Analyst Reports

Our experts meticulously cut through the haze of Microsoft information so you don’t have to. Analyst Reports provide the clearest, most accurate, and up-to-date information anywhere, free of hype or complexity. Each report delivers clear, actionable insights to help you plan, evaluate, and decide with confidence. New reports are published every week on a variety of topics that will help you reduce risk and save both time and money.

M365 Companion Apps to Be on by Default in Windows 11 August 21, 2025 Organizations should preview the Microsoft 365 Calendar, File Search, and People companion apps for Windows… more Sentinel Data Lake Eases Storage of Logs August 18, 2025 Sentinel data lake (in preview) helps customers use Sentinel as their default long-term log storage… more Defender Threat Intelligence Coming to Sentinel and Defender XDR at No Additional Cost August 18, 2025 Microsoft Defender Threat Intelligence, previously constrained to an exceedingly expensive per-user license, will be retired… more Who’s Who on a Microsoft Account Team Updated: August 15, 2025 Understanding the roles of the Microsoft account team can help with problems in contract negotiation,… more HDInsight Stagnates: Time to Migrate August 9, 2025 HDInsight has reached a critical point where aging components and lack of investment indicate customers… more Microsoft Researcher Agent Can Speed Decision-Making, But Check Your Work August 8, 2025 Microsoft Researcher, included with Microsoft 365 Copilot, can accelerate strategic planning but requires verification to… more Windows 11 SE Support Ends Oct. 2026 August 8, 2025 Schools should shut down Surface SE and other Windows 11 SE devices by Oct. 2026,… more SharePoint Alerts Retiring: What You Need to Know August 7, 2025 SharePoint alerts are retiring next year, and users may be disrupted more than anticipated. How to Choose Azure SQL Configurations That Meet Requirements and Control Costs August 5, 2025 Azure offers three primary SQL Server database hosting options with varying and limited configuration options…. more VMware Rapid Migration Plan: Some Benefits for Commitment Updated: August 4, 2025 A Microsoft promotion offers benefits for customers who migrate VMware workloads to Azure VMware Solution. Understanding Microsoft’s Licensing for Entra ID Governance for External Users August 2, 2025 Entra ID Governance is now available for external users, but under a new, confusing licensing… more Azure AI Content Safety: Pricing July 31, 2025 Azure AI Content Safety is a set of services that aim to help developers protect… more Windows Backup for Organizations Is Not Real Backup Updated: July 31, 2025 Deciphering Power Pages Licensing Updated: July 28, 2025 Power Pages licensing is based on the number of authenticated and anonymous users that access… more The Data Factory Showdown: Azure vs. Fabric July 28, 2025 Azure Data Factory and Fabric Data Factory are distinct offerings with unique capabilities that prevent… more Sentinel Integrated into Defender XDR July 27, 2025 Microsoft Sentinel is now integrated into the Defender XDR portal and tool set, allowing security… more Windows 11 Enterprise Hotpatching Available July 27, 2025 Windows 11 Enterprise hotpatching, which enables security update patches with fewer reboots for that edition… more How Azure AI Content Safety Protects AI Systems from Bad Actors Updated: July 26, 2025 Azure AI Content Safety is a set of services that aim to help developers protect… more Places Ready for Evaluation, but Future Unclear Updated: July 25, 2025 Microsoft Places is a set of advanced work-scheduling features for Teams and Exchange Online, intended… more Get Access to over 6,410 Reports Atlas Membership