Betatalks the podcast

In this episode, we talk with Rik Hepworth. He is a Chief Consulting Officer at Black Marble. That means his days are spent herding cats as he manages developers and consultants. He is proud to have been awarded Microsoft MVP in Azure since 2014 and he's been a Microsoft Regional Director since 2020. Passionate about community, Rik helps organise two community dev conferences in the UK and is a member of the central organising team for global Azure. We discuss the history and evolution of global Azure from an event focused on introducing people to Azure to one focused more on sharing knowledge and best practices. We talk about the challenges of running in-person events post-pandemic, like higher no-show rates and difficulties finding venues. We discuss the various ways people can get involved with global Azure, including organizing local events, speaking, attending, or sponsoring. The goal is to bring the Azure community together from around the world over three days to learn and share ideas. About this episode, and Rik Hepworth in particular: you can find @rikhepworth on X and GitHub. Check out his website and read his blogs.About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Rudy Ooms. He is a Microsoft MVP and he has been working for Deltacom for 22 years as a Cloud Architect. He is also the owner of Call4Cloud. He does a lot of blogging and he might be the Intune engineering team’s worst enemy. We discuss endpoint security and device management with Intune. Rudy shares insights from his experience debugging Intune and finding bugs to report to Microsoft. We cover topics like Windows LAPS, Endpoint Privilege Management, declarative device management using desired state configuration, and services like MMPC that are improving how devices can be managed without requiring Azure AD join. We also dive into the future direction of Intune and related tools for securely managing devices in hybrid and cloud environments. About this episode, and Rudy Ooms in particular: you can find Rudy on X @Mister_MDM & Reddit. Read all his interesting blogs and more on his website Call4Cloud. About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Magnus Mårtensson. He is an entrepreneur, an MVP for Azure since the start of the cloud, and a Microsoft Regional Director. He is a consultant, architect, and product development lead, and he runs his own company Lofty Soft. As an international speaker, his passions include connecting with audiences and organizing conferences. We discuss Magnus' background working with Azure for many years and running community events like Global Azure. We talk about the early days of Azure and how it has evolved significantly over 15 years. We also dive into challenges large companies face in optimizing their cloud usage and developing a culture of automation. We touch on Magnus' consulting company Lofty Soft and how he helps customers optimize their cloud usage. We also cover the importance of physical wellness for those in sedentary jobs, and how Magnus uses a fitness tracker and activities like gardening and cooking to stay active.About this episode, and Magnus Mårtensson in particular: you can find Magnus on Twitter @noopman & GitHub. Read all his interesting blogs on his website. And, don't forget to check out his company website Lofty Soft.About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Willem Meints. He is a software architect who has been working with AI for 10 years. He is the author of the book "Deep learning with Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit Quick Start Guide". With his background in electronics and software engineering, he brings a unique view on how companies can use machine learning with a keen eye for DevOps and continuous delivery that's often overlooked in this field. We discuss where AI currently stands in its development, with Willem saying it is becoming a teenager. We talk about how companies can get started with AI by doing small proof of concepts instead of large projects. Ensuring AI use cases are linked to business goals is important. And we cover the challenges of machine learning operations and explainable AI. Overall, the discussion focuses on practical applications of AI and how developers can start using it as another tool in their toolbox.About this episode, and Willem Meints in particular: you can find Willem on Twitter @willem_meints & GitHub. Read all his interesting blogs on 'Willem's Fizzy Logic' and find his book here.About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Laïla Bougriâ. She is a software engineer and solution architect with over 15 years of experience in the .NET space. She's a Microsoft Azure MVP and a frequent speaker at conferences around the world. Laïla is busy building NServiceBus at Particular Software and solving distributed riddles. When she's not immersed in code, Laïla enjoys indulging in her favorite pastime - knitting! We discuss critical thinking skills and how they can be developed and applied in software development projects. We talk about the importance of collaboration and getting different perspectives from team members with varied backgrounds and experiences. We also discuss the challenges of choosing appropriate technologies for projects and keeping teams up to date with new tools and languages. Laïla shares her experiences with public speaking and how mentors helped her get started. About this episode, and Laïla Bougriâ in particular: you can find Laïla on Twitter @noctovis & GitHub and on Mastadon. About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Wesley Haakman. He is a Microsoft Azure MVP and Lead Azure Architect at Intercept, transitioned from managing Linux environments to mastering the Microsoft platform since Windows 2003.  His passion for Microsoft Azure led to a journey of sharing insights with peers, customers, and partners, designing cloud solutions, participating in preview programs, and delivering workshops and technical sessions. We discuss Wesley's career journey working with Microsoft Azure over many years. We talk about how Azure has evolved tremendously from the early days. Wesley emphasizes the importance of infrastructure as code and having the operational mindset to properly manage cloud environments. We also explore his passion for public speaking and how he overcame nerves to enjoy sharing his knowledge. Additionally, Wesley predicts that artificial intelligence capabilities on Azure, especially through services like Open AI, will drive major changes in the coming years for how organizations adopt and leverage AI. Overall, the podcast provides insights into Azure developments and operations best practices from Wesley's perspective as a longtime expert in the cloud space.About this episode, and Wesley Haakman in particular: you can find Wesley on LinkedIn & Github. Check out his website for all his interesting blogs and more.About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Daniel Marbach. He is a Software Engineer at Particular Software, makers of NServiceBus, and a Microsoft MVP for Integration. He can bend minds and spoons with asynchronous programming and has contributed to many open-source projects. We talk about Daniel's background and career path, with a focus on his extensive open-source contributions. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and understanding technologies at multiple levels. He also stresses finding the right balance between hands-on work and higher-level responsibilities. Daniel shares his process for thoroughly researching codebases to solve problems. We also discuss Daniel's self-imposed router hack. And we explore the value of knowledge sharing and learning from unsuccessful career moves. Emphasizing skills like self-reflection, getting outside perspectives, and prioritizing mental well-being. About this episode, and Daniel Marbach in particular: you can find Daniel on Twitter @danielmarbach & Github. Check out his website - planetgeek.ch – Your source of geek knowledge - for all his interesting blogs and more.About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Sarah Young. She is a Senior Cloud Security Advocate at Microsoft, holds numerous industry qualifications, and has co-authored a few Microsoft Press technical books. She won the Security Champion award at the Australian Women in Security Awards and is a co-host of the Microsoft Azure Security Podcast. We discuss the changing face of security and how it has evolved from being an afterthought to being integrated throughout the development lifecycle. Traditional perimeter-based security approaches are no longer effective in today's cloud and distributed environments. Instead, identity-based security and zero-trust models are becoming more prevalent. We also talk about how security needs to be easy and frictionless for developers in order to be effective. Simply telling developers to implement security controls is not enough - the secure option must also be the easy option. We talk about the trends in cloud security posture management tools and securing AI that can help automate routine security tasks. Overall, the key takeaway is that while security principles remain the same, the approach needs to shift to be integrated, automated, and frictionless in order to be adopted by developers. About this episode, and Sarah Young in particular: you can find Sarah on Twitter @_sarahyo & LinkedIn. Check out her podcast 'The Azure Security Podcast' and if you want to know more about Sarah and her books go to her website. About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Azure McFarlane, a BizApps MVP, and a senior consultant at Hitachi Solutions in Washington DC. Her specialty is Microsoft Power Platform and she has an established Flowmance with Power Automate. She serves as Head of Global Partnerships and Growth at TechStylers and she co-hosts a community podcast 'Cloud Conversations'. We talk about her background and how she ended up at Microsoft, where she found her passion in the world of automation and leveraging Power Automate to revolutionize workflows and boost productivity and efficiency. Power Automate is a workflow engine, part of Microsoft's more low-code development platform Power Platform.  It provides an easy-to-use solution for automating tasks and business processes among more than 1,000 different apps and services, saving valuable time. We talk about desktop flows, explore real-world examples and gain insight into the transformative potential of Power Automate, not just for technical people. Furthermore, we talk about mentorship and which cult movies are or aren't a must-watch.About this episode, and Azure McFarlane in particular: you can find Azure on Twitter @amac_ncheese, LinkedIn and the podcast Cloud Converstations.  About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel 

In this episode, we talk with Ferenc Németh, a senior consulting architect at YieldDD Software Due Diligence. With his decades of experience, he helps companies make the right strategic choices by performing software due diligence, software assessments, and security assessments. We talk about how to correctly assess software quality and provide consulting services. Ferenc tells all about how YieldDD goes beyond automated tools and provides insight and interpretation, allowing clients to fully understand all aspects of the software and eliminate unnecessary risks. Their services are sought after in mergers, acquisitions, and cloud transitions. He emphasizes the importance of considering the broader context when evaluating software. We also dive into the importance of conducting security assessments and testing data quality, as well as security and AI considerations in software development. We discuss the benefits of Open Source software. Ferenc encourages companies to consider making non-critical parts of their software Open Source to improve quality. Balancing technical and business demands to achieve better code and software is discussed. And, we touch upon the role of AI tools in coding. About this episode, and Ferenc Németh in particular: you can find Ferenc on LinkedIn and visit the website of YieldDD and find out even more about Software Due Diligence.About Betatalks: have a look at our videos and join us on our Betatalks Discord channel