Last Wednesday, we had the privilege of attending the community event MS Cloud for IT Pro Zentralschweiz. This event, hosted and initiated by Joker IT AG and sponsored by TD SYNNEX, was the fifth of its kind. The main goal of this series of events is to create a community of MS Cloud enthusiasts in cental Switzerland.
The event covered a variety of topics. These included Azure Update Manager, Azure Copilot, MS365 Copilot, and SharePoint Premium/Syntex.
Yannic Graber, led the session on Azure Update Manager and Azure Copilot. He began his session by announcing that Azure Update Manager is generally available. He then touched upon the Microsoft Ignite that took place in November 2023. While the event was a hot topic, he noted that the focus on AI somewhat overshadowed the discussion on the Azure Update Manager.
Yannic then delved into the differences between Azure Update Manager Version 1 and Version 2. He explained the enhancements and improvements made in Version 2, making it more efficient and user-friendly.
After that, Yannic discussed the pros and cons of using Azure Update Manager. On the positive side, he mentioned its ability to automate updates, its scalability, and its integration with other Azure services. However, he also pointed out some potential drawbacks, such as the need for an Internet connection, for careful configuration to avoid service disruptions and the learning curve associated with its use. He then took the crowd to a brief live demo in the Azure Portal.
Towards the end of his session, Yannic dove into Azure Copilot, a tool currently in preview. Powered by a licensed copy of OpenAI’s GPT-4, Azure Copilot operates within your tenant via Azure Resource Manager (ARM). Despite being in the early stages of development, Yannic showcased its potential, and it flaws through a live demo.
The session on Copilot for M365 was conducted by Ivo Bättig. He opened his speech with a humorous joke, “Clippy gets mature”, referencing the evolution of Microsoft’s virtual assistant from the iconic Clippy to the advanced Copilot.
In a demonstration of the tool’s capabilities, Ivo revealed that he had used Copilot to create his PowerPoint presentation. This not only showcased the practical application of the tool but also highlighted its effectiveness and ease of use.
Ivo further showcased how Copilot is seamlessly integrated with Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. He demonstrated how Copilot can assist users in these applications, making tasks more efficient and user-friendly. This integration, he emphasized, is a testament to Copilot’s potential to enhance productivity within Microsoft 365 environments. But there is still room for improvement.
Finally, Andreas Batista Teixeira, led the session on SharePoint Premium/Syntex. He showed us into the workings of SharePoint Syntex, a Microsoft product that leverages advanced AI and machine learning technologies. He explained how these technologies are used to enhance human expertise, automate content processing, and ultimately transform raw content into actionable knowledge.
However, Andreas also highlighted a potential pitfall for customers in Switzerland. He noted that due to certain regional restrictions or policies, Swiss customers might have access to fewer features compared to users in other regions. Despite this, he emphasized that SharePoint Syntex still offers significant value in streamlining content management and enhancing productivity.
Overall, the MS Cloud for IT Pro Zentralschweiz event was an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest developments in Microsoft Cloud technologies and network with other professionals of central Switzerland.
We will definitely be a part of the next session and can recommend it to all Microsoft Cloud pro’s of central Switzerland! #mscloud4itpro