Data detail, Copilot kick-offs and more
Cloud Direct
Cloud Direct is one of the UK's leading Microsoft partners. We help our customers achieve fearless growth.
Did you know that the term "prime minister" was originally an insult?
Well, now you do.
Sir Robert Walpole – the UK's first prime minister – rejected suggestions of the title during his rise to power, but the term went on to gain credibility and today, the UK may elect its 58th.
But that's enough politics chat. There's not been much activity on the #HedgehogsAtPollingStations hashtag, so I've lost interest. Let's get back to talking about Microsoft.
In this edition of my 微软 Memo, I'll bring you up to speed on...
??? Microsoft's new data centres
?? Creating a security response plan
?? Our Microsoft CISO Security Briefing
?? Starting small with Copilot
?? Microsoft's strategy
...so, let's get stuck in.
Microsoft bets on the UK ???
Despite mentions of the UK being 'closed for business' in recent years, Microsoft is boosting its investment across the country with new and expanding data centres.
The company's primary investment will see a new 'hyperscale' centre open just outside of Leeds, after purchasing the Skelton Grange site for more than ￡100 million. This news was followed by the announcement of a new Welsh data centre, opening just outside of Newport and creating 120 jobs in the area.
Data is at the forefront of business innovation, and this new facility in Leeds is part of Microsoft's wider ￡2.5 billion investment in the UK's data and cloud infrastructure. Businesses stand to benefit from enhanced technological capabilities, capacity, and opportunities following the centre's development – giving businesses in the north greater access to Microsoft by putting them on the doorstep!
How do you prepare for a security breach? ??
Everyone thinks their cybersecurity defences are up to scratch... until they're found out.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail – the old adage holds particularly true in a cybersecurity context, so it's incredibly important to make sure you are prepared for a security breach so that you can protect your organisation at the drop of a hate. After all, it's better to have a plan and not need it than to be caught short.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft's security experts released an insightful guide on improving your incident response plan in the midst of an increasingly concerning cyberthreat landscape, covering the processes, products, and most importantly, the people involved.
There's never been a more important time to be on top of your cybersecurity processes and policies. More than 35 billion records have already been breached this year alone, and more are compromised by the second. No matter how tight your defences are, you also need to plan for the worst-case scenario, and this guide does a great job in outlining the steps you need to consider.
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How we're helping ??
Speaking of security, our team has been busy passing on everything they know about the Microsoft Security Toolkit with attendees at our recent CISO Security Briefing in London. Hosted at the captivating Churchill War Rooms, our teams of experts were joined by speakers from Microsoft and our customer base to explore the tools that are available to you to keep your business safe.
Covering everything from Defender and Sentinel to Purview and Copilot, the event allowed our team the opportunity to pass their knowledge on, as well as opening up the floor to create two-way conversations and better understand the experiences and pain points of a range of organisations.
And it was such a hit that we're re-running the event in just a couple of weeks' time! I've heard a lot of great stuff about the last one, so I won't miss the opportunity to tag along this time – why not join me?
Register your interest here, and a member of the team will be in touch.
Starting small with Copilot ??
You've undoubtedly heard us shouting about Copilot a fair bit – and with good reason. There are a whole host of use cases that claim to totally transform your organisation and revolutionise the way you work. The benefits sound great, but sometimes they can seem a little farfetched.
So, let's dial it back, and start with the basics. This Copilot use case, explored by CNET, highlights how even the most simple of use cases can have a massive impact on your day, giving you more of your most valuable asset – time.
It seems simple. It seems small. But, over the course of a week, all of a sudden you find yourself with a few extra hours to focus on the more meaningful work. Time spent prepping for meetings shrinks, time spent following up afterwards is minimised. What you're left with is more time to make a real impact on your organisation – or, for me, more time to snaffle in the hedgerows.
If you start with the easy stuff, it won't be long until you're realising the more complex benefits of Copilot – the research, the data analysis, the meeting sentiment analysis – but don't let looking too far ahead put you off getting started. Instead, start small and begin making incremental changes. Before you know it, Copilot will be a cornerstone of your work.
That's exactly how the team at Cloud Direct got started with Copilot. They've gone through that exact experience, so they know what they're doing, and they know what they're talking about. They can help you too, with a crafty Copilot workshop that their team of experts have put together.
Lifting the lid on Microsoft ??
Lastly, I'll leave you with a bit of listening for the weekend ahead.
In 2000, Microsoft was the biggest company in the world. In 2011 it had fallen to tenth, and for the next four years it wrestled to keep up with its competitors. Today, it's back at the top. How did it recover its position?
This podcast from Harvard Business Review puts Microsoft in the spotlight and looks at how it adapted its strategy to turn the ship around, unpicking the learnings that can be applied to your organisation. It provides a perfect example of the importance of adaptive strategies and gives you an insight into transformation planning at the world's biggest company.
That's all for another two weeks – I'll see you on the 18th!
All the best,
Eric ??