A Personal Note to the Access Community
Today is my last day at Microsoft. After many wonderful years, I have accepted Microsoft's Voluntary Retirement Program (VRP) and am beginning a new chapter. It feels a little surreal to write those words. For much of my career, I've had the privilege of working with products, communities, and people I deeply care about. In recent years, that has included serving as Program Manager for Microsoft Access, one of the most passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated communities in technology. Before I go, there is one message I want to leave you with: Access is alive, well, and continuing to evolve. One of the most common questions I hear is, "Is Access going away?" The answer remains the same as it has always been: No. Access continues to ship with Microsoft 365 and Office, continues to receive engineering investment, continues to receive bug fixes, security updates, accessibility improvements, and yes, new features. In fact, we've released multiple new capabilities recently, including improvements such as enhanced zooming support, larger form and report design capabilities, and new developer-focused functionality, with additional features already in various stages of development and rollout. Over the last few years, I've had the opportunity to work alongside an incredibly talented engineering team that genuinely cares about Access and the customers who depend on it every day. I've seen firsthand the discussions, the prioritization meetings, the customer feedback reviews, the accessibility work, the bug triage sessions, and the long hours spent making sure Access continues to serve businesses, governments, schools, non-profits, and developers around the world. Access remains an important part of Microsoft's productivity ecosystem, and the team remains committed to keeping it relevant, reliable, and useful for years to come. I know many of you closely follow the public roadmap and occasionally worry when it's quiet. What doesn't always make it into public announcements is the steady stream of work happening behind the scenes: security investments, compliance work, accessibility improvements, bug fixes, customer-requested enhancements, and the engineering work required to keep a 30-plus-year-old product healthy in a rapidly changing technology landscape. As for what comes next, I don't yet know who the next Access PM will be or when that transition will occur. What I do know is that Access deserves thoughtful stewardship, active engagement with the community, and a clear understanding of why this product continues to matter. I am hopeful that whoever steps into that role will bring fresh ideas, curiosity, and a commitment to listening to the customers, MVPs, partners, and developers who make this community so special. To our MVPs: thank you for your advocacy, your feedback, and your willingness to tell us what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong. Many of the features we've delivered started as customer requests, conference conversations, forum discussions, and MVP feedback. Your voices matter, and they have made the product better. To the Access developers around the world: thank you for continuing to build solutions that solve real problems. Every time someone says Access is only a relic of the past, I inevitably hear from another organization running a mission-critical application, supporting a small business, managing a research project, tracking inventory, or helping people get work done. The creativity and ingenuity of this community never cease to amaze me. And finally, thank you for letting me be part of your journey. It's been an honor to help tell the story of Access, share new features, write documentation, engage with the community, and occasionally fight to get your favorite feature request prioritized. While I'm retiring from Microsoft, I'll always be rooting for Access and the people who use it. The future of Access belongs to all of you, and I believe that future is bright. Thank you for your support, your passion, and your trust. See you around, Linda Cannon Former Program Manager, Microsoft AccessMicrosoft AI Skills Fest wraps—and the momentum continues
AI Skills Fest, June 8–12, 2026, brought together a dynamic global community to build practical AI skills. Here’s what to do next and how to keep building on what you’ve learned. Wow, what a week! One of my favorite things about Microsoft AI Skills Fest was seeing so many people jump in, try something new, and build practical AI skills together. The festival may be wrapping up, but the energy from this week is still going strong. Across roles, industries, and experience levels, you explored new tools, sharpened your prompts, and put AI to work in ways that go far beyond a single week. Want a quick look back? Check out our recap video for standout moments, familiar faces, and even a few bloopers—because no great event is complete without those. In just one week, you—and people around the world—really made AI Skills Fest count. That’s the power of learning together. And it doesn’t stop here. What to do next Claim your perks If you took part in AI Skills Fest, now’s the time to claim the perks you earned—on top of the great skills you built along the way. Sweepstakes prizes If you’re a sweepstakes winner, we’ll email you by June 22, 2026, with details on how to claim your prize. Credly badges If you completed a featured skilling playlist, that’s an achievement worth celebrating. Watch for an email from Credly by June 19, 2026, with instructions for claiming your badge. Add it to your LinkedIn profile, and share it with your network. We can’t wait to celebrate with you! Free Microsoft Certification exam vouchers You may be eligible for a free exam voucher if you: Registered for AI Skills Fest. Completed an eligible featured skilling playlist during the event window. Submitted your claim within the required time frame. If you qualify for a free exam voucher: Our partner Pearson will send you an email between June 19, 2026, and July 10, 2026, with your voucher code and instructions. Check your inbox (and junk folder) so you don’t miss it. Follow the guidance in that email to schedule your exam by August 18, 2026. You must take the exam on or before October 18, 2026. Exam prep tip: Revisit AI Skills Fest exam prep sessions on demand, explore training content in AI Skills Navigator, and feel more prepared before test day. Resume your playlists If you started a featured AI Skills Fest skilling playlist but didn’t finish, no worries. You can jump back in anytime. To pick up where you left off, head to Skilling playlists in AI Skills Navigator. Everything you started is saved there and ready when you are. Watch on-demand content Want to rewatch a favorite session or catch a few you missed? Go to the AI Skills Fest event page, and select Explore content. Watch mainstage moments, LinkedIn Live or hackathon sessions, and more—on your schedule. Start a new featured skilling playlist, and keep learning. AI Skills Fest content remains available for a limited time, so take this opportunity to dive back in. Stay tuned for results from the Agents League hackathon The competition continues. We’ll announce the winners of the Agents League hackathon in early July 2026 on the Microsoft Developer Community Blog. We’ll also notify each winner via email. In the meantime: Relive the best hackathon moments and battles on the AI Skills Fest event page. Stay engaged, and keep building your skills with the IQ Series. Keep building—and stay connected A few things really stood out across AI Skills Fest. Human skills matter more than ever. AI may power the future of work, but judgment, creativity, and critical thinking set you apart. Learning by doing drives real progress. The biggest gains came from applying AI in real scenarios. Everyone can build with AI. No matter your role or experience, you can create with AI. Stay connected. AI Skills Fest brought together an incredible global community—and that connection doesn’t stop here. Join us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep the conversation going. Share what you learned. Show off your badge. Tell us your favorite moments from the event. Whether AI Skills Fest was your starting point for AI fluency or a step along the way, what matters most is what you do with what you learned. Take what you explored and discovered—new tools, new skills, new ways of thinking—and build on it in ways that work for you. The festival may be wrapping up, but there’s plenty more AI learning ahead. And when you’re ready for what’s next, we’re here to support you along the way.From campus to career: 3 practical steps for students
This graduation season, build the skills employers are looking for, create proof-of-work to get you noticed, grow as a global student community leader. And explore free tools & offers to help you build what's next! For many students around the world, graduation season is here – bringing both excitement and uncertainty about what’s next. According to LinkedIn’s 2026 Grad’s guide, students are entering one of the toughest job markets in years and many are reconsidering traditional career paths. Yet alongside these challenges comes real opportunity to create and shape the future with access to powerful new tools in ways earlier generations never could. This is a moment of real uncertainty, but it is also one of unprecedented opportunities. Whether you're graduating, beginning an internship, starting a first job, exploring entrepreneurship, or returning to campus, here are three practical steps and free tools to help you move forward. 1. Develop the skills employers are increasingly looking for According to the 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report employers are increasingly interested in AI‑related skills, particularly for early-career roles. Students who start building skills early may be better prepared to seize their next opportunity. Microsoft AI Skills Fest (June 8–12, 2026) is a large, no-cost online AI skilling event (registration required). This year features two playlists for students entering the workforce: Get the Job (resume to job offer) and Succeed at the Job (your first 90 days). Two LinkedIn Live sessions anchor the week: Ask a Recruiter, an open Q&A with Microsoft early-career recruiters on interviews and resumes, and Build your Brand: From Zero to Resume, a session on using Microsoft Copilot to build a "walking deck" that articulates your experience before your first professional role. In addition, AI Skills Navigator gives you a personalized starting point with a newly launched student path filled with learning options. Pair it with LinkedIn's 2026 Grad Guide for a better understanding about which roles are growing and how to stand out. 2. Build proof-of-work that can get you noticed Hiring managers aren't just scanning resumes. They're looking for evidence. The candidates who stand out arrive with something to show: a project, a prototype, a piece of published work that shows what they can do. Building an app, a website, or an AI tool that brings your ideas to life is easier than ever. To start, join GitHub Education and get access to free and discounted products and tutorials including GitHub Copilot, Codespaces, and other tools that are part of the Student Developer Pack. Find inspiration for your entrepreneurial dreams by exploring student stories from programs like Imagine Cup and Red Bull Basement that show how Microsoft can help bring your ideas to life. 3. Grow into a global student community leader Heading back to campus in a few months? The Microsoft Student Ambassadors program is now open to all higher education students, not just developers. Fill in a simple form and complete a few activities and you’re in! As an ambassador, you connect with peers, mentors, and Microsoft employees, build verifiable credentials, and develop leadership experience that shows up on a resume. The program is for currently enrolled college students. Learn more and register today. Tools and offers to help you learn and build what's next Between classes, finals, internships, and figuring out what’s next, student life can feel like a lot! Many colleges provide students with access to AI tools like Microsoft Copilot. Learning-science-based tools like the Study and Learn Agent found in Copilot can help you break down complex materials across a range of subjects, turn notes into flashcards and quizzes, and help build your confidence for interviews or exams. Copilot in Word can help you refine your resume to present your experiences more clearly. The Microsoft student page lists our best offers and deals for college students right now. If you’re graduating, the Microsoft 365 Premium graduation offer gives you 12 months of access, at no cost to eligible students and recent graduates, to some of the most powerful AI tools Microsoft offers. Microsoft 365 Premium unlocks Copilot in familiar apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with extensive AI usage tokens, exclusive Copilot features and agents, and up to 6 TB of secure cloud storage that you can share with five others (1 TB per person). 1 Start building apps, explore AI, and build your developer skills with free access to professional tools with a $100 Azure credit or access to the GitHub student developer pack. With the Ultimate college bundle, eligible U.S. students who buy a select Windows 11 PC can get 1 year of Microsoft 365 Premium, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a design-your-own Xbox Wireless Controller—over $500 in estimated value based on included products. 2 step coaching with images Your next steps Students like you are already shaping the future with Microsoft tools and skilling programs available today. Register for Microsoft AI Skills Fest (June 8–12, 2026) and explore the content curated for students, including featured playlists and live sessions. Claim the Windows 11 College Student Bundle (US only), Microsoft 365 Premium student offer or GitHub student developer pack. Explore other free tools and offers for students at the Microsoft Education student page. If you’re headed back to campus, register for Microsoft Student Ambassadors and follow @MicrosoftStudentSkills on Instagram where we share real-world skills for college and beyond. Wherever you are right now, explore these ideas, and take a step forward today towards your future. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Offers vary by market and end June 30, 2026. Eligibility requirements apply. Students will need to verify their academic status using their college email address. See details here. 2. Offer is valid only for verified college students physically located in the United States at time of qualifying PC purchase, while supplies last. Redemption requires a Microsoft account and following the provided steps after purchase of a qualifying PC. Eligibility and terms apply. Offers vary by market. See details here.New ways to learn and demonstrate skills
Announcing new opportunities within the Microsoft Credentials ecosystem, plus new skilling partnerships with Microsoft technology partners. At Microsoft Build 2026, we’re introducing new ways for developers to learn and demonstrate skills in the tools they use every day. Today, we’re announcing: Microsoft Pro Badges, first-of-their-kind credentials that set a new standard for recognizing real-world skills and proficiencies demonstrated through everyday work. An evolution of Microsoft Applied Skills. Co-authored skilling experiences with Anthropic in AI Skills Navigator. Recognizing real-world skills as they develop For decades, Microsoft Certifications have helped professionals showcase role-based expertise and advance their careers. We added Microsoft Applied Skills (scenario-based lab assessments) to capture project execution abilities. As work continues to evolve, learning happens increasingly in your day‑to‑day flow. The same should become true about how your skills are recognized. Microsoft Pro Badges is the next evolution of the Microsoft Credentials portfolio: the first credential of their kind, recognizing real-world achievements without separate tests. Pro Badges enable recognition to evolve alongside changing roles and needs. At their core is Verified Proficiency, our proprietary tool that measures and assesses real-world performance through telemetry, securely capturing evidence of your skills as you work. For organizations, Pro Badges offer a real-time, authentic view of capabilities, creating a window into how team members are actively applying skills and delivering impact. Pro Badges launch in June 2026 in private preview at Microsoft Build, in close partnership with GitHub. The first Pro Badge will cover GitHub Copilot, and it will be in general availability in late October 2026 at GitHub Universe. Additional tools, roles, and scenarios will follow, all also easily sharable on LinkedIn. Join the GitHub Copilot Verified Proficiency Insiders List to be among the first to learn more. Microsoft Applied Skills: Expanding today, awarding Pro Badges soon Microsoft continues to add lab-based assessments that reflect job-relevant skills. Newly available: Microsoft Applied Skills: Resolve GitHub issues using GitHub Copilot Microsoft Applied Skills: Get started developing agents in Microsoft Foundry Microsoft Applied Skills: Integrate model context protocol tools with agents in Microsoft Foundry Coming soon: Microsoft Applied Skills: Protect information in Microsoft 365 Copilot by using Microsoft Purview Microsoft Applied Skills: Create agentic workflows by using Microsoft Foundry Microsoft Applied Skills: Manage GitHub secret scanning by using GitHub Copilot Microsoft Applied Skills: Build an agent in Microsoft Copilot Studio Applied Skills will become part of the new Pro Badges family, offering a unified approach to recognizing real-world skills. Users successfully completing Applied Skills will soon be awarded Pro Badge credentials. Connecting AI skilling across ecosystems Developers increasingly work across models, platforms, data systems, and tools. We’re meeting this moment with a better-together approach to skilling with learning paths jointly authored with Microsoft technology partners and available in AI Skills Navigator. Designed by Microsoft and partner experts, these experiences help you understand how complementary technologies work together in real-world scenarios, while providing connected guidance and practical support to help you get started faster. We’re launching this initiative with Anthropic, starting with a learning path called Get started with Claude in Microsoft Foundry. Additional partners and jointly authored training experiences are on the way. Keep building: Take your skills further at Microsoft AI Skills Fest Join us June 8–12, 2026, for Microsoft AI Skills Fest, a free week of learning designed to help you turn AI momentum into real capability. You’ll learn directly in the tools and workflows you already use, with practical sessions focused on immediate application. If you’re a developer, the Agents League hackathon will be a highlight. This hackathon is an e-sports–inspired challenge where you’ll build and submit an agent, collaborate with peers, climb a live leaderboard, and compete for prizes.* You’ll also have opportunities to win a voucher* for select Microsoft Certification exams, helping you progress toward earning a Certification. AI Skills Fest is your chance to sharpen your AI skills, test yourself in real scenarios, and explore the latest Microsoft Credentials and skilling updates. Register, build, and compete, and then leave with skills you can use in the next steps of your career journey. *Terms and conditions apply.New Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate Certification
Deliver always‑on customer service at scale. Prove your ability to design and run modern contact center solutions in Dynamics 365 that combine agents and human expertise, with Exam AB‑250 (beta). Customer expectations now demand fast, continuous service across every channel. Meeting that expectation requires contact center solutions that combine human expertise with intelligent automation, while staying scalable, secure, and well governed. This shift is creating new opportunities for professionals who can translate business and service requirements into modern contact center solutions that work across voice and digital channels. To support this evolution, we’re introducing the Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate Certification. It validates your ability to design, implement, and operate contact center as a service (CCaaS) solutions using Dynamics 365 Contact Center and service‑oriented autonomous agents. To earn this new Microsoft Certification, you need to pass Exam AB-250: Transforming Contact Center Experiences with AI in Dynamics 365, currently in beta. Is this the right Certification for you? This Certification validates the skills to use AI, Microsoft Copilot, and agents to deliver scalable, always-on service across voice and digital channels. It assesses a candidate’s ability to: Deploy Dynamics 365 Contact Center Implement channels Configure agents and AI Configure work distribution Configure the representative experience Manage Contact Center analytics Candidates collaborate with customer service leaders, contact center managers, IT teams, and legal and compliance stakeholders to ensure solutions align with operational goals, policies, and responsible AI principles, including security, data protection, transparency, and accountability. They should have experience with Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft Teams and know how to use automation, integrations, and AI to optimize service workflows. They should also be able to translate business and service requirements into scalable, well-governed contact center solutions where human representatives and autonomous agents work together securely and compliantly. Candidates for Exam AB-250 should: Have experience implementing or planning CCaaS solutions. Understand how voice, social, and digital channels are orchestrated in a contact center. Know key contact center roles, including representatives, supervisors, and administrators. Have a basic understanding of agents, AI self-service, and AI-assisted experiences. Ready to prove your skills? Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam AB-250 (beta) on or before June 18, 2026, can get 80% off. To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use AB250LMHiking. 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 June 18, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China. How to prepare Review the Exam AB-250 (beta) page for exam registration and other details. The Exam AB-250 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam. 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? You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Get the details in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare. Remember, the number of spots is limited to the first 300 candidates on or before June 18, 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 July 2026. Additional information For more AI business solution Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom continues: Build the skills that move business forward. Follow our Microsoft Credentials news on The Skills Hub Blog as we roll out additional new Certifications in June and July 2026. 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. If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Credentials, go to AI Skills Navigator.New Microsoft Certified: Intelligent Applications Builder Associate Certification
Design the next generation of AI‑powered business applications. Show you can combine apps, agents, automation, and Copilot into intelligent solutions in Microsoft Power Platform, with Exam AB‑410 (beta). The way business solutions are built is changing fast. Today, it’s not enough to create an app or automate a task in isolation; builders need to bring together apps, agents, automation, data, and AI experiences into solutions that can adapt to real business needs. That’s why we’re introducing the Microsoft Certified: Intelligent Applications Builder Associate Certification, designed for professionals who are ready to use Microsoft Power Platform, Copilot, and natural language to build the next generation of intelligent business applications. To earn this new Microsoft Certification, you need to pass Exam AB-410: Building Intelligent Applications, currently in beta. Is this the right Certification for you? This Certification validates the skills of intelligent app builders who can confidently navigate the evolving AI and agent ecosystem, including how to: Create a foundation for intelligent applications. Create intelligent applications. Build business application logic and automation. Candidates for this Certification: Build AI-powered solutions in Microsoft Power Platform by using Copilot, natural language prompts, and low-code tools. Create apps, data models, and flows that connect agents, AI models and prompts, and visualizations. Develop Dataverse data models and model-driven and canvas apps. Integrate agents and Copilot features across apps and Power Pages. Build cloud flows and business logic. They partner with admins on security, identity, roles, and policies; governance teams on responsible AI, ALM, solutions and pipelines, and monitoring; builders and architects on solution design; and stakeholders on requirements, iteration, and adoption. For this exam, candidates should have experience with Dataverse modeling, Power Automate cloud flows, Power Apps development, AI capabilities in Microsoft Power Platform, building solution assets with natural language, and Power Pages. Before taking Exam AB-410, candidates should have: Familiarity with Copilot in Power Apps, Copilot in Power Automate, Copilot in Power Pages, and Copilot in Dataverse. Awareness of creating agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio. Foundational knowledge of AI models and prompts in AI Hub. Ability to map business processes to flows, agents, or app capabilities. Ability to work with Dataverse as a core data platform. Familiarity with low-code automation, including Power Fx. Awareness of environment governance, roles, policies, and solution lifecycle steps. Ready to prove your skills? Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam AB-410 (beta) on or before June 17, 2026, can get 80% off. To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use AB410KBMaui. 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 June 17, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China. How to prepare Review the Exam AB-410 (beta) page for training resources, exam registration and other details. The Exam AB-410 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam. 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? You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Get the details in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare. Remember, the number of spots is limited to the first 300 candidates on or before June 17, 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 July 2026. Additional information For more AI business solution Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom continues: Build the skills that move business forward. Follow our Microsoft Credentials news on The Skills Hub Blog as we roll out additional new Certifications in June and July 2026. 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. If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Credentials, go to AI Skills Navigator.
