Webinars

Microsoft is emphasizing an “agentic” approach to AI-based assistants where agents can extend Microsoft 365 Copilot and be made available elsewhere, such as Teams, SharePoint, and Web apps. Agents can perform tasks within focused domains, such as working with internal line-of-business apps and retrieving data from specific documents and databases.

This webinar will cover how agents are built and agent usage costs of which organizations should be aware.

In the new AI-centric world, it’s easy to overlook how this new technology can open organizations up to regulatory and litigation risk. What if an executive uses Copilot to research a possible insider trade? How can you detect and prevent harmful content in prompts and responses?

In this webinar, Barry will provide an update on how to use Purview, its new capabilities, and the ever-evolving compliance landscape.

Several widely used Microsoft products leave support in a single “meteor” on Oct. 14, 2026, including Windows 10 and versions of Exchange Server, Skype for Business Server, and Office. What do you do if your organization is still using these unsupported versions in production?

Our analysts Jim Gaynor and Rob Helm help you understand the risks you face, the actions you can take, and how you can formulate your go-forward strategy.

The rate of change for Power BI and Fabric continues at a healthy pace, indicating Microsoft’s commitment to the services. But is the focus still the same as it was two years ago when Fabric was released? Find out how an Agile approach has both helped and distracted Microsoft in their development of Fabric and what it means for your plans.

The Directions on Microsoft analysts assess recent changes and key trends in Microsoft’s enterprise technology roadmap. We look back at the most impactful announcements of 2025 and make predictions about what will matter in 2026.

Don’t let M365 Copilot fly without doing your due diligence. Data readiness is key, and we’ll discuss some of the tools you can include in your plan to rollout and manage M365 Copilot deployment, including Restricted Search, SharePoint Advanced Management, Purview and even M365 Copilot Chat. And no, Copilot doesn’t use your data to train AI.

Webinar Slides

Microsoft thinks that everything we know about application architecture will change as AI permeates every layer of the stack. And they’re putting their money where their mouth is with investments in new tools for what we’re calling “AI-native apps:” RAG, agents, fine-tuning.

What do you have to do to get ready? What does it mean for your data, for your developers, for managing your IT ecosystem? That’s what Barry Briggs will chat about – live, not a chatbot! – in our webinar.

Webinar Slides

Microsoft 365 Government offers compliance with U.S. government regulations, but the higher the tier, the more features are missing. This makes understanding the value you’re receiving more complicated than for commercial customers.

This webinar covers the three tiers of Microsoft 365 for U.S. Government customers, and the feature limitations of the suite for government customers.

Webinar Slides

Rob Sanfilippo discusses the pieces of Power Platform including Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse, and Copilot Studio, including technical and licensing aspects.

Slides

All versions of Exchange Server and Skype for Business leave support in Oct. 2025, and Microsoft’s plans for “subscription editions” leave a small window for customers to upgrade and stay supported. Will you be ready? Rob Helm and Jim Gaynor explain Microsoft’s plans, discuss your options, and take your questions.

In this Webinar, Jim Gaynor & Greg DeMichillie discuss the latest versions of Microsoft’s on-premises server operating systems, Windows Server 2025 and Azure Local (formerly Azure Stack HCI), and the directions in which Microsoft is taking them.

A “mass extinction” of client software and services leaving support in 2025-2026 will trigger many migrations to new Windows and Office versions. Michael Cherry and Rob Helm explain and take questions on migration and deployment options.

The Directions on Microsoft analysts assess recent changes and key trends in Microsoft’s enterprise technology roadmap. We look back at the most impactful announcements of 2024 and make predictions about what will matter in 2025.

Rob Sanfilippo updates you on the latest GitHub innovations and licensing details.

Wes Miller and Rob Sanfilippo distill the key Copilot offerings Directions has identified and highlight key features offered by each of them.

Windows 10 leaves support in Oct. 2025. Now is a good time to evaluate and optimize deployment of the Windows client OS for your organization. In this Webinar, Directions analyst Michael Cherry helps you rethink the role of the Windows client and address important questions.

Rob Horwitz reviews your options to apply your Windows Server and SQL Server core licenses, and Windows Enterprise and Office suite user/device licenses, to service provider-hosted workloads.