Kurt Shintaku's Blog

In this webinar, Greg Low will describe one of the most important processes for creating analytics: obtaining and transforming data that the analytics will be based upon. He’ll show how to use Power Query in Excel, and how to use the same functionality in Power BI Desktop to import data and get it into the shape you need it to be in.

About Greg Low
Greg is one of the best known Data Platform MVPs and Microsoft Regional Directors in the world, an internationally recognized consultant, developer, author, and trainer. Greg is the CEO and Principal Consultant at SQL Down Under, a consultancy operating globally from Melbourne Australia. Greg hosts the popular SQL Down Under podcast (www.sqldownunder.com), and regularly speaks at events worldwide. He has a passion for data.

Date/Time
August 25, 2016  2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Pacific Time

Registration

• WEBCAST: Finding and Transforming Data with Power Query in Excel and Power BI Desktop by Greg Low
  https://info.microsoft.com/CO-PowerBI-WBNR-FY17-08Aug-25-PowerQuery-PowerBI-Registration.html

Azure Logic Apps is now generally available.

What is Azure Logic Apps?
Azure Logic Apps is a cloud service that provides customers with the ability to VISUALLY build workflows that match or meet the needs of their business processes.  It has the unique ability to:

• Integrate with existing SaaS and enterprise applications using out-of-the-box connectors that reduce integration challenges
• Tap the information in from both on-premises and cloud applications, allowing customers to maintain their on-prem investments
• Automate EAI, B2B/EDI, and business processes by enabling exchanges with trading partners via Electronic Data Interchange standards including EDIFACT, X12, and AS2
• Leverage investments in BizTalk by enabling initiation of BizTalk processing from the cloud or leverage the new adapter to allow BizTalk to invoke Logic Apps
• Connect to other powerful cloud services through your workflows including Azure Machine Learning & Azure Cognitive Services

Taken from the announcement post:

Today we are announcing the general availability of Azure Logic Apps, Microsoft’s Integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) offering that enables rapid, enterprise-grade, hybrid application connectivity. At the Integrate 2016 conference in London, we shared our vision to build a comprehensive hybrid integration platform that allows customers to seamlessly connect traditional on-premises systems and cloud-native applications. Logic Apps forms an integral part of this strategy, and its general availability marks an important milestone for us in delivering against Microsoft’s Enterprise Application Integration vision.

Why is Logic Apps important? Businesses are going through digital transformation. Applications, data and devices are proliferating. Agile enterprise integration forms the backbone of this journey, making it possible for companies to connect systems and optimize processes as they evolve. At Microsoft, we want to enable our customers by providing the right tools to deliver services faster and stay ahead of competition. With the launch of Logic Apps, customers can seamlessly consume SaaS and enterprise applications, unlock value from their existing on-premises systems and enhance their integration solutions to make informed business decisions.

Visit the Azure Logic Apps announcement here:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/announcing-azure-logic-apps-
general-availability/

Visit the Azure Logic Apps web page here:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/logic-apps/

We announced our inclusion as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for IaaS today on the Azure blog.  Here’s an excerpt from the post:

Today, Gartner has named Microsoft Azure as a leader in its Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service for the third year in a row based on completeness of our vision and ability to execute. We are honored by this continued recognition as we are relentless about our commitment and rapid pace of innovation for infrastructure services. With the G series, Azure led with the largest VMs in the cloud and we continue to deliver market leading performance with our recent announcement supporting SAP HANA workloads up to 32 TB. And while Azure is a world class cloud platform for Windows, it’s also recognized for industry-leading support for Linux and other open source technologies. Today, nearly one in three VMs deployed on Azure are Linux. Strong momentum for Linux and open source is driven by customers using Azure for business applications and modern application architectures, including containers and big data solutions. With over sixty percent of the 3,800 solutions in Azure Marketplace built on Linux, including popular open source images by Ubuntu, CoreOS, Bitnami, Oracle, DataStax, Red Hat and others, it’s exciting that many open source vendors considered Microsoft one of the best cloud partners.

…

What is specifically interesting however is that only Microsoft is considered a leader by Gartner in IaaS, PaaS & SaaS solutions.  In fact, when reviewing vendors identified as leaders across the major cloud Gartner Magic Quadrants, Microsoft’s presence is dominating.

The following table summarizes vendors in the leader quadrant across Gartner MQs for IaaS, PaaS and SaaS solutions for key enterprise cloud workloads.

To read the post, go here:

• AZURE BLOG: Microsoft: a Gartner cloud computing leader across IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
  https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/blog/microsoft-a-gartner-cloud-computing-leader-across-iaas-paas-saas/
• GARTNER: Magic Quadrant for Infrastructure as a Service (Requires Subscription)
  https://www.gartner.com/doc/3400818?ref=AnalystProfile&srcId=1-4554397745

[Twitter user & follower Ginny Caughey found this one]

If you go to the following URL, you can force the installation of Windows 10 Anniversary Update.  Alternatively, going to Update & Security & clicking on “Learn More” will do the same thing.

About the Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Windows just keeps getting better and better.

The Windows 10 Anniversary Update is the second big update since the launch of Windows 10. It’s full of great new features that customers told us they want. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update will automatically download and install when it becomes available for your device (your device will be running Windows 10 Version 1607 after it’s installed). Want it now? Click the button below to get it.

So if you’ve been waiting for the Anniversary Update, click on the “Learn More” link in Update & Security or you can go get it simply by going to one of the URLz below:

• SUPPORT: Windows 10 History
  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12387/windows-10-update-history?ocid=update_setting_client
• DOWNLOAD: Windows 10 Upgrade Tool 28084.exe (5.52MB)
  Get the Anniversary Update now
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=821403

We’re pleased to announce the release of our newest free ebook, Windows 10 IT Pro Essentials Support Secrets (ISBN 9781509302802), by Ed Bott.

Here’s the introduction.

This ebook is for anyone whose responsibilities include training people to use Windows 10.

That group includes full-time professional trainers, of course, but it also includes IT pros and those brave souls who staff the help desk in corporations. Most of all, it includes the incredibly large population of people who have earned a reputation for being “the person who knows Windows.”

With that knowledge comes a seemingly endless stream of questions from friends, family, and coworkers. As Windows 10 moves into its second full year and begins to take over an increasing share of the installed base of PCs, many of those questions are going to begin “How do I…”

That’s where this ebook comes in. My goal here is to introduce the building blocks of Windows 10 to you in a way that can help you answer those questions quickly. It also offers the kind of information you need to go one step further, offering the kind of extended details about how Windows 10 works that might, just might, answer that next question before it’s even asked.

I’m grateful to the developers and designers at Microsoft who are building Windows 10, for giving me an operating system that’s fun to write about. I’d also like to thank Microsoft Press, which gave me complete editorial independence for this project. Every word in this book comes from my personal experience. I hope you find it useful.

I encourage you to share your feedback about this book directly with me. Email your comments to me at feedback@realworldwindows.com.

Ed Bott
July 7, 2016

Grab the book here:

• Windows 10 IT Pro Essentials Support Secrets, Standard PDF (238pgs, 12.5MB)
  https://aka.ms/Win10Supp/StndPDF
• Windows 10 IT Pro Essentials Support Secrets, Mobile PDF (238pgs, 8.9MB)
  https://aka.ms/Win10Supp/MobPDF

I’ve been asked a couple times recently how clients can obtain support for their development efforts now that they’ve gotten their hands on devices.

Here are your outlets:

1. Open Support Ticket for HoloLens
   https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/getsupport?wf=0&tenant=ClassicCommercial&oaspworkflow=start_1.0.0.0&locale=en-us&supportregion=en-us&pesid=16052&ccsid=636053333210161853
2. Forums for discussing HoloLens Development
   https://forums.hololens.com/
   You can ask questions here:
   https://forums.hololens.com/categories/questions-and-answers
3. Twitter discussion at @hololens
   https://twitter.com/hololens

Just announced, the HoloLens Commercial Suite includes the Development Edition, enterprise features for added security and device management, and a warranty. Transform your business with Microsoft HoloLens.

Enterprise features

• Kiosk mode. With HoloLens kiosk mode, you can limit which apps to run to enable demo or showcase experiences.
• Mobile Device Management (MDM) for HoloLens. Your IT department can manage multiple HoloLens devices simultaneously using solutions like Microsoft InTune. You will be able to manage settings, select apps to install and set security configurations tailored to your organization’s need.
• Identity. Azure Active Directory and next generation credentials with PIN unlock.
• Windows Update for Business. Controlled operating system updates to devices and support for long term servicing branch.
• Data security. BitLocker data encryption and secure boot is enabled on HoloLens to provide the same level of security protection as any other Windows device.
• Work access. Anyone in your organization can remotely connect to the corporate network through a virtual private network on a HoloLens. HoloLens can also access Wi-Fi networks that require credentials.
• Windows Store for Business. Your IT department can also set up an enterprise private store, containing only your company’s apps for your specific HoloLens usage. Securely distribute your enterprise software to selected group of enterprise users.

What’s in the box

• Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition
• Clicker
• Carrying case
• Microfiber cloth
• Charger
• Micro-USB 2.0 cable

For more information, visit:

• Introducing Microsoft HoloLens Commercial Edition
  https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us/commercial-suite

Outlook wants to make it easy to focus on what matters most to you. Toward this goal, we’ve recently made big improvements to help you stay on top of your travel reservations and package deliveries by showing summary cards in your inbox and automatically adding events to your calendar.

Today, we are introducing Outlook Interesting calendar—special calendar additions that help you track your favorite events. You will be able to add the 2016 Summer Games in Rio—as well as other popular sports—to your calendar.

Read more on Office Blogs.

Many enterprise customers have been asking us for the ability to:

• Require MFA for specific Office 365 workloads
• Restrict access so users can only access Office 365 or other cloud apps from within their corporate network.

So I’m happy to announce that these Conditional Access policies are now Generally Available to customers.

You can read about it on the EMS blog: https://aka.ms/ucnhae

This is one of the highest value and most differentiated capabilities of Azure AD Premium & because of the closely integrated architecture of Azure Active Directory and Office 365, we can uniquely offer the ability to create different conditional access policies for each backend Office workload load and pilot/rollout those policies separately.

To be clear:  The only way to get this capability for Office 365 is through Azure Active Directory Premium.

More details are available here:

• EM&SS BLOG: AzureAD Conditional Access: Per app MFA and Network Location based policies are GA!
  https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/enterprisemobility/2016/07/28/azuread-conditional-access-per-app-mfa-and-network-location-based-policies-are-ga/

Skype Operations Framework is a comprehensive guide and toolset for implementing and managing a reliable, cost-effective communications service based on Skype for Business. It covers the entire customer lifecycle, including planning, deployment, adoption, and operations. It is a multi-faceted approach to the successful deployment of Skype for Business, incorporating key elements that have customer success firmly at the center.

• Watch a brief video overview of SOF
• Register for in-depth SOF training through the Skype Academy.
• Learn all about SOF at http://www.skypeoperationsframework.com/

TRAININGS FROM JULY 18-AUG 9
Trainings start at 8am PST and will last one hour each. All trainings will be recorded and recordings will be shared on Skype Academy.  Trainings include:

• SOF Overview
• Cloud PBX & PSTN Conferencing Get Deployed
• Envisioning: Overview and Ojective Key Results
• Envisioning: Discovery
• Envisioning: Business Use Cases
• Envisioning: High Level Architecture Workshop
• Skype for Business Adoption Methodology and Success Framework
• Network Readiness
• Delivering Network Readiness
• Cloud PBX, Technical Planning Architecture Session
• Deployment Guidance
• Polycom Phone Provisioning with Skype for Business Online
• Configuring Call Quality Dashboard
• Testing
• Scripted user enablement
• Service health and service usage
• Managing Call Quality

For a full list of trainings & dates

• Skype Operations Framework (SOF)list of trainings
  https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/learningittogether/2016/07/17/skype-skype-operations-framework-sof-list-of-trainings/