Microsoft Ignite should be added as a must attend event for IT decision makers and executives that have any type of current investment in Microsoft, building cloud strategies and transforming the way people work. The wave of announcements, the insights into technology, and the validations of customer success are worth tuning into.
Worth watching… https://t.co/nxQxgfzWTK
— markbowker (@markbowker) November 7, 2019
- Microsoft Teams – Teams captured an enormous amount of attention at Ignite. Assuming that companies can heal from any wounds Skype or Lync may have caused and didn’t run too far ahead with Zoom or Slack, Teams is worth using (even for internal IT) for its short term benefits of collaboration as well as what may be a potential long term replacement of Outlook.
- Azure Arc – Microsoft’s answer to hybrid and multi-cloud management. It will be important to watch the competition and cooperation here given the hot activity with AWS Outposts, Dell Technology Cloud, Google Anthos, VMware vRealize, and HPE Greenlake. Given that ESG research shows more than half of organizations formulating hybrid cloud strategies cited compatibility with their on-premises infrastructure as the most important consideration and the fact that 76% organizations are multi-cloud, owning the management platform becomes extremely important for the IT vendor landscape.
- Microsoft Endpoint Manager – Finally, Microsoft has combined SCCM & Intune to help simplify endpoint management. The security capabilities here are notable and have the potential to impact existing investments in security tools. It’s an ideal time for IT admins to sit down with the information security teams to understand the Microsoft capabilities here.
- Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop – WVD has the potential to be game changing for the way IT delivers, secures, and manages applications and desktops. Microsoft has to be laser-focused to make sure the initial WVD experience is a success or they risk a market opportunity to disrupt the secure delivery of Windows on ANY device. Also a word of caution here…there is active confusion in the market as to whether WVD will replace Citrix and VMware VDI. I believe WVD has the potential to nearly eradicate VDI, but those with existing investments in Citrix and VMware should take a time out to understand the WVD impact.
- New Edge browser – The new Edge browser is built on Chromium and aimed to solve application compatibility issues and work cross platform. Nice! This was a must move for Microsoft as ESG research showed that Google Chrome was edging out the Microsoft browser when IT was forced to pick a single corporate sanctioned web browser.
- Microsoft Security – Yes, Microsoft is a security company and leveraged Ignite to display security highlights across the board. Some of my favorites included:
- MFA is free with Microsoft Authenticator.
- Secure Score to provide guidance and recommendations to improve security posture.
- Graph Security API to enable partners to work together with Microsoft to enable better threat detection and faster incident response.
- Looking to learn more? Read Security Analytics and Operations: Industry Trends in the Era of Cloud Computing created ESG Senior Principal Analyst and ESG Fellow, Jon Oltsik.
I agree @markbowker. Given the historic investment in @Microsoft technology and investment in @Azure, Microsoft will become a core player in enterprise security. #microsoft #CyberSecurity #infosec #SOAPA https://t.co/KT9e2LZrw4
— Jon Oltsik (@joltsik) November 6, 2019
Given the historic investment businesses have made in Microsoft technology over the past 3 plus decades, companies should prioritize their engagements with Microsoft to help craft the impact technology will have on their business over the next decade.
