Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast

Welcome to Episode 406 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott discuss their recent experiences and thoughts on Microsoft’s Copilot features and agents, specifically focusing on the Researcher and Analyst agents. They share practical applications and benefits of these tools, such as using Researcher for meeting preparations and Analyst for exploring data, summarizing data, and even coming up with python script to use with data. Additionally, they cover the upcoming migration of Microsoft Sentinel to the Defender portal, discussing its implications and potential future changes for other security tools. The episode ends with a teaser about an upcoming discussion on MCPs for AI! 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 Introducing Researcher and Analyst in Microsoft 365 Copilot Introducing Deep Research in Azure AI Foundry Agent Service Get started with Researcher in Microsoft 365 Copilot Researcher agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot Analyst agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot Get started with Analyst in Microsoft 365 Copilot New reasoning agents: Researcher and Analyst in Microsoft 365 Copilot Planning your move to Microsoft Defender portal for all Microsoft Sentinel customers About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Welcome to Episode 405 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott tackle the increasingly complex world of Microsoft’s notebook ecosystem, exploring the new Copilot notebooks feature and how it relates to existing tools like OneNote and Loop. They break down the confusing landscape where “a notebook is not a notebook unless a notebook is a notebook in the right place.” 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 Overview of Copilot Pages and Copilot Notebooks storage | Microsoft Learn Overview of Copilot Pages, Copilot Notebooks, and Loop workspaces permissions Overview of Loop storage | Microsoft Learn Copilot Pages, OneNote, Loop…where should I store my notes and tasks? About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Recent changes to the Microsoft 365 landing page have left many IT professionals reeling. A shift towards a Copilot-centric experience is causing confusion and obsolescence of past training resources. There’s a mix of frustration and nostalgia as users navigate the new interface, facing cumbersome navigation and rebranded tools. The speakers tackle the implications of the redesign and share insights on adapting organizational training for a smoother transition, all while highlighting the need for user feedback on ongoing updates.

Discover the latest advancements from Microsoft Build 2025, including the innovative Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning that personalizes AI interactions. Dive into the humorous mishaps of event planning, showcasing the unpredictability of outdoor gatherings. Learn about AI's role in drafting legal documents and its implications for the workforce. The launch of Microsoft's Entra Agent ID highlights crucial security enhancements for AI in enterprise applications. Plus, explore improvements in Azure infrastructure that focus on performance and sustainability.

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 LinkedIn YouTube BlueSky Newsletter: The Full Stack Dev’s Microsoft 365 Playbook Podcast: Code. Deploy. Go Live. – codedeploygo.live Code. Deploy. Go Live on YouTube 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 Episode 400 – Microsoft 365 Copilot Declarative Agents and Copilot Studio Agent Builder Create Copilot agents in Microsoft 365 Business Chat and Teams Grounding an agent to specific public websites Semantic indexing for Microsoft 365 Copilot Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Dive into the world of Zero Trust in Microsoft 365. Discover how identity management and Entra ID are vital for security. Learn strategies for securing endpoints, balancing corporate and BYOD policies. Explore the complexities of network traffic and conditional access in a SaaS environment. Uncover the role of Defender for Cloud in managing shadow IT and protecting sensitive data with DLP policies. Gain insights on practical implementation techniques and real-world examples to enhance security postures.

The hosts dive into the benefits of Microsoft 365 Copilot’s declarative agents and the Copilot Studio Agent Builder. They discuss building no-code agents that streamline tasks like onboarding, and how these agents can integrate various data sources. Security measures for managing sensitive information and licensing intricacies of the Office 365 environment are also highlighted. Listeners are encouraged to engage and share experiences while exploring optimal licensing models to maximize efficiency and minimize costs.

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. 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 Greg Suttie – MVP Profile Greg Suttie’s blog Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) What is IaC What is Bicep? Comparing JSON and Bicep for templates Quickstart: Integrate Bicep with Azure Pipelines Azure Verified Modules Azure Verified Modules What is the Azure Well-Architected Framework? Azure Quick Review Docs Azure Quick Review Github Azure Bicep Parameters Bicep Configuration Files Export a resource from the Azure Portal Visual Studio Code GitHub Copilot About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

In this engaging chat, Harm Veenstra, a Microsoft MVP and IT consultant specializing in Endpoint Management, shares insights from his journey in the tech world. He discusses the evolution of PowerShell from a Windows-only tool to a versatile, cross-platform powerhouse. Harm dives into his favorite scripts, how he utilizes PowerShell with Microsoft Intune, and the complexities of script management. The conversation also touches on the exciting integration of AI in IT tasks, emphasizing the balance between automation and traditional scripting.

Welcome to Episode 397 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Scott and Ben dive into the world of local LLMs—large language models that run entirely on your device. We’re going to explore why more IT pros and developers are experimenting with them, the kinds of models you can run, and how you can integrate them directly into your workflow, including in Visual Studio Code for AI-assisted coding. 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 Ollama Running LLMs Locally: A Beginner’s Guide to Using Ollama open-webui/open-webui LM Studio LM. Studio Model Catalog Why do people like Ollama more than LM Studio? A Starter Guide for Playing with Your Own Local AI! host ALL your AI locally Run your own AI (but private) About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!