7 Essential takeaways for CIOs from Microsoft Ignite 2021
Recent Microsoft Ignite event highlights for CIOs
Microsoft has aced its virtual ignite conference 2021 by conferring updates on Microsoft’s teams, 365, Azure cloud for all the technical heads, developers, and security professionals out there. Today, the cloud is a crucial part of every organization, and it was explicitly clear in the conference.
A few keynotes were to jot down to flow with the growing technology and need for cloud during the conference. This virtual meet among Judson Althoff, the global business head, Microsoft cloud, and AI group’s head Scott Guthrie and specific Microsoft customers worldwide discussed the latest technologies and the strategies to bring the cloud on the front seat.
This article entails all the essential takeaways from the Microsoft ignite 2021 conference to grasp AI-driven search to the emerging need of cloud computing services to the organizations’ overall digital shift.
Important keynotes to note from Microsoft Ignite 2021 virtual conference
1. AI-powered Azure cognitive search service
A new semantic search feature in Azure AI enables the developers to examine user purpose instead of keyword search. One of the most vital benefits of semantic search is that it offers advanced natural language models to enhance the ranking results and relevance. Azure’s semantic search feature aims at delivering the best user experience by providing synonym search, concept matching, and other similar techniques for more personalized outcomes.
Data extraction is one such technique that Azure’s cognitive service has introduced to help the users get more structured data by facilitating them to extract texts or figures from documents directly. It enhances the automated data extraction without manually entering the data or intensive coding.
2. Microsoft teams
The application and adaption of teams in recent times have enabled organizations to know productivity insights. Creating a system of collaboration for every organization is our core objective, and we have studied this closely; said Nadella.
Microsoft has released few updates in the teams’ video meeting, and the background and AI-driven viewed content optimization. A few features announced in the virtual keynote conference by Microsoft are:
- Information pane
- Templates
- New search result experience
- New SharePoint, along with improved integration
These were some of the additional insights on updates that Microsoft has planned to bring into action every week.
3. Moving towards cloud
Today when we talk about cloud business, Microsoft’s Azure is leading the race. Amazon web services (AWS) or Google cloud platforms are some of the best cloud services. Yet, Azure’s seamless integration in business applications works best than Microsoft’s teams, Dynamics 365, and many others.
Microsoft has released few more cloud updates for several industries such as NGOs, healthcare, the financial principle by facilitating them to work on health optimization virtually and self-service and care for patients.
The aim is to help the industries cater to more personalized and valuable experiences. Shifting towards the cloud in today’s date for specific industries has become critical, and that’s what the conference’s keynotes comprised.
4. Employee productivity
Since the pandemic hit everyone, the organizations had to shift their work to their homes and adapt to remote work. Not only that but also the virtual collaboration was the need and necessity of the hour.
Amid the conversation, Nadella stated that about 1/3rd of the employees feel that amalgamation of work and personal space has massively impacted their overall wellbeing. While on the other hand, 30% of frontline workers thought they had burnout at work due to excessive work pressure and lack of staff.
In situations like these, it is essential to ensure that employee engagement or productivity is accurate and stable. Microsoft has released new features and updates about keeping the MS teams’ productivity measures to this purpose.
5. Digital transformation
Despite the sequence, the digital shift has played a significant role in many organizations in recent years. This has been a massive transformation that is necessarily needed. Last year has taught everyone the importance of digitization and the method to move towards fully remote work. It has taught everyone the importance of technology.
Mr. Nadella mentioned the term “Tech intensity” to highlight the emerging innovations and unparalleled tech stack. It also incorporated the new features of the Microsoft 365 suite and Azure’s cloud to enable the users to deal with the contemporary challenges.
6. Enhanced security controls
One of the significant takeaways from Microsoft ignite 2021 is about future updates in data security. From end-to-end encrypted voice or video meetings that will enable the organizations to implement per employee basis. Not only that, but it also helps them limit the meeting participants to only those who are invited. Companies can be observed as concerned about their data security, and this feature will help them overcome that.
7. Machine learning
You can now run your machine learning models in the cloud. It is one of the seven essential keynotes for CIOs from Microsoft ignite 2021. Microsoft is paving a path for enterprises to run the machine learning models with the help of cloud control plane, Azure arc, etc.
Nadella also mentioned that it takes a lot for an organization to grow. They need to step forward and integrate the hybrid work culture and encourage their employees and engage customers virtually by implementing specific business models and strategies. He also emphasized maintaining employees’ and customers’ security by facilitating them to extract the data and optimize the outcome.
With this article, it is pretty much clear that Microsoft aims at bridging the gap between the employees and the organization that has adapted remote or hybrid work culture. These are all the major takeaways from the Microsoft Ignite 2021, which would be beneficial for CIOs.
