking on the â+ Createâ button > âAzure Virtual Machineâ. Fill out the form and select any Linux Distribution image â In this demo, we will deploy Open WebUI on Ubuntu Pro 24.04. Click âReview + Createâ > âCreateâ to create the Virtual Machine. Tips: If you plan to locally download and host open source AI models via Open on your VM, you could save time by increasing the size of the OS disk / attach a large disk to the VM. You may also need a higher performance VM specification since large resources are needed to run the Large Language Model (LLM) locally. Once the VM has been successfully created, click on the âGo to resourceâ button. You will be redirected to the VMâs overview page. Jot down the public IP Address and access the VM using the ssh credentials you have setup just now. Step Two: Deploy the Open WebUI on the VM via Docker Once you are logged into the VM via SSH, run the Docker Command below: docker run -d --name open-webui --network=host --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -e PORT=8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:dev This Docker command will download the Open WebUI Image into the VM and will listen for Open Web UI traffic on port 8080. Wait for a few minutes and the Web UI should be up and running. If you had setup an inbound Network Security Group on Azure to allow port 8080 on your VM from the public Internet, you can access them by typing into the browser: [PUBLIC_IP_ADDRESS]:8080 Step Three: Setup custom domain using Caddy Now, we can setup a reverse proxy to map a custom domain to [PUBLIC_IP_ADDRESS]:8080 using Caddy. The reason why Caddy is useful here is because they provide automated HTTPS solutions â you donât have to worry about expiring SSL certificate anymore, and itâs free! You must download all Caddyâs dependencies and set up the requirements to install it using this command: sudo apt install -y debian-keyring debian-archive-keyring apt-transport-https curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key' | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/debian.deb.txt' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy-stable.list sudo apt update && sudo apt install caddy Once Caddy is installed, edit Caddyâs configuration file at: /etc/caddy/Caddyfile , delete everything else in the file and add the following lines: yourdomainname.com { reverse_proxy localhost:8080 } Restart Caddy using this command: sudo systemctl restart caddy Next, create an A record on your DNS Host and point them to the public IP of the server. Step Four: Update the Network Security Group (NSG) To allow public access into the VM via HTTPS, you need to ensure the NSG/Firewall of the VM allow for port 80 and 443. Letâs add these rules into Azure by heading to the VM resources page you created for Open WebUI. Under the âNetworkingâ Section > âNetwork Settingsâ > â+ Create port ruleâ > âInbound port ruleâ On the âDestination port rangesâ field, type in 443 and Click âAddâ. Repeat these steps with port 80. Additionally, to enhance security, you should avoid external users from directly interacting with Open Web UIâs port - port 8080. You should add an inbound deny rule to that port. With that, you should be able to access the Open Web UI from the domain name you setup earlier. Conclusion And just like that, youâve turned a blank Azure VM into a sleek, secure home for your Open Web UI, no magic required! By combining Dockerâs simplicity with Caddyâs âset it and forget itâ HTTPS magic, youâve not only made your app accessible via a custom domain but also locked down security by closing off risky ports and keeping traffic encrypted. Azureâs cloud muscle handles the heavy lifting, while you get to enjoy the perks of a pro setup without the headache. If you are interested in using AI models deployed on Azure AI Foundry on OpenWeb UI via API, kindly read my other article: Step-by-step: Integrate Ollama Web UI to use Azure Open AI API with LiteLLM ProxyNavigating the New AI Landscape: A Developerâs Journey Through the Noise
In this article, I share a developerâs perspective on navigating the ever-expanding landscape of AI tools. Grounded in the familiarity of .NET, we explore how Microsoftâs ecosystemâfrom Semantic Kernel and GitHub Copilot to MCP Server, Fabric, and low-code platformsâoffers not chaos, but clarity. With the right mindset and the right tools, the AI frontier becomes not overwhelming, but empowering.Configure Embedding Models on Azure AI Foundry with Open Web UI
Introduction Letâs take a closer look at an exciting development in the AI space. Embedding models are the key to transforming complex data into usable insights, driving innovations like smarter chatbots and tailored recommendations. With Azure AI Foundry, Microsoftâs powerful platform, youâve got the tools to build and scale these models effortlessly. Add in Open Web UI, a intuitive interface for engaging with AI systems, and youâve got a winning combo thatâs hard to beat. In this article, weâll explore how embedding models on Azure AI Foundry, paired with Open Web UI, are paving the way for accessible and impactful AI solutions for developers and businesses. Letâs dive in! To proceed with configuring the embedding model from Azure AI Foundry on Open Web UI, please firstly configure the requirements below. Requirements: Setup Azure AI Foundry Hub/Projects Deploy Open Web UI â refer to my previous article on how you can deploy Open Web UI on Azure VM. Optional: Deploy LiteLLM with Azure AI Foundry models to work on Open Web UI - refer to my previous article on how you can do this as well. Deploying Embedding Models on Azure AI Foundry Navigate to the Azure AI Foundry site and deploy an embedding model from the âModel + Endpointâ section. For the purpose of this demonstration, we will deploy the âtext-embedding-3-largeâ model by OpenAI. You should be receiving a URL endpoint and API Key to the embedding model deployed just now. Take note of that credential because we will be using it in Open Web UI. Configuring the embedding models on Open Web UI Now head to the Open Web UI Admin Setting Page > Documents and Select Azure Open AI as the Embedding Model Engine. Copy and Paste the Base URL, API Key, the Embedding Model deployed on Azure AI Foundry and the API version (not the model version) into the fields below: Click âSaveâ to reflect the changes. Expected Output Now let us look into the scenario for when the embedding model configured on Open Web UI and when it is not. Without Embedding Models configured. With Azure Open AI Embedding models configured. Conclusion And there you have it! Embedding models on Azure AI Foundry, combined with the seamless interaction offered by Open Web UI, are truly revolutionizing how we approach AI solutions. This powerful duo not only simplifies the process of building and deploying intelligent systems but also makes cutting-edge technology more accessible to developers and businesses of all sizes. As we move forward, itâs clear that such integrations will continue to drive innovation, breaking down barriers and unlocking new possibilities in the AI landscape. So, whether youâre a seasoned developer or just stepping into this exciting field, nowâs the time to explore what Azure AI Foundry and Open Web UI can do for you. Letâs keep pushing the boundaries of whatâs possible!
