Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast

Episode 427: Copilot Cowork Hands-On Experiences

Thu, 07 May 2026 12:00:57 +0000

Welcome to Episode 427 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott open with a quick look at YAKO (getyako.com), a browser extension built by community member Merrill that replaces the new tab page with a customizable dashboard of Microsoft 365 and cloud links. From there, the conversation turns into an extended follow-up on Copilot Cowork, covering some of their recent hands-on experience with custom skills, artifact management, session crashes tied to an Anthropic API outage, and the friction of working with IRM-protected documents in Copilot Cowork.

The bigger thread running through the episode is data security. Listen in to hear more about considerations for onboarding to Copilot Cowork in its early days.

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Show Notes

Sponsors

	TrustedTech Team is a leading Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) specializing in Microsoft Cloud services, Microsoft perpetual licensing, and Microsoft Support Services for medium and enterprise-sized businesses. Their robust team of in-house, U.S.-based Microsoft architects and engineers are certified in all 6/6 Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. M365 Licensing Consultation M365 Tenant Assessment Copilot Readiness Assessment
	ShareGate is your migration and governance solution for Microsoft 365. ShareGate helps your teams simplify tenant migrations, get Copilot-ready, and take control of Microsoft 365 governance.
	Nasuni is a leading unstructured data platform for enterprises where file data is mission-critical for both people and AI. Nasuni powers the operational file layer where work happens — helping organizations manage, protect, and activate data so teams can work smarter, reduce costs, and operate securely without limits.
	Intelligink — Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 426: Claude Cowork vs Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000

Welcome to Episode 426 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast.Ben and Scott are back together this week to talk through Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, including how it compares to Claude Cowork and where each one makes sense. The two products share a name but work pretty differently. Claude Cowork runs locally on your desktop and can access files on your machine, supports MCP server connections while M365 Copilot Cowork runs in the cloud, requires files to be in OneDrive, and does not support MCP connectors yet. On the flip side, the Microsoft version runs scheduled tasks without needing your machine to be on, has native access to all your M365 data through Graph, and fits inside your existing compliance and security controls through Purview, which matters a lot for regulated organizations.

Your support makes this show possible! Please consider becoming a premium member for access to live shows and more. Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	TrustedTech is a leading Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) specializing in Microsoft Cloud services, Microsoft perpetual licensing, and Microsoft Support Services for medium and enterprise-sized businesses. Our robust team of in-house, U.S-based Microsoft architects and engineers are certified in all 6/6 Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. M365 Licensing Consultation M365 Tenant Assessment Copilot Readiness Assessment
	Your migration and governance solution for Microsoft 365. ShareGate helps your teams simplify tenant migrations, get Copilot-ready, and take control of Microsoft 365 governance.
	Nasuni is a leading unstructured data platform for enterprises where file data is mission-critical for both people and AI. We power the operational file layer where work happens — helping organizations manage, protect, and activate data so teams can work smarter, reduce costs, and operate securely without limits. Visit nasuni.com to learn more.
	Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 425 – Exploring Collaboration and Governance at the MVP Summit with Joy Apple

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:00:45 +0000

Welcome to Episode 425 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this audio and video episode recorded live at Microsoft headquarters during the MVP Summit, Ben welcomes a return guest, Joy Apple, to the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast and discuss her 20-year career in the Microsoft collaboration space, from financial services to SharePoint training, consulting, and her current role at Orchestry Software. Joy explains Orchestry as a Microsoft 365 governance automation layer covering templated provisioning for SharePoint and Teams, archiving policies (including Microsoft 365 Archive), guest management, and OneDrive governance. They emphasize that AI and Copilot amplify existing information architecture, permissions, and data hygiene issues, making governance more critical. They describe the MVP Summit as a “family reunion” where MVPs attend sessions and reconnect with peers. Joy and Ben also spend some time describing paths becoming an MVP and how much they just enjoy the community around the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and connecting with people both at MVP Summit as well as various conferences throughout the year.

About Joy Apple

Joy is a Microsoft MVP and Director of Success and Enablement at Orchestry. With years of experience as an information technologist, I’m dedicated to helping organizations implement technology with a purpose-driven, “human-first” approach, ensuring tools like Microsoft 365 empower people to do their best work.

Teaching and knowledge-sharing are at the heart of what I do. Whether it’s through volunteering in the Microsoft Community, speaking at events, or writing as the “Joy of SharePoint,” I’m passionate about helping others unlock their potential with modern workplace solutions.
Im also a cohost of the Guardians of M365 Governance podcast, where I explore the challenges and rewards of governance, and a columnist for She is Tulsa, a quarterly magazine celebrating impactful stories from my local community.

Outside of work, you’ll often find me enjoying live music or discovering new spots in Tulsa, Oklahoma, combining my love of connection and creativity wherever I go.

Show Notes

About the sponsors

TrustedTech is a leading Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) specializing in Microsoft Cloud services, Microsoft perpetual licensing, and Microsoft Support Services for medium and enterprise-sized businesses. Our robust team of in-house, U.S-based Microsoft architects and engineers are certified in all 6/6 Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program.

Your migration and governance solution for Microsoft 365
ShareGate helps your teams simplify tenant migrations, get Copilot-ready, and take control of Microsoft 365 governance.

Our Microsoft 365 experts and Microsoft Azure experts focus on the Microsoft cloud, so you can focus on what you do best! Learn more how we can help you!

Episode 424 – A new frontier for Microsoft 365 with E7

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:18 +0000

Welcome to Episode 424 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott dig into the newly announced Microsoft 365 E7 SKU which bundles M365 E5, Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Microsoft Entra Suite, and Microsoft Agent 365.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 423 – Non-Human Identities in Microsoft Entra with Eric Woodruff and Chris Brumm

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:00:25 +0000

Welcome to Episode 423 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben is live from Workplace Ninjas, joined by Eric Woodruff, Chief Identity Architect at Semperis and Microsoft MVP in Security focused on identity, and Chris Brumm, Cyber Security Architect at glueckkanja and Microsoft MVP in Security with over 16 years of experience in cybersecurity. Together they dig into the often-overlooked world of non-human identities in Microsoft Entra ID. They cover what service principals are, why they tend to fly under the radar compared to user accounts, and how attackers actively exploit that gap. The conversation spans credential management best practices, the risks of improper owner assignments, the challenges of multi-tenant app configurations, and why managed identities should be your go-to wherever possible. They also discuss the growing challenge of AI agent identities and what IT pros need to start thinking about now before that surface area explodes.

Show Notes

Eric Woodruff
Eric Woodruff is the Chief Identity Architect at Semperis and a Microsoft MVP in Security with a focus on identity. He specializes in all things Microsoft Entra and Active Directory, with a passion for helping organizations understand and secure both human and non-human identities. You can find Eric on social media as @ericanidentity.

Chris Brumm
Chris Brumm is a Cyber Security Architect at glueckkanja based in Germany, with over 16 years of experience across virtually every corner of cybersecurity. He is a Microsoft MVP in Security with a primary focus on identity security. His team operates SOC services and he brings a detection and response perspective to identity risk, helping organizations build lifecycle processes and monitoring strategies for non-human identities in Microsoft Entra.

About the sponsors

At Intelligink, our focus is singular: the Microsoft cloud. Our Microsoft 365 and Azure experts help you work securely and efficiently by unlocking the full value of what you’re already paying for, so you can focus on running your business.

Episode 422: Back to the Terminal: The Rise of AI CLI Interfaces

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:00:38 +0000

Welcome to Episode 422 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott and Ben discuss their growing use of in their daily workflows, particularly Claude Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, and Gemini CLI. They explore how these command-line interfaces offer powerful ways to interact with local files and MCP servers beyond traditional desktop AI chat interfaces. They share how they are using these tools in their day-to-day roles to perform different tasks and accelerate their workflows.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 421: Microsoft 365 Mergers and Divestitures with Frank Lesniak

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 13:00:21 +0000

Welcome to Episode 421 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode Ben sits down for a conversation with Frank Lesniak, the lead of the Microsoft 365 team at West Monroe. In this episode, they dive into the intricacies of mergers and divestitures within Microsoft 365 environments. They discuss the initial due diligence phase, planning and approach, building and configuring new environments, and the final migration and cutover phase. Frank shares insights on common challenges such as integration of different licensing models, the handling of workstations and applications, and the importance of security assessments. The episode provides a detailed look at the methodology and tools used by Frank’s team to streamline these complex processes.

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Show Notes

Frank Lesniak

Frank Lesniak is a Sr. Cybersecurity & Enterprise Technology Architect at West Monroe with nearly 20 years of experience leading consulting engagements involving Microsoft infrastructure technology. His expertise spans modern cloud systems like Azure, Microsoft 365, and Entra ID to classic platforms like Windows Server, Active Directory, and SQL Server. His recent focus has been on Microsoft platform cybersecurity and automating technical processes using PowerShell. In his role, Frank establishes technical project methodologies, leads teams, automates associated processes, and creates internal software products at West Monroe and in the open-source community.

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 420 – Ben convinces Scott to buy a 3D printer

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:00:55 +0000

Welcome to Episode 420 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott is back for a lighthearted discussion on some of the new tech and toys and that Ben and Scott picked up over the holidays. Listen in as Ben tries to convince Scott he needs a 3D printer and some feedback on the gadgets they both picked up.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 419 – Security and AI: Security Store, Security Copilot, and Agents

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:00:31 +0000

Welcome to Episode 419 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben is once again live from Workplace Ninjas and is joined by John Joyner, an 18-year Microsoft MVP in Cloud Security and Azure Management. They discuss some of the announcements from Microsoft Ignite focused around Microsoft Security as well as diving deep into the new Security Store, AI agents, Security Compute Units (SCUs), and how Microsoft is making enterprise AI security more accessible and affordable than ever.

Key topics include the phishing triage agent, conditional access optimization, E5 integration with included SCUs, and the strategic consolidation of security services into the Defender XDR portal. Whether you’re a security professional or IT administrator, this conversation provides valuable insights into Microsoft’s AI-driven security roadmap and how to stay ahead of AI-powered threats.

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Show Notes

John Joyner

John Joyner is an inventor, author, speaker, and professor specializing in datacenter and enterprise cloud computing. He serves as Senior Director of Technology at Corsica Technologies (formerly AccountabilIT), where he delivers next-generation technology management services to customers worldwide as a cloud architect helping businesses stay competitive.

John is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Security MVP, having been recognized eighteen times (2007-2026) as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his exceptional technical expertise, leadership, speaking experience, online influence, and commitment to solving real-world problems.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Human Resources Management from the University of Colorado at Boulder. From 2007 to 2024, John served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, teaching a pro-bono cloud computing management course open to all Arkansas residents.

As an author, John co-wrote the 2021 book “Azure Arc-Enabled Kubernetes and Server” from Apress and contributed to four editions of the industry-standard “System Center Operations Manager: Unleashed” from SAMS Publishing (2005-2013). Between 2012 and 2015, he authored weekly cloud and datacenter columns for CBS Technology publications including TechRepublic and ZDNet.

A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander and computer scientist, John worked for NATO in Europe and aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. He earned the
Computer Scientist sub-specialty and served as chief of network operations for NATO during the former Yugoslavia conflict. He is also a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

Outside of technology, John’s personal passions include 4-wheeling in his ‘Black Ops’ Jeep Wrangler and running a visionary art clothing company called Lit Like Luma.

About the sponsors

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Episode 418 – An Anti-AI Adventure with Cat Schneider: SharePoint, Power Automate, and Conference Shenanigans

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:00:10 +0000

Welcome to Episode 418 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben sits down with Cat Schneider during a lively conference to discuss a variety of topics, focusing on the theme of “anti-AI.” They reflect on life and technology before AI became prominent, sharing tales of conferences, hackathons, and explorations of older tech solutions. They also discuss some of Cat’s adventures in SharePoint and Power Platform, including managing SharePoint permissions with flows, the challenges of migrating file shares to SharePoint, syncing issues with OneDrive, and practical uses of Power BI for troubleshooting and managing SharePoint data. Additionally, they dive into humorous conference anecdotes from the inaugural Workplace Ninjas US, including accidental late-night adventures.

Cat Schneider is an experienced data specialist and Power Platform, SharePoint, and Teams enthusiast with a demonstrated history of innovation for almost 15 years in the public sector. Cat is skilled in Microsoft-based applications, quality assurance, and databases. She is a strong community and social services professional with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biology from Florida State University. In addition to being a self-taught coder with a never-ending thirst for learning more—and helping others learn and improve their coding skills—she is also co-leader of the Power Platform UX/UI and Accessibility (A11y) Global User Group.

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Show Notes

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 415 – Diving Into Ignite 2025 for IT Pros and AI Agent Management

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Episode 415 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Ben and Scott discuss the major announcements from Microsoft Ignite 2025, focusing on the dominant themes of AI agents and security. The conversation centers on three key areas: Security Copilot updates, Agent 365 for governance, and the broader security and management implications for IT professionals.

Key Discussion Topics

Security Copilot Expansion to E5 Customers
- 12 new Security Copilot agents coming to Defender, Entra, Intune, and Purview
- 30+ partner agents being added to the ecosystem
- Major announcement: Security Copilot will now be available to all Microsoft 365 E5 customers
- Rollout begins with Frontier program (Microsoft’s insider ring for Copilot)
- Expanding in coming months to all E5 customers
- Security Copilot spans four pillars:
  - Security Operations (Defender + Sentinel)
  - Data Security (Purview)
  - Identity & Access (Entra)
  - Endpoint Management (Intune)
Microsoft Agent 365 – The Control Plane for Agents
- Addresses the critical problem of agent sprawl and governance
- Think of it as “Entra ID for AI agents”
- Core capabilities:
  - Registry: Complete inventory of all agents (registered, unregistered, and shadow agents
  - Access Control: Conditional access policies and risk-based policies for agents
  - Monitoring: Real-time visibility into agent behavior, performance, and organizational impact
  - Security Integration: Defender protection, Purview data governance
- Key governance features:
  - Approve pending agent requests
  - Identify ownerless agents
  - Apply DLP policies to agents
  - Conditional access for agents
  - Secure score for agents
  - Available now through Frontier program in Microsoft 365 admin center
Overarching Themes
- Agent security is the new frontier: All major product announcements (Purview, Entra, Defender) are focused on agent governance
- 100 trillion daily signals inform Microsoft’s threat intelligence
- Ignite’s evolution: Less about big product launches, more about storytelling and connecting features released throughout the year
- IT Pro focus: Understanding, managing, and securing AI agents is becoming a core competency
Key Observations
- Ignite 2025 is heavily focused on AI and security – limited announcements for traditional products like SharePoint, Teams, or Loop
- The shift reflects Microsoft’s rapid release cadence in the cloud era
- Agent sprawl is real and Microsoft is proactively addressing governance needs
- IT professionals need to embrace this change: “The only way out is through”

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 414 – When the Cloud Falls: Understanding the AWS and Azure Outages of October 2025

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 13:00:11 +0000

Welcome to Episode 414 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast.This episode covers the major cloud service disruptions that impacted both AWS and Azure in October 2025. Even the biggest cloud providers face operational challenges. Learn what happened, how it was resolved, and what IT pros should keep in mind for future resilience planning.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 413 – Simplifying Azure Files with a new file share-centric management model

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:17 +0000

Welcome to Episode 413 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Microsoft has introduced a new file share-centric management model for Azure Files, aiming to eliminate the complexity of managing storage accounts. This model treats file shares as top-level Azure resources, allowing for easier automation, granular access control, and independent scaling. It also simplifies billing with transparent pricing and supports up to 1,000 file shares per subscription per region in the current preview.

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Show Notes

About our guest

Connect with Will Gries on LinkedIn

Joy Apple

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 402 – Declarative Agents with Andrew Connell

Thu, 22 May 2025 12:00:51 +0000

Welcome to Episode 402 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to have Andrew Connell (AC) joining us once again. If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll recognize AC as a repeat guest and one of the early voices who encouraged us to launch this podcast. In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of Microsoft Copilot agents from a bit of a developer’s perspective . We expand on insights from Episode 400 and helping us understand some additional intricacies of how Copilot works under the hood. We’ll break down the different billing models and some limitations in what they provide and why having at least one $30 license is key to unlocking the semantic index. We’ll also explore how Copilot uses semantic indexing to ground responses in your organization’s data, and how it respects user permissions through access control lists. But it’s not all smooth sailing—AC also walks us through some of the current limitations, like missing metadata and large file indexing. He also shares a potential workaround using Azure AI Search for those needing more comprehensive coverage. Finally, we this weeks Microsoft Build Conference and tease a potential future episode where ACw will return to talk about custom Copilot development.

Andrew Connell

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 401 – Zero Trust in Microsoft 365

Thu, 08 May 2025 12:00:54 +0000

Welcome to Episode 401 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben Stegink and Scott Hoag dive into the intricacies of implementing Zero Trust principles within Microsoft 365 environments. They explore the foundational aspects of Zero Trust, starting with identity management and the importance of Entra ID. They also cover:

Identity Management: The critical role of identity in Zero Trust, including MFA, password policies, and least privilege access.
Endpoint Security: Strategies for verifying and managing devices, including compliance checks and the balance between corporate and BYOD devices.
Networking: The complexities of securing network traffic in a SaaS environment, including conditional access policies and the emerging Global Secure Access feature.
Application Management: The role of Defender for Cloud in monitoring shadow IT and ensuring data security across various applications.
Data Protection: Techniques for safeguarding sensitive information, including DLP policies and the upcoming network-level DLP capabilities.
Join us as we unpack these topics and provide practical insights for enhancing your organization’s security posture with Zero Trust.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 400 – Microsoft 365 Copilot Declarative Agents and Copilot Studio Agent Builder

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:00:51 +0000

Welcome to Episode 400 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott explore how IT professionals and developers can leverage Microsoft 365 Copilot’s declarative agents and the Copilot Studio Agent Builder to enhance productivity and streamline workflows within their organizations. Declarative agents allow you to define specific tasks and workflows, enabling Copilot to assist users more effectively. With the Copilot Studio Agent Builder, creating these agents becomes a streamlined process, even for those with minimal coding experience. Listen and learn how to build, deploy, and manage these agents, licensing considerations, and best practices to maximize their impact in your organization.

Your support makes this show possible! Please consider becoming a premium member for access to live shows and more. Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 399 – Azure Infrastructure as Code with Greg Suttie

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:00:48 +0000

Welcome to Episode 399 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we bring you another interview from the MVP Summit. In this episode, we were able to meet up with long time listener Greg Suttie and talk about his path to becoming an MVP as well as some of what he’s been working on in Azure. We cover everything he been doing with Infrastructure as code around Bicep, Azure Verified Modules, Azure Bicep Configuration files and more!

Greg Suttie Greg is an Azure MVP and Microsoft Certified Trainer.
He also a passionate developer with 25 years experience, mainly with Microsoft Technologies and background is a .NET developer since the start of .NET. – He was one of the first 50 people in the world to become an MCSD developer back in the day. Recently awarded the Outstanding contribution to the Microsoft Community UK Winner and then the Outstanding contribution to the Microsoft Community Global Winner both for 2023.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 398 – PowerShell and Intune with Harm Veenstra

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:00:50 +0000

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Episode 395 – Getting Started with VDI in Azure with Azure Virtual Desktop

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:00:52 +0000

Welcome to Episode 395 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we dive into Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and how it enables organizations to deliver secure, scalable Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in the cloud. Whether you’re looking to modernize remote work, enhance security, or optimize IT costs, AVD provides a flexible solution for accessing virtualized Windows desktops and applications from anywhere.Topics covered include:

What is Azure Virtual Desktop? A breakdown of AVD’s features, benefits, and common use cases.
Deployment essentials – Setting up host pools, session hosts, and assigning users.
Configuration best practices – Managing user profiles with FSLogix and securing AVD with Microsoft Intune.
Cost estimation – Key factors affecting pricing and how to optimize expenses.
Getting started – Steps to connect via the Remote Desktop client on multiple platforms.

Whether you’re an IT admin or just exploring VDI in Azure, this episode is packed with insights to help you get started. Tune in and take your remote desktop strategy to the next level!

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 394 – Prepare your Microsoft 365 Tenant for Copilot Success

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 13:00:36 +0000

Welcome to Episode 394 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we explore everything you need to know to get your Microsoft 365 tenant ready for Copilot. From licensing requirements to deployment best practices, we break down the steps to ensure a seamless setup.Key topics include:

Understanding Copilot licensing, including E3, E5, and Business Premium options.
Ensuring compatibility with Microsoft 365 Apps, OneDrive, Teams, and Outlook.
Exploring Copilot’s data protection and auditing architecture to safeguard sensitive information and prevent oversharing.
Integrating SharePoint Advanced Management (SAM), now included with Copilot, to enhance collaboration and control.
Leveraging Microsoft’s Copilot Control System for managing prompts, sensitivity labels, and security posture.

We also cover the newly announced Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat initiative and the evolving role of AI-driven collaboration tools in business workflows. Whether you’re an IT admin or a decision-maker, this episode provides the insights you need to deploy Copilot successfully and harness its full potential.Don’t miss this comprehensive guide to preparing your organization for the future of AI-powered productivity!

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 393 – Microsoft Teams Meeting Room Solutions with Alex Mooney

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 13:00:57 +0000

Welcome to Episode 393 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben is joined on the show by Alex Mooney from Logitech. The two of them discuss the integration of technology into meetings. They start out discussion AI for transcribing in-person meetings, highlighting some of their benefits and then shift into discussion various meeting room systems for Microsoft Teams. They discuss some of the offerings from Logitech including the Rally Bar Huddle, Rally Bar Mini, and Rally Bar and how they are certified for both Android and Windows to work in different scenarios for building out your Microsoft Teams Room system.

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Show Notes

About Alex

With a leadership role at Logitech, Alex has had the exciting opportunity to shape the future of digital workspaces. He’s directed major collaborations, including the impactful partnership between Logitech and Microsoft that’s driving billions in revenue. These aren’t just business deals, they’re transformations—helping companies worldwide navigate the ever-changing terrain of technology.

Creating and implementing innovative solutions is part of Alex’s DNA. Project Ghost, an immersive video conferencing experience, is just one of the many successful initiatives that he’s been proud to lead.

He’s often invited to share my insights on industry trends and strategies at key events and in publications. It’s a role he relishes — helping others grasp the opportunities that this rapid era of technological change brings. His focus is always forward, on the potential of what can be achieved together in the fields of collaboration and efficiency.

Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexm00ney/

About the sponsors

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Episode 392 – Building Confidence In Your Microsoft Copilot Deployment with AvePoint CTO John Peluso

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:00:47 +0000

Welcome to Episode 392 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben interviews AvePoint CTO John Peluso. Listen in as they discuss Copilot in Microsoft 365 and how to govern and gain insights on your Copilot usage in your organization.

Copilot in Microsoft 365 is becoming a critical tool to supporting modern work. As Microsoft continues to iterate and improve on Microsoft Copilot, partners such as AvePoint help to augment the administration and analytics of Copilot adoption in your organization. While Copilot enables your workforce with the tools to their jobs, Microsoft and AvePoint also provide the tools for administrators to empower their workforce quickly in a safe way. Another part of the puzzle of administering Copilot is how do you measure AI adoption in your organization, benchmark your organization against similar organizations, and understand the activity levels and adoption of Copilot?

Listen in to hear about how AI tools like Copilot and AI in general can be governed in Microsoft 365 and how you can gain insights into how to approach analyzing Copilot adoption in your organization.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

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Episode 391 – Remote Desktop and Application Delivery with Kamal Srinivasan from Parallels

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:00:45 +0000

Welcome to Episode 391 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott sits down with Kamal Srinivasan from Parallels to talk how you can think about delivering applications and desktops to your users in post-Citrix world. As the traditional “Citrix” model faces disruption, we explore how remote work, hybrid scenarios, and cloud-based computing are redefining how organizations deliver applications and desktops to end users.

Key topics include:

The shift away from static, on-prem desktops to dynamic, cloud-based compute.
How to optimize app delivery by building on top of Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) platform.
Bridging the gap between legacy systems and cloud-based solutions, enabling businesses to roll out remote desktop solutions like AVD and Parallels RAS gradually while scaling down on-prem infrastructure.
The changing role of IT admins in supporting a workforce that operates anywhere, anytime.

Listen in and learn how your organization can streamline operations and empower your workforce with flexible, efficient application and desktop delivery.

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 390: Microsoft Ignite 2024: Windows 365 Link

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:00:51 +0000

Welcome to Episode 390 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, live from Microsoft Ignite 2024! In this episode Ben sits down for a chat with Melissa Grant, head of product marketing for Windows 11 Enterprise, Windows 365, and Azure Virtual Desktop at Microsoft. Melissa discusses her tenure at Microsoft and the evolution of cloud-based Windows offerings, starting with the launch of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) five years ago and transitioning into Windows 365. They also discuss Windows 365 Link, Microsoft’s new dedicated endpoint device, designed for seamless, secure connections Windows 365 Cloud PCs. This device reduces the need for extensive IT management and resources by simplifying deployment process, and providing security benefits based on feedback from some of Microsoft’s customers.

Melissa Grant
Melissa Grant leads product marketing for Windows Enterprise, Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop within Microsoft Modern Work. She and her team are dedicated to delivering secure, productive and efficient commercial solutions so customers can do their best work with Windows.
– Melissa on LinkedIn

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Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 389: Microsoft Ignite 2024: Redefining AI, Productivity, and Edge Computing

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:00:57 +0000

Welcome to Episode 389 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this special episode, we recap the game-changing announcements from Microsoft Ignite, Microsoft’s premier conference unveiling innovations across Microsoft 365 and Azure.We explore advancements in Agentic AI and multi-modal models that seamlessly accept and produce text, voice, and graphics. Discover how Copilot is evolving with features like reasoning over on-screen content (coming to Teams in CY25) and enhanced capabilities in tools like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel—bringing automated summaries, dynamic graphics, and effortless data analysis to the forefront.

Learn how Copilot Pages enable collaborative editing, while Copilot Extensibility and Agents allow businesses to create customized AI-powered helpers with ease. Imagine every SharePoint site having a built-in agent by default, making tasks more intuitive than ever.

We also cover new updates in edge AI—a “distributed computing fabric” blending Azure Local bare-metal solutions and Windows 365 Link thin clients. Innovations in AI-ready silicon underpin these transformative changes.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 388 – Getting Started with Azure Bicep: Infrastructure as Code with a Domain Specific Language

Episode 383 – Securing Azure: Monitoring and observing your Azure estate

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 12:00:59 +0000

Welcome to Episode 383 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode we continue our discussion on security, transitioning from Microsoft 365 to Azure (Episode 382 – Securing the Modern Workplace: Exploring Microsoft Entra ID Security Defaults, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score) to Microsoft Azure. We begin with Azure security logging and auditing, discussing the importance of capturing and analyzing security logs to detect and respond to potential threats. Next, we delve into Azure Monitor data sources and data collection methods. Azure Monitor provides a comprehensive set of tools to collect, analyze, and act on telemetry data from your cloud and on-premises environments. Finally, we discuss how the components of Azure Monitor can be used for managing and analyzing the vast amounts of data generated in your Azure environment. We’ll explore how this platform supports advanced analytics, helps you identify trends and anomalies, and enables proactive threat detection.

Whether you’re a cloud architect, security professional, or IT admin, this episode offers practical advice and strategies for leveraging observability to enhance your security posture in Azure. Tune in to discover how you can better protect your organization by implementing effective observability practices.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Episode 382 – Securing the Modern Workplace: Exploring Microsoft Entra ID Security Defaults, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

https://youtu.be/SVyns4UPNhY

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 355 – SharePoint Framework On-premises is a Moving Target (with Andrew Connell)

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 12:00:03 +0000

In Episode 355, Ben and Scott sit down with SharePoint developer extraordinaire Andrew Connell from Voitanos to talk about SharePoint Server Subscription Edition and some changes in SharePoint Framework (SPFX) support. You’ll definitely want to listen in to make sure that you’re falling into the “Pit of Success” for developing SPFX solutions for your on-premises installations of SharePoint.

`Note: We get into the weeds with things like version numbers between SharePoint Server Subscription Edition and the SharePoint Framework. You can use the links below to follow along.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

About Andrew Connell

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 348 – You get a subscription, and you get a subscription, and you get a subscription!

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 12:00:18 +0000

In Episode 348, Ben and Scott start the discussion focusing on the shifting dynamics of open-source tool access for customers, particularly in light of HashiCorp’s decision to transition to a Business Source License (BSL). This move essentially limits what competitors can do with their code, requiring them to acquire a commercial license from HashiCorp if developing. While the change doesn’t significantly impact customers who primarily use Terraform for deploying and managing resources, it may have significant implications for companies building competitive services based on HashiCorp’s community products.

As the discussion progresses, Ben and Scott transition into an exploration of Azure subscriptions. They suggested that businesses, especially those in their early stages, should create more Azure subscriptions than they think they need. This is due to a paradigm shift from treating resource groups as units of management aligned with business needs to viewing subscriptions in the same way. The conversation emphasized the importance of understanding this concept and planning accordingly when setting up Azure.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

https://youtu.be/-EHyCY67sNI

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 347 – All your Entra.news with Merill Fernando

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:00:17 +0000

In Episode 347, Ben and Scott sit down with Merill Fernando to discuss the tools and content Merill is building to support Microsoft Entra customers.

Merill is a Principal Product Manager in the Microsoft CAT team with a focus on Microsoft Graph for Identity and brings his experiences working with Microsoft Entra customers to the masses.

In the conversation, we explore Merill’s various contributions to technical tools aimed at simplifying complex processes when working with the Microsoft Cloud. His creations include CMD.Ms, a tool that streamlines access to different Microsoft services; Azure AD Exporter, a tool that exports your entire Microsoft Entra ID configuration and Azure AD B2C into JSON files; and Graph X-ray, a Chrome extension that converts API calls into code in your preferred language. Lastly, He highlighted the ‘Weekly Dose of Microsoft Entra’ newsletter as an ideal resource for keeping up-to-date with relevant news, blog posts and videos. To learn more from Merill and keep up with Microsoft Entra news, sign up for his newsletter at entra.news.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

https://youtu.be/f1hrlDxzOBs

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 346 – Expanded cloud logging for everyone

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:00:36 +0000

In Episode 346, Ben and Scott discuss how some of the recent attacks on Microsoft 365 customers have led to Microsoft, in partnership with CISA, offering expanded cloud logging capabilities to all customers for no additional charge.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

https://youtube.com/@msclouditpro

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 345 – Microsoft 365 Backup and Microsoft 365 Archive

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 12:00:02 +0000

In episode 345, Ben and Scott discuss the upcoming Microsoft 365 Backup and Microsoft 365 Archive services, as well as the pricing and value of Microsoft Co-Pilot. Microsoft 365 backup and Microsoft 365 archive services will provide users with options for backing up data in Microsoft 365, including SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange. They also discuss the benefits this will have on purchasing backup service directly from Microsoft, as well as how third-party backup providers can take advantage of this announcement.

They also discuss how Microsoft 365 Archive, will complement Microsoft 365 Backup by offering cold to cool data storage for inactive data in Microsoft 365. This service aims to provide cost savings for storing older content while maintaining administrative search capabilities and other functionalities.

The conversation then moves on to the pricing and value of Microsoft Co-Pilot. They discuss the potential benefits of using Co-Pilot for tasks like drafting proposals or generating meeting notes. However, they also express concerns about the pricing compared to existing licensing models and whether the value delivered by Co-Pilot justifies the cost. They speculate on how organizations might justify the expense based on time savings and productivity gains. Overall, they express a mix of excitement and skepticism about Copilot and emphasize the need to see it in action before fully evaluating the value.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

https://youtu.be/JMcQZc74XXc

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 344 – The paradox of choice as a SharePoint Developer with Andrew Connell

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:00:27 +0000

In Episode 344, Ben and Scott invite Andrew Connell, SharePoint developer extraordinaire and founder of Voitanos on the show to talk about your options when it comes to developing modern web applications that interact with SharePoint and Teams. There’s a lot to unpack here – when or even should you build a SharePoint app? Is it better to just build and deploy web apps that you can control end-to-end? Listen in to find out.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

About Andrew Connell

Connect with AC

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

https://youtu.be/ge6o_Zlf3iQ

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 343 – Microsoft Entra: The Podcast

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:00:43 +0000

In Episode 343, Ben and Scott start to tackle the great renaming of Azure Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID (or MEID). Except for the places that it didn’t get renamed. It’s not confusing at all.

They discuss the implications of the rename and the potential confusion it could cause, as well as explore new product announcements related to Microsoft’s foray into the security service edge market. They also provide resources for understanding the rename and navigating Microsoft Intra. Overall, they have some frustration with the renaming exercise, but acknowledge that it probably is a good thing and when it comes down to it, is largely a just a rename of the service.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

[memberful has_subscription_to=”membership,yearly-membership”]

Video

https://youtu.be/AkRh0dCJXcg

[/memberful]

About the sponsors

Episode 342 – Microsoft Edge Workspaces

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:00:34 +0000

In Episode 342, Ben and Scott talk through how they manage access to the internet for the kids in their lives, Microsoft Edge Workspaces, and some of the frustrations with auto-generated documentation for the Microsoft Graph.

Like what you hear and want to support the show? Check out our membership options.

Show Notes

Show Notes

Learn Live: Azure Core IaaS Study Hall
Apple 2021 iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 64GB) – Space Gray
LG 28MQ780-B 28 Inch SDQHD (2560 x 2880) Nano IPS DualUp Monitor with Ergo Stand, DCI-P3 98% (Typ.) HDR10, USB Type-C (90W PD) – Black
LG C2 Series 42-Inch Class OLED evo Gallery Edition Smart TV OLED42C2PUA, 2022 – AI-Powered 4K, Alexa Built-in
Dell UltraSharp U4320Q 42.5″ 4K UHD LED LCD Monitor – 16:9 – Black
Nuphy Air 75 – Get 10% off any order from Nuphy
Why Twitter users are upset about the platform’s latest change
Twitter replaces its free API with a paid tier in quest to make more money
Follow us on Mastodon:
- https://techhub.social/@BenStegink
- https://mastodon.social/@ciphertxt
- https://techhub.social/@msclouditpro
Microsoft Teams Premium: Cut costs and add AI-powered productivity
The better way to meet—Microsoft Teams Premium
Microsoft Teams Premium licensing
Microsoft Teams Premium – Overview for administrators

Hosted Exchange Issues
Episode 313 – Pour one out for the SREs at Rackspace
Post-mortem: Azure PowerShell and PowerShell 7.3 compatibility issue
Update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge on macOS
Microsoft Teams Premium preview now available
Microsoft Makes 30-Day Test Licenses Available for Teams Premium
Microsoft Teams Premium licensing

Show Notes

About our guest

Show Notes

The future of compliance and data governance is here: Introducing Microsoft Purview – https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/04/19/the-future-of-compliance-and-data-governance-is-here-introducing-microsoft-purview/
What is Microsoft Purview? https://docs.microsoft.com/purview/purview
Learn about data lifecycle management – https://docs.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/compliance/data-lifecycle-management?view=o365-worldwide
Retention policies and retention labels – https://docs.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/compliance/retention?view=o365-worldwide
Adaptive Scopes – https://docs.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/compliance/retention?view=o365-worldwide#adaptive-or-static-policy-scopes-for-retention
Collecting the version shared in a cloud attachment (preview) – https://docs.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/compliance/advanced-ediscovery-cloud-attachments?view=o365-worldwide#collecting-the-version-shared-in-a-cloud-attachment-preview
Sensitivity Labels – https://docs.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/compliance/sensitivity-labels?view=o365-worldwide

About Erica Toelle

Erica Toelle is a senior product marketing manager on the Microsoft Purview product team. Her focus is on growing the data lifecycle and records management business and listening to customers and partners to make our solutions better. Erica is a long-time member of the SharePoint and Microsoft 365 community, a former Microsoft MVP, a published author, and a recognized expert in the information governance area.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericatoelle
Uncovering Hidden Risks Podcast: https://www.uncoveringhiddenrisks.com/
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/ericatoelle
Compliance Books: https://t.co/awQpXn2wlY

Bicep Documentation – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/bicep/
What is Azure Bicep? – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/bicep/overview?tabs=bicep
How to create Azure Function Apps with Bicep – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzgB3cSUdNM
How to: CI/CD/IaC for Azure Function Apps and GitHub Actions – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36R1pzPuLvs
Getting started with Azure Bicep – https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/itops-talk-blog/getting-started-with-azure-bicep/ba-p/3064214

Migrate the critical file data you need to power your applications
New Azure File Migration program streamlines unstructured data migration
Migrating your files to Azure has never been easier
Migration guides
- Migrate your files to Azure – Azure IaaS Day 2021
- Migration videos – https://aka.ms/filemigrationvideos
- Data Dynamics – https://aka.ms/datadynamicsguide
- Komprise – https://aka.ms/kompriseguide
Accelerate infrastructure migration with Azure Storage | Azure Storage Day 2021
Azure Marketplace links
- Komprise Elastic Data Migration and Analytics, offer sponsored by Microsoft Azure
- Data Dynamics StorageX Migration, offer sponsored by Azure
Azure Storage migration overview

About our guest

Karl is an IT veteran with 23 years of experience. He has been a systems administrator and architect for Fortune 500 companies, a national solutions architect for NetApp and Microsoft, and now a Principal Product Manager in Azure Engineering. Karl likes to be in the thick of emerging technologies. In his 9 years with Microsoft, he has focused on Azure Storage, Backup, Disaster Recovery, Edge Computing, and High Availability. In his role as a Product Manager with the Azure Storage team, he focuses on strategic partnerships to enable any and every workload to run on Azure. You can find him on Twitter as @Kloud_Karl or connect with him on LinkedIn.

About the sponsors

Episode 274 – Microsoft Teams Connect shared channels and B2B direct connect

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 12:00:17 +0000

In Episode 274, Ben and Scott dive into some of the considerations for identity and tenant configuration when you are getting started with Microsoft Teams Connect shared channels.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 273 – On-demand capacity reservations with Site Recovery

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 12:00:04 +0000

In Episode 273, Ben and Scott talk about on-demand capacity reservations for Azure Virtual Machines and how they can be leveraged with Site Recovery services to have guaranteed compute on failover, fast account switching coming to Microsoft 365 services, and the CIS benchmark for Azure Kubernetes Service.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 272 – SharePoint Online and Azure News

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 13:00:13 +0000

In Episode 272, Ben and Scott discuss changes that are rolling out for the new move experience in SharePoint Online, support for known folder move in the OneDrive client on macOS, cross region VM restore points for Azure VMs, and tracking resource change history through Azure Resource Graph.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 271 – Smart Home All The Things

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 13:00:59 +0000

In Episode 271, Ben and Scott take a break from Microsoft 365 and Azure talk about smart home devices, including their favorite uses for different categories of devices such as lights, locks, and even blinds/shades. If you’ve been thinking about building out your smart home, give it a listen. We’re sure you’ll learn something new.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 270 – Microsoft Teams Phones and Azure VM Updates

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 13:00:50 +0000

In Episode 270, Ben and Scott talk about a new Microsoft Teams phone from Yealink that Ben is testing and then talk about a recently GA’d capability which impacts how resources associated with a Virtual Machine are treated on deletion of the VM.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 269 – Thunderbolt docks and Azure AD Updates

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 13:00:51 +0000

In Episode 269, Ben and Scott talk about the just released CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 dock and then get into some news and updates around Azure AD, including the public preview of certificate based authentication and proof of concept for impersonating device identities of Windows clients.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 268 – Getting Started with Terraform for Azure

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 13:00:02 +0000

In Episode 268, Ben takes Scott through his experience getting started with Terraform and executing complex deployments in Azure.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 267 – Microsoft 365 Compliance – Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 13:00:43 +0000

In Episode 267, Ben and Scott talk about some of the updates that have come to Data loss prevention (DLP) in Microsoft 365 and how you can leverage DLP to protect your sensitive data across the M365 stack and even external cloud apps like Box, Dropbox, and Salesforce.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 266 – Azure Reservations

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 13:00:40 +0000

In Episode 266, Ben and Scott spend most of the time talking about Azure Reserved Instances. What they are, when you might want to use them, and some of the services you can purchase them for. They also cover some potential things to watch out for when considering if you should purchase a reserved instance for one or more of your Azure Services.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 265 – Azure Automation State Configuration vs Azure Policy guest configuration

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 13:00:05 +0000

In Episode 265, Ben and Scott talk about Azure Automation State Configuration and Azure Policy guest configuration for using DSC at-scale with your virtual machines in Azure.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 264 – New Settings for Managing Teams Meeting Expiration

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 13:00:00 +0000

In Episode 264, Ben and Scott kick off 2022 with some Azure CLI follow-up from 2021, and then they talk about some new settings available for managing per-user meeting expiration policies.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 263 – Tips and Tricks for Azure Cloud Shell

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 13:00:04 +0000

In Episode 263, Ben and Scott dive into their favorite tips and tricks for using Azure Cloud Shell and all the programs and functionality that come with it.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 262 – The One About AAD Connect

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 13:00:09 +0000

In Episode 262, Ben and Scott discuss a bug in one of the latest releases of Azure AD Connect and then talk about a new supported topology where you can synchronize accounts from on-premises to multiple Azure AD tenants.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 261 – Disconnecting from Tech

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:00:23 +0000

Episode 1 of this podcast was published on April 20, 2017. We’ve been recording and publishing weekly for almost 5 years. In that time, we’ve had the opportunity to talk to you about everything from Office 365 (when it was still called that) to Azure IaaS and PaaS services. Our focus has always been on the Microsoft cloud and providing you with news, tips, tricks, and deep dives on how you can leverage these technologies in your professions.

Your feedback to us over the years has been invaluable in shaping the show and the types of content we deliver. Please keep it coming. You can connect with us on Discord (sign up for the newsletter to find out how!), Twitter, Facebook, and of course follow along in your podcatcher of choice.

With all that being said, in Episode 261, Ben and Scott take a break from tech and talk about some of their favorite non-tech related finds from the past year, including books, TV shows, outdoor activities around the holidays, and some resources for great recipes. We hope you have a chance to disconnect and relax as we head into 2022.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 260 – Getting Started with Kusto in Azure

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 13:00:10 +0000

In Episode 260, Ben and Scott talk about how to get started with KQL, or Kusto Query Language across a number of Azure and Microsoft 365 services, including Azure Monitor, Azure Data Explorer, the Azure Resources Graph, and the Microsoft 365 audit log.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 259 – Kerberos and Azure AD, sitting in a tree, a-u-t-h-e-n-t-i-c-a-t-i-n-g

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 13:00:19 +0000

In Episode 259, Ben and Scott discuss some of the latest announcements involving Azure AD, including new security features in Microsoft Authenticator and a new capability that allows Azure AD to issue Kerberos tickets which allows for SMB file shares in Azure Files to be accessed without line of sight to a domain controller.

Sponsor

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 258 – I’m Not Allowed To Buy Anything Until After Christmas

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 13:00:23 +0000

In Episode 258, Ben and Scott discuss two new preview capabilities for Azure Virtual Machines – Managed Run Commands and VM Applications. Then they talk about a use case for Conditional Access Policies to secure service principals in Azure AD.

Sponsors

Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 257 – The Address Space Formerly Known as 127/8

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 13:00:21 +0000

In Episode 257, Ben and Scott cover some of the news coming out of Azure IaaS Day including SFTP support on Azure Blob Storage, the GA of NFS v4.1 on Azure Files, and the new AZ-305 exam that has been released in beta.

Sponsors

Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 256 – Conditional Access All The Things?

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 13:00:26 +0000

In Episode 256, Ben and Scott dive into some of the new features available for Azure AD Conditional Access and Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 255 – What’s new in Microsoft Teams and Azure IaaS Day!

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 13:00:39 +0000

In Episode 255, Ben and Scott follow-up on announcements for Microsoft Teams from Microsoft Ignite, including private channel site management, easier access to Cloud Shell, and retention policies with adaptive scopes. Then Scott takes a few minutes to chat with Henry Yan about the upcoming Azure IaaS Day, including fives reason you should attend.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 254 – Looping into Microsoft Ignite

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 12:00:43 +0000

In Episode 254, Ben and Scott just came out of the Microsoft Ignite keynote and sit down to discuss some of their favorite announcements and news from the event.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 253 – There is no “Easy” button for BCDR in the cloud

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 12:00:36 +0000

In Episode 253, Ben and Scott take a detour and talk about considerations for backup and disaster recovery in Azure.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 252 – Troubleshooting Azure VMs with VM Inspector

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 12:00:36 +0000

In Episode 252, Ben and Scott talk about a new way to troubleshoot your Azure VMs with VM Inspector, a breaking change in Azure AD when using older versions of the Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell, and upcoming changes which will allow uses to delete files with retention labels.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 251 – Sometimes Upgrades Aren’t Easy

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 12:00:24 +0000

In Episode 251, Ben and Scott dive into the release of Windows 11 and what it takes to upgrade to Windows 11 in Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 250 – When Unlimited Isn’t Really Unlimited

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 12:00:32 +0000

In Episode 250, Ben and Scott talk about upcoming changes to Exchange Online archiving, updates to Azure Automation, and how to create conditional access policies using the Microsoft Graph and PowerShell.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 249 – AKS Scale-down and the AKS run command

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 12:00:26 +0000

In Episode 249, Ben and Scott talk about the recent announcement of new Surface devices, the deprecation of basic authentication in Exchange Online, and AKS scale-down delete/deallocate.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 248 – Let’s Go Passwordless!

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 12:00:19 +0000

In Episode 248, Ben and Scott dive into the recently announced capability to go passwordless for your consumer Microsoft account, the GA of AAD-join for your virtual machines in AVD host pools, and per-Power App conditional access with authentication context in Azure AD.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 247 – Upgrading Your Remote Call Quality (Gear Talk)

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 12:00:53 +0000

In Episode 247, Ben and Scott take a break from Azure and SharePoint to talk about the gear they use for audio remote calls with Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

Note: We use affiliate links. If you purchase through the link, it supports the podcast.

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 246 – Squirrels and Azure AD

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 12:00:12 +0000

In Episode 246, Scott laments about the squirrel living in Scott’s roof. Then they talk about how you can now access VS Code from your browser on GitHub.com by just pressing your period key and then discuss all of the updates you should be thinking about as AADConnect and Azure AD Graph are depreciated.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 245 – When Good Viva Topics Go Bad

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 12:00:14 +0000

In Episode 245, Ben and Scott discuss Viva Topics and some frustrations around managing topics as an end-user. Then they dive into some of the latest items that have appeared on the Microsoft 365 Roadmap.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 244 – Azure Updates and Microsoft 365 Price Increase

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 12:00:07 +0000

In Episode 244, Ben tells Scott about his experience locking himself out of his Azure AD tenant and then they discuss recently GA’d features for Azure Storage including blob inventory, last access time tracking, and Archive storage events.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

Manage emergency access accounts in Azure AD
How can I enable microphone for Teams in Windows Virtual Desktop?
Azure feedback site
UserVoice Pages
AzureStorageFeedback@microsoft.com
Automatic Extension Upgrade for VMs and Scale Sets in Azure
General availability: Azure Archive Storage events for easy rehydration of archived blobs
Azure Blob storage – Inventory generally availability
Microsoft Teams: Auto-Expiration of Meeting Recordings stored on OneDrive and SharePoint
New pricing for Microsoft 365
Microsoft to increase Microsoft 365, Office 365 commercial prices in March 2022

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 243 – Windows 365 Follow Up

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:00:18 +0000

In Episode 243, Scott listens as Ben dives into his experience with the initial setup and deployment of Windows 365 desktop.

Sponsors

ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 242 – Microsoft Teams apps ecosystem with Rima Reyes

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 12:00:15 +0000

In Episode 242, Ben and Scott sit down with Rima Reyes, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft Teams Engineering, to chat about Microsoft Teams, apps across industry clouds, and how to express customer empathy in engineering to build a vibrant partner ecosystem.

Sponsors

Sperry Software – Powerful Outlook Add-ins developed to make your email life easy even if you’re too busy to manage your inbox
ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show notes

About our guest

Rima Reyes is currently a Principal Program Manager in Microsoft Teams Engineering, being a part of the Teams Platform Ecosystem team with a focus on Partner app dev for Healthcare, Legal & WW Gov. Prior to her start in Teams Engineering in 2018, Rima had spent the first 13 years of her career building solutions in SharePoint while working at Northrop Grumman IT, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft Federal Consulting Services. She was also one of the founding members of the Women in SharePoint DC user group and previously worked at the White House Situation Room for 6+ years. Rima currently resides in the Washington, DC area with her Goldendoodle, Levi, and is passionate about using Virtual Reality for both fitness and work productivity.

You can find her on LinkedIn and Twitter @rimazima.

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Sperry Software, Inc focuses primarily on Microsoft Outlook and more recently Microsoft Office 365, where a plethora of tools and plugins that work with email have been developed. These tools can be extended for almost any situation where email is involved, including automating workflows (e.g., automatically save emails as PDF or automatically archive emails that are over 30 days old), modifying potentially bad user behaviors (e.g., alert the user to suspected phishing emails or prompt the user if they are going to inadvertently reply to all), and increased email security (e.g., prompt the user with a customizable warning if they are about to send an email outside the organization). Get started today by visiting www.SperrySoftware.com/CloudIT
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 241 – Azure News and Updates

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 12:00:49 +0000

In Episode 241, Ben is on vacation and Scott is on his own, so we’re trying a new format offering some quick news and updates around Azure. Please let us know if you like this format and want shorter episodes like this in the future.

Sponsors

Sperry Software – Powerful Outlook Add-ins developed to make your email life easy even if you’re too busy to manage your inbox
ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Sperry Software, Inc focuses primarily on Microsoft Outlook and more recently Microsoft Office 365, where a plethora of tools and plugins that work with email have been developed. These tools can be extended for almost any situation where email is involved, including automating workflows (e.g., automatically save emails as PDF or automatically archive emails that are over 30 days old), modifying potentially bad user behaviors (e.g., alert the user to suspected phishing emails or prompt the user if they are going to inadvertently reply to all), and increased email security (e.g., prompt the user with a customizable warning if they are about to send an email outside the organization). Get started today by visiting www.SperrySoftware.com/CloudIT
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 240 – SharePoint Server… Subscription Edition

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 12:00:50 +0000

In Episode 240, Scott tricks Ben into talking about the latest version of SharePoint Server (SharePoint Server Subscription Edition) that was announced this week.

Sponsors

- ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
- Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
- Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
- Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 239 – Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 12:00:43 +0000

In Episode 239, Ben and Scott take a detour to talk about Azure Resource Explorer (no, not that Azure Resource Explorer, the other one) and then dive in the recently announced Windows 365 offering.

Sponsors

Spot by NetApp – The cloud automation platform that makes it easy to deliver continuously optimized infrastructure at the lowest possible cost
ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Episode 238 – Microsoft Teams Governance with Michal Pisarek

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 13:00:44 +0000

In Episode 238, Ben discusses trends in Microsoft Teams governance with the CEO of Orchestry – Michal Pisarek – including the challenges associated with content sprawl, multiples Teams with the same purpose in the same tenant, and how to think about adoption and ensuring your users are taking advantage of all the features Microsoft Teams has to offer.

Sponsors

Sperry Software – Powerful Outlook Add-ins developed to make your email life easy even if you’re too busy to manage your inbox
ShareGate – ShareGate’s industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs
Office365AdminPortal.com – Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully
Intelligink – We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business

Show Notes

About our guest

Michal Pisarek – CEO of Orchestry
Twitter | LinkedIn

Six-time Microsoft SharePoint MVP, former Co-Founder of BONZAI Intranet and Dynamic Owl Consulting, this serial entrepreneur, international speaker, Microsoft 365 thought leader and former professional chef brings the great depth of product, leadership, and user experience expertise to Orchestry, working with Fortune 500 companies to deliver maximum efficiency of their Microsoft 365 Investments.

When Michal takes a day off occasionally, you will find him experimenting in the kitchen, inventing a new cocktail, or learning a new language while enjoying all that Vancouver has to offer with his wife, daughter, and furry companion.

About the sponsors

	Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That’s a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more.
	Spot by NetApp helps their customers get the most out of their cloud investments by automating cloud infrastructure to ensure performance, reduce complexity, and optimize costs. Discover how leading companies, from cloud-native startups to global enterprises, are automating, simplifying, and optimizing their cloud infrastructure with Spot by NetApp. Check them out at Spot.io/msit where you can find more information, request a demo, or even start a free trial.
	Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast

Episode 427: Copilot Cowork Hands-On Experiences

Episode 426: Claude Cowork vs Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 425 – Exploring Collaboration and Governance at the MVP Summit with Joy Apple

About Joy Apple

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 424 – A new frontier for Microsoft 365 with E7

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 423 – Non-Human Identities in Microsoft Entra with Eric Woodruff and Chris Brumm

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 422: Back to the Terminal: The Rise of AI CLI Interfaces

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 421: Microsoft 365 Mergers and Divestitures with Frank Lesniak

Show Notes

Frank Lesniak

About the sponsors

Episode 420 – Ben convinces Scott to buy a 3D printer

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 419 – Security and AI: Security Store, Security Copilot, and Agents

Show Notes

John Joyner

About the sponsors

Episode 418 – An Anti-AI Adventure with Cat Schneider: SharePoint, Power Automate, and Conference Shenanigans

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 417 – Workplace Ninjas US, Zero Trust, and Conditional Access!

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 416 – Microsoft Sentinel, Security, and Ignite with Henrik Wojcik

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 415 – Diving Into Ignite 2025 for IT Pros and AI Agent Management

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 414 – When the Cloud Falls: Understanding the AWS and Azure Outages of October 2025

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 413 – Simplifying Azure Files with a new file share-centric management model

Show Notes

About our guest

About the sponsors

Episode 412 – Microsoft Sentinel Gets a Data Lake

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 411 – Securing AI with Microsoft Purview: Data Security Posture Management for AI

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 410 – Joy and Jay take over and talk Change Management

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 409 – Preparing for Copilot​- Securing Your Microsoft 365 Data and Beyond​

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 408 – Model Context Protocol (MCP) Part 2: Getting the Most Out of MCP Servers

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 407 – Model Context Protocol (MCP) Part 1: The USB Port of AI Communications

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 406 – Agents of Insight: Copilot in Action and Sentinel on the Move

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 405 – Loop, Loop Workspaces, Loop Pages, Copilot Pages, Copilot Notebooks, Copilot Notebooks in OneNote Notebooks

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 404: The Microsoft 365 Landing Page Shake-Up

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 403 – Catching up on all the news from Microsoft Build 2025

Show Notes

About the sponsors

Episode 402 – Declarative Agents with Andrew Connell

Show Notes

Episode 409 – Preparing for Copilot- Securing Your Microsoft 365 Data and Beyond