Join us at Microsoft 365 Copilot Discovery event in Huntsville, AL! - UPDATED LOCATION AND DATES!
The Microsoft 365 Copilot Discovery event in Huntsville, AL features hands-on demos, expert sessions, and real-world use cases showcasing AI-driven productivity, Microsoft Copilot capabilities, and modern workplace innovation. The event takes place on May 19th 2026 in Huntsville, AL.From AI pilots to public decisions: what it really takes to close the intelligence gap
Across the public sector, the conversation about AI has shifted. The question is no longer whether AI can generate insight—most leaders have already seen impressive pilots. The harder question is whether those insights survive the realities of government: public scrutiny, auditability, cross‑department delivery, and the need to explain decisions in plain language. That challenge was recently articulated by Sadaf Mozaffarian, writing in Smart Cities World, in the context of city‑scale AI deployments. Governments don’t need more experiments. They need decision‑ready intelligence—intelligence that can be acted on safely, governed consistently, and defended when outcomes are questioned. What’s emerging now is a more operational lens on AI adoption, one that exposes two issues many pilots quietly avoid. Decision latency is the real enemy In government, decision latency is not about slow analytics, it’s the time lost between having a signal and being able to act on it with confidence. Much of the focus in AI discussions is on accuracy, bias, or model performance. But in cities, the more damaging problem is often this latency. When data is fragmented across departments, policies live in PDFs, and institutional knowledge walks out the door at 5pm, leaders may have insight but still can’t decide fast enough. AI pilots often demonstrate answers in isolation, but they don’t reduce the friction between insight, approval, and execution. Decision‑ready intelligence directly attacks this problem. It brings together: Operational data already trusted by the organization Policy and regulatory context that constrains decisions Human checkpoints that reflect how accountability actually works The result isn’t faster answers—it’s faster decisions that stick, because they align with how governments are structured to operate. Institutional memory is infrastructure Cities invest heavily in physical infrastructure—roads, pipes, facilities—but far less deliberately in institutional memory. Yet planning rationales, inspection notes, precedent cases, and prior decisions are often what make or break today’s choices. Consider a routine enforcement or permitting decision that looks reasonable on current data, but quietly contradicts a prior settlement, a regulator’s interpretation, or a lesson learned during a past inquiry. AI systems that don’t account for this history don’t just miss context, they create risk. Decision‑ready intelligence treats institutional memory as a first‑class asset. It ensures that when AI supports a decision, it does so with: Access to relevant historical records and prior outcomes Clear lineage back to source documents and policies Logging that preserves not just what was decided, but why This is what allows governments to move faster without relearning the same lessons under audit pressure. Why this matters now Public sector AI initiatives rarely fail because of a lack of ambition. They stall because trust questions—governance, records, explainability—arrive too late. By the time leaders ask, “Can we stand behind this decision?” the system was never designed to answer. Decision‑ready intelligence flips that sequence. Governance is not bolted on after the pilot; it’s built into the operating model from the start. That’s what allows agencies to scale from a single use case to repeatable patterns across departments. A practical starting point The cities making progress aren’t trying to transform everything at once. They start small but visible: Identify one cross‑department “moment of truth” Define what must be logged, retained, and explainable Connect just enough data, policy, and work context to support that decision From there, they reuse the same patterns—governed data products, policy knowledge bases, and human‑in‑the‑loop workflows—to scale responsibly. AI in government will ultimately be judged the same way every public investment is judged: by outcomes, fairness, and public confidence. Closing the intelligence gap isn’t about smarter models. It’s about designing decision systems that reflect how governments actually work—and are held accountable. Learn more by reading Sadaf's full article: Closing the intelligence gap: how cities turn AI experiments into operational impactThe City Leader's Dilemma: How AI Is turning urban strain into strategic advantage
Ready to transform how your city plans and operates? Download the Trend Report 2025: Planning and operating thriving cities – innovation for smarter urban living to access the complete playbook on AI-powered urban innovation, complete with case studies from Bangkok, Singapore, Barcelona, and Manchester. Urban challenges aren’t slowing down. Populations are growing, climate pressures are intensifying, and residents expect seamless services, while budgets remain flat and workforces stretch thin. Traditional approaches can’t keep pace. The good news? Cities worldwide are showing that AI and digital innovation can drive meaningful improvements. Recent studies indicate that more than half of surveyed cities are already using AI to upgrade operations, and most plan to expand adoption in the next three years. For many leaders, the question is less about whether to act and more about how to act responsibly and effectively. After studying the latest research and real-world deployments, three strategic shifts stand out, each offering a different lens on how forward-thinking city leaders are turning pressure into progress. Shift One: From Fragmented services to unified citizen experiences Residents expect seamless problem-solving, not organizational complexity. Yet many cities operate in silos, transit systems, permitting offices, 311 reporting, and community engagement often run on separate platforms. The result? Multiple apps for residents, duplicated effort for staff, and missed insights locked in departmental databases. Leading cities are breaking this pattern through unified digital platforms powered by AI. Bangkok’s Traffy Fondue: Citizens report issues like broken streetlights or flooding via a mobile interface. AI categorizes each report and routes it to the right department. By mid-2025, the platform handled nearly one million citizen reports, improving engagement and reducing administrative overhead. The outcome? Reduced administrative overhead, and something harder to measure but equally important: residents who believe their government actually listens. Buenos Aires took a similar path with "Boti," a WhatsApp chatbot that evolved from a COVID-era tool into a citywide digital assistant. Citizens report issues, ask questions, and access services through the messaging app they already use daily. Technology that meets residents where they are improves efficiency and strengthens trust, when guided by principles of transparency and fairness. Shift Two: From reactive planning to predictive foresight Traditional urban planning relies on static models: masterplans, zoning maps, historical growth trends. These tools served their purpose. But they cannot capture the complexity of future risks, extreme weather, evolving mobility patterns, or the cascading effects of a single development decision. Digital twins complement human expertise by integrating geospatial data, climate models, and policy scenarios, helping cities make smarter decisions with limited budgets. Singapore's Digital Urban Climate Twin integrates geospatial data with climate models to simulate how different policies would affect temperature and thermal comfort across neighborhoods. These tools support informed decision-making while maintaining human oversight and accountability. The result? Strategic adaptation rather than reactive firefighting. Sydney built an urban digital twin that correlates environmental conditions with traffic accidents, using machine learning to predict crash risk on specific road segments. City planners can now test interventions virtually, what happens if we lower speed limits here? Add a bike lane there? Before committing resources. Even smaller cities are finding value. Imola, Italy uses a microclimate digital twin to model heat distribution street by street, guiding decisions about where to plant trees or specify cool pavement materials. The paradigm shift is profound: instead of planning based on what happened, cities can now plan based on what's likely to happen. This is how you make smart bets with limited budgets. Shift Three: From tech adoption to governance architecture Here's where many cities stumble. They invest in flashy pilots without building the institutional structures to sustain them. The cities getting this right treat governance as a strategic asset, not a compliance burden. Singapore's Model AI Governance Framework provides practical guidelines for transparency, fairness, and human-centric design. Its AI Verify toolkit lets organizations test their systems for resilience, accountability, and bias before deployment. Barcelona takes a different but equally rigorous approach, treating municipal data as a public asset under its Data Commons program. The city's procurement strategy favors open-source solutions, preventing vendor lock-in while supporting local innovation ecosystems. Both models share a common insight: rapid innovation doesn't automatically produce equitable outcomes. Governance creates the guardrails that allow experimentation without derailment. For city leaders, this means building cross-sector governance councils, adopting clear data strategies, creating ethical AI frameworks, and investing in workforce capability. These aren't obstacles to innovation; they're the foundation that makes sustained innovation possible. The Path Forward Cities that thrive in combine strategic vision with disciplined, responsible technology use. They embed digital capabilities into decision-making, supported by robust policies and cross-department collaboration. Learn how Microsoft helps governments build tech-empowered cities and resilient infrastructure at Microsoft for government. The Smart Cities World 2025 Trend Report provides the detailed case studies, governance frameworks, and implementation roadmaps to make this real. Download your copy now and start building the city your residents deserve.Join Microsoft at IACP 2025: Empower public safety operations with trusted AI
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference and Exposition is the premier global event for law enforcement leaders, bringing together more than 16,000 public safety professionals. This year, IACP 2025 takes place October 18–22 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, and Microsoft is proud to be part of the conversation. As your trusted partner in public safety innovation, we invite you to connect with us at booth #362 to discover how Microsoft and our ecosystem of partners are helping agencies modernize operations, improve decision-making, and build safer communities through trusted AI. Microsoft’s presence at IACP 2025 centers around three key pillars that reflect the evolving needs of law enforcement and public safety agencies: Empower the government workforce Streamline workflows with secure AI copilots, enhance collaboration across departments, and boost efficiency with intuitive digital tools. Enable AI-driven decision making Accelerate officer workflows with real-time insights and unify data to support faster, more informed decisions. Transform emergency response Modernize communications, integrate systems for real-time situational awareness, and automate operations to improve coordination and outcomes. Experience Innovation Firsthand At booth #362, attendees can explore hands-on demos of Microsoft solutions including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Researcher and Analyst agents, and Copilot Studio agents tailored for first responders. These tools are designed to help agencies work smarter, respond faster, and serve communities more effectively. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our partners, Altia, DisasterTech, Insight, Pimloc, Remark, Revelen.AI, Triangula, and Zencos who are showcasing their solutions that support officer workflows, evidence management, reporting, and analytics. Don’t miss the Emergency Response Platform vehicle demo, supported by Darley, Dejero, and 3AM which highlights how AI and real-time data can transform field operations and emergency response at the tactical edge. Attend Our Thought Leadership Session Join us for a featured education session in the Leadership Track: Is "Technology Sharing" the Key to Law Enforcement Innovation? 📅 Saturday, October 18 🕤 9:30 – 10:30 AM MT 📍 Room 505/506 This session explores how collaborative platforms and shared technology models can reduce costs, accelerate deployment, and improve outcomes across jurisdictions, offering a blueprint for scalable innovation. Let’s Connect We’d love to meet with you one-on-one to discuss your agency’s goals and challenges. Request a meeting with a Microsoft expert to explore how AI and cloud technologies can support your mission. Visit Microsoft at booth #362 to explore AI-powered public safety solutions and skilling opportunities. Together, we can build safer, more resilient communities through innovation.M365 Copilot Prompt-a-thon: A Hands-On Event for Government Innovators
Ready to supercharge your workflow with AI? Join us for Power Your AI Transformation with Microsoft Cloud — a dynamic, hands-on workshop designed exclusively for government professionals! Discover how to harness the power of Copilot in Microsoft 365 GCC to tackle real-world mission scenarios, boost productivity, and collaborate with experts and peers.Breaking the Search Habit
In today's fast-paced digital world, digital workers of all kinds are constantly seeking ways to streamline their workflows and enhance productivity. One of the most exciting new tools available is Copilot, an "answer engine" that goes beyond the capabilities of traditional search engines. To help illustrate the unique benefits of Copilot, I recently hosted a game show-style event showcasing its ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and provide comprehensive answers, saving time and energy. The best part? I used Copilot itself to help me create the framework for this gameshow in just a few minutes. I'll include the prompts and responses I used at the end of this article so you can see just how easy it was. A special thanks to all those who attended our recent Tribal Nations conference and learning event where leaders from some of America's most tech-forward tribes come to explore what Copilot could do to bring greater productivity and equity to its members and business interests. So, why a game show format? I believe that engagement == better learning so the game show format was designed to be interactive and quasi-competitive, making it easy and fun for participants to grasp the differences between Copilot and standard search engine experiences in a memorable way. The event featured a series of fun activities and challenges that highlighted Copilot's conversational ease and ability to provide composite answers. For example, participants were asked to solve complex queries using both Copilot and traditional search engines, demonstrating how Copilot's approach simplifies the process. For extra fun, Copilot also provided me with taglines, slogans, and even a fun graphic, all in literally just a few minutes. I went from idea to implementation, all in under 20 minutes. Copilot is an Answer Engine Unlike traditional search engines that require multiple queries and manual collation of information, Copilot acts as an answer engine, synthesizing data from various sources to provide a single, comprehensive response. The game show showcased activities where participants experienced firsthand how Copilot can save valuable time and effort. By leveraging Copilot, information professionals can focus on more strategic tasks rather than getting bogged down in repetitive search queries. I find this an incredibly important distinction for a couple reasons... First, we've all adopted search syntax as a second language. When we sit down at that search prompt we choose the right key words, in the right order, and heck… we've gotten pretty good at it. But the same string of keywords sent to Copilot frequently disappoint in results. It can be a challenge to trust the natural language capabilities of Copilot to hear and understand (and communicate back!) without using stilted search syntax tricks. Second, part of how Copilot differentiates itself from standard search queries is that it can actually retrieve information from disparate sources to compare and collate its response. The more specific and natural-language your question the better it seems to response. An example that seemed to resonate with folks during the gameplay: "I am a 49 year old cloud solution architect with 27 years of experience in the IT field, living in the Seattle area and I'm considering moving to Tampa Bay Florida. What can I expect in terms of changes to my cost of living and compensation?" What's important to note is that both contestants are likely to generate an answer, but Copilot excelled by doing it faster and more comprehensively. Collating and presenting data from several different searches as a complete answer, and it self-cites so you can quickly vet your information sources! Most importantly, it invites follow-up questions in a conversational manner that lets you dig further into details or compare more broadly in the abstract. Here's a quick screenshot of the reply generated in just seconds: Breaking the Search Habit The tagline "breaking the search habit" captures the key takeaway from the event. Copilot offers a different experience, emphasizing conversational ease over specific search syntax. Participants learned that talking to Copilot is more intuitive and efficient, allowing them to obtain the information they need without the hassle of crafting precise search queries, and then stitching together data from across a dozen different web results. This shift in approach can significantly enhance productivity and streamline workflows. Conclusion The game show event was a resounding success, providing participants with a fun and informative way to understand the benefits of Copilot. By breaking the search habit and embracing Copilot's answer engine capabilities, they unlocked new levels of efficiency and productivity. I encourage everyone to explore Copilot and experience the difference for themselves and hope that this approach can be a fun and engaging way to help folks in your organization add a powerful new capability to their toolkits. As promised, here are the handful of interactions with Copilot that produced everything I needed to make this fun game show in just minutes...Microsoft Ignite session: AI for the Public Sector with Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC available Nov 19
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the public sector stands at the forefront of innovation, driven by the transformative power of AI. Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC (Government Community Cloud) is set to revolutionize how public sector organizations operate, offering new capabilities that will enhance human capabilities, streamline workflows, and support compliance with stringent security standards. AI for the Public Sector with Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC - OD803 Our Ignite On Demand session delves into the myriad ways Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC can empower your public sector organizations, from automating routine tasks to providing actionable insights that drive mission-critical decisions. We invite you to watch this session and discover how you can harness the power of AI to elevate your organization's capabilities. Microsoft Ignite | November 18-22, 2024 | ignite.microsoft.com The '101 on Microsoft Ignite 2024' What: Microsoft Ignite to learn more | Full Session scheduler Where: Hybrid | Chicago, IL (sold out) and Global Digital (online; free to register) When: November 18-22, 2024 Primary X handle & official hashtag: #MSIgnite (join in) AND follow @MicrosoftTeams, @SharePoint, @OneDrive, and @Events_MSFT The Ignite presentation highlights several key areas where Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC can make a significant impact for public sector strategists. We explore the role of AI in the public sector, emphasizing how AI can alleviate the burden of digital debt by automating repetitive tasks and optimizing workflows. The session also showcases the features of Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC such as Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat and AI-driven insights in applications embedded in apps you use everyday Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Outlook. Additionally, the presentation underscores the importance of responsible AI practices and data privacy, detailing Microsoft's commitment to security and compliance within the GCC environment. To start building your AI skills today and prepare your organization for the future, we encourage you to explore the following resources: Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC Blog: aka.ms/M365CopilotGCCBlog Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC High/DOD Blog: aka.ms/MS365CopilotGCCHighBlog Microsoft 365 Copilot – Readiness and Adoption Guide for Public Sector Roadmap ID # 415097 - Microsoft 365 Copilot GCC general availability -- the product referenced in this blog. Service description will be updated prior to general availability here Roadmap ID # 464984 - Microsoft Copilot general availability for GCC -- more information will be shared on this product closer to launch. Current information for WW/Ent environment on differences between these two products can be referenced here. Additionally, you can learn more about the roadmap for government AI adoption and specific Copilot scenarios for the US government. By leveraging these resources, you can ensure your organization is well-equipped to navigate the AI-driven future and deliver exceptional public services. The Roadmap for Government AI Adoption US Gov specific Copilot Scenarios content Other Microsoft 365 Copilot resources (environment agnostic): 3 short explainer videos: Microsoft 365 Copilot data security and privacy commitments Microsoft 365 - How Microsoft 365 Delivers Trustworthy AI (2024-01) Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot Secure by default with Microsoft Purview and protect against oversharing Microsoft Purview data security and compliance protections for Microsoft Copilot Apply principles of Zero Trust to Microsoft 365 Copilot Learn about retention for Microsoft 365 Copilot This blog was written with support from Microsoft 365 Copilot, my AI assistant for work.July Webinars and Remote Work Resources
July 2021 Edition Sections: Highlighted Microsoft Teams - IT Admins & Planning Microsoft Teams - End Users & Champions Security & Compliance Blogs & Articles of Interest Highlighted: Ask Microsoft Anything (AMA): Microsoft Viva When: Wednesday, June 23, 2021 from 9:00am – 10:00am PT | Join this Microsoft Viva 'Ask Microsoft Anything' on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 9:00-10:00 AM PT! Microsoft Viva - the first Employee Experience Platform (EXP) built for the digital era - brings together communications, knowledge, learning, resources and insights into an integrated employee experience that empowers people and teams to be their best, from anywhere. Post questions and feedback about Microsoft Viva, and the four Viva Modules (Viva Learning, Viva Connections, Viva Topics and Viva Insights) during this AMA. Members of the Viva team will be on hand to respond. An AMA is a one-hour online forum similar to “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit. There is not an audio or video component included. To post a question or comment, click on 'Start a New Discussion' in the Microsoft Viva AMA Space. Be sure to add this event to your calendar - we hope to see you there! Microsoft Teams – IT Admins & Planning Teams Chalk Talk: Get to Teams - Zero to Production Microsoft Teams can help your employees stay connected and collaborate with each other, especially in the current unprecedented time where remote work is a reality of employees around the world. Being able to chat, do video meetings and collaborate on Office documents within Teams can help companies stay productive. Whether you are a small business, a non-profit or a large organization, you can get started with Teams within Microsoft 365 or Office 365 suite - even before deploying any other Office app or service. Join Microsoft Teams experts as we review Teams implementation for collaboration, chat and meetings. We’ll share key configurations, considerations, best practices, and resources to get your users up and running quickly. After this session, you will be able to: (1) Recognize key success factors for technical and user readiness, (2) Identify pre-requisites and tenant setup for your environment, (3) Install the Teams clients appropriate for your organization, (4) Configure policies that enable your preferred user experiences, and (5) Leverage collaboration features to enhance remote work scenarios. On-Demand Session Teams Chalk Talk: Apps in Teams Fundamentals Join Microsoft Teams experts as we review how you can deploy commonly-used applications directly within Teams, enabling your users to work more efficiently and effectively by accessing everything they need in a single interface. This foundational workshop covers basic capabilities across app management and security. With over 400 out-of-the-box applications available (and growing), you're sure to find an app, or two, that your team can begin using today in Teams. After this session, you will be able to: (1) Identify suitable apps to meet the needs for your organization, (2) Recognize common attributes of successful app deployment, (3) Navigate security and compliance considerations for Teams’ apps, and (4) Determine the next steps to deploy an app to your environment. On-Demand Session Microsoft 365 Virtual Training Day: Enable Remote Work with Microsoft Teams To be productive in a remote environment, your employees need to be able to safely collaborate from anywhere. Microsoft 365 Virtual Training Day: Enabling Remote Work with Microsoft Teams helps you provide a remote workforce with the tools, resources and solutions they need to stay connected and productive. Join us to learn how to get the most out of Microsoft Teams online meetings, calling, video and chat, and empower your workforce to work from any location on any device. During this two-part training event, you will explore how to: (1) Enable your people to meet and collaborate from home, (2) Make productivity applications available on any device, and (3) Deliver the best remote user experience. Part 1: Tuesday, July 13, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:45pm PT Part 2: Wednesday, July 14, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:30pm PT Part 1: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:45pm PT Part 2: Wednesday, August 11, 2021 from 10:00am - 1:30pm PT Customer Immersion Experience: Integrate Your Business into Microsoft Teams The workforce relies on Microsoft Teams to chat, meet, and collaborate. But that’s just the beginning. Microsoft Teams can bring the applications and tools you’re already using, into one universal hub your workforce needs to get things done. During this interactive session, you will explore how to: (1) Integrate ready-to-use apps into the Teams experience, (2) Maintain control over which apps are accessible for your organization, (3) Create an App that embeds modern SharePoint pages in Teams using App Studio, (4) Manage permission and set up policies through the Admin Center, and (5) Scale business critical apps to your organization. Each session is limited to 15 participants, reserve your seat now. Wednesday, June 23, 2021 from 9am – 11am PT Wednesday, June 23, 2021 from 12pm – 2pm PT Wednesday, July 28, 2021 from 9am -11am PT Wednesday, July 28, 2021 from 12pm – 2pm PT Teams Chalk Talk: Taking charge of AV quality experiences Are you looking to ensure users have optimal experiences with meetings and voice capabilities in Teams? During this session, we’ll discuss tools, reporting and best practices to help you manage service quality -- from establishing a proactive strategy to resolving common quality issues as they arise. We’ll build upon best practices from Teams experts and make it real with examples of common scenarios that may arise as your organization embraces meetings and voice capabilities in Teams. Join us for an expert-led workshop for guidance on key resources and actionable insights to manage audio and video quality with Microsoft Teams. Your users will thank you for it! After this session, you will be able to: (1) Define key service metrics and user experience factors for quality, (2) Recognize concepts and metrics in core tools and resources that help you assess usage and quality, (3) Identify key indicators of poor experience in common scenarios and relevant actions to address, and (4) Establish a proactive quality management strategy to ensure optimal user experience. On-Demand: Core Concepts On-Demand: Call Quality Dashboard Teams Chalk Talk: So...you want to make calls with Microsoft Teams? Are you ready to add PSTN calling capabilities to Microsoft Teams? Join Microsoft Teams Engineering subject-matter-experts as they demystify the options for adding PSTN calling to Teams, provide you with best practices for configuring calling options and show you how to monitor call quality. After this session, you will be able to: (1) Understand the history of voice services in Microsoft products, (2) Identify what calling options in Microsoft Teams are right for you, (3) Configure your calling options in the Teams admin portal, and (4) Monitor and use call quality tools in Teams. On-Demand Session Empower your Frontline workforce to do more with Teams Do you need to rapidly onboard a large number of Frontline users to Microsoft Teams and configure a streamlined experience for them? Are you struggling with where and how to start? If yes, this is the clinic for you! Join Microsoft Teams customer engineering experts as we review how Microsoft Teams can accelerate your Frontline worker deployment. Featuring examples from manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and transportation industries, we'll explore how Microsoft Teams provides a single experience for productive conversations, smooth flow of information, simplified schedule management in a compliant and secure environment for your Frontline workers. You'll leave this highly interactive session with tangible next steps to accelerate your planning. After this session, you will be able to: (1) Identify scenarios that matter to your Frontline workers and the best approach to implementing Teams from pilot to scale across your entire organization, (2) Map scenarios to Microsoft Teams use cases, and (3) Craft the right experience for your Frontline workers in Teams by configuring 1P apps and policies. Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at 11:00am PT Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at 11:00am PT Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 11:00am PT Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 3:30am PT Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 11:00am PT Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 3:30am PT Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 11:00am PT Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 3:30am PT Teams Chalk Talk: Energize your Live Events with Microsoft Teams This 1-hour session will provide an opportunity to learn practical guidance about conducting engaging and energizing large, online virtual events using Microsoft Teams. This session is designed for anyone wishing to organize, produce or speak at a large, virtual event and is open to anyone. During this session, you will: (1) Understand best practices to ensure your large, online virtual event is successful using Microsoft Teams or Teams Live Events, (2) Gain practical, technical production knowledge to ensure your event is engaging, (3) Understand the Attendee experience, (4) Learn before-during-after tactics to build & continue your large, online event momentum with Webinar features, and (5) Leverage and understand step by step virtual event resources as found at aka.ms/virtualeventplaybook. Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 11:30pm PT Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 9:00am PT Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 11:30pm PT Microsoft Teams – End User & Champions Get Started with Microsoft Teams Join us to learn how to accomplish the fundamental tasks in Teams. Learn how to easily communicate with your co-workers, save time while working and collaborating, and see how teamwork and projects can be managed in a central space. In this training you will learn how to: (1) Set up your profile and notifications, (2) Use chat and calling for 1:1 and group conversations, sharing and collaboration in Microsoft Teams, (3) Schedule and attend meetings, (4) Align your workgroup and projects, and (5) Collaborate on files and tools. On-Demand Session Monday, June 28, 2021 at 8:00am PT Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at 9:00am PT Friday, July 2, 2021 at 8:00am PT Customer Immersion Experience: Getting Started with Microsoft Teams Whether you are switching from Skype for Business or brand new, join us to learn the basics of how to use Teams to chat with your colleagues and collaborate on projects. Join us for this session and leave this with everything you need to start using Teams. During this 2-hour interactive session, you will explore how to: (1) Set up your profile and notifications in Microsoft Teams, (2) Use chat and calling for 1:1 and group conversations, sharing and collaboration in Microsoft Teams, (3) Schedule and conduct meetings in Microsoft Teams, and (4) Align your team and teamwork in Microsoft Teams. Each session is limited to 15 participants, reserve your seat now. Tuesday, July 20, 2021 from 9am – 11am PT Tuesday, July 20, 2021 from 12pm – 2pm PT Explore teams and channels in Microsoft Teams Do you need to regularly collaborate with your workgroup where you need to access shared files, apps, and conversation threads? Join us to learn how to extend collaboration, provide visibility, and manage teamwork from a central space. Microsoft Teams is a robust collaboration tool, providing you anywhere, anytime access to your group projects, daily operations, knowledgebase resources, and large scope initiatives. Use teams and channels to collaborate in virtual workspaces with your entire group. In this 1-hour training, you will learn how to: (1) Join and organize your teams and channels, (2) Use channels to streamline projects and operations, (3) Collaborate with your team members, and (4) Create and manage teams as an owner. Monday, June 28, 2021 at 12:00pm PT Microsoft Teams: Master working from home Working from home offers the opportunity to maintain your workflow while allowing flexibility in how and where you get your work done. Shifting to a remote worker status can be an adjustment as you look for ways to balance home and work life, maintain focus and be fully productive. Microsoft Teams can help you stay connected to your team while providing access to all of the tools and resources you need to get your work done. Join us to learn tips that can help set you up for success as you transition into a 'work from home' scenario. During this session, we'll share: (1) Guidance for setting up your home environment for work, (2) Best practices for maintaining your workflow while working at home, (3) Tips for staying connected to your team while remote, and (4) Insights for effectively supporting a remote team. On-Demand Session Microsoft Teams: Staying connected with your team while remote We designed Microsoft Teams to be a virtual office you can take anywhere you go. Work seamlessly and transparently with your remote team and discover greater collaboration and productivity. Join us for this session and explore how to avoid communication sinkholes and do more together, no matter where you are. Each session is limited to 15 participants, reserve your seat now. During this interactive session, you will explore how to: (1) Work together as a team from anywhere and with more flexibility, (2) Connect instantly with team members for fast-paced decision making, (3) Meet with anyone, anywhere through audio, video, and web conferences, and (4) Boost team culture with the digital equivalent of an open office space. Tuesday, June 22, 2021 from 9am – 11am PT Tuesday, June 22, 2021 from 12pm - 2pm PT Use chat and calling features in Microsoft Teams Join us to learn how to extend your circle of communication and collaboration with Microsoft Teams. Easily connect with your colleagues anywhere, anytime and manage all your conversations from one central platform. In this 1-hour training you will learn how to: (1) Send and reply to chat messages, (2) Use messaging tools to enhance your conversations, (3) Manage your chat conversations, and (4) Use calling features. Monday, June 21, 2021 at 8:00am PT Friday, June 25, 2021 at 8:00am PT Run Effective Meetings with Microsoft Teams Have you spent significant time and resources to prepare for a meeting and felt it wasn’t productive and not much was accomplished? Join us to learn how to make your meetings engaging, productive, and meaningful. Use Microsoft Teams for your entire meeting experience. In this training, you will learn how to: (1) Schedule and join meetings and initiate calls, (2) Use collaborative tools such as sharing, whiteboards, meeting notes, recording, and more, (3) Easily access important meetings and related content at any time, and (4) Assess which audio and video devices are best for your meeting needs. On-Demand Session Monday, June 21, 2021 at 12:00pm PT Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 8:00am PT Friday, June 25, 2021 at 11:00am PT Build collaborative workspaces in Microsoft Teams Do you need an online, collaborative workspace for your project or workgroup? Join us to explore effective, virtual workspaces for projects and workgroups. Microsoft Teams offer the flexibility to set up a workspace that suits your needs. In this training, you will learn how to: (1) Determine the best approach for your collaboration needs, (2) Create workspaces for your team to provide the best teamwork experience, and (3) Determine best practices in Microsoft Teams to enhance productivity. On-Demand Session Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 1:00pm PT Monday, June 28, 2021 at 11:00am PT Friday, July 2, 2021 at 11:00am PT Leverage pro tips and tricks for Microsoft Teams Do you use Microsoft Teams on a regular basis and want to learn more? Are you looking for ways to increase your efficiency and productivity in Teams? Join us to discover ways to enhance communication and increase your efficiency and productivity within Teams. Learn how Teams can help organize your workday and make it easier to stay connected with colleagues. In this training, you will learn how to: (1) Leverage formatting best practices to help get your messages noticed and responded to, (2) Integrate tools and best practices to streamline and collaboration process, and (3) Implement strategies to manage and organize your work. On-Demand Session Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at 12:00pm PT Friday, June 25, 2021 at 9:00am PT Monday, June 28, 2021 at 1:00pm PT Tuesday, June 29, 2021 at 12:00pm PT Integrate apps to do more in Microsoft Teams Do you want to get more done in Teams? Receive targeted and timely updates? Access services directly through Teams? Apps let you complete tasks, receive updates and communicate. This session introduces you to the key activities needed to get started with adding applications, bots and connectors in Microsoft Teams today. Through a series of live demonstrations and best practices, you'll leave this session with everything you need to start using apps in Teams. After this session, you will be able to: (1) See how applications, bots and connectors can help you be more efficient while working in Teams, (2) Select an application, bot or connector for your workspace, (3) Install an application, bot or connector, and (4) Use an application, bot or connector in your workspace. On-Demand Session Microsoft 365 Virtual Training Day: Building Microsoft Teams Integrations and Workflows Remote work requires smarter workflows. Microsoft 365 Virtual Training Day: Building Microsoft Teams Integrations and Workflows shows you how the Microsoft Teams developer platform makes it easy to integrate your apps and services to improve productivity, make decisions faster and create collaboration around existing content and workflows. Join us to learn how to build apps for Teams and create integrated, people-centered solutions that can transform productivity in your organization, whether you’re on-site or working remotely. During this two-part training event, you will explore how to: (1) Build modern enterprise-grade collaboration solutions with Microsoft Teams, (2) Transform everyday business processes with Microsoft 365 platform integrations for Power Platform, SharePoint and Microsoft Office, and (3) Use the wealth of data in Microsoft Graph to extend Microsoft 365 experiences and build unique intelligent applications. Part 1: Wednesday, June 23, 2021 from 10:00am – 12:30pm PT Part 2: Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:45pm PT Part 1: Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 10:00am – 12:30pm PT Part 2: Friday, July 30, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:45pm PT Part 1: Thursday, August 26, 2021 from 10:00am – 12:30pm PT Part 2: Friday, August 27, 2021 from 10:00am - 1:45pm PT Security & Compliance Customer Immersion Experience: Protecting Identity, Apps, Data and Devices Identity is at the center of security: don’t compromise when it comes to your company’s valuable information. Join us to explore how to use secure authentication, govern access, get comprehensive protection and set the right identity foundation. During this 2-hour interactive session, you will explore how to: (1) Enable password protection, (2) Bring multi-factor authentication to your Windows 10 users, (3) Protect your users and data through Office 365 multi-factor authentication, and (4) Use conditional access to protect across devices, locations and apps. Each session is limited to 15 participants, reserve your seat now. Thursday, June 24, 2021 from 12pm - 2pm PT Microsoft 365 Virtual Training Day: Secure and Protect Your Organization When employees are confident in their ability to collaborate remotely and securely, they are free to achieve more without worry. Learn how to protect data, devices, and applications while simplifying IT and minimizing the impact on employees at Microsoft Security Virtual Training Day: Secure and Protect Your Organization. During this free two-part learning event and accompanying Q&A, you’ll form the foundations to safeguard your company’s digital footprint. During this training event, you will explore how to: (1) Craft identity synchronization, protection, and management, (2) Utilize security in Microsoft 365, and (3) Integrate cloud app security and device management plans. Part 1: Wednesday, July 7, 2021 from 10:00am – 12:45pm PT Part 2: Thursday, July 8, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:00pm PT Part 1: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 from 10:00am – 12:45pm PT Part 2: Wednesday, August 4, 2021 from 10:00am - 1:00pm PT Microsoft 365 Virtual Training Day: Protect Sensitive Information and Manage Data Risk As people increasingly shift to remote work, protecting your organization’s information and managing risk should be a top priority. Microsoft Security Virtual Training Day: Protect Sensitive Information and Manage Data Risk teaches you how to take advantage of Microsoft technologies that identify and remediate risks that arise from creating, storing, sharing, and using sensitive data. In addition, you’ll learn how to protect that data throughout its entire life cycle—on-premises and across devices, apps, and cloud services. During this two-part training event, you will explore how to: (1) Understand, identify, and protect your most sensitive data, (2) Identify and take action on insider risks and code-of-conduct violations, and (3) Utilize information protection and governance. Part 1: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:30pm PT Part 2: Thursday, July 22, 2021 from 10:00am – 12:30pm PT Part 1: Wednesday, August 18, 2021 from 10:00am – 1:30pm PT Part 2: Thursday, August 19, 2021 from 10:00am - 12:30pm PT Customer Immersion Experience: Protecting Your Sensitive Information Data needs to be protected wherever it’s stored and whenever it travels, and you need the tools to monitor policy violations and risky behavior. Join us to explore how to implement a comprehensive and integrated approach across devices, apps, cloud services, and on-premises. During this 2-hour interactive session, you will explore how to: (1) Identify, monitor and automatically protect sensitive information across Office 365, (2) Help classify and protect documents and email, and (3) Use policies to enable BYOD scenarios by protecting data at the app level. Each session is limited to 15 participants, reserve your seat now. Thursday, July 22, 2021 from 9am – 11am PT Thursday, July 22, 2021 from 12pm – 2pm PT Customer Immersion Experience: Protecting Assets and Empowering Your Defenders Today’s workforce can work from anywhere, on any device, and on any app. Security teams need to understand threat signals from disconnected products and optimize security with minimal complexity. During this 2-hour interactive session, you will explore how to: (1) Safeguard users from malware attacks such as phishing and spoofing with Office 365, (2) Use the Windows Defender ecosystem to proactively monitor and protect your users, (3) Utilize Office 365 ATP to help protect users from bad links and attachments, and (4) Let machine learning and automation protect users from threats. Each session is limited to 15 participants, reserve your seat now. Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 9am – 11am PT Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 12pm - 2pm PT Blogs & Articles of Interest Public Sector Blog Website | RSS Feed June 2021 - Microsoft 365 US Public Sector Roadmap Newsletter - Microsoft Tech Community What's new for Power Platform in US Government Clouds - Microsoft Tech Community Records Management and Driving Compliance [M365 Meetup for Government] - Microsoft Tech Community Featured Blog Roundup What’s New in Excel for the web - Microsoft Tech Community Microsoft Lists workshop – now available on-demand Microsoft Teams Blog Website | RSS Feed Skype for Business Online retires July 31, 2021 – here’s what to expect - Microsoft Tech Community Office & Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 Business Blog Website | RSS Feed Microsoft 365 Blog Website | RSS Feed Office 365 Blog Website | RSS Feed Microsoft Teams Blog Website | RSS Feed Microsoft SharePoint Blog Website | RSS Feed Microsoft OneDrive Blog Website | RSS Feed Excel Blog Website | RSS Feed Planner Blog Website | RSS Feed Microsoft Forms Blog Website | RSS Feed Outlook Blog Website | RSS Feed Microsoft Visio Blog Website | RSS Feed Workplace Analytics MyAnalytics Website | RSS Feed Yammer Blog Website | RSS Feed Azure Active Directory Identity Blog Website | RSS Feed Enterprise identity, mobility, and security Azure Active Directory Identity Blog Website | RSS Feed Azure Information Protection Blog Website | RSS Feed Core Infrastructure and Security Blog Website | RSS Feed Microsoft Azure and Development Azure Customer Advisory Team (CAT) Website | RSS Feed Student Developer Blog Website | RSS Feed Azure Data Explorer Website | RSS Feed Azure Dev Community Blog Website | RSS Feed Azure Status Monitoring Blog Website | RSS Feed Hardware Dev Center Website | RSS Feed Internet of Things Website | RSS Feed Premier Developer Blog Website | RSS Feed Windows, Operations, Management, and Deployment IT Operations Talk Blog Website | RSS Feed Windows Kernel Internals Website | RSS Feed Support and adoption Microsoft 365 Adoption Portal Driving Adoption Blog Website | RSS Feed IIS Support Blog Website | RSS Feed Intune Customer Success Website | RSS Feed Premier Field Engineering Blog Website | RSS Feed SharePoint Support Blog Website | RSS Feed SQL Server Support Blog Website | RSS Feed Tech Community Blog Website | RSS Feed Misc Channel 9 Website | RSS Feed Thanks for stopping by and reading our monthly resources. Feel free to reach out in the comments below with any comments, questions or ideas on other events to add to the list. Here in Public Sector we want to make sure we are giving you the information and insights to best serve your needs in this community.GCC-H M365 Monthly Webinar: Connect • Collaborate • Create (February)
GCC-H Community: Registration is open for the February GCCH M365 Webinar: Connect – Collaborate – Create on Tuesday, February 21, 12-1pm EST. To register, please go here. Once registered, you will receive a calendar invite. Please forward this email to those who may be interested. Below you will find links to recordings of past webinars.
