On August 12, 2025, Microsoft has a significant change to its Enterprise Agreement (EA) licensing structure — effective November 1, 2025, automatic price level discounts for Online Services (Levels B–D) under EA, OSPA, and MPSA agreements will be eliminated. All eligible customers will pay the Level A list price, regardless of size or prior spend….
Written with the help of AI Research Assistants: Claude.ai, Perplexity.ai and Google Gemini Part of a series: Windows 10 end-of-life As we approach the end of support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025 (see also extending support into 2026 blog post) the global tech landscape faces a unique and daunting scenario: hundreds of millions of…
Written with the help of AI Research Assistants: Claude.ai, Perplexity.ai and Google Gemini Part of a series: Windows 10 end-of-life Windows 10 lives beyond End of Support! At this time, it is estimated that there are 700 million devices on Windows 10 still in operation world-wide (and probably out in space too!) Out of those, it…
As the world moves away from Windows 10, and enter the Windows 11 as a standard PC operating system, Microsoft continues to move forwards improving the platform in the name of security. the last set of announced update include: 1) Microsoft has announced Windows 11, version 25H2, now available in preview for Windows Insiders, with a…
In May of 2025 Microsoft released a BUNCH of enhancements to their Copilot family of products. Absolutely amazing. I have been keeping track of this and the last time I wrote an update was in November 2024 under the blog The World of Microsoft Copilot Products – Update Nov 2024. You can also see all…
I still have one computer on Windows 10 and funny enough I had to reboot it today. When I logged in the following full screen message: Windows 10 will reach its end of support on October 14, 2025. After October 2025, users will have to settle with the final version of Windows 10 without any…
As many organizations are engaging in Implementing Microsoft Copilot, a question I often get asked which I thought I would document for reference. Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a powerful tool that leverages AI to assist users in various tasks. However, there might be instances where you want to exclude certain files or documents…
Level Up Your Security: Why You Need a Dedicated SMS Authentication Phone In today’s digital landscape, security is paramount. We’re constantly bombarded with news of data breaches and account compromises. One of the most common and effective security measures is two-factor authentication (2FA), often delivered via SMS. But relying solely on your primary phone number,…
As Windows 10 end-of-life comes closer, enterprises are rushing to update their devices to Windows 11 standards, but a lot of us with personal devices (that do not meet the Windows 11 standards, should we upgrade to? It is certainly it is the prudent thing to do, but another possible consideration might also be: Linux…
Microsoft is enhancing its Copilot AI to function more like virtual employees, capable of proactive task automation. This includes monitoring emails, automating data entry, and performing a series of tasks autonomously, showcasing a shift from reactive to proactive AI assistance. Please view the updated blog post I wrote early this month The World of Microsoft…
Dell Management Portal within the Microsoft Intune admin center which provides IT administrators with streamlined access to Dell-specific Windows device management capabilities. Key features include the ability to recover BIOS passwords and BitLocker keys, access detailed hardware and OS information, and deploy Dell enterprise applications securely. The portal also offers real-time device reporting every 30…
Microsoft Copilot continues to stand out as a powerful assistant designed to enhance productivity and collaboration. I am loving the speed, accuracy and how well it integrated with the M365 suite of applications it is. It has saves me TONS of time and I am especially thankful for meeting summaries! One can say I am…
IN a post about a year ago, Windows Autopilot Deployment Scenarios I mentioned the Windows Autopilot self-deployment mode. for Kiosks deployments. Let’s explore that in more detail… Unlocking the Power of Intune Kiosk Mode: Secure, Streamlined, and Purpose-Driven Windows Devices In today’s fast-paced digital environments, organizations often need to deploy Windows devices for very specific…
Modern Devices Management and Unified Endpoint Management has been on the fast lane given the remote work / work from home initiatives forced by the pandemic worldwide.
On July 19, 2024 I posted on X: Massive GLOBAl IT outage on Windows devices traced back to a BAD PATCH issued by Crowdstrike which caused a domino effect… NOT a cybersecurity event) Crowdstrike holds 24%of the market – that is why some businesses were affected and others were not… The primary reason is that…
Microsoft has separated Teams into its own standalone licensed product, Teams Enterprise, ending its previous inclusion with the Office 365/Microsoft 365 suite of productivity tools. Microsoft made this change in response to concerns raised by the European Commission about the bundling of Teams with Microsoft 365 and Office 365. Microsoft has unbundled Teams from its enterprise Microsoft…
This one is a fun one! Who would have ever though Ryan Gosling could explain LLMs! Well – with an deep-fake technology an ElevenLabs and SyncLabs — There are many impressive things here (including deep-fake Ryan’s long, long arm) 🙂 the comments are also very funny If you go past the deep-fake aspects of this…
Very interesting announcements this week coming out of Computex 2024 in Taiwan. Jensen Huang from NVIDIA keynote kicked off the Computex 2024 (Taiwan) Sunday night…. Starts at timestamp 13:23. It is an update to his GTC keynote 2 months ago – new product too!, It is impressive / amazing how he now tells the…
Although it has been out for about 2 weeks now, interesting news I heard this week: Press Release: April 25.2024: Introducing Omnissa, the former VMware End-User Computing business I’m thrilled to introduce you to Omnissa — the future name of EUC. While we remain part of Broadcom until the KKR acquisition closes later this year, we are…
More articles on Microsoft Intune | Windows Autopilot Managing device naming conventions is a critical aspect of IT administration, especially when deploying devices at scale through Windows Autopilot. Whether you’re looking to implement a standardized naming scheme or need to rename devices after deployment, this comprehensive guide covers all the methods available to IT administrators….
Good SxSW-2024 session that describes AI as a tool that changes the way we work… Session title: Billion Dollar Teams: The Future of an AI Powered Workforce | SXSW 2024 The session discusses the impact of AI on the future of work and how it is shaping the way we approach tasks and projects. The speaker, emphasizes…
While modern device management practices are indisputably (see blog post: MDM/UEM Tools in 2024 and beyond) replacing the deployment of “fat” Windows images, many organizations still rely on this approach. “Fat” images that contain not only the operating systems, but also applications can cause an unnecessary proliferation of images that need to be maintained over…
The transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 offers organizations several compelling advantages that can lead to significant cost savings. Windows 11 introduces improved security features, better performance, a modern user interface, enhanced multitasking capabilities, and futureproofing through extended support and compatibility. These advancements can contribute to cost savings in various areas, including reduced risk…
The first step in measuring success is to establish clear and relevant metrics that align with the organization’s goals and objectives. These metrics can span various dimensions: Before implementing an AI solution, it is crucial to establish clear baselines for the relevant metrics/benchmarks. These baselines provide a reference point against which progress can be measured….
For an excellent context for the AI opportunity beyond today, I recommend the following video released. Summary of the things I (not by AI) took away from it: the entire day was a good one… see the full playlist AI Ascent 2024 – YouTube VERY BIG THANK YOU Sequoia Capital for making these public! Sidenote,…
There is a lot of conversations about how Artificial Intelligence will be affecting many fields out there. The future has changed already ( Love that saying!) and we are all learning ways to adapt to it. Two trends of note: With so much change and transformation in the air, for those of us in the…
There is a lot of misconceptions / questions about the security around the Microsoft Copilot products. understandably, it is usually one of the first question that comes-up when companies are considering Copilot use within their organizations. (the elephant in the room!) Let’s quickly put some misconceptions to bed right away: Per Microsoft Documentation: Understanding how…
groq is not a new LLM, but instead is a company that specializes on making LLMs responses more efficient (by a very large factor more effective) and the results are simply amazing! It does this via their LPU chip set. Groq is on a mission to set the standard for GenAI inference speed, helping real-time…
Large Language models are powerful algorithms designed to understand and generate human-like text. They learn from vast amounts of text data and can perform tasks such as text completion, translation, summarization, and more. LLMs are a type of AI system that uses deep learning on massive text datasets to recognize patterns and generate remarkably fluent,…
There is confusion about the licensing requirement associated with Microsoft Defender XDR The following is a collection of related items placed in the order to make licensing requirement clear to the reader. Microsoft Defender XDR (formerly Microsoft 365 Defender) Source <https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/siem-and-xdr/microsoft-defender-xdr> Microsoft Defender XDR is a unified pre- and post-breach enterprise defense suite that natively…
Updates added on 6/13/2024 This is an update to the post: Making Sense of Microsoft’s Copilot brand as it has changed A LOT since! Time flies when you are having fun! And when it comes to AI – the last 6 months represents YEARS of progress! No other company has embraced and embedded Artificial Intelligence…
Unix and Linux are foundational operating systems that have significantly shaped modern computing, including desktop environments. Unix, developed in the 1960s, is a multi-user, multitasking operating system renowned for its simplicity, flexibility, and robust design. It was originally created for mainframes and servers but has influenced many contemporary systems. Linux, on the other hand, is a Unix-like,…
This is a follow-up to the blog post I wrote back in 2023: ServiceNow and Its Growing Significance What Is ServiceNow? ServiceNow (commonly referred as SNOW) is a powerful cloud-based platform that offers a wide range of services and solutions to streamline and automate various business processes. It is primarily known for its robust IT…
Broadcom STRIKES again! A couple of days ago, VMware announced that the free version of VMware’s vSphere Hypervisor, also known as ESXi, is being discontinued. This product was not really used many organizations, but it will be a significant impact to hobbyist and tech tinkers, and folks with home labs who were not already migrated to…
As if this writing this is the list of items included with Microsoft Intune Suite which is an add-on to the Microsoft Intune Core product. ( Cost is $18/user/month = $8 core + $10 Microsoft Intune Suite) Resources: Microsoft Intune Plans and Pricing
Microsoft Copilot Studio is a robust platform that allows you to customize and extend Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365. With a low-code approach, you can create and publish plugins directly to Copilot, tailoring them to your specific needs. The comprehensive authoring canvas within Copilot Studio empowers you to design, test, and deploy conversational AI solutions. Explore this innovative platform…
Have to say I find this strange, but in the past couple of weeks I’ve received several inquiries from customers as to how to turn off Copilot First let me say that the first thing I want to clarify is that they are talking about the Copilot for Edge which is the “sometimes annoying” default…
It seems like Microsoft has named “everything” that has to do with Artificial Intelligence fall into the Copilot brand. Copilot is an AI feature that allows you describe what you need in plain English. Please refer to the updated Update Blog post: Microsoft Copilot Evolution – November 2024. Also you can see all Copilot related topics…
Last week Microsoft announced OneDrive 3.0 Lots of excellent updated to an already great product. they are calling it The Future of File Management and it includes AI capabilities! ( OneDrive with Copilot ) to help quickly search, organize and extract information from your files. Although not every featured mentioned is there, some are already…
New Microsoft Teams version GA: Much faster and uses 50% less memory ! Much faster, and it uses 50% less memory! Announcing general availability of the new Microsoft Teams app for Windows and Mac – Microsoft Community Hub Switch to the new Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support A great video on this topic published by:…
Now that we are less than 25 months away from the end of Windows 10, and the 3rd release of Windows 11 (23H2) is starting to roll out this week, many organizations are starting to plan their Windows 11 rollouts. Windows 10 Home / ProOctober 14, 2025 Windows 10 Enterprise & educationOctober 14, 2025 Windows…
Interest in AI related topics: check out my AI Series Learnings Page Today Microsoft announced that in the next Windows release 23H2 on September 26 will contain Windows Copilot baked in.. During the same event they announced that Microsoft 365 Copilot will be generally available starting November 1, 2023. This will get interesting now… Announcing…
Window 10 is expiring. The hardware you have on those devices may be very good so what options do you have to continue to use the HARDWARE?
For other ServiceNow posts here The ServiceNow platform has long held a prominent position in the IT service management domain, often associated with terms like “ticketing tool” or “support tool.” However, a significant shift occurred several years ago when ServiceNow recognized the potential to extend its platform beyond IT service management, adapting it for diverse…
With less than 26 months to the end of life for Windows 10, many organizations are now looking into their plans to upgrade to Windows 11.
Microsoft’s App-V Mainstream Support ended back in January 2008, the original end-of-extended support for App-V was January 10, 2023, which fortunately for many of us it was extended to April 14, 2026. Are you ready for this transition yet? App-V has been the app packaging format of choice for many organizations. ( I have been…
I have been looking into having a cloud-based Windows virtual machine for a few weeks now, and in looking at the alternatives and possibilities, I was surprised how expensive they can be. My need is simple. I need a stable and reliable machine, with good bandwidth, which is outsized my home /office, that I can…
A very timely tweet by Ruben Spruijt pointed me to an article by Gartner in which they forecast a Worldwide Public Cloudn End-user spending to reach nearly $600 Billion in 2023 an $724Billion in 2024. The DaaS line item of this is about $3B with the big whale being SaaS with $197M Source: https://twitter.com/rspruijt/status/1651871105034997766 An…
ChatGPT is a topic of conversation that are on fire right now. It is incredible that something that is less than 6 months old ( as of now) has captured everyone’s attention on every field of humanity. I believe it has single handedly brought up the AI conversation to the front line. It has been…
When meeting customers, I am often ask if there is a quick chart that shows what is included in the differnent Microsoft 365 plans, The following table is from Microsoft and lists the major features available for easy reference. I place the graphic here for easy reference, but you should check the full Microsoft documentation…
There are plenty of excellent guides and tutorials available on what to do when a Microsoft Intune-managed device is lost or stolen. Some of these resources are listed in the resource section below. However, this article focuses on a different angle: what happens to the device after it is lost or stolen? Scenario: Two Sides…
On March 1, 2023 Microsoft announced Microsoft Intune Suite which consolidates its endpoint management and security solutions to streamline protection for cloud-connected and on-premises endpoints. It includes: The new Intune Suite can be added all Microsoft Intune subscribers (including Microsoft 365 E3 and E5) which already include core Intune (now called Intune Plan 1) for an additional…
Exchange Server 2013 will reach its end of support on April 11, 2023. Although Exchange 2013 installations will continue to work, it is hightly recommended for you to migrate to to Microsoft 365, Office 365 , or, if you must, Exchange 2019 as Microsoft will no longer provide: Microsoft has listed a particular requirement regarding Active…
On the day before Valentine’s day 2023 Microsoft confirmed that Microsoft will remove Yammer from its product set and it will replace it with Viva ENGAGE In a Microsoft Community Hub blog post, Viva and Yammer chief vice president Murali Sitaram explains: “Over the last several months we’ve heard your feedback that having two apps…
We all know that the security landscape is complex and very fragmented and this is especially true in the endpoint side of the house. I ran across a post from Francis Odum from Contrary Research on my Linkedin feed, which did a great job at detailing the current state of the ecosystem market. I must…
For more Windows 11 articles click here. Also check: Windows 10 End Of Life Page There are several reasons why your organization might consider upgrading to Windows 11. Here are some of the most compelling reasons: I hope this helps! Let me know via twitter @jorper98 if you have any other questions.
A lot of things came out of the last Microsoft Ignite 2022 sessions regarding Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Management, Windows 365, Windows, and so much more. First, I should note the name changes: Microsoft Intune is now a family of its own! Today, we’re announcing that Microsoft Intune will be the name of the growing…
What is the impact of of long-term storage of Windows Autopilot registered devices? A colleague of mine, Daniel Davilla, recently posted a very good explanation this common question we get ask all of the time. Very much appreciated and worth the read here. I will not tell here all of the details but a couple…
After years of “challenges” , Microsoft has decided to focus on OneNote and it is consolidating the couple of aopps out there into a single application and refreshing it look and features so it will work with modern hardware and a better interface
For those of you that need a quick and simple way to calculate cost savings of moving forward with the adaption of Modern Device Management principles and techniques vs the traditional imaging and PC deployment process here is a calculator than can help. When I talk about the traditional model I’m using the standard Windows…
Windows Autopilot is a collection of technologies used to set up and pre-configure new devices, getting them ready for productive use. It is designed to simplify the process of deploying Windows devices for organizations of all sizes. Windows Autopilot supports a growing list of scenarios that organizations commonly need. These needs vary based on organization…
As a first step in your jorney to Windows 11, you’ll need to know which of your current devices meet the Windows 11 hardware requirements. Most devices purchased in the last 18-24 months will be compatible with Windows 11. Verify that your device meets or exceeds Windows 11 requirements to ensure it’s compatible. Microsoft released the PC…
If you have not seen it watch it 100% relevant for all of us in the cybersecurity space. Drones, hackers and mercenaries – The future of war | DW Documentary
Microsoft has been working hard in consolidating their security messaging and in the past 6- 12 months there has been a number changes to their product lines and names which has caused some confusion to customers and partners
In early May 2022, Microsoft announced the launch of their Microsoft Security Experts Services Security Experts is a new managed service category that combines expert-trained technology and product innovation with human-led services. Right now Microsoft is doing a lot of the work directly, but soon they will have multiple certified security expert partners Video introducing the…
I was doing a bit o research for a session I am doing later this week and came across a great video from a Wayne Chapin that explains in great detail why is Microsoft 365 (M365) is vital for IT Security Modernization…. His audience, IT managers provides an explanation of security concepts and maps it…
This blog post is not about deploying the OS using traditional management systems but instead it is about rapidly deploying the same image to many machines. This might be useful in deployments in school scenarios or call centers where every device is configured the same way and there is no user or configuration data to…
A a few weeks ago Microsoft announced a new service called Windows Autopatch for business customers that provides the ability to keep Windows, Office, Teams and Microsoft Edge software on devices enrolled and managed by Microsoft Intune up to date automatically. The service is now on public beta and scheduled to be GA sometime at…
Windows 11 (21H2 / Original Release) has been available since October 5, 2021. Microsoft is working on version 22H2 (Sun Valley 2) and although as of this writing, it has not been released yet, it is expected soon, very soon. Windows 11 is coming and is here to stay. Windows 11 21H2 entered the broad…
No one is immune to critical patches… happens in the best of family trees – This time it hit VMware and it is specific to Workspace One family of products : On May 18, 2022 VMware released a critical security advisory, VMSA-2022-0014 This is a pretty broad vulnerability and has a very high high priority —…
I need to stay up to date with the cybersecurity topics and aside from several news sources i check on a daily / weekly bases I also listen to the following podcasts: I found a lot more at this site Other News Resources / Sites: https://cybersecuritynews.com/ https://thehackernews.com/ https://cisoseries.com/ https://www.cnbc.com/cybersecurity/ https://www.wired.com/tag/cybersecurity/
Windows Autopilot registered devices is a great way to automate the deployment process without much of technician interaction. Aside from the device profile you can execute when a registered device is recognized, you can use Group Tags ( See Group Tags Blog post ) to further customized the desktop to the user or role that…
The Microsoft Cloud Acquisitions Team of Technical Specialists have has a new YouTube channel around the Modern Work stack and their first set of webinars is a high-level overview of the Security Features available with M365. I particularly liked the Advanced Identity Concepts AD Premium Plan 2 one — very well presented and good content! Loved this Worth…
A lot of changes to the Microsoft Security products line up . Looks like they are finally consolidating all of the products into some sort of logic sense… This is very good news, but it has created some confusion in the field — I am sure there will be more, so I will attempt to…
In today’s interconnected world, safeguarding your online accounts is paramount. Two-factor authentication (2FA) stands as a crucial defense against unauthorized access, adding an extra layer of security beyond just a password. While any form of 2FA is a significant improvement over relying solely on passwords, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each method is essential….
As more and more customers move to modern device management and modern provisioning the question becomes how to can organizations support their remote workers. Also many organizations are paying 3rd party companies to provide tools to enable this across the board when you are able to do it with Microsoft native tools! Remote help is…
We are just getting to know the amazing amount of work Microsoft focused on better securing their latest Windows 11 operating system.
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD or AAD) is Microsoft’s enterprise cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solution. Azure AD (AAD) is the backbone of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 platforms. AAD is a core service of the Microsoft cloud platform. A quick refresher: Microsoft released Active Directory in Windows 2000 server, and it became a…
The last couple of years (2020 & 2021) were particularly hard years for many organizations as it relate to cybersecurity. So many attacks in so many forms ranging from internal ones focused on getting specific data / information to highly organized ones focused on disrupting operations all the way to state sponsored ones focus on…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
A good question popped this week in my email. How do I prevent users from saving files to local drives, while still allow them to save to OneDrive folders? I think a lot of organizations would like ( or are doing it already) to do this, but the answer may have some complexity to it…
Multiple Desktops feature in Windows 11 I is super helpful and it is becoming one of those essential pieces in my workflows.
Let’s face it, for many customers, the road to modern device management is a journey. Moving from 30+ years of legacy / traditional device management is not only a technical challenge but a cultural one. I have been talking to customers since the introduction to Windows 10 back in August 2012 (10 years ago as…
Microsoft Ignite Fall 2021 is coming next week (Nov 2 – 4) and this year is a virtual and free again ! It is loaded with Windows 11 (35 sessions) and Endpoint Management ( 86 sessions) topics this time around! Should a feast of information for most of us in the Modern EUC Management space…
The value of the platform is not really fully realized until a certain level of feature adoption is obtained, and that is always a moving target BECAUSE new and improved features are always being introduced. I’ve said it many times before, and it is hard for users to keep up with the constant changes in…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
Yes! Windows 11 is out and about! Microsoft released released on Oct 5, 2021 and it has been interesting to read / listen to all of the reviews and comments out there. Introducing Windows 11 – A new Windows experience bringing you closer to the people and things you love. Explore Windows 11 OS, Computers, Apps,…
Aside from the many spelling errors ( English UK !! ) I just read this GREAT new article on ZDNet that talks about the significant change that Digital Transformation has undergone in the past couple of years. I ** LOVE ** this quote from the Bob Parket Senior VP at IDC: “… digital transformation is…
In the last few months Microsoft has released a number of updates to its entire suite, and in this blog post I will cover just *some* of the ones in Microsoft Teams, based on his videos.
ted and surprising blog post in the Microsoft Skype Blog yesterday, the Microsoft Skype Team said that “Skype is getting new features”
On June 24, 2021 Microsoft announced WIndows 11. Last week during their Partner conference, Ignite, Microsoft announced Windows 365. It will be launched on August 2, 2021. Securely stream your Windows experience—including your personalized apps, content, and settings—from the Microsoft cloud to any device with your Windows 365 Cloud PC. Windows 365 is a cloud…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
Had sometime and decided to check out Windows 11. I used a virtual machine using Microsoft’s Hyper-V manager on my Windows 10 device.
Ransomware is rampant these days. The latest in the long list of of attacks is the one on Kaseya, an PC management service provider, and it is notable because the incident not only affects Kaseya’s IT management customers, but also those companies’ corporate clients that have outsourced IT management to them. The attack is reminiscent…
Update 7/10/2021 Minimum hardware requirements further explained – A challenge for many! To run Windows 11, devices must have an Intel Core processor from at least 2017, or AMD Zen 2 processors from 2019 onward. Video of installation on a Hyper-V virtual Machine (my own test) Microsoft releases second public review – with ONLY minor…
With all of the ransomware news as of late, companies are asking what kind of protection and what to do in case the protection fails and the need presents to recover from a cyber attack. Many of the organizations I interface are using Microsoft 365 and / or Office 365 already. So the natural question…
I think it is fair to say that this is very – VERY – different than any other Windows OS launch than in the past. Microsoft has kept a very tight lip on what the announcements contain, and details (or leaks) have not surfaced yet.
Today, cybercriminals have released over 8.4 billion passwords on the dark web. The largest collection of stolen passwords of all time. The 100GB text file includes usernames, email addresses and passwords. #cybersecurity #passwords #leaks #securitynews More info at: https://cybernews.com/security/rockyou2021-alltime-largest-password-compilation-leaked/
The uptick of recent cybersecurity incidents reported in the news as of late is up. The list is long and it has affected business of all sizes and in all industries. The sophistication of the attacks, and vulnerabilities they uncovered are only one side of the coin. Many of them are now truly affecting many lives, and livelihoods.
Session with a great introduction, of what industry verticalcization of SaaS apps means and why this matters to all of us was Build differentiated SaaS apps with the Microsoft Cloud with Charles Lamanna.
