Almost every industry is reimagining and reinventing how it utilizes technology within their business. Years of digital transformation happened in a matter of months due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The amount of experimentation and learning occurring in all business sectors is inspiring, giving hope to many during a tumultuous time. The experts at Microsoft announced how they would empower businesses and build resilience with a new set of tools at the 2020 Ignite Conference.

First-Ever, All-Digital Microsoft Ignite

Microsoft Ignite is an annual conference for IT professionals, developers, and anyone open to innovative, cutting-edge solutions, hosted by Microsoft. Technology experts, most valuable professionals, and community members presented new ways to continue critical work, reimagining what is possible for a world enduring a global health crisis and economic uncertainty. This year, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Ignite 2020 was a completely digital experience, enabling the occasion to extend far past the conference’s end date.

Empowering Organizations and Build Resilience with Technology

This year there have been unforeseen challenges living around every corner for businesses and industries of every kind. But for every challenge, there is opportunity and hope. Opportunity, hope, and innovation were the key themes for Ignite 2020. The creativity of Microsoft customers inspired many of the new advancements and announcements delivered at Ignite.

Below are some of the new tools announced at the conference. With these tools, Microsoft hopes to help businesses solve the challenges they face now while building future possibilities.

Cloud Services Customers

• New capabilities focused on critical centers for customer satisfaction with Microsoft Dynamics 365, including Customer Service and Supply Chain Management. The new solutions are business-ready but scalable and customizable. A new first-party voice channel for Dynamics 365 Customer Service will be available in a private preview. By integrating voice into existing capabilities, Microsoft enables businesses to provide a fluid, end-to0end customer service experience.
• Microsoft unlocked a new pricing plan for Power BI. Now, businesses can choose a Power BI Premium per user payment plan, which creates an easy entry for companies and individuals into a data-driven business model.
• Here is a session highlighting the new cloud-based customer service solutions.

Information Workers and Those Building Low-Code Solutions

• Microsoft announced new Microsoft 365 capabilities designed to equip organizations with the tools they need to be resilient and thrive. New devices will be hitting the shelves, such as the HoloLens2 will be available for shipment to commercial customers in January 2021. New management capabilities in Microsoft Endpoint Manager make it easier to secure and manage devices from one location.
• New Microsoft Teams features keep making digital meetings better by allowing attendees to utilize new Together mode scenes and custom layouts. Additionally, personal well-being insights and features provide structure to long workdays from home and integrate with apps such as Headspace to make it easier to de-stress, focus, and mitigate burnout.
• Here is a session highlighting new low-code solutions.

For Developers

• The past six months have highlighted the importance of having a developer or development team that can quickly create a business solution to help their organization adjust to a continuously evolving business environment. To support this key pillar in your organization’s infrastructure, Microsoft announced low code updates in Power Platform and Azure for professional developers, enabling them to create custom apps, bots, and workflows efficiently.
• Here is a session that highlights new features for your development team.

Healthcare Industry

• Healthcare has seen one of the most accelerated transformations during this time. Microsoft announced its first industry-specific cloud, Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, to provide technologically driven, accessible, and affordable healthcare. This solution will be generally available at the end of October.
• To support telehealth workflows and reduce complexity, Microsoft is releasing a Microsoft Teams HER connector, which is now available for a private preview. With the connector, clinicians can launch virtual patient visits or consults in Teams directly from their electronic health record provider.
• Here is a session highlighting innovation for the healthcare industry.

Ignite a Spark in Your Business in 2021

New challenges mean new solutions, new opportunities, new growth, new relationships, and new partnerships. It means expanding the horizons of your business to touch places you never thought they would reach. Ignite 2020 is just the beginning of innovations from Microsoft, and 2020 is just the beginning of a new way of doing business.

We do not know what will happen next year. But finding an IT partner that can help you prepare and adapt to unprecedented circumstances is more important than ever. The team of Microsoft experts at Bauen Solutions is ready to partner with evolving businesses like yours to adopt new solutions and navigate upcoming changes. Technology is a journey; let us join you on yours.