RunAs Radio

Tony Redmond, a Microsoft MVP for Microsoft 365 and a consultant, discusses the power of Microsoft Graph and its pivotal role for sysadmins managing M365 tenants. He explains how understanding Graph can unlock valuable organizational insights and improve data management. Redmond also shares insights from his extensive experience with tools like PowerShell and highlights the challenges of coordinating updates across Microsoft's ecosystem. His expertise is underlined by his authorship of the 'Office 365 for IT Pros' book, which is crucial in navigating the complexities of modern tech.

In this discussion, Christina Wheeler, a Senior Solution Engineer at Microsoft, delves into the world of Copilot adoption in financial services. She emphasizes the critical role of data security and governance using tools like Microsoft Purview. Christina highlights the transition from traditional systems to Dataverse for better compliance and scalability. The chat also explores how AI tools enhance productivity and customer interactions, showcasing the potential of Copilot to streamline workflows and improve efficiency in the financial sector.

In this engaging discussion, Steven Bucher, Product Manager for Azure Resource Manager at Microsoft, dives into the world of AI and automation in cloud deployment. He explains the transformation from ClickOps to DevOps, emphasizing the importance of tools like Azure CLI and Terraform. Steven also highlights how GitHub Copilot can streamline coding in Visual Studio, making Infrastructure as Code more accessible. He shares insights on fostering productivity while maintaining work-life balance, demonstrating how strategic use of AI enhances both development workflows and team dynamics.

April Dunnam, a Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft and MVP alumni, shares her expertise on integrating AI into organizations. She discusses Copilot Studio's role in creating generative AI agents, emphasizing low-code solutions that enhance productivity. The conversation highlights the differences between agentic AI and traditional automation, the importance of user-friendly tools, and the challenges of scaling. April also touches on optimizing costs with Microsoft's token model and the significance of thorough testing for effective AI implementation.

In this engaging discussion, Arun Ulag, who leads product management for Azure Data, dives into the exciting advancements of Fabric as it evolves into a comprehensive data solution. He highlights its expansion into real-time intelligence and how it's designed to streamline data management for AI workloads. Arun also showcases the power of conversational interfaces that enable quicker access to data insights, helping organizations make informed decisions swiftly. The conversation underscores the importance of integrating tools like Power BI for enhanced analytics and collaboration.

Luise Freese, a software solution architect and blogger at m365princess.com, dives into the transformation of PowerApps into full-fledged applications. She shares insights on managing the application lifecycle, emphasizing the importance of requirement engineering and governance. Luise discusses the pitfalls of using free data sources like SharePoint, which can hurt performance. Collaborative strategies between developers and business users are highlighted, showcasing how structured onboarding processes improve security and reliability in software development.

In this discussion, Mark Russinovich, the Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Azure, dives into the latest advancements in cloud computing and AI. He reveals innovative collaborations with hardware manufacturers to optimize server performance for various workloads. The conversation shifts to the rise of AI in coding, discussing tools like GitHub Copilot. Mark also explores the future of quantum computing and its integration into Azure, showcasing breakthroughs in generative AI. This vibrant chat intertwines technology and the evolving landscape of cloud solutions.

April Yoho, a Senior Developer Advocate at GitHub, discusses how sysadmins can enhance their workflow using GitHub features. She highlights the power of GitHub Copilot for script quality and mastering branching and merging. The conversation explores ways to utilize Copilot’s custom instructions and agentic mode for generating scripts and turning them into actionable GitHub issues. April also touches on the evolving role of AI in software development, emphasizing its potential to boost productivity and collaboration within teams.

Here comes SQL Server 2025! While at Build, Richard chatted with Bob Ward about releasing a preview version of SQL Server 2025. Bob discusses SQL Server 2025 as an AI-ready enterprise database with numerous capabilities specifically tailored to your organization's AI needs, including a new vector data type. This includes making REST API calls to Azure OpenAI, Ollama, or OpenAI. This is also the version of SQL Server designed to integrate with Microsoft Fabric through mirroring. There are many more features, even a new icon!LinksSQL Server 2025 AnnouncementJSON Data TypeOllamaRecorded May 20, 2025

Liz Fong-Jones, a seasoned Developer Advocate at Honeycomb, shares her insights into modern telemetry solutions and their pivotal role in enhancing system reliability. She discusses strategies for educating leadership on effective telemetry practices and the cultural shift towards embracing failure as a learning opportunity. The conversation also touches on overcoming resistance to change in tech environments, boosting developer confidence during deployments, and the importance of meaningful insights from observability tools, ultimately advocating for a balanced approach to technology adoption.