Microsoft is making a slew of announcements at its Inspire 2020 conference this morning, where the company will be discussing Azure, Microsoft 365, business applications, security and compliance, and more. One of the most important news for Azure customers is the addition of next-generation Azure Stack HCI in Microsoft’s hybrid portfolio.
Azure Stack HCI
With this latest addition, Microsoft aims to streamline businesses’ first steps into the cloud by addressing various technical and strategic issues that usually force them to keep some applications or workloads within their own datacenters. The new capabilities will enable customers to easily manage their Azure Stack HCI systems, Windows Server and Linux virtual machines right from the Azure Portal, just like they do with other Azure resources. The list of key partners that provide Azure Stack HCI solutions today includes Lenovo, HPE, and Dell EMC.
Azure Migrate
In addition, Microsoft announced today some new Azure Migrate enhancements to help businesses adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Microsoft is also bringing various Azure disks and networking updates along with some other changes, and the timeline can be seen below:
- Azure Migrate advanced specializations, training and PowerShell support
now generally available.- Azure Migrate support for Azure VMware Solutions assessments and app
compatibility in public preview.- Azure shared disks, new features and networking enhancements now
generally available.
Another important update for Azure is the general availability of Microsoft’s supported distribution of Apache Hadoop, which is fully open-source and compatible with Hadoop’s latest version. You can learn more information about other Azure changes introduced today on the official blog post.
Power platform
Next up, there is a new Power Platform solution that has been designed to help deal with employees coming back to the office following the covid-19 pandemic. The solution includes Employee Health and Safety Management, Workplace Care Management, and other tools to help managers keep their offices open safely.
M365 Dynamics Connected Store
Moreover, Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Connected Store, a new AI-powered tool focuses on core retail scenarios and shopper safety is now available in preview today. During the public preview, customers will be able to use data from video cameras and IoT sensors to get actionable recommendations to make their retail spaces more efficient.
M365 Security
The software giant also announced some security and compliance-focused enhancements for Microsoft 365 customers. Some new collectors for popular security solutions announced this morning should simplify the data collection, analysis, and threat detection process across various leading solutions and partners.
There is plenty to take away from this year’s Inspire conference, and the company announced other important updates today including new Microsoft Teams updates with a focus on bots, frontline works, and meetings, as well as the launch of Microsoft Lists. We invite you to check our separate posts for more details.
