New Microsoft Certified: Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate Certification
As a data engineer, you understand that AI performance depends directly on the quality of its data. If the data isn’t clean, well-managed, and accessible at scale, even the most sophisticated AI models won’t perform as expected. Introducing the Microsoft Certified: Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate Certification, designed to prove that you have the skills required to build and operate reliable data systems by using Azure Databricks. To earn the Certification, you need to pass Exam DP-750: Implementing Data Engineering Solutions Using Azure Databricks, currently in beta. Is this Certification right for you? This Certification offers you the opportunity to prove your skills and validate your expertise in the following areas: Core technical skills Ingesting, transforming, and modeling data using SQL and Python Building production data pipelines on Azure Databricks Implementing software development lifecycle (SDLC) practices with Git-based workflows Integrating Azure Databricks with key Microsoft services, such as Azure Storage, Azure Data Factory, Azure Monitor, Azure Key Vault, and Microsoft Entra ID Governance and security Securing and governing data with Unity Catalog and Microsoft Purview Applying workspace, cluster, and data-level security best practices Performance and reliability Optimizing compute, caching, partitioning, and Delta Lake design patterns Troubleshooting and resolving issues with jobs and pipelines Managing workloads across development, staging, and production For engineers already familiar with Azure Databricks, this Certification bridges the gap between general Azure Databricks skills and the Azure‑specific architecture, security, and operational patterns that employers increasingly expect. Ready to prove your skills? The first 300 candidates can save 80% Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam DP-750 (beta) on or before April 2, 2026, can get 80% off. To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use code DP750Deltona. This is not a private access code. The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As noted, you must take the exam on or before April 2, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China. How to prepare Get ready to take Exam DP-750 (beta): Review the Exam DP-750 (beta) exam page for details. The Exam DP-750 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam. Work through the Plan on Microsoft Learn: Get Exam‑Ready for DP‑750: Azure Databricks Data Engineer Associate Certification. Need other preparation ideas? Check out Just How Does One Prepare for Beta Exams? You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Learn what to expect in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare. Interested in unlocking more Azure Databricks expertise? Grow your skills and take the next step by exploring Databricks credentials and show what you can do with Azure Databricks. Ready to get started? Remember, only the first 300 candidates can get 80% Exam DP-750 (beta) with code DP750Deltona on or before April 2, 2026. Beta exam rescoring begins when the exam goes live, with final results released approximately 10 days later. For more details, read Creating high-quality exams: The path from beta to live. Stay tuned for general availability of this Certification in early May 2026. Get involved: Help shape future Microsoft Credentials Join our Microsoft Worldwide Learning SME Group for Credentials on LinkedIn for beta exam alerts and opportunities to help shape future Microsoft learning and assessments. Additional information For more cloud and AI Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills? Explore Microsoft Credentials on AI Skills Navigator.New Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate Certification
AI is transforming how data-driven applications are built, and SQL professionals are at the center of this new era. Whether you're a database developer, administrator, analyst, or architect, your SQL expertise is more critical than ever. With the rise of AI, quality data and secure, optimized queries are foundational to building intelligent, scalable solutions. We’re introducing the Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate Certification to help you validate your ability to integrate AI capabilities directly into SQL-based solutions without needing to move your data, learn entirely new platforms, or move away from the T-SQL skills you already use every day. To earn this new Certification, you need to pass Exam DP‑800: Developing AI‑Enabled Database Solutions, currently in beta. Is this the right Certification for you? The Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate Certification is designed for SQL professionals who build and maintain SQL-based applications and who want to integrate AI capabilities directly into their data solutions. As you collaborate closely with application developers, database administrators, architects, AI engineers, and DevSecOps teams, skills validated by this certification support the delivery of scalable, secure, and high-performance AI‑enabled applications. This Certification demonstrates your ability to: Design and build database solutions using structured and semi-structured data. Use AI-assisted tools to accelerate SQL development and database management. Secure, optimize, and deploy enterprise-grade SQL solutions. Implement vectors, embeddings, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) patterns within SQL database architectures. As a candidate for this Certification, you should have experience writing T-SQL, developing databases on Microsoft SQL platforms, and working with continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) workflows in GitHub. We also recommend familiarity with AI concepts, such as embeddings, vectors, and models, in addition to AI-assisted development tools. Skills measured by the exam include: Applying advanced T-SQL techniques for AI-ready database solutions. Building vector and semantic search experiences directly in SQL. Implementing RAG workflows to ground large language model (LLM) outputs and reduce hallucinations. Integrating LLMs into SQL-based applications without migrating data. Designing secure, compliant, and scalable AI-enabled data solutions. Exposing SQL data through APIs by using Data API builder. Building and monitoring data APIs by using Data API builder and event-driven change patterns. These capabilities power use cases like semantic and hybrid search, chatbots, personalized recommendations, fraud detection, and predictive analytics. Ready to prove your skills? The first 300 candidates can save 80% Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam DP-800 (beta) on or before April 3, 2026, can get 80% off. To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use code DP800Belzoni. This is not a private access code. The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As noted, you must take the exam on or before April 3, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China. How to prepare Get ready to take Exam DP-800 (beta): Review the Exam DP-800 (beta) exam page for details. The Exam DP-800 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam. Work through the self-paced skilling Plan on Microsoft Learn: Become a SQL AI Developer: Prepare for Certification Exam DP-800. Connect with Microsoft Training Services Partners in your area for in-person offerings. Need other preparation ideas? Check out Just How Does One Prepare for Beta Exams? Ready to get started? Remember, the number of spots is limited to the first 300 candidates taking Exam DP-800 (beta) on or before April 3, 2026. Beta exam rescoring begins when the exam goes live, with final results released approximately 10 days later. For more details, read Creating high-quality exams: The path from beta to live. Stay tuned for general availability of this Certification in May 2026. Additional information You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Learn what to expect in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare. For more cloud and AI Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills? Get involved: Help shape future Microsoft Credentials. Join our Microsoft Worldwide Learning SME Group for Credentials on LinkedIn for beta exam alerts and opportunities to help shape future Microsoft learning and assessments. Explore Microsoft Credentials on AI Skills Navigator.Announcing the Microsoft AI Power Days Agent-a-thon winners
The February 2026 Microsoft AI Power Days Agent-a-thon brought together builders from around the world with one shared goal—to turn ideas into working AI agents that solve real problems. From first-time builders to advanced practitioners, the creativity, ambition, and practical impact on display exceeded all expectations. Over the course of the Agent-a-thon, participants explored what’s possible with agentic AI—learning, building, and iterating using Microsoft agent-building tools. The result? A powerful showcase of agents designed to streamline work, unlock insights, and reimagine how work gets done. Congratulations to the 12 Agent-a-thon grand prize winners! The winning submissions were selected based on innovation, usability, and impact. Innovation. These newly created agents go beyond replicating demos. Each winner tackled a real problem in a novel way—applying agentic AI creatively to scenarios we hadn’t seen before. Usability. Winners demonstrated that their agents are not only functional but also genuinely loved by users. Builders tested their ideas, gathered peer or user feedback, and iterated—showing clear evidence of why people would continue to use these agents in real-world settings. Impact. Every winning agent delivered measurable value. Whether saving meaningful amounts of time, improving efficiency or productivity, increasing revenue potential, or enhancing customer satisfaction, these agents showed clear qualitative or quantitative results. Together, these submissions represent what great agent-building looks like in practice—and how those agents can translate into practical impact right away. Grand prize winners To recognize their achievement and support their continued journey as an AI builder, each grand prize winner will receive a Microsoft Surface Pro. Winners (listed in alphabetical order) Agent names Built with David Díaz Merino LicitaAI Microsoft Foundry Angelo Fabrizio Dileo Aura | Buyer Persona Agent Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot Steve Glasspool Book Genie Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot Sunny Hwang NZ Free Course Finder Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot Rohit Jagadale CR Sentinel Agent Microsoft Copilot Studio Andrejs Karpovs EU-AI-Act-Compliance-Assessment Microsoft Foundry Salma Kudapali Internal Mobility & Skills Opportunity Broker Microsoft Foundry Arianna Manchia PackAgent Microsoft Copilot Studio Pablo Santisteban Fernández LeadMasterAI Microsoft Copilot Studio Sai Sirisha Return-to-Work Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot Abhishek Tarafdar Governed Compliance Intelligence System (GCIS) Microsoft Foundry Apoorva Vairagi Compliance Intake Orchestrator Microsoft Copilot Studio Whether built with Agent Builder in Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Copilot Studio, or Microsoft Foundry, each agent reflects a clear job to be done and a strong understanding of how agentic AI can create real-world benefits. Winner spotlight One of the most rewarding aspects of the Agent-a-thon was hearing directly from participants about what they built and the difference that their new agents can make. "I built a four‑agent pipeline on Microsoft Foundry that monitors Spain’s public procurement platform, scores tenders against our company profile, and generates a populated proposal document end‑to‑end in under two minutes... The multi‑agent architecture mapped to how BD [business development] teams actually work: one agent per role." —David Díaz Merino, AI Solution Architect, creator of LicitaAI This sentiment captures what the Agent-a-thon is all about—lowering the barriers to building, empowering experimentation, and helping people to realize that they can be capable AI creators, regardless of their starting point and skill level. Again, congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to everyone who joined us in exploring what’s possible and driving innovation, one agent at a time. Sign up for the next Agent-a-thon If you missed this one, register for the next Microsoft Agent-a-thon, which begins on May 6, 2026, across three time zones, making it easier for builders everywhere to participate, learn, and create together. Whether you’re new to building agents or ready to deepen your existing expertise, this is your opportunity to take advantage of immersive learning, experiment with Copilot Studio and Foundry, and turn bold ideas into working agents. To get ready for the event, check out the training opportunities in AI Skills Navigator, our agentic learning space that brings together AI, cloud, and security training into one seamless, connected skilling experience to help you build career skills.How organizations accelerate AI adoption with Microsoft Marketplace
AI is now a top priority for organizations looking to innovate and drive real business impact. Discover how Microsoft Marketplace helps customers accelerate AI adoption with confidence by providing a trusted, governed way to discover, evaluate, and deploy AI solutions. Explore key insights from Microsoft Marketplace Customer Office Hours and see how Marketplace supports the shift from AI experimentation to scalable, production-ready deployments. To learn more Read the full article: Accelerating AI adoption through Microsoft Marketplace | Microsoft Community Hub Watch the full customer office hour session on demand: Accelerating AI adoption through Microsoft Marketplace - Microsoft Marketplace CommunityMicrosoft 365 & Power Platform Community call
💡 Microsoft 365 & Power Platform Development bi-weekly community call focuses on different use cases and features within the Microsoft 365 and Power Platform - across Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, SharePoint, Power Apps and more. Demos in this call are presented by the community members. 👏 Looking to catch up on the latest news and updates, including cool community demos, this call is for you! 📅 On 19th of March we'll have following agenda: Latest on SharePoint Framework (SPFx) Latest on Copilot prompt of the week PnPjs CLI for Microsoft 365 Dev Proxy Reusable Controls for SPFx SPFx Toolkit VS Code extension PnP Search Solution Demos this time Darshan Magdum (Nihilent) – Auto Language Detection & Dynamic Multilingual Responses in Copilot Studio Anoop Tatti (Advania UK) – Summarizer web part using Chrome's built-in Summarizer API (Gemini Nano) Chris Kent (Takeda) – List Formatting Tips & Tricks 📅 Download recurrent invite from https://aka.ms/community/m365-powerplat-dev-call-invite 📞 & 📺 Join the Microsoft Teams meeting live at https://aka.ms/community/m365-powerplat-dev-call-join 💡 Building something cool for Microsoft 365 or Power Platform (Copilot, SharePoint, Power Apps, etc)? We are always looking for presenters - Volunteer for a community call demo at https://aka.ms/community/request/demo 👋 See you in the call! 📖 Resources: Previous community call recordings and demos from the Microsoft Community Learning YouTube channel at https://aka.ms/community/youtube Microsoft 365 & Power Platform samples from Microsoft and community - https://aka.ms/community/samples Microsoft 365 & Power Platform community details - https://aka.ms/community/home 🧡 Sharing is caring!Microsoft 365 & Power Platform product updates call
💡Microsoft 365 & Power Platform product updates call concentrates on the different use cases and features within the Microsoft 365 and in Power Platform. Call includes topics like Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Teams, Power Platform, Microsoft Graph, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Search, Microsoft Lists, SharePoint, Power Automate, Power Apps and more. 👏 Weekly Tuesday call is for all community members to see Microsoft PMs, engineering and Cloud Advocates showcasing the art of possible with Microsoft 365 and Power Platform. 📅 On the 17th of March we'll have following agenda: News and updates from Microsoft Together mode group photo Sébastien Levert – Grounding your Copilot Chat declarative agent with knowledge Mike Francis – Message Center Agent - Natural language query and comms generation for Microsoft Admin Center messages and M365 Roadmap Paolo Pialorsi – Consuming an MCP server with OAuth 2.0 in Copilot Studio 📞 & 📺 Join the Microsoft Teams meeting live at https://aka.ms/community/ms-speakers-call-join 🗓️ Download recurrent invite for this weekly call from https://aka.ms/community/ms-speakers-call-invite 👋 See you in the call! 💡 Building something cool for Microsoft 365 or Power Platform (Copilot, SharePoint, Power Apps, etc)? We are always looking for presenters - Volunteer for a community call demo at https://aka.ms/community/request/demo 📖 Resources: Previous community call recordings and demos from the Microsoft Community Learning YouTube channel at https://aka.ms/community/youtube Microsoft 365 & Power Platform samples from Microsoft and community - https://aka.ms/community/samples Microsoft 365 & Power Platform community details - https://aka.ms/community/home 🧡 Sharing is caring!Demystifying GitHub Copilot Security Controls: easing concerns for organizational adoption
At a recent developer conference, I delivered a session on Legacy Code Rescue using GitHub Copilot App Modernization. Throughout the day, conversations with developers revealed a clear divide: some have fully embraced Agentic AI in their daily coding, while others remain cautious. Often, this hesitation isn't due to reluctance but stems from organizational concerns around security and regulatory compliance. Having witnessed similar patterns during past technology shifts, I understand how these barriers can slow adoption. In this blog, I'll demystify the most common security concerns about GitHub Copilot and explain how its built-in features address them, empowering organizations to confidently modernize their development workflows. GitHub Copilot Model Training A common question I received at the conference was whether GitHub uses your code as training data for GitHub Copilot. I always direct customers to the GitHub Copilot Trust Center for clarity, but the answer is straightforward: “No. GitHub uses neither Copilot Business nor Enterprise data to train the GitHub model.” Notice this restriction also applies to third-party models as well (e.g. Anthropic, Google). GitHub Copilot Intellectual Property indemnification policy A frequent concern I hear is, since GitHub Copilot’s underlying models are trained on sources that include public code, it might simply “copy and paste” code from those sources. Let’s clarify how this actually works: Does GitHub Copilot “copy/paste”? “The AI models that create Copilot’s suggestions may be trained on public code, but do not contain any code. When they generate a suggestion, they are not “copying and pasting” from any codebase.” To provide an additional layer of protection, GitHub Copilot includes a “duplicate detection filter”. This feature helps prevent suggestions that closely match public code from being surfaced. (Note: This duplicate detection currently does not apply to the Copilot coding agent.) More importantly, customers are protected by an Intellectual Property indemnification policy. This means that if you receive an unmodified suggestion from GitHub Copilot and face a copyright claim as a result, Microsoft will defend you in court. GitHub Copilot Data Retention Another frequent question I hear concerns GitHub Copilot’s data retention policies. For organizations on GitHub Copilot Business and Enterprise plans, retention practices depend on how and where the service is accessed from: Access through IDE for Chat and Code Completions: Prompts and Suggestions: Not retained. User Engagement Data: Kept for two years. Feedback Data: Stored for as long as needed for its intended purpose. Other GitHub Copilot access and use: Prompts and Suggestions: Retained for 28 days. User Engagement Data: Kept for two years. Feedback Data: Stored for as long as needed for its intended purpose. For Copilot Coding Agent, session logs are retained for the life of the account in order to provide the service. Excluding content from GitHub Copilot To prevent GitHub Copilot from indexing sensitive files, you can configure content exclusions at the repository or organization level. In VS Code, use the .copilotignore file to exclude files client-side. Note that files listed in .gitignore are not indexed by default but may still be referenced if open or explicitly referenced (unless they’re excluded through .copilotignore or content exclusions). The life cycle of a GitHub Copilot code suggestion Here are the key protections at each stage of the life cycle of a GitHub Copilot code suggestion: In the IDE: Content exclusions prevent files, folders, or patterns from being included. GitHub proxy (pre-model safety): Prompts go through a GitHub proxy hosted in Microsoft Azure for pre-inference checks: screening for toxic or inappropriate language, relevance, and hacking attempts/jailbreak-style prompts before reaching the model. Model response: With the public code filter enabled, some suggestions are suppressed. The vulnerability protection feature blocks insecure coding patterns like hardcoded credentials or SQL injections in real time. Disable access to GitHub Copilot Free Due to the varying policies associated with GitHub Copilot Free, it is crucial for organizations to ensure it is disabled both in the IDE and on GitHub.com. Since not all IDEs currently offer a built-in option to disable Copilot Free, the most reliable method to prevent both accidental and intentional access is to implement firewall rule changes, as outlined in the official documentation. Agent Mode Allow List Accidental file system deletion by Agentic AI assistants can happen. With GitHub Copilot agent mode, the "Terminal auto approve” setting in VS Code can be used to prevent this. This setting can be managed centrally using a VS Code policy. MCP registry Organizations often want to restrict access to allow only trusted MCP servers. GitHub now offers an MCP registry feature for this purpose. This feature isn’t available in all IDEs and clients yet, but it's being developed. Compliance Certifications The GitHub Copilot Trust Center page lists GitHub Copilot's broad compliance credentials, surpassing many competitors in financial, security, privacy, cloud, and industry coverage. SOC 1 Type 2: Assurance over internal controls for financial reporting. SOC 2 Type 2: In-depth report covering Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy over time. SOC 3: General-use version of SOC 2 with broad executive-level assurance. ISO/IEC 27001:2013: Certification for a formal Information Security Management System (ISMS), based on risk management controls. CSA STAR Level 2: Includes a third-party attestation combining ISO 27001 or SOC 2 with additional cloud control matrix (CCM) requirements. TISAX: Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange, covering automotive-sector security standards. In summary, while the adoption of AI tools like GitHub Copilot in software development can raise important questions around security, privacy, and compliance, it’s clear that existing safeguards in place help address these concerns. By understanding the safeguards, configurable controls, and robust compliance certifications offered, organizations and developers alike can feel more confident in embracing GitHub Copilot to accelerate innovation while maintaining trust and peace of mind.Microsoft Teams Takes Center Stage at the 2026 Microsoft 365 Community Conference
Microsoft Teams is where people, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and agents come together to collaborate, communicate, and get work done—before, during, and after every interaction. Contributing to and benefiting from Work IQ, Copilot in Teams understands the context, relationships, and signals behind real work, bringing meetings, calling, chat, and collaboration into a single, connected experience across Microsoft 365. At the 2026 Microsoft 365 Community Conference, Teams will be front and center with a broad set of sessions that reflect how teamwork is evolving. From everyday collaboration and meetings to frontline communications, external collaboration, and Copilot‑powered workflows, Teams is designed to help organizations move work forward with clarity and confidence. Register for the M365 Conference today and save $150 with code SAVE150. #M365Con26 Across the Teams sessions at the conference, you’ll see how AI‑powered capabilities—like intelligent meeting recap, real‑time language interpretation, AI‑assistance for calling, and collaborative agents—help teams stay aligned whether work happens in the office, on the front line, or across time zones. What to Expect from the Teams Track The Teams track at the M365 Community Conference offers a practical, end‑to‑end view of how Teams supports new ways work gets done and how organizations can continue their journey toward becoming a Frontier Firm by connecting communication, collaboration, intelligence, and governance in one AI-powered platform. Sessions span key areas including: Collaboration across meetings and events, chats and channels AI-powered communications and modern calling Enabling frontline teams Seamless and secure external collaboration Workplace collaboration and management Operational excellence for IT admins Protection against modern and evolving threats How Teams integrates across Microsoft 365 and contributes to Work IQ for Copilot Whether you’re deploying Teams, managing it at scale, building on it, or using it to drive business outcomes, the Teams track is designed to meet you where you are and help you plan what’s next. You can find the full list of sessions here. Start Here: The Teams Track Session You Shouldn’t Miss To set strategic context for the Teams track, start with Your Guide: What’s New in Teams — Collaboration, Communication, and Copilot. Led by Ilya Bukshteyn, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Teams, and Chandra Chivukula, Vice President, Microsoft Teams Engineering, this session sets the foundation for the Teams track. You’ll get a high‑level view of where Teams is headed—how it’s becoming more intelligent, easier to manage, and increasingly shaped by Copilot across collaboration, meetings, and calling—before diving deeper into the rest of the Teams sessions throughout the conference. Women in Tech and Allies Lunch: featuring Lan Ye and Sumi Singh Lan Ye and Sumi Singh will join this year’s Women in Tech and Allies Lunch as featured panelists. As Corporate Vice Presidents leading Microsoft Teams product and engineering, they’ll share insights, experiences, and advice on fostering diversity and empowerment in technology. Their participation promises a dynamic and engaging discussion you won’t want to miss. Exclusive: Executive Teams Pre-Day Microsoft Teams will host an exclusive Teams Pre‑Day on Monday, April 20, 2026, in Orlando, FL., the day before the conference begins. This full‑day experience is designed for executive IT and business decision makers who shape productivity, collaboration, and communications strategy within their organizations. The day features direct engagement with Microsoft Teams leaders and product experts, with a focus on what’s next across Teams, including Copilot and AI within Teams, and how to maximize value across meetings, calling, devices, and collaboration. Space is limited, and attendance will be aligned to the intended audience for the day. If you’re interested in attending, connect with your Microsoft account team to see if there is still availability. Explore 1:1 Strategic Discussions at the Conference A limited number of 1:1 side meetings will be available during the conference for customers looking to discuss Teams strategy, roadmap alignment, and organizational priorities. These conversations are designed for higher‑level planning discussions and complement the technical depth available across breakout sessions and the Teams booth. Availability is limited. Connect with your Microsoft account team to explore options. Experience Teams Beyond the Sessions In addition to breakout sessions and lightning talks, visit the Microsoft Teams product demos in the Microsoft Innovation Hub on the show floor. It’s a great opportunity to see the latest Teams capabilities in action, explore real‑world scenarios, and connect directly with the product experts behind the experiences. Register for the M365 Conference today and save $150 with code SAVE150. We hope to see you there!Level up your data security at Microsoft 365 Community Conference
Technology is evolving at a startling rate, and it’s no longer enough for an organization to maintain their security measures, they must evolve along with it. Don’t let your data, employees, or clients become another headline. Join us in Orlando on April 21–23 for the Microsoft 365 Community Conference, where you’ll learn how to safeguard your most valuable data during expert-led discussions and hands-on sessions . Chart your course forward with Microsoft’s security roadmap Do you ever wish you had a crystal ball that could show you how the changing tech landscape is going to affect your data protection needs? We can give you the next-best thing, an inside look at where the future of work is taking security solutions and what that means for you, straight from the experts leading the way. Register now, and you’ll be in the room as Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security and Rohan Kumar, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Security unveil Microsoft’s vision for securing the new frontier of AI. They’ll discuss the ways frontier firms are protecting their data, identities, and models amid rapid AI adoption and Agents. Microsoft is helping IT and security teams adapt to AI driven work with security built in, not bolted on, gain practical guidance on how organizations are modernizing security controls, reducing data exposure, and supporting AI adoption at scale, without adding complexity for admins or end users. And that’s not all; we have a full schedule of innovators and trailblazers scheduled throughout the program. You’ll discover exclusive insights, best practices, and strategies that will redefine your organization’s data security. Check out the speaker directory on the Microsoft 365 Community Conference homepage and then register to save your seat today. Attend a session for every security need We all know that securing our data is important, but it can be hard to know where to start when different sectors require different security measures. That’s why we’ve designed the sessions at Microsoft 365 Community Conference to provide attendees with both a comprehensive overview and a deep dive into specific critical topics. • Agent 365: The control plane for all Agents with Nikita Bandyopadhyay and Sesha Mani • Agent Lifecycle Management and Governance leveraging FastTrack with Azharullah Meer and Pratik Bhusal • Copilot readiness & resiliency with M365 Backup & Archive with Sree Lakshmi and Aditi Gangwar • Copilot Studio Governance for Public Sector with Richie Wallace and William McLendon • Deep dive into Agent insights and content governance across SharePoint and Microsoft 365 with Nikita Bandyopadhyay • Extending Microsoft Purview with APIs & SDK: Governance-by-Design for AI Apps and Agents with Martin Gagne • How Microsoft Digital adopted Baseline Security Mode to improve Microsoft's security posture with Adriana Wood • How Microsoft Does IT: Managing and governing Agents - empower with risk aligned oversight with David Johnson, Naveen Jangir, and Mike Powers • How Microsoft Does IT: Microsoft 365 Governance in the age of Copilot & agents with David Johnson • Microsoft Baseline Security Mode: Simplify, secure, succeed with Adriana Wood and Sesha Mani • Microsoft Purview: AI-Powered Data Security for Microsoft 365 with Aashish Ramdas • Mission Readiness - Cybersecurity and Copilot in the Public Sector with Karuana Gatimu • Protect and govern agents with Microsoft Purview with Shilpa Ranganathan • Protect your data from oversharing to AI with Microsoft Purview with Roberto Yglesias • Public Sector Roadmap Review with Karuana Gatimu and Tuwanda Perez • Securing AI with Microsoft Purview: From Visibility to Action with Shilpa Ranganathan • Tracing the Truth: Accelerate Insider Risk Investigations with Microsoft Purview with Rod Trent • What's new in Security & Compliance for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams with Sanjoyan Mustafi, Vithalprasad Gaitonde No matter your security needs, we have a can’t-miss session waiting for you at Microsoft 365 Community Conference. Explore all Security, Compliance, and Governance sessions here. You can’t halt the march of progress, but by attending the Microsoft 365 Community Conference, you can make sure you're in a position to take advantage of it. Register now, and we’ll see you April 21–23 in Orlando.Accelerating AI adoption through Microsoft Marketplace
AI is no longer an emerging conversation—it has become the defining priority shaping how organizations approach cloud strategy, investment, and innovation. During our February Microsoft Marketplace Customer Office Hours session, our team shared insights into current AI adoption trends, why AI has risen to the top of enterprise priorities, and how Microsoft Marketplace provides a practical, governed path for customers to move faster with confidence. Below is a summary of the key themes and takeaways from the session. AI has become the top cloud priority New findings from the 2026 State of FinOps Report confirm what many organizations are experiencing firsthand: AI now dominates cloud and technology planning. For the first time, managing and using AI workloads has surpassed traditional priorities such as workload optimization and waste reduction. Nearly all FinOps professionals surveyed expect AI spend management to be a core part of their responsibilities in the coming year—a dramatic increase compared to prior years. This shift reflects a growing recognition that while AI is essential, it also introduces new challenges. Organizations are eager to unlock value, but they are equally focused on governance, cost control, and measurable business outcomes. The question is no longer if AI should be adopted, but how to do so responsibly and at scale. The role of Microsoft Marketplace in AI adoption As Microsoft continues to drive toward AI‑first transformation, partner solutions play a critical role alongside Microsoft’s own product stack. Microsoft Marketplace brings these solutions together, serving as a trusted foundation for customers navigating AI adoption. With the unification of Azure Marketplace and Microsoft AppSource into Microsoft Marketplace, customers now have access to a single, centralized catalog surfaced across multiple experiences—from digital storefronts to in‑product discovery and partner‑led purchasing models. The intent is to make Marketplace a true one‑stop shop for cloud and AI needs. Microsoft Marketplace delivers value through three core pillars: A comprehensive AI catalog – From low‑code Copilot integrations to fully customizable AI agents and models, customers can find solutions across the full AI maturity spectrum. Deep integration with Microsoft technologies – Marketplace solutions are preconfigured to work seamlessly with the Microsoft cloud, accelerating deployment and reducing risk. Built‑in governance and trust – Solutions are vetted and designed to align with existing security, identity, and compliance investments. As AI becomes embedded across all technology categories—from infrastructure and security to productivity and industry‑specific workloads—Marketplace enables organizations to manage adoption holistically rather than in disconnected silos. Build, buy, or blend: Choosing the right AI strategy A central theme of the session was Microsoft’s build, buy, or blend framework. There is no one‑size‑fits‑all approach to AI adoption; every organization brings different levels of maturity, budget, skills, and urgency. Build strategies provide maximum control and differentiation. Many organizations with strong development capabilities are building custom AI agents tailored to specific business outcomes. Marketplace supports this approach by offering access to a broad catalog of models and development tools that integrate securely into existing environments. Buy strategies prioritize speed. Marketplace enables customers to deploy vetted AI solutions quickly—often within minutes—particularly when paired with existing Microsoft 365 or Copilot licenses. Blend strategies combine both approaches and are the most common. Many customers begin by purchasing solutions to move quickly and learn, then transition to custom builds as requirements become more defined. Microsoft Marketplace is designed to support all three paths, giving customers flexibility without locking them into a single model. Industry AI: Purpose‑built solutions at scale Another key takeaway from the session was the strength of Microsoft Marketplace in supporting industry‑specific AI use cases. While horizontal solutions remain important, industry workloads represent a significant and growing area of focus. Three industries consistently lead in Marketplace adoption: Financial Services – Banking and financial services customers often prioritize governance and risk management. Marketplace provides an added layer of vetting, supporting AI scenarios such as fraud detection, risk analysis, and modernized lending. Healthcare – Healthcare is one of the largest Marketplace categories, with AI solutions improving clinical workflows, care coordination, and patient outcomes. The pace of innovation in this space continues to accelerate. Manufacturing – Manufacturing has long relied on data‑driven insights. Marketplace solutions focus on predictive maintenance, supply chain intelligence, design optimization, and frontline productivity—bridging digital and physical operations. Across industries, Marketplace aligns partner solutions to outcome‑driven scenarios already supported by Microsoft’s field teams. Governance, cost control, and measurable outcomes Responsible AI adoption requires balancing speed with oversight. Microsoft Marketplace is designed to support that balance by offering: Governed and secure AI deployment Faster time to value Predictable and controllable spend Clear alignment to measurable business outcomes When combined with tools such as Azure role‑based access controls, Microsoft Cost Management, and Azure Advisor, Marketplace becomes part of a broader operational framework—helping organizations reduce shadow IT, improve visibility, and align AI investments with FinOps best practices. Practical next steps Organizations exploring AI adoption can take several practical actions today: Evaluate current AI maturity and existing Microsoft investments. Explore the Marketplace catalog using low‑cost or trial deployments to test value quickly. When renewing AI solutions purchased outside of Marketplace, consider bringing them into Marketplace to centralize governance and spend. For organizations that have developed repeatable AI apps or agents, Microsoft Marketplace provides a scalable path to distribution and monetization. Microsoft Marketplace Customer Office Hours are designed to be practical, accessible, and community‑driven. —and they take place monthly. Customers and partners are encouraged to explore the full session recording here: Accelerating AI adoption through Microsoft Marketplace You can view the schedule of upcoming session, along with recordings of past sessions here: Azure Events | Microsoft Community Hub AI adoption is accelerating rapidly. Microsoft Marketplace is positioned to help organizations move forward with confidence—responsibly, securely, and at a pace that aligns with their business goals ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Resources Microsoft Marketplace: Microsoft Marketplace | cloud solutions, AI apps, and agents Article by Cyril Belikoff, Vice President, Commercial Cloud and AI Marketing: Design your AI strategy with Microsoft Marketplace Solutions
