{"id":1665,"date":"2020-07-27T10:02:34","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T14:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/?p=1665"},"modified":"2025-07-24T14:09:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T19:09:39","slug":"microsoft-inspire-2020-our-biggest-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/?p=1665","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Inspire 2020: Our Biggest Takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-85bp3-f856194ef33e7bc72ec0d3bf98278fce\">\n.flex_column.av-85bp3-f856194ef33e7bc72ec0d3bf98278fce{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-85bp3-f856194ef33e7bc72ec0d3bf98278fce av_one_full  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><p><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-k0pon615-83a3f74a3a12ae3df6b12e1982bff3e8 '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><h1>Microsoft Inspire 2020: Our Biggest Takeaways<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-k0pop9td-34c3529061cd7bb9ffd7b4d3c815c3f0 '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><p>On July 21, Microsoft kicked off the 17th edition of its annual Inspire event, but for the first time ever, the event was not held in an arena or a lavish resort with multiple ball rooms for in-person breakout sessions. Instead, Microsoft followed in the footsteps of many other organizations in 2020 by having their first ever virtual conference. A few of us here at Louisville Geek attended, so we wanted to share a few takeaways from the conference.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1668 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/JPG-Microsoft-Inspire_OMB-Hero.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/JPG-Microsoft-Inspire_OMB-Hero.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/JPG-Microsoft-Inspire_OMB-Hero-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/JPG-Microsoft-Inspire_OMB-Hero-1030x579.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/JPG-Microsoft-Inspire_OMB-Hero-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lg-staging.lougcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/JPG-Microsoft-Inspire_OMB-Hero-705x397.jpg 705w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Microsoft Teams Rooms Standard and Premium<\/h2>\n<p>Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft had been trying to improve the experience of online collaboration. With Microsoft Teams Rooms Standard, admins can now set up, view, and manage devices such as cameras, displays, IP phones and microphones from a single screen. Teams Rooms Standard costs $15\/month per device.<\/p>\n<p>Teams Rooms Premium provides customers with a cloud-based service that includes 24\/7 proactive management and monitoring delivered by Microsoft experts. Teams Rooms Premium allows users to shift the operational burden of their rooms to Microsoft or a certified Microsoft partner. This option costs $50 per device per month.<\/p>\n<p>Together mode places all the participants on a video call together in a virtual space, such as an auditorium, conference room or coffee shop, so they look like they\u2019re in the same place together. The new feature ditches the traditional grid of boxes, creating an environment that users say has a profound impact on the feel of the video conference and provides more cohesion to the group.<\/p>\n<h3>RealWear<\/h3>\n<p>Microsoft also announced the new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realwear.com\/solutions\/microsoft-teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RealWear head-mounted devices<\/a>, which provide first-line workers with hands-free access to information and the ability to conduct calls with remote experts directly from their job sites. Users will be able to access chats, remote assist capabilities and other resources using only voice commands.<\/p>\n<h3>Walkie Talkie<\/h3>\n<p>Another new Teams feature is Walkie Talkie, which will turn smartphones or tablets into a walkie-talkie that will work over Wi-Fi or cellular data. The feature will enable a clear, instant, and secure voice communication over the cloud, while also reducing the number of devices employees must carry, thus potentially lowering IT costs.<\/p>\n<h2>Microsoft Dataflex<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/powerplatform.microsoft.com\/en-us\/common-data-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Microsoft Dataflex<\/a> provides a built-in, low-code data platform for Teams, and provides relational data storage, rich data types, enterprise grade governance, and one-click solution deployment. Developers creating Power Apps and Power Virtual Agent chatbots can now create and access the apps and bots in Teams and deploy them in one click. Microsoft Dataflex is made atop the Common Data Service, which reached general availability in 2016. Since that time, the Common Data Service added over 1,000 features and introduced support for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Apps.<\/p>\n<h2>Microsoft 365 Updates<\/h2>\n<p>One of the more interesting announcements to come out of Inspire 2020 are the changes to <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/microsoft-design\/m365future-815cf30a8be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Microsoft 365&#8217;s UX<\/a>, which sees an increased focus on simplicity. The proposed design changes aim to increase the productivity of users while providing smarter features to help with day-to-day tasks. According to Microsoft, these changes will improve the way you work in Office. One of the most significant changes addresses the iconic ribbon that sits atop the window providing quick access to tools and features you may need while using the Microsoft 365 suite. The company wants to reduce distractions, and that includes transitioning from a ribbon that may seem intimidating at first sight to a simpler, smarter experience.<\/p>\n<h2>Microsoft Azure Updates<\/h2>\n<p>Microsoft announced new hybrid migration, data, security and compliance, and developer offerings around the <a href=\"https:\/\/azure.microsoft.com\/en-us\/blog\/deliver-hybrid-cloud-capabilities-with-the-next-generation-of-azure-stack-hci\/?ranMID=24542&amp;ranEAID=TnL5HPStwNw&amp;ranSiteID=TnL5HPStwNw-JOTf0jbOVTs1ANKUCaawlw&amp;epi=TnL5HPStwNw-JOTf0jbOVTs1ANKUCaawlw&amp;irgwc=1&amp;OCID=AID2000142_aff_7593_1243925&amp;tduid=%28ir__lsk1jnynpokfrzk9kk0sohzlx22xikkkoo3xguz200%29%287593%29%281243925%29%28TnL5HPStwNw-JOTf0jbOVTs1ANKUCaawlw%29%28%29&amp;irclickid=_lsk1jnynpokfrzk9kk0sohzlx22xikkkoo3xguz200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Azure cloud platform<\/a>. By doing so, Microsoft is aiming to streamline a businesses first steps into the cloud by addressing some technical issues that hamper the migration process. The products and services include the next generation of Azure Stack HCI, new Azure Migrate features and Azure Lighthouse security enhancements, and third-party connectors for Azure Sentinel, Microsoft\u2019s security information and event management offering.<\/p>\n<h2>Microsoft Yammer Updates<\/h2>\n<p>Microsoft Yammer now has a redesigned look on the web and mobile devices. Yammer now has deeper integrations with several services, including Microsoft 365, Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint. Yammer now includes featured conversations to drive visibility and engagement to important dialogues. UserVoice requests and can be configured by Microsoft 365 global admins through the Yammer admin portal. These new integrations for Yammer and the improved design and experience will make it easier to coordinate communication across Microsoft services.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='newsletter-cta'  class='avia-section av-k94bv4z5-3db5045821716543f466fd2ed6fe087e main_color avia-section-default avia-no-border-styling  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_one_full  avia-builder-el-last  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-1665'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-51vv-890cb9339298166528b66afbca7f3287\">\n.flex_column.av-51vv-890cb9339298166528b66afbca7f3287{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-51vv-890cb9339298166528b66afbca7f3287 av_one_half  avia-builder-el-5  el_before_av_one_half  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-k91ny805-e4fa07328a97eaf5a443b98b19009ade '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><p>Louisville Geek provides comprehensive managed IT services for a diverse range of businesses and non-profit organizations. We are passionate about IT and love what we do!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2sej-3ae0b85a4ea0cf26f8956379e2e0883d\">\n.flex_column.av-2sej-3ae0b85a4ea0cf26f8956379e2e0883d{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-2sej-3ae0b85a4ea0cf26f8956379e2e0883d av_one_half  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_one_half  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-k94busar-1ebe35827b8056452803c9570dc5b3a4 '  ><div class='avia_textblock' ><h3>Stay updated by signing up for our newsletter<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few of us here at Louisville Geek attended, so we wanted to share a few takeaways from the conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - 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