Microsoft Build, managing AI agents and more
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Did you know that Magnus Carlsen, the world's greatest chess player, held 143,000 players to a draw this week?
Well now you do.
The biggest chess match of all time (by number of participants) came to its conclusion this week after 46 days of battle on the board. Each move made by Carlsen was followed by a 24-hour period in which the global hivemind could vote on the next move, as 143,000 players tried to outwit chess' greatest talent. All that pomp and circumstance to end in a stalemate...
Anyway, with that over I've been able to turn my focus back to Microsoft, and in particular this week's Build conference. Therefore, I've got plenty to update you on, including...
So, without further ado...
Wrapping up from Microsoft Build 👷♂️
Today marks the fourth and final day of Microsoft Build, the company's annual developer conference in Seattle. Agentic AI has expectedly dominated proceedings, and although this is rarely the stage on which Microsoft chooses to make any groundbreaking announcements, there are a few stories worth covering – so here's a whistlestop tour, with links if you're left wanting more.
⬆️ GitHub Copilot levels up: Nearly three years after its initial launch, GitHub Copilot is stepping up from assistant to agent. Helping with everything from DevOps planning to production, more than 15 million developers have come to rely on GitHub Copilot to code quicker and build better. With the addition of agentic workflows, it'll now expand its remit and aid every step of the DevOps process. Read more.
🔬 Virtual research is realised: Exciting innovations, both in technology and all other walks of science – and, well, life – start with research. Microsoft's latest release, dubbed Discovery, is enabling researchers to create virtual teams of researchers that dig deeper, quicker, creating more efficient R&D processes. The tech is already in use, says Microsoft, and is making a massive impact. Read more.
🤖 Agent management made easy: The emergence of AI agents has brought with it the need for new skillsets – managing machines is a different prospect to managing people. While Microsoft 365 Copilot Studio has long enabled managers to create their agents, newly released Copilot Tuning goes one step further and provides a straightforward way to create entire teams and train them on company data. Agent management has never been simpler. Read more.
There's still a little bit more to come from Microsoft Build, so keep your eyes peeled on the Microsoft website for any last-minute emerging stories!
It all starts in Azure ☁️
Did you catch the brand-new video case study posted earlier this week? We've been working with Oak Group for a little while now, starting with their migration to Microsoft Azure and working towards adopting more of the Microsoft technology suite.
Transformation starts in the cloud, and we can't wait to see where Kim Sgarlata , John Doublard and the rest of the team take Oak next!
What's been happening, and what's up next 📅
May is a busy month for our Events Manager Kimberly Liwag ! Having kicked off our virtual webinar series for non-profit organisations earlier this month, this week it was on to our latest in-person event as we headed to London's Imperial War Museum to speak to CISOs and Security Managers about the world of Microsoft security.
From Leon Godwin 's simulated cyberattack to Mark Philip 's 'day in the life', as well as technology insights from Pete Murphy and Microsoft 's Sneha Bodade , there was a lot going on and plenty to feedback... which we'll be doing in the next few days.
As for what's next, we're hitting the road and heading to Manchester next week to talk all things AI readiness. Leon will once again be hosting, joined by Sophie Marshall and Jonathan Moore , with Abdullah Abu-Hassan on-hand to represent Microsoft. The team will be exploring best practices when it comes to innovating in Azure, adopting AI, and how you can tap into funding opportunities to unlock your next project.
And that's a wrap from me – now attentions turn to getting everything sorted ahead of the bank holiday weekend!
Until next time,
Eric 🦔