Forward Deployed
Microsoft
As organizations accelerate their adoption of generative AI and intelligent agents to transform how they build and manage solutions, IT professionals and developers are expanding their expertise to design, deploy, and govern AI-powered systems—leveraging Microsoft Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry to integrate collaboration tools, enforce enterprise-grade compliance, and support both low-code and pro-code development. With built-in security frameworks, governance controls, and seamless integration with Microsoft Security, Entra, and Purview, these platforms empower teams to innovate responsibly while maintaining visibility, control, and trust across the AI lifecycle. Learn from Microsoft MVPs, product team members, and industry practitioners how they’ve built secure, collaborative, and compliant AI applications and agents using Microsoft’s trusted AI ecosystem.
Episodes
Mentioned books
9 snips
Jul 15, 2025 • 26min
Episode 94: Managed Operations (w/ Austin Laugesen)
Discover the fascinating world of Managed Operations and how it aids admins and makers in collaborating more efficiently. Learn about the key differences between observability and visibility, and why the Power Platform's relationship with Azure DevOps is a game-changer. Dive into enhancements in monitoring and automated testing, and explore the evolution of metrics that provide deeper insights. Plus, there's a playful nod to pizza puffs that adds a delightful twist to the tech talk!
Jul 8, 2025 • 33min
Episode 93: Copilot Cost Controls (w/ Amiya and Isha)
Licensing is hot topic, but we’ve got the experts to cool it down. In this episode, we’re joined by Principal Product Managers Amiya Patra and Isha Sahni to break down how Microsoft Copilot licensing works. From free trials to PAYGO to full licenses, they unpack what you need to know about billing models, usage tracking, and upcoming tools that make it easier to manage. Whether you're just getting started or scaling enterprise-wide, this episode has the clarity you’ve been waiting for to understand Copilot cost controls.
Want to try out the cost estimator? https://microsoft.github.io/copilot-studio-estimator/
Jun 17, 2025 • 39min
Episode 92: Customer Zero 2: Managing Agents at Microsoft (w/ Aisha Hasan)
Customer Zero 2: This Time it's Personal! Well, actually it's agents. Aisha Hasan joins the podcast to talk about how Microsoft Digital (Microsoft IT) manages Microsoft Power Platform and agents. This episode provides great insights in how Microsoft governs agents at scale and what steps we took to lead and grow innovation with incredible governance features and strategies across Microsoft.
Jun 9, 2025 • 30min
Episode 91: Microsoft Copilot Adoption (w/ Wendy and Jon)
In this episode we chat with Wendy Haddad and Jon Butler to dive deep into the practical realities of adopting Microsoft Copilot across organizations. Drawing from their field experience with Microsoft customers, they discuss what actually works when helping your organization adopt Microsoft Copilot and common pitfalls to avoid.
Listeners will gain insights into:
How to teach others to use Copilot/AI
The role that executive sponsors play in Copilot adoption
How to think like a prompt-engineer and best practices to get more from Copilot
How to troubleshoot when you don't get the result you expect
Adoption resources for a successful rollout.
Jun 9, 2025 • 26min
Episode 90: Wendy is Back! (w/ the whole group)
Yay! The whole gang is here for this one! Wendy is back. Where was she? What was she doing? How did we ever manage without Wendy? This episode is special as it relates to workers learning how to incorporate generative AI into their workflows. This time, Wendy explains how she kept up and managed to get ahead with Microsoft Copilot and agents while she was away.
Jun 3, 2025 • 33min
Episode 89: Dataverse in the Age of AI (w/ Julie Koesmarno)
Want to make your data more meaningful with Copilot and agents? What are some of the patterns that organizations are using to find success when using agents? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Julie Koesmarno, Groups Program/Project(?) Manager as Julie joins the show to talk about why Dataverse is the one of the major keys to getting the most out of your agents going forward.
May 23, 2025 • 32min
Episode 88: The Agent Cloud (w/ Nirav Shah)
Data is a key component to the agentic future of organizations and there is so much learn and understand in order for solution developers, admins, CIOs, CEOs, and CTOs, to have a successful deployment. Luckily, Nirav Shah, CVP of BAC (the org formerly known as Dataverse) joins the podcast to talk about how agents play a critical role in how organizations run, how customers can solve their business problems with Microsoft Copilot and agents, and what is an expert agent.
Nirav and former guest, James Olenik, spoke at Microsoft Build about this very topic! Check it out here: https://build.microsoft.com/en-US/sessions/BRK129?source=sessions
Also check out:
aka.ms/2025brk132
aka.ms/2025od817
aka.ms/2025brk125
aka.ms/2025brk159
May 15, 2025 • 33min
Episode 87: The Developer Dilemma (w/ Dave Milton)
Microsoft Build is right around the corner and is the best place to learn about all the news around professional development. But the title of this show doesn't really scream 'PRO CODE', so what does Microsoft Power Platform have to offer pro code developers? Dave Milton joins the show to talk about the pro code development and the shift in mindset for developers to take on low code.
May 6, 2025 • 28min
Episode 86: Automating the Future: Desktop Flows & Generative AII (w/ Christy Jefson)
In this episode of The Low Code Approach, hosts Sean Fiene and Jocelyn Panchal sit down with Christy Jefson to explore the evolving landscape of automation through desktop flows and the integration of generative AI. Together, they unpack how Power Automate is transforming repetitive tasks, what’s new in the world of RPA, and how generative AI is reshaping the way we build and optimize low-code solutions. Whether you're a seasoned maker or just getting started, this conversation offers practical insights and forward-looking perspectives on building smarter, faster, and more intuitive automation experiences.
Apr 29, 2025 • 31min
Episode 85: We're Chatting Agents! (w/ Mark Smith)
In this episode, Ken, Sean, and Jocelyn sit down with industry expert Mark Smith, the NZ365 guy, to explore the current state of AI agents in the real world. They delve into the practical applications, challenges, and innovations surrounding AI agents, discussing how these intelligent systems are transforming various industries. From personal productivity autonomous agents to enterprise solutions, this episode provides a comprehensive overview of how AI agents are being utilized today and what the future holds. Tune in to hear firsthand experiences, expert opinions, and engaging discussions on the evolving landscape of AI agents
Want to listen to more Mark? Check him out here: https://www.nz365guy.com/
