Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast
Technology
About
Your Microsoft Cloud News from a couple of IT Pros
Episodes
- Episode 427: Copilot Cowork Hands-On Experiences
Welcome to Episode 427 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott open with a quick look at YAKO (getyako.com), a browser extension built by community member Merrill that replaces the new tab page with a customiz…
- Episode 426: Claude Cowork vs Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork
Welcome to Episode 426 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast.Ben and Scott are back together this week to talk through Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, including how it compares to Claude Cowork and where each one makes sense. The two product…
- Episode 425 – Exploring Collaboration and Governance at the MVP Summit with Joy Apple
Welcome to Episode 425 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this audio and video episode recorded live at Microsoft headquarters during the MVP Summit, Ben welcomes a return guest, Joy Apple, to the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast and…
- Episode 424 – A new frontier for Microsoft 365 with E7
Welcome to Episode 424 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben and Scott dig into the newly announced Microsoft 365 E7 SKU which bundles M365 E5, Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Microsoft Entra Suite, and Microsoft Agent 365…
- Episode 423 – Non-Human Identities in Microsoft Entra with Eric Woodruff and Chris Brumm
Welcome to Episode 423 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast. In this episode, Ben is live from Workplace Ninjas, joined by Eric Woodruff, Chief Identity Architect at Semperis and Microsoft MVP in Security focused on identity, and Chris Br…
- Episode 422: Back to the Terminal: The Rise of AI CLI Interfaces
In Episode 422, Scott and Ben explore their increasing use of AI command-line interfaces, including Claude Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, and Gemini CLI, in their daily IT workflows. They discuss how these tools enable interaction with local fi…
- Episode 421: Microsoft 365 Mergers and Divestitures with Frank Lesniak
In Episode 421, Frank Lesniak from West Monroe joins the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast to discuss mergers and divestitures in Microsoft 365 environments. They cover due diligence, planning, environment setup, and migration, addressing cha…
- Episode 420 – Ben convinces Scott to buy a 3D printer
In Episode 420, Ben attempts to persuade Scott to purchase a 3D printer, and they share thoughts on various tech gadgets acquired during the holidays, such as a Bambu Lab P2S 3D Printer and a ViewSonic 5K monitor.
- Episode 419 – Security and AI: Security Store, Security Copilot, and Agents
In Episode 419 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, Ben and John Joyner discuss Microsoft Ignite security updates. Topics include the Security Store, AI agents like the phishing triage agent, Security Compute Units, and the integration o…
- Episode 418 – An Anti-AI Adventure with Cat Schneider: SharePoint, Power Automate, and Conference Shenanigans
In Episode 418, Cat Schneider joins the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast to discuss technology before the AI era, SharePoint, and Power Platform. Topics include managing SharePoint permissions with flows, migrating file shares, OneDrive sync…
- Episode 417 – Workplace Ninjas US, Zero Trust, and Conditional Access!
In this episode, Jay Leask joins Ben to discuss their experiences at the Workplace Ninjas US conference in Dallas. They cover event highlights, including the hackathon, community sessions, the Clippy Bucks system, and technical topics like…
- Episode 416 – Microsoft Sentinel, Security, and Ignite with Henrik Wojcik
Henrik Wojcik, a Microsoft MVP in Security, discusses various security topics with the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, including financial sector security, EU regulations, Sentinel, log analytics, Security Copilot, and E5 licensing, alongs…
- Episode 415 – Diving Into Ignite 2025 for IT Pros and AI Agent Management
Scott and Ben cover Microsoft Ignite 2025 announcements, focusing on AI agents and security. Topics include Security Copilot expansions for E5 customers, the introduction of Agent 365 for governing AI agents, and the overall security and m…
- Episode 414 – When the Cloud Falls: Understanding the AWS and Azure Outages of October 2025
Episode 414 discusses the significant cloud service disruptions affecting AWS and Azure in October 2025. It covers the events, their resolution, and considerations for IT professionals regarding future resilience.
- Episode 413 – Simplifying Azure Files with a new file share-centric management model
Episode 413 discusses Microsoft's new file share-centric management model for Azure Files, which simplifies storage account management by treating file shares as top-level resources. This model enhances automation, access control, and scal…
- Episode 412 – Microsoft Sentinel Gets a Data Lake
Microsoft Sentinel has new features including a generally available data lake, a public preview for the Model Context Protocol server, and a public preview for Microsoft Sentinel graph. These updates aim to enhance security operations effi…
- Episode 411 – Securing AI with Microsoft Purview: Data Security Posture Management for AI
The Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast episode 411 discusses Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI, a feature of Microsoft Purview. It covers how DSPM helps monitor and secure AI usage and manage data security and compliance for AI in…
- Episode 410 – Joy and Jay take over and talk Change Management
Jay Leask and Joy Apple, joined by guest Ben Stegink, discuss adapting change management for the Microsoft 365 cloud. They cover the shift from traditional IT to continuous updates, the need for cross-functional teams, and evolving governa…
- Episode 409 – Preparing for Copilot- Securing Your Microsoft 365 Data and Beyond
In Episode 409, hosts Ben and Scott discuss tenant administrator decisions for Microsoft 365 Copilot deployment, focusing on securing data, remediating oversharing in SharePoint, and implementing governance controls for sensitive informati…
- Episode 408 – Model Context Protocol (MCP) Part 2: Getting the Most Out of MCP Servers
Episode 408 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast continues the discussion on Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, focusing on practical implementation and maximizing their use in daily workflows.
- Episode 407 – Model Context Protocol (MCP) Part 1: The USB Port of AI Communications
Episode 407 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast discusses the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a new specification enabling Large Language Models (LLMs) to connect to live data, APIs, and services, making AI interactions more relevant for I…
- Episode 406 – Agents of Insight: Copilot in Action and Sentinel on the Move
In Episode 406, hosts Ben and Scott explore Microsoft Copilot
- Episode 405 – Loop, Loop Workspaces, Loop Pages, Copilot Pages, Copilot Notebooks, Copilot Notebooks in OneNote Notebooks
In Episode 405 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, Ben and Scott discuss the Microsoft notebook ecosystem, covering Copilot Pages, Copilot Notebooks, Loop workspaces, and their relationship with OneNote.
- Episode 404: The Microsoft 365 Landing Page Shake-Up
In Episode 404, Ben and Scott cover Microsoft's recent change to the Microsoft 365 user experience, moving from portal.office.com to a new Copilot landing page. This transition is causing confusion and impacting existing IT documentation.
- Episode 403 – Catching up on all the news from Microsoft Build 2025
In Episode 403, Scott and Ben review key news from Microsoft Build 2025, including updates on Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning, Microsoft Entra Agent ID for AI agents, and Azure AI innovations discussed with Mark Russinovich.
- Episode 402 – Declarative Agents with Andrew Connell
Andrew Connell rejoins the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast to discuss Copilot agents from a developer perspective, covering billing models, semantic indexing for data grounding, and access control. Limitations such as missing metadata and l…
- Episode 401 – Zero Trust in Microsoft 365
In Episode 401, Ben Stegink and Scott Hoag explore Zero Trust implementation in Microsoft 365. Topics include identity management with Entra ID, endpoint security, securing network traffic, application monitoring with Defender for Cloud, a…
- Episode 400 – Microsoft 365 Copilot Declarative Agents and Copilot Studio Agent Builder
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast covers Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Episode 399 – Azure Infrastructure as Code with Greg Suttie
Greg Suttie, an Azure MVP, shares his experience and work with Infrastructure as Code using Bicep, Azure Verified Modules, and Azure Bicep Configuration files in this interview from the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast.
- Episode 398 – PowerShell and Intune with Harm Veenstra
Harm Veenstra, a Microsoft MVP in PowerShell, discusses his journey and expertise in PowerShell and Microsoft Intune, including practical applications like remediation scripts, on the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast.
- Episode 397 – Local LLMs: Why Every Microsoft 365 & Azure Pro Should Explore Them
In Episode 397, Scott and Ben explore local large language models (LLMs) that run on personal devices. They discuss why IT pros are experimenting with them, available models, and integration into workflows like AI-assisted coding in Visual…
- Episode 396 – Lessons from a real-life ransomware attack
In episode 396, Ben discusses a ransomware attack on an on-premises VMware environment with Scott, covering the attack, its outcomes, and potential mitigation strategies. The episode references resources on password cracking, VMware accoun…
- Episode 395 – Getting Started with VDI in Azure with Azure Virtual Desktop
Episode 395 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast discusses Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), explaining its capabilities for secure, scalable VDI in the cloud. The episode details setup, configuration best practices using FSLogix and Intune, c…
- Episode 394 – Prepare your Microsoft 365 Tenant for Copilot Success
Episode 394 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast discusses preparing a Microsoft 365 tenant for Copilot. It covers licensing options, compatibility with M365 Apps, data protection, auditing, and integration with SharePoint Advanced Manage…
- Episode 393 – Microsoft Teams Meeting Room Solutions with Alex Mooney
Alex Mooney from Logitech joins Ben on the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast to discuss the integration of technology into meetings. They cover AI for transcribing in-person meetings and explore various Microsoft Teams Room systems from Logit…
- Episode 392 – Building Confidence In Your Microsoft Copilot Deployment with AvePoint CTO John Peluso
In Episode 392, Ben interviews AvePoint CTO John Peluso about deploying Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft 365. They cover governance, insights into usage, administration strategies, and measuring AI adoption within an organization.
- Episode 391 – Remote Desktop and Application Delivery with Kamal Srinivasan from Parallels
Scott interviews Kamal Srinivasan from Parallels to discuss application and desktop delivery strategies, particularly in light of disruptions to the traditional Citrix model. The conversation covers the shift to cloud-based computing, opti…
- Episode 390: Microsoft Ignite 2024: Windows 365 Link
At Microsoft Ignite 2024, Melissa Grant discussed Windows 365 Link, a new dedicated device for Windows 365 Cloud PCs designed to simplify IT management and improve security. The conversation also covered the evolution of Microsoft's cloud-…
- Episode 389: Microsoft Ignite 2024: Redefining AI, Productivity, and Edge Computing
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast recaps Microsoft Ignite 2024, detailing advancements in Agentic AI, multi-modal models, and the evolution of Copilot within Microsoft 365 applications like Teams, Word, PowerPoint, and Exc…
- Episode 388 – Getting Started with Azure Bicep: Infrastructure as Code with a Domain Specific Language
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast introduces Azure Bicep, Microsoft’s Infrastructure as Code (IaC) language. It explains how to get started with Bicep, including tool setup and its features, highlighting its advantages ove…
- Episode 387 – Windows on ARM: Physical Hardware vs Virtual Machines, App Compatibility, and Other Considerations
Scott and Ben explore Windows on ARM, comparing physical hardware like the Surface Pro 11th Edition with virtual machine setups. They discuss performance on native ARM processors, app compatibility challenges, and the experience of virtual…
- Episode 386 – Exploring DevOps Tools: Maester, Pester, and SCUBA
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast covers DevOps tools Maester, Pester, and SCUBA, focusing on their application in automation, testing, and security. It highlights how these tools can streamline processes and enhance infra…
- Episode 385 – Microsoft Sentinel: Deployment, Management, and Cost Optimization
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast covers the deployment, management, and cost optimization of Microsoft Sentinel. Topics include deployment guides, pricing, log retention, multi-workspace management, and automating threat…
- Episode 384 – Securing Azure: Microsoft Defender for Cloud
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast focuses on Microsoft Defender for Cloud, providing an overview of its capabilities in monitoring and securing Azure environments. Topics include access control, virtual machine agents, and…
- Episode 383 – Securing Azure: Monitoring and observing your Azure estate
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast covers securing Azure environments through monitoring and observability. It details Azure security logging and auditing, discusses Azure Monitor data sources and collection, and explores h…
- Episode 382 – Securing the Modern Workplace: Exploring Microsoft Entra ID Security Defaults, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score
This episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast covers three key tools for cloud security: Microsoft Entra ID Security Defaults, Conditional Access Policies, and Microsoft Secure Score. It explains when and why to use each tool based on…
- Episode 381 – Microsoft Graph Data Connect
In this episode of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast, the hosts discuss Microsoft Graph Data Connect, a service for accessing and managing Microsoft 365 data. The discussion covers its functionality for secure and scalable data operations…
- Episode 380 – The future of AD FS is cloudy
In Episode 380, the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast covers recent security breaches, including those at AT&T and large password leaks. The hosts also discuss migrating from AD FS to Microsoft Entra ID for identity management and cloud authe…
- Episode 379 – Azure Verified Modules
In Episode 379, Scott and Ben explore Azure Verified Modules, a Microsoft initiative focused on establishing standards for Bicep and Terraform modules. The discussion covers the purpose, benefits, and implementation of these modules.
- Episode 378 – Azure Compute Fleet
Episode 378 of the Microsoft Cloud IT Pro Podcast discusses Azure Compute Fleet, a new Azure infrastructure service in preview since Microsoft Build 2024. This service enables the deployment of virtual machine capacity at scale across diff…