On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, I had the pleasure of attending the third MS Cloud for IT Pro Zentralschweiz event of the year alongside my colleagues, Flavio, Mika, and several others. This event was extra special for me—it was the first time I was giving an in-person speech! The atmosphere was electric with anticipation, and the venue was fully booked, hosting around 30 tech enthusiasts eager to dive into the intresting topics. A special shoutout goes to Joker IT AG for the organization of the event, particularly to Goce Stoilov and MVP Yannic Graber, who provided me with this incredible opportunity to take the stage. And of course, a big shoutout to TD SYNNEX Switzerland for sponsoring the event.
My Presentation on Workload Identity Federation
The events agenda featured two main topics: “Workload Identity Federation,” presented by me, and “Planner Premium,” covered by Ivo Bättig. I was given 30 minutes to dive into the topic of Workload Identity Federation. As I prepared to step onto the stage, nerves threatened to get the better of me. However, the moment I saw the welcoming faces of the crowd, all my anxiety melted away.
I began by sharing a little about myself. After that, I explained what workload identity federation is and why it’s a game-changer for every Cloud Engineer. I highlighted the necessity and benefits of transitioning to this technology. The audience seemed particularly captivated when I compared workload identity federation to client secrets and discussed real-world use cases, benefits, and potential pitfalls.
To make the session more engaging, I included a live demo showcasing Terraform, Bicep, and Graph authentication with workload identity federation. This hands-on demonstration left the audience with practical insights on implementation scenarios with workload identity federation. I wrapped up with a Q&A session where I enjoyed some questions.
For those interested in exploring the details further, we’ve previously written some blog posts on the topic:
Ivo Bättig on Planner Premium
Following my presentation, Ivo Bättig took the stage to present the Planner Premium, the “latest feature” in Microsoft’s 365 ecosystem. Ivo started by acknowledging how many of us rely on Microsoft’s To Do to manage our tasks but stressed out the fact, that in some cases we wish us some features of Microsoft Project. He mentioned the excitement that built up since its initial announcement of Planner Premium in 2023, followed by a period of silence until new features was finally gone general available.
Since April this year, Planner Premium has been generally available, with a suite of integrations and functionalities that have been highly anticipated. Ivo touched on several key features:
- The integration of Microsoft Project, making project management more seamless and also available in the Cloud. (Finally)
- Availability under the Planner-Plan 1 licence.
- Easy access via Teams, which simplifies communication and task management.
- The elimination of the need for a Microsoft 365 Group to create a Plan.
- A variety of pre-built templates designed for different use cases.
- A history feature to track task and milestone progress.
- The ability to add goals to milestones for more effective project tracking.
Final Thoughts
In summary, the event was a success, filled with insights and engaging discussions. My debut as an in-person speaker was an experience I will never forge, and it has fueled my eagerness for future speeches.
Looking forward to the next event and more people attending our community.