Per certification designed badges
Hi First Microsoft opted out from awesome Credly (awesome, as learners collected “all” personal certifications in one place, no matter the vendor - easy to share the Credly profile link for various reasons) And now you have quit creating “per certification branded badge”s, and only provide standard “Associate” & “Expert” badges with a “Learn diploma) showing the name of the certification “in text” (the new Fabric exam as example) For us globally in roles like “Alliance Managers”, “Partner Managers”, driving and summarizing partners excellence in the area of Microsoft + pushing with marketing us and Microsoft- this is bad! Example on how we earlier are using the per certification badges Is it just by mistake you have taken this path? Or is it just me and my learners that have missed where they can download per exam branded badges for newer certifications now? Regards GabrielTransitioning from Microsoft 365 Business Premium to Business Basic: What Nonprofits Need to Know
As Microsoft begins transitioning out the Business Premium grant for nonprofits, many organizations are reassessing their licensing needs therefore this is an opportunity to streamline operations and continue leveraging powerful tools with Microsoft 365 Business Basic. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ What Is Microsoft 365 Business Basic? Microsoft 365 Business Basic is a cloud-first productivity suite designed for organizations that don’t need desktop Office apps but still want access to essential collaboration and communication tools. It includes: ✅Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook ✅Microsoft Teams for meetings, chat, and collaboration ✅Exchange Online with a 50 GB mailbox per user ✅OneDrive for Business with 1 TB of cloud storage ✅SharePoint Online for document management and team sites It’s a cost-effective solution for nonprofits looking to maintain productivity while reducing licensing expenses. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Change Microsoft has announced the retirement of the Business Premium grant, which previously provided eligible nonprofits with free access to premium features like desktop Office apps, Intune, and advanced security tools. As a result, many organizations are now exploring Business Basic as a cost-effective alternative. Note: If your organization decides to continue using Microsoft 365 Business Premium, you may be eligible for a discount of up to 75% through Microsoft’s nonprofit pricing. This can be a great option if you still need access to advanced features. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ How to Transition from Business Premium to Business Basic Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make the switch smoothly: Step 1: Evaluate Your Current Usage Identify users who don’t need desktop apps or advanced security features. Use the Microsoft 365 admin center to review license assignments and usage patterns. Step 2: Purchase Business Basic Licenses Go to Microsoft 365 admin center > Billing > Purchase services. Select “Details” next to Microsoft 365 Business Basic and buy the number of licenses you need. Important: Although the process says “purchase,” eligible nonprofits receive the first 300 Business Basic licenses for free. You will not be charged for these licenses, even though they are added through the purchase flow. Step 3: Reassign Licenses Navigate to Users > Active users. For each user, go to Licenses and Apps, uncheck Business Premium, and check Business Basic. Save your changes. Step 4: Remove Unused Premium Licenses Once all users are reassigned, reduce or cancel your Business Premium licenses to avoid unnecessary charges. Go to Billing > Your Products Click on Microsoft 365 Business Premium, then click remove licenses Ensure that users have been unassigned licenses or that may cause an error Step 5: Communicate the Transition Let your team know what’s changing and what tools they’ll still have access to. Offer training or resources to help them adapt to web-based tools. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Business Premium vs Business Basic Comparison Feature Business Premium Business Basic Desktop versions of Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.) ✅ ❌ Advanced security features (Microsoft Defender for Business, Microsoft Purview) ✅ ❌ Device management (via Microsoft Intune) ✅ ❌ Access and Publisher (PC only) ✅ ❌ Webinar hosting and attendee tools in Teams ✅ ❌ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ What You’ll Still Have with Business Basic Despite the changes, you’ll retain access to essential tools that support collaboration and productivity: Web and mobile versions of Office apps Microsoft Teams (chat, call, meet with up to 300 attendees) Business-class email with Exchange 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage SharePoint Standard security and support ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Making the Most of Microsoft 365 Business Basic Even without desktop apps, Business Basic offers a robust suite of tools to keep your team connected and productive: ✅ Web-Based Office Apps Use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook directly in your browser. Collaborate in real-time with colleagues on shared documents. ✅ Microsoft Teams Host virtual meetings, chat, and collaborate on files. Create channels for departments or projects to streamline communication. ✅ OneDrive and SharePoint Store and share files securely in the cloud. Use version history and co-authoring to improve productivity. ✅ Email and Calendar Access professional email with a 50 GB mailbox via Outlook on the web. Manage calendars and schedule meetings with ease. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Final Thoughts While the retirement of the Business Premium grant may require some adjustments, Microsoft 365 Business Basic still provides essential tools to help your nonprofit thrive. With thoughtful planning and a focus on cloud-based collaboration, you can continue to operate efficiently and make a meaningful impact—without breaking your budget.AgentCon Hong Kong - Come One Come All for FREE
AgentCon is coming to Hong Kong! 🚀 The AI Agents Developer Conference lands on Saturday, 11 April 2026, at Hong Kong Institute of Information Technology (HKIIT) (VTC Tsing Yi Complex). If you're building with AI agents, automation, or intelligent systems, don't miss this gathering of developers, architects, and AI leaders for a full day of real-world sessions focused on designing, deploying, and scaling AI agents. Secure your spot ➡️ https://aka.ms/AgentconHongKong2026AgentCon Seoul - Come One Come All for FREE
AgentCon is coming to Seoul! 🚀 The AI Agents Developer Conference lands on Thursday, 16 April 2026, at Seoul National University. If you're building with AI agents, automation, or intelligent systems, don't miss this gathering of developers, architects, and AI leaders for a full day of real-world sessions focused on designing, deploying, and scaling AI agents. Secure your spot ➡️ https://aka.ms/agentconSeoul2026AgentCon New York - Come One Come All for FREE
On March 9, 2026, #AgentCon lands at Nasdaq, Times Square, bringing together developers, engineers, and innovators shaping the future of AI agents. Expect deep‑dive talks, hands‑on learning, practical demos and plenty of networking with the AI community. This isn’t just another AI event, it’s where builders meet to talk real code. ➡️ Register now!Create an Internal Support Ticket Hub with Microsoft Lists, Forms & Power Automate
Setting Up the Support Ticket Portal First, we will set up the support ticket portal. This is where ticket requests will populate, be triaged, assigned and managed. It's a central location where the support team members can keep track of their tasks as well as keep the client informed through automated notifications upon status changes. Let's get started! 1. Create the Microsoft List: Navigate to Microsoft Lists from the Microsoft365.com App launcher in the upper left. Select the “+ New list” and choose the “Issue Tracker" template. Fill out the list information (name, description*, color*, icon*, and associate it with a team or save to your lists) and select create to make your form (*optional). In this case, associating the list with a team is required as it is needed for notification purposes later on in the tutorial. Review the list items from the template and customize the list to what your organization needs. Include columns that capture essential details such as issue description, priority level, assigned to, and status. Ensure the list is set up to store all necessary information for managing support tickets. There will be items you need captured from the person submitting the form as well as items to triage, assign, and track the status of the case. 2. Creating the Support Ticket Form In the list menu, select the "Forms" tab to create a new form. Customize the form by removing or unchecking questions that are designed for the support team, leaving only the questions needed from the person submitting the ticket. For example, you’d remove the Priority, Status and Assigned To fields from the form because those items are not determined by the submitter, but by the internal staff triaging the case. Ensure the form captures essential details such as the issue description, associated files, and contact information. 3. Enabling Notifications and Assigning Tickets In the form settings, select the toggle next to "Notify me" so that whenever a new item (support ticket) is submitted, you are immediately notified. This ensures that you don't miss an urgent request. Preview your form Check for changes or adjustments you’d like to make. If everything is good, congratulations! You’ve made your support ticket form! 4. The Workflow Process: Now that your form and list are created you can test out your new form and ticket portal. Grab the link to your new form by selecting the forms button again in the menu. Select the link sign to copy the link. Let's test things out. Fill out the form with information as if you are an employee submitting a ticket about an issue. Refresh and check your Microsoft List to make sure the form responses were automatically added. Triage the case. In the Microsoft List, double click on the form submission list item. Here, the support admin will triage the case by assigning it to a member of the support team, updating the status of the ticket to "In Progress" and assigning it a priority status. When a ticket is assigned, the assigned staff member receives a notification, ensuring they are aware of their new task. If they need to get in contact with the employee that submitted the case, they are able to come to the list item, and check for contact/email details in the email column. Team members can update the status of the ticket to "In Progress" when they start working on it and then to "Completed" once the issue is resolved. These status updates help track the progress of each ticket and ensure timely resolution. Congratulations! You have an internal support ticket portal and form. To further enhance the transparency and efficiency of your internal support ticket system, you can implement additional notifications to keep the requester informed about the status of their ticket. By setting up automated notifications in Power Automate for when a ticket is marked as "In Progress" and "Completed," you ensure that the requester is always aware of the current status of their issue. This not only improves communication but also boosts confidence in the support process, as employees feel assured that their concerns are being actively addressed and resolved. 5. Automating Notifications with Power Automate Create a Flow: From the Microsoft365.com app launcher, open Power Automate. Click "+ Create" and select "Automated Cloud Flow". Choose a flow name and set the trigger to "When an item or file is modified". Configure the Flow: On the canvas, select the trigger to enter the required data. The site address your Microsoft List is attached to and the list or library name. Next, we must add a trigger condition in order for the flow to only trigger when the status column has been changed. In the settings tab add the following trigger condition NOt(equals(triggerOutputs()?['body/Status'], triggerOutputs()?['body/PreviousStatus'])) Return to the canvas to create a new action. Select the + sign under your trigger. In the search menu, search for the condition action. For the value of the condition, we want to choose the Status Value from the dynamic field (the lightning bolt). We want to make sure the condition states “Status Value is equal to In progress”. (Capitalization matters here so make sure the capitalization of “In progress” matches the way it is spelled on your Microsoft List”. In the "True" column of your condition we will add a new action. Select “Send an email (V2) Inside of your action select, “Switch to Advanced Mode” to be able to enter dynamic fields or fields directly associated with your form submission. In the "To" field, select the lightning bolt for a dynamic entry. And select the “Issue logged by Email”. This will add the email address of the form sender to the “To” field and who the notifications will be sent to. In the Subject field type and appropriate title such as “Support Ticket Status Update”. In the Body field type a message to the requester. For example, "Hello, you are receiving this message to notify you that your support ticket for" (dynamically insert the name of the issue) “has been changed to “In Progress”. At this point, the flow now sends notifications for when the status column has been modified to “In Progress. Now, let's do the same and send a notification for when the status has been changed to “Completed”. In the False column, we are going to add another condition. The values for the condition will be the same except where it once said, “In Progress” it will say “Completed”. You want the statement to read “Status value is equal to Completed”. In the true column add the same action for sending an email and fill out the details accordingly. Save and test your flow. Test and Deploy: Test the flow to ensure it works as expected. Select Test and choose Manually. This specific flow is triggered when the status column has been modified to “In Progress” or “Completed”. Test both separately to make sure both works. You will see green check marks and receive a notification to the email you provided earlier when filling out the form with sample data. In this example, I tested the flow by updating the status to “In Progress” so in this case I have green check marks along the left side because that follows the first conditions. The green check marks will follow the right-side path if I choose to test the “Completed” status. Here is a copy of the email that was sent to the inbox. Once satisfied, deploy the flow to automate the notification process, enhancing communication and satisfaction. Conclusion By leveraging Microsoft Lists and Forms, you can create a robust internal support ticket system that streamlines the process of submitting, triaging, and resolving support requests. The integration with Power Automate further enhances this system by automating notifications, ensuring that all parties are kept informed throughout the process. This setup not only improves efficiency but also boosts employee satisfaction by providing a transparent and responsive support system.Please clarify the numbering system in Microsoft exams
I am trying to make sense of exam numbers in Microsoft Certification poster. https://arch-center.azureedge.net/Credentials/Certification-Poster_en-us.pdf. For example I notice most azure exam numbers start with 1xx. That gives me the impression that 1xx could be related to Infrastructure. But I am not sure if that is the correct understanding. For example all fundamental exams are numbered 9xx. So are exams numbered differently in role based certifications? What is the numbering pattern and practice in role based certifications? Again one might assume that all architect exams may have the same number pattern but they don’t. Some patterns emerge when it comes to Windows certification - 8xx. Collaboration and communication - 7xx except MB 700. So it appears even under role based certifications the numbering pattern may be different depending on the technology or platform or product. I have not found any authoritative material on the internet form anyone in Microsoft or an MVP on this topic. Some clarification on this topic will help to put at rest years of curiosity and confusion in the community. Thank you.Simplify Your Scheduling with Microsoft Bookings
Introduction to Microsoft Bookings Microsoft Bookings is an online tool designed to help you schedule appointments with ease. Whether you are a small business owner, a nonprofit organization, or part of a larger enterprise, Microsoft Bookings can streamline your scheduling process, allowing clients to book appointments for the services you provide. This blog post will guide you through the key features of Microsoft Bookings and how to get started. What is Microsoft Bookings? Microsoft Bookings is an online scheduling tool that allows you to create booking calendars for specific purposes or departments. Clients can schedule appointments for listed services, and you can share the booking calendar link or embed it on your website. This tool is particularly useful for managing appointments, reducing no-shows, and improving customer satisfaction. Key Features of Microsoft Bookings Easy Access: Navigate to www.office.com, sign in with your credentials, and find Bookings in the App Launcher or Microsoft Teams. Customizable Booking Pages: Create and customize booking pages with your business details, logo, and color theme. Customer Management: Add customers manually or import contact lists to your booking page. Staff Management: Add staff members, assign roles, and set their availability. Service Management: Create and manage services, set availability, and customize fields for customer information. Notifications: Set up email and text message notifications for appointments. How to Get Started with Microsoft Bookings Accessing the Bookings App Navigate to www.office.com and sign in with your credentials. Click on the App Launcher at the top left side. Choose “More apps” and find Bookings. Alternatively, you can find Bookings in Microsoft Teams by selecting the ellipses on the left side to reveal applications and choosing Bookings. Setting Up Your Booking Calendar Once you are in the Bookings app, select “create” next to Shared booking pages. Choose “create from scratch” to create a shared booking page from scratch or clone one from an existing bookings calendar. Fill in the details of your calendar, including your business name, type, and business hours. Invite your staff to the calendar. These individuals will be able to view and manage bookings for the team based on the roles assigned on this page. Set up and edit your first initial service by selecting “Change.” You can add more services after the calendar has been created. Choose who can book appointments: “no self-service,” “People in my organization,” or “Anyone.” Configuring and Publishing Your Shared Booking Page Within the Shared Booking Page window, select “Booking page” from the left-hand menu. Configure who can book an appointment: No Self-service, Available to people in your organization, or Available to anyone. The booking page you created will have a link. Customize your page with a template, color theme, and logo. Under Regions and Time Zone Settings, set your language and time zones. Save your settings and your booking page is ready to use. Adding Customers and Staff Members When setting up your booking page for the first time, manually adding your existing customer base can help you get started quickly and ensure that your regular clients are already in the system. Adding staff will give only those individuals access to the specific shared booking link and page. Adding Customers: Navigate to the left-hand menu, select customers, and click the add new customer button. Fill out the customer information and save changes. You can also import customer lists in CSV format. Ensure that the CSV file is in the UTF-8 encoding for best results. See Import or export contacts in Outlook Adding Staff Members: Navigate to the left-hand menu, select staff, and click the add new staff button. Complete the information, including name, email, and phone number. Assign roles and set availability. Adding New Services The ability to add typical services offered to the community you support is also available on the booking page settings! This will allow specific calendar bookings that gives your team insight on the purpose of each meeting booked. Navigate to the left-hand menu and select services. Click “add new service” and fill out the form, including service name, description, location, duration, and price. Set availability options and assign staff to the service. Customize fields for customer information and set up notifications. Conclusion Microsoft Bookings is a powerful tool that can help you manage appointments efficiently. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can set up and customize your booking page, add customers and staff members, and create services tailored to your needs. Start using Microsoft Bookings today to streamline your scheduling process and enhance customer satisfaction.
