Kurt Shintaku's Blog

We’ve published 4 new guides to help folks understand how to leverage the technology within Office 365 to enhance TEAMWORK.

• Unblocking workplace collaboration
• 5 tips to improve collaboration
• 5 faces of today’s employees
• The ultimate guide to chat-based tools

Download the guides from here:

• DOWNLOAD: Office 365 Teamwork Guides
  https://products.office.com/en-us/business/teamwork/home

(My apologies if you initially received a weird notification about a post called #SavePlayer1. This post originally & accidentally contained content targetted for my personal blog.  I’ve replaced the content of this post with the actual content that was supposed to be here)

Well, I missed this AMA – sorry, but I’ve been super-heads down on work.  But fortunately, you can review all the questions and answers in the archive about “Azure Stack” directly from the engineering team.

Here’s a sample of the questions asked & answered:

• Who is responsible for lighting up… let’s say Azure Container|Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack? Is the the AKS team, or the Azure Stack team?

• How does the support work? The Azure Stack team can’t possibly be the product experts that the AKS team are. Yet, from what I know about Azure Stack, I know there are enough incompatibility points (lol, MSI? lol, metadata service) that will require feature work from the AKS team to make it work in Azure Stack. Or an Azure Stack employee basically working extremely closely with AKS team members. No? How does that relatioship work reliably for the customer who doesn’t care about this distinction?

• What complex workloads can you actually deploy with an ARM template to both Azure Cloud and Azure Stack? Same APIs, same features, same runtimes? Can you point me to these example ARM templates?

• How many customers are willing to publicly talk about Azure Stack success stories? Can you point to a company that is purely, straight-forwardly deploying identical workloads in Azure Stack and Azure Public Cloud today?

• Why do customers buy Azure Stack?

  • too timid to go public cloud in one step?
  • bursting capacity?
  • etc?
• Now that Azure is launching a VMware side-by-side service, isn’t there a risk that Azure Stack will become irrelevant in the marketplace?
• What is next for Azure Stack? what other services and capabilities will you be adding to Azure stack in the next 6 months?
• Is it possible that I can manage Azure and AzureStack from just the Azure portal in the future? Like the Azure Stack environment should just appear as a region when deploying a resource. If a particular service isn’t available in Azure Stack then the Azure Stack region should not be displayed
• Will Azure Stack become modular in the future? If I buy a 4 node model can I add more servers if I want to scale out?
• Why is it so damn expensive(especially in terms of requiring certified hardware)? Also when is Service Fabric coming?
• What is the impetus for forcing Azure Stack to be sold only as a part of a solution and not installable on what might be otherwise compatible hardware?
• …

Read the full AMA here:

REDDIT: [AMA] Azure Stack Engineering Team!https://www.reddit.com/r/AZURE/comments/7hug28/ama_azure_stack_engineering_team/

UPDATE 11/30/17 3:10PM:
Thanks to Jonathan for notifying me about the broken link in this post. Link is fixed and now goes directly to the study.

ORIGINAL POST:
Get a clear and thorough overview of Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics. Learn how it helps protect on-premises networks from both internal and external threats.

“Overall, Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics is a perfect example of a Real-Time Security Intelligence solution with a background in the field of cybersecurity. It’s focused on detection of several specific kinds of internal and external threats, and, as opposed to products evolving from traditional SIEMs, is much leaner and easier to deploy.” Alexei Balaganski, Lead Analyst, KuppingerCole

In this advanced threat analysis, you’ll examine the ways our User and Entity Behavioral Analytics  (UEBA) solution, Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics helps you:

• Detect abnormal behavior, malicious attacks, and security issues in your environment
• Get a quick threat overview and timeline of activities with the innovative, web-based management console
• Integrate with leading SIEM solutions like IBM QRadar, HP ArcSight, RSA Security Analytics, and Splunk
• Deploy without changing your existing infrastructure

Download the report here:

• KuppingerCole Analyst Report: Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics—Executive View
  http://info.microsoft.com/rs/157-GQE-382/images/Microsoft%20Advanced%20Threat%20Analytics.pdf

Have you ever hit the snooze button on an Outlook reminder for a Skype for Business meeting/concall, only to forget about it later & end up joining the call late? 

Or have you for some reason not gotten a Outlook meeting reminder at all, and then missed the meeting altogether?

SKYPE MEETING REMINDERS
One of my favorite features in Skype for Business is it’s ability to send me an IM to join a meeting ‘just-in-time’ when a Skype meeting is starting that I’m supposed participate in.

With this, I immediately get a “toast” IM at the precise time that the meeting is starting – with a button to join the meeting at that exact moment.  It won’t automatically join the meeting – but it does give me the opportunity to easily join the meeting manually with a single click.

With this feature, I NEVER miss a meeting from my desktop.

Note however that this reminder system is SEPARATE from Outlook & it’s disabled by default if you have Outlook running.

HOW TO TURN SKYPE MEETING REMINDERS ON
In order to turn this on:

1. Go to Options on the Skype for Business client:
   
2. Click on Skype Meetings. 
   Under “Meeting reminders”, UNCHECK the box that reads “Don’t show notifications when Outlook is running”

We have produced a new Microsoft 365 End User Adoption guide which provide prescriptive guidance on how to establish a framework for adopting your investment in Microsoft 365 & its products & services.

This End User Adoption Guide has been created for organizations interested in the most effective ways to maximize their investment in Microsoft 365. It is meant to be used as a step-by-step guide, where you can ensure that your organization can first identify, and then execute specific tasks that will help your organization embrace this new culture of work.

The best practices in this guide are based on the experiences from our most successful customers who, over the years have adopted the different technologies that are now part of Microsoft 365 – Office 365, Windows 10 and Enterprise Mobility + Security.

Table of Contents

• Stakeholders
• Recruit Executive Sponsors
• Select Your Success Owner
• Empower Champions
• Scenarios
• Identify Scenarios
• Prioritize Your Scenarios
• Define Success Criteria
• Share Success
• Awareness
• Build Your Communications Plan
• Encourage Ongoing Engagement
• Training
• Create your Training Plan
• Access Training Resource
• Plan, Implement and Manage
• Plan your Adoption Activities
• Kickstart Early Adoption Program
• Create a Success Plan
• Iterate for Continuing Success
• Manage and Prepare for Change

MICROSOFT ADOPTION COMMUNITY
If you would like to engage others & hear news about End User Adoption of Microsoft 365 & it’s products & services, go to:
http://aka.ms/driveadoption

Get the guide here:

• DOWNLOAD: Microsoft 365 End User Adoption Guide (.PDF, 4.8MB, 62pgs)
  https://devfasttrackv4storage.blob.core.windows.net/marketing/en-us/resources/Microsoft%20365%20User%20Adoption%20Guide.pdf

Join us on November 30th for an opportunity to "Ask Microsoft Anything" (AMA) about Windows 10, version 1709 (aka the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update).

The AMA will take place from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM Pacific Time in the Windows 10 space. Members of the engineering and product teams will be standing by to answer your questions and listen to your feedback about the latest Windows 10 feature update.

Don’t miss this chance to get answers to your questions. Add the event to your calendar. We hope to see you there!

Can’t attend at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time?
While we’ll only be answering questions in real time from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, you can post your questions for the AMA to the Windows 10 space in the Windows 10 Tech Community up to 24 hours in advance. Just make sure you add a tag for “Windows 10 v1709 AMA” so that we can find them easily.

• DATE/TIME:
  November 30th
  9:00AM-10:00AM
• ADD TO CALENDAR:
  https://aka.ms/ama/w10v1709-invite
• ONLINE EVENT LOCATION:
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Windows-10/bd-p/Windows10space
• ANNOUNCEMENT BLOG:
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Windows-10/Announcing-an-AMA-for-Windows-10-version-1709-on-November-30th/m-p/123433#M363

Join Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business product groups live as we discuss the latest features & roadmap for Intelligent Communications in Office 365. 

Teams On Air is a biweekly online broadcast Fridays at 9:00AM PST at:

• LIVE: Microsoft Teams on Air
  http://aka.ms/TeamsOnAir

All episodes are available on demand YouTube:

• Teams On Air – On-Demand
  http://aka.ms/TeamsOnAirReplay

Follow us on Twitter at:

• Twitter for @MicrosoftTeams – https://twitter.com/MicrosoftTeams
• Twitter for @SkypeBusiness – https://twitter.com/skypebusiness

For discussions, visit the Blogs @ Microsoft Tech Communities:

• Microsoft Teams Tech Community
  https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Microsoft-Teams/ct-p/MicrosoftTeams

At Ignite 2017, we launched the new Microsoft Azure Essentials, the best place to get started with and learn more about Azure.

Don’t know what is Azure, or want to learn more about Azure and Cloud? Just choose a topic and use the curated set of demo videos, hands-on labs, and product trials to learn about and try Azure at your own pace. Be sure to also check out the  Azure learning paths, and Azure certification.

You can access all this content for free here:

• OFFER: Azure Essentials – Free Training for IT Professional to Start Using the Cloud
  http://azure.com/Essentials

In the second edition of the Enterprise Cloud Strategy e-book, we’ve taken the essential information for how to establish a strategy and execute your enterprise cloud migration and put it all in one place, so you can quickly understand topics like:

1. What to consider when choosing between hybrid, public, or private cloud environments
2. How cloud reduces costs, and even benefits on-premises computing
3. New analytics and IoT capabilities
4. Security and compliance considerations

This valuable asset for IT and business leaders provides a comprehensive look at moving to the cloud, as well as specific guidance on topics like prioritizing app migration, working with stakeholders and cloud architectural blueprints.

• DOWNLOAD: “Enterprise Cloud Strategy” (15.5MB, 156pgs)
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/enterprise-cloud-strategy/

By now, you should be aware that InfoPath & SharePoint Designer are not being invested in. 10 years ago,  InfoPath was released as an XML/Form generator, and it was primarily used to create custom experiences for SharePoint Lists against on-prem SharePoint servers. 

Microsoft has chosen to move to a new solution for these scenarios.  PowerApps & Microsoft Flow is the successor to InfoPath as well as SharePoint Designer.  Both Infopath 2013 & SharePoint Designer 2013 continue to be supported until 2026.  This was extended 3 more years with the most recent SharePoint Server release.

There are many references for migrating existing Forms from InfoPath/Designer to PowerApps/Flow.  The best place to start is the announcement session in last year’s Ignite 2016 event:

• Convert InfoPath/Designer workflow processes to PowerApps – Chris McNulty – 9/30/16 (39:53)
  Microsoft PowerApps and Microsoft Flow represent new patterns for developing business applications in Microsoft SharePoint.  If you’ve been using tools like InfoPath, SharePoint Designer or Access Web Apps, this is the session for you.  We walk through how to reimagine and extend these older patterns into the new PowerApps and Flow toolsets.  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlLqUFsEahg
• Build business apps for Office 365 – InfoPath, PowerApps, Flow and more – Chris McNulty – 9/30/16 (1:14:55)
  No-code and low-code applications have been essential tools in Microsoft SharePoint for a long time, but weve added many other new tools to your palette. We review the roadmap and best practices for InfoPath, SharePoint Designer, Access Web Apps, Flow, PowerApps and more.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG3v8xURW2M

Additionally, there are a variety of “hands on” demonstrations of how to migrate forms.  I’ve listed several education resources below.

• Build an InfoPath Designer form in PowerApps – Daniel Christian – 12/6/16 (9:38)
  This is a P.O.C. video to show how an existing InfoPath Designer 2013 form for a SharePoint list can be replicated using PowerApps.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XypByqpW1w
• Rebuilding an InfoPath Designer form in PowerApps – Daniel Christian – 4/25/17 (48:30)
  This webinar covers a real world scenario of how a business solution built using InfoPath Designer can easily and successfully be rebuilt and enhanced in PowerApps.
  The demo includes showing the ‘behind-the-scenes’ i.e. how the app has been built.
  • Demonstrate the InfoPath Designer form then demonstrate its replacement in PowerApps
  • The PowerApps demo includes using Radio buttons that update SharePoint List items and cascading dropdowns.
  • Finally, using this demo emphasize how PowerAps  can update two SharePoint lists using the same app, something InfoPath Designer cannot do.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohQcxcVZSK4
• Pro Series | Transitioning from Infopath to PowerApps – Part 1 – Audrie Gordon/PowerApps Proudct Team – 9/19/17 (50:48)
  Are you a Business Forms and Workflow designer looking to leverage PowerApps and Flow? This is the webinar for you. Audrie will help you to make the switch with the top 10 forms and workflow tips for PowerApps and Flow! Don’t miss it! What you’ll get:
  1. Demos of the most recent enhancements for forms designers
  2. We will rebuild a typical InfoPath form in PowerApps; live from start to finish
  3. Helpful decision tree for planning form rebuilds using PowerApps
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ09dRuiWLw
• Pro Series | Transitioning from Infopath to PowerApps – Part 2 – Audrie Gordon/PowerApps Proudct Team 10/10/17 (50:55)
  Part 2 of the series on Pro Tips for InfoPath Designers Transitioning to PowerApps. Part 1 is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ09dRuiWLw
  In this event there will be a focus on the business opportunities for using "Customize Forms" from the SharePoint List Views.
  -Changing form look and feel
  -Conditional formatting
  -Rules
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm2XePxLcSM