Microsoft 365 data residency offerings now available in New Zealand
We are excited to announce that Microsoft 365 and Advanced Data Residency (ADR) are now available for commercial customers in our new cloud region in New Zealand. Multi-geo Capabilities for New Zealand are rolling out now. With the availability of Microsoft 365, we now offer ADR (and soon Multi-Geo) add-ons to provide customers provisioned in New Zealand with greater control over the location of their cloud data. ADR provides guarantees that certain customer data will be stored at rest (in this case, in New Zealand) for several core online services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Exchange Online Protection, Office for the Web, Viva Connections, and certain Purview products. Multi-Geo Capabilities allows customers to configure in which geographies their Microsoft 365 user data is stored at rest, on a per-user basis and within a single tenant. Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot are available for Multi-Geo configuration. This new cloud region will provide artificial intelligence (AI) and other cloud services to contribute to the digital transformation and the development of the AI economy in New Zealand. “We’re excited to be opening the first hyperscale datacenter region in New Zealand, enabling local businesses to scale and innovate as never before for the benefit of our economy, businesses and society. Having data residency in Aotearoa also gives every organisation the confidence that they can move their data and operations into the public cloud, paving the way to leverage AI and other advanced technologies, empowering everyone to achieve more.” -- Vanessa Sorenson, Managing Director, Microsoft New Zealand This is a continuation of a series of datacenter launches over the last 20 months, including launches in Poland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and Taiwan. Learn more about empowering your organization with Microsoft 365, ADR, and Multi-Geo. For information about data residency and Microsoft 365 Copilot, see Data Residency for Microsoft 365 Copilot. -- Microsoft 365 Datacenter and Data Residency TeamsEmbracing Responsible AI: A Comprehensive Guide and Call to Action
In an age where artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, the need for responsible AI practices has never been more critical. From healthcare to finance, AI systems influence decisions affecting millions of people. As developers, organizations, and users, we are responsible for ensuring that these technologies are designed, deployed, and evaluated ethically. This blog will delve into the principles of responsible AI, the importance of assessing generative AI applications, and provide a call to action to engage with the Microsoft Learn Module on responsible AI evaluations. What is Responsible AI? Responsible AI encompasses a set of principles and practices aimed at ensuring that AI technologies are developed and used in ways that are ethical, fair, and accountable. Here are the core principles that define responsible AI: Fairness AI systems must be designed to avoid bias and discrimination. This means ensuring that the data used to train these systems is representative and that the algorithms do not favor one group over another. Fairness is crucial in applications like hiring, lending, and law enforcement, where biased AI can lead to significant societal harm. Transparency Transparency involves making AI systems understandable to users and stakeholders. This includes providing clear explanations of how AI models make decisions and what data they use. Transparency builds trust and allows users to challenge or question AI decisions when necessary. Accountability Developers and organizations must be held accountable for the outcomes of their AI systems. This includes establishing clear lines of responsibility for AI decisions and ensuring that there are mechanisms in place to address any negative consequences that arise from AI use. Privacy AI systems often rely on vast amounts of data, raising concerns about user privacy. Responsible AI practices involve implementing robust data protection measures, ensuring compliance with regulations like GDPR, and being transparent about how user data is collected, stored, and used. The Importance of Evaluating Generative AI Applications Generative AI, which includes technologies that can create text, images, music, and more, presents unique challenges and opportunities. Evaluating these applications is essential for several reasons: Quality Assessment Evaluating the output quality of generative AI applications is crucial to ensure that they meet user expectations and ethical standards. Poor-quality outputs can lead to misinformation, misrepresentation, and a loss of trust in AI technologies. Custom Evaluators Learning to create and use custom evaluators allows developers to tailor assessments to specific applications and contexts. This flexibility is vital in ensuring that the evaluation process aligns with the intended use of the AI system. Synthetic Datasets Generative AI can be used to create synthetic datasets, which can help in training AI models while addressing privacy concerns and data scarcity. Evaluating these synthetic datasets is essential to ensure they are representative and do not introduce bias. Call to Action: Engage with the Microsoft Learn Module To deepen your understanding of responsible AI and enhance your skills in evaluating generative AI applications, I encourage you to explore the Microsoft Learn Module available at this link. What You Will Learn: Concepts and Methodologies: The module covers essential frameworks for evaluating generative AI, including best practices and methodologies that can be applied across various domains. Hands-On Exercises: Engage in practical, code-first exercises that simulate real-world scenarios. These exercises will help you apply the concepts learned tangibly, reinforcing your understanding. Prerequisites: An Azure subscription (you can create one for free). Basic familiarity with Azure and Python programming. Tools like Docker and Visual Studio Code for local development. Why This Matters By participating in this module, you are not just enhancing your skills; you are contributing to a broader movement towards responsible AI. As AI technologies continue to evolve, the demand for professionals who understand and prioritize ethical considerations will only grow. Your engagement in this learning journey can help shape the future of AI, ensuring it serves humanity positively and equitably. Conclusion As we navigate the complexities of AI technology, we must prioritize responsible AI practices. By engaging with educational resources like the Microsoft Learn Module on responsible AI evaluations, we can equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to create AI systems that are not only innovative but also ethical and responsible. Join the movement towards responsible AI today! Take the first step by exploring the Microsoft Learn Module and become an advocate for ethical AI practices in your community and beyond. Together, we can ensure that AI serves as a force for good in our society. References Evaluate generative AI applications https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/evaluate-generative-ai-apps/?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805 Azure Subscription for Students https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/students/?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805 Visual Studio Code https://code.visualstudio.com/?wt.mc_id=studentamb_263805
Update to the new solution for syncing forms responses to Excel
We are excited to announce that we have a new and improved solution for syncing your form responses to Excel, with better reliability and performance! Previously, some Forms supported an older version of live data synchronization with Excel. This older solution will be gradually discontinued and completely replaced by the new solution by October 20th, 2024.Loop governance, lifecycle, manageability for IT Admins – Nov 2024
Dive into our latest update on Loop governance, lifecycle, and manageability tailored just IT admins! Discover how Loop's seamless integration with Microsoft 365 can transform your team's productivity with real-time co-authoring, versatile components, and enhanced security features. From Copilot Pages to comprehensive manageability roadmap items, this blog has everything you need to confidently pilot and fully enable Loop in your organization.
Partner Case Study: TBSC
Partner in England helps customers manage clients’ Microsoft 365 licenses Based in Basingstoke, England, The Business Software Centre (TBSC) specializes in conversion, e-commerce, and ecosystem consultancy for Software as a Service (SaaS). For more than 20 years, TBSC has provided quick, efficient, and cost-effective software asset management. TBSC’s Smarter SaaS for Microsoft 365 app, available onMicrosoft AppSource, provides important data for Microsoft 365 licenses. The app monitors active and inactive users, with the option to anonymize user names and data. Data can show usage of Microsoft 365 E3 apps, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Outlook, and present opportunities to increase it. License optimization can be achieved through reharvesting (taking an inactive subscription and redistributing it to an active user). The app also provides visibility into licensing compliance. These measures help companies fully utilize the licenses they're paying for. “Smarter SaaS for Microsoft 365 is recommended to our partners looking to manage their clients’ Microsoft 365 licenses,” said Phil Hames, Director of TBSC. “Our product is an automated, cloud-based service that ensures an improvement on clients’ Microsoft 365 investment. This allows for an opportunity to not only manage Microsoft 365 licenses but also build loyalty with clients, since partners can showcase how their organization can be optimized with Microsoft 365 usage through accurate and actionable data.” Continue reading here **Explore all case studies or submit your own**New Option Available to Update Microsoft 365 User Profile
The scheduled retirement of Delve on December 16, 2024, meant that Microsoft had to create a new way for users to update their profile settings. The new method has now appeared in Microsoft Search, and it will spread to other workloads (like OWA) where users can access and update their profile. The new mechanism is welcome, but it's still too difficult to customize user profiles within a tenant. https://office365itpros.com/2024/12/10/user-profile-updates/
One of my Office 365 user, suddenly missing
One of company user suddenly missing from active users, and I can't find it on Deleted user, last night my team on New Zealand doing synchronization, I can see all user with onMicrosoft.com are on deleted users including my account, but I can still see my account on active users tab, but one of my user is suddenly gone, only his onMicrosoft.com are in deleted users tab, I cannot see his original account on deleted users.
