Want the curated highlights from Directions on Microsoft‘s latest licensing bootcamp AND Microsoft’s Build 2024 developer conference? Directions analyst Wes Miller and Mary Jo Foley have you covered. We talk about the highs, lows and lessons learned from both events.

Microsoft’s edge-computing strategy has been shifting in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways. In the evolving AI era, edge computing will become even more central for customers, partners and Microsoft itself. Directions analyst Barry Briggs and Mary Jo Foley dissect Microsoft’s evolving edge-computing plans and tactics in this episode.

There’s a new wave of end-of-life Microsoft product meteors coming for your organization. Directions on Microsoft analyst Joshua Trupin talks with Mary Jo Foley about what to watch out for in 2025 and beyond, including new, pricey, Pay As You Go options — and how customers can try to blunt the impact.

Directions analysts Jim Gaynor, Rob Sanfilippo and Andrew Snodgrass debate when, how, and why customers might want to move some (or even all) of their workloads and apps from the cloud back to on-premises.

Windows Server is back! Directions on Microsoft analyst Jim Gaynor and Mary Jo Foley delve into the new features and capabilities coming with Windows Server 2025 worth knowing about, including new Active Directory and security features, GPU partitioning for Hyper-V, hotpatching – and the Azure services you need to use them.

Mary Jo Foley interviews veteran Directions analyst Wes Miller, who shares surprising insights gained teaching customers how to navigate the Microsoft licensing maze for more than a decade. From over-licensing and under-licensing to underestimating Microsoft’s revenue drive, you’ll learn the important do’s and don’ts of effective Microsoft licensing.

Directions on Microsoft analyst Rob Sanfilippo talks with Mary Jo Foley about how the Directions’ twice-yearly Azure roadmap comes together. The two compare notes on the latest Azure trends and hot buttons. Plus, Rob takes the Azure codename challenge.

Directions analysts Michael Cherry, Jim Gaynor and Wes Miller dive into how subscriptions have transformed Microsoft’s business model and what it means for Microsoft customers, both now and in the future.

Directions analysts Barry Briggs and Andy Snodgrass talk with Mary Jo Foley about the hype and the reality surrounding database systems in this episode of the Directions podcast. Are organizations any closer to harnessing the power of data now than before? What works and what doesn’t when it comes to data-management strategies?

Former Microsoft Deal Desk executive Dean Bedwell explains the negotiation levers you can use to optimize the outcome of your Microsoft EA renewal.

Directions on Microsoft negotiation expert Dean Bedwell details the types of financial, legal, and business concessions Microsoft customers should ask for during an EA negotiation and the best way to ask for them.

Microsoft negotiation expert Gus Volpe describes the four phases of successful EA negotiations and how to structure your project plan to optimize the results of your EA renewal.