The Future of Technology: Recapping Days 1 and 2 of Microsoft Ignite

Here at FMT we’ve been eagerly awaiting the week of Microsoft Ignite and it’s finally here!

A lot has happened during the opening days of Ignite this year, but don’t worry we’ve got a whole team of folks at the event gathering up information. All this week they’ll be learning about the latest technologies that are helping businesses achieve greatness and we’ll be sharing that knowledge with you here.

Let’s do a quick roundup of some of our favorite things we learned during days one and two.

Day One

Microsoft Wants You to be Secure

During day one of the event, many announcements focused on how Microsoft is going to improve security across its applications. Based on what we learned, it’s clear that Microsoft values its customer’s data and is constantly working to help ensure it is kept safe.

Some of the developments we’re most excited about include:

• Office 365 Threat Intelligence:
  Microsoft’s Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection harnesses the power of Microsoft’s vast network of signals to help stop current and potential threats. This system will alert users when it detects a threat, provide information about the origin, and allow for the user to create policies based on the nature of the threat. This system is now being introduced to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business and will share intelligence with Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection.

• Outlook Mobile Apps Now Powered by Microsoft Cloud
  While this may not seem as impressive an update, the Android and iOS versions of Outlook are now completely powered by the Microsoft Cloud. This means there’s no more need to cache mailboxes outside of Office 365, providing a more secure experience for users.

Intelligence is Better Than Ever

Intelligence was the buzzword during day one at Ignite this year. Microsoft has announced its intentions to focus on intelligence for the future. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during his closing keynote, “We’ve used technology very successfully to democratize both creation, distribution, and access of information. And now we need to turn to technology to democratize creation and access to intelligence.”

Here are some of the ways that Microsoft is taking steps to realize this goal:

• Tap:
  This new cloud-based intelligence will use the Microsoft Graph to allow users to access existing content within their own documents and emails and add that to their current projects in Word and Outlook.

• Quick Starters:
  This new tool for PowerPoint and Sway will provide users with a set of outlines on different topics to get them started when creating a presentation.

• Microsoft MyAnalytics:
  Formerly known as Delve Analytics, this personal analytics tool is designed to help you discover how you’re utilizing your time in Office 365 so that you can increase your productivity.

• Strategic Partnership with Adobe:
  Microsoft has announced it will be entering into a strategic partnership with Adobe that they feel will bring the most powerful and intelligent cloud to their customers. This partnership means that Adobe will be utilizing Azure as their preferred cloud platform and, in return, Microsoft will make Adobe Marketing Cloud it’s preferred marketing service for Dynamics 365 Enterprise Edition.

Day Two

Day two had us checking out the great booths and attending several of the informative sessions. Here are some of our SharePoint team’s favorite events and developments they learned about:

SharePoint Mobile and Intelligent Intranet

Microsoft has already announced tons of updates for SharePoint during Ignite this year, but we’re really excited about the new updates to the mobile app previews.

• Mobile Application Updates:
  You may have already heard about the SharePoint Mobile application that’s been released for preview on iOS. Now you can get this “intranet in your pocket” on both Android and Windows 10 Mobile. The app also uses the power of Microsoft Graph to help you provide content and information to the people you work with most often.

Women in Technology

One of the best things about Ignite is the opportunity to get to know like-minded members of the technology community.

Our Senior SharePoint consultant, Matilda, was able to attend the Women in Technology event. During this event, she had the opportunity to meet peers, MVPs, and Microsoft employees who have similar goals, experiences, and expertise.

Check Back for More on Ignite!

We’ll be bringing you information about the remaining days of Ignite all week here on our blog so be sure to check back frequently throughout the remainder of the week!

If you’d like to know more about any of the solutions mentioned here, or any of FMTs other services, we’d love to help. Simply contact us using the form below and we’ll be in touch!