Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast

Welcome to Episode 413 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Microsoft has introduced a new file share-centric management model for Azure Files, aiming to eliminate the complexity of managing storage accounts. This model treats file shares as top-level Azure resources, allowing for easier automation, granular access control, and independent scaling. It also simplifies billing with transparent pricing and supports up to 1,000 file shares per subscription per region in the current preview. 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 Simplifying file share management and control for Azure Files Plan to deploy Azure Files Create an Azure file share with Microsoft.FileShares (preview) Scalability and performance targets for Azure Files Understand Azure Files billing models More questions? Reach out to [email protected] About our guest   Connect with Will Gries on LinkedIn   About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Welcome to Episode 412 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we explore three announcements from Microsoft that are reshaping how security teams work with Sentinel. From a reimagined data architecture to AI integration and new visualization capabilities, Microsoft is doubling down on making security operations more intelligent, efficient, and accessible. Whether you're a seasoned SOC analyst or just getting started with cloud security, these updates offer powerful new ways to detect threats, investigate incidents, and understand your security posture. 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 Logitech MX Master 4, Ergonomic Wireless Mouse with Advanced Performance Haptic Feedback, Ultra-Fast Scrolling, USB-C Charging, Bluetooth, Windows, MacOS - Graphite Microsoft Sentinel data lake is now generally available Announcing Microsoft Sentinel Model Context Protocol (MCP) server – Public Preview What is Microsoft Sentinel’s support for Model Context Protocol (MCP)? Add Microsoft Sentinel's collection of MCP tools Introducing Microsoft Sentinel graph (Public Preview) Graph models overview (preview) About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Welcome back to another episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast! In this episode, we dive deep into one of Microsoft Purview's AI monitoring and protection capabilities: Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI - your secret weapon for monitoring and securing AI usage across your organization. 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 Learn about Data Security Posture Management Learn about Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI Governing AI Shadow IT with the Microsoft Purview Browser Extension Get started with the Microsoft Purview extension for Chrome Considerations for DSPM for AI to manage data security and compliance protections for AI interactions Learn about Microsoft Purview billing models List of AI sites supported by Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management for AI About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Welcome to Episode 410 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast where hosts Jay Leask and Joy Apple are joined by special guest Ben Stegink for a discussion recorded live from the North American Cloud and Collaboration Summit in Branson. In this episode we focus on how organizations must adapt their change management approaches for the Microsoft 365 cloud environment.We discuss the fundamental shift from traditional IT operations, where organizations controlled software update timing, to cloud-based services with continuous updates outside of their control. Jay and Joy emphasize that successful modern IT requires cross-functional teams where IT partners closely with business units, communications, and training departments rather than operating in isolation. We then talk about the need for a shift in governance models to empower business users while requiring IT to balance user control with necessary oversight.Key themes include the importance of ongoing communication and adoption strategies, using tools like Viva Engage communities for peer-to-peer support, and adopting a "yes, and" approach to business requests rather than defaulting to "no." The episode emphasizes treating technology deployment as an ongoing service relationship rather than a one-time project, which is essential for success in the rapidly evolving cloud environment. 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 Joy Apple Joy is a Microsoft MVP and Director of Success and Enablement at Orchestry. With years of experience as an information technologist, I’m dedicated to helping organizations implement technology with a purpose-driven, “human-first” approach, ensuring tools like Microsoft 365 empower people to do their best work. Teaching and knowledge-sharing are at the heart of what I do. Whether it’s through volunteering in the Microsoft Community, speaking at events, or writing as the “Joy of SharePoint,” I’m passionate about helping others unlock their potential with modern workplace solutions. Im also a cohost of the Guardians of M365 Governance podcast, where I explore the challenges and rewards of governance, and a columnist for She is Tulsa, a quarterly magazine celebrating impactful stories from my local community. Outside of work, you’ll often find me enjoying live music or discovering new spots in Tulsa, Oklahoma, combining my love of connection and creativity wherever I go. Jay Leask Jay is a Principal Technical Architect at the Washington DC Microsoft Innovation Hub specializing in Modern Work. Jay facilitates discussions on modern IT practices, using 20 years of IT experience to engage customers in solutions design with a focus on increased the value and decreased risk within collaboration investments. His focus over the last 15 years has been on public sector organizations including state, local, and Federal government, as well as education institutions. Links Joy Apple on LinkedIn Connect with Jay Microsoft 365 Change Guide Stay on top of changes in Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 Roadmap About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Welcome to Episode 409 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott explore the configuration decisions tenant administrators face when preparing their Microsoft 365 environment for Copilot deployment. They dive into the key questions every IT professional should be asking: How do you identify and remediate oversharing in SharePoint sites before Copilot can access that content? What governance controls should be in place to prevent sensitive data from being discoverable through organization-wide search? The hosts examine practical tools for identifying high-risk sites and content, how to control which sites appear in Copilot results, and other configuration options that allow you to optimize how Copilot processes organizational content. 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 Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot Apply principles of Zero Trust to Microsoft 365 Copilot Get started with data explorer Data access governance reports for SharePoint sites Semantic indexing for Microsoft 365 Copilot Restrict discovery of SharePoint sites and content A glimpse into the future of file sharing in Microsoft 365 About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Welcome to Episode 408 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. Part two of our exploration into Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers continues our hands-on discussion about finding, implementing, and getting the most out of MCP servers in your daily workflows. 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 Silicon Valley: Gilfoyle Made A Bot (Season 6 Episode 1 Clip) | HBO Lokka What is the Azure MCP Server (Preview)? Microsoft Learn Docs MCP Server overview Notion MCP Introducing Slack MCP Support Model Context Protocol servers Docker MCP Catalog About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

Welcome to Episode 407 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, we dive deep into the Model Context Protocol (MCP) - a game-changing specification that's extending the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) and creating exciting new possibilities for IT professionals working with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365. MCP represents a significant shift toward more extensible and domain-specific AI interactions. Instead of being limited to pre-trained knowledge, you can now connect your AI tools directly to live data sources, APIs, and services that matter to your specific role and organization. Whether you're managing Azure infrastructure, creating content, or developing solutions, MCP provides a framework to make your AI interactions more powerful and contextually relevant to your daily workflows. 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 the Model Context Protocol Understanding MCP server concepts Understanding MCP client concepts A list of applications that support MCP integrations About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!

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!

Welcome to Episode 404 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott discuss the latest change Microsoft has rolled out to the Microsoft 365 user experience, redirecting users from the familiar portal.office.com to a new Copilot-centric landing page. This shift has caught many IT professionals off guard, rendering existing training documentation obsolete and creating user confusion across organizations. 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 WTF is happening with office.com? New Microsoft 365 Home Page How to Use the NEW Microsoft 365 Copilot Experience! About the sponsors Would you like to become the irreplaceable Microsoft 365 resource for your organization? Let us know!