I will speak at the European MCT Summit 2025 in Manchester, UK, on January 9th and 10th! This annual gathering is a cornerstone for the Microsoft Certified Trainer community, providing a platform to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and advance our collective impact in the training world.
My session, “Transforming Training with AI,” will delve into how AI is reshaping the way we deliver and experience training. From automating routine tasks to personalizing learning paths, AI is not just a buzzword—it’s a game-changer for trainers and learners alike. I’ll share practical insights, real-world applications, and strategies to harness AI to elevate our training delivery.
The European MCT Summit is always a highlight of the year for its vibrant community, insightful sessions, and opportunities to connect with fellow trainers across Europe and beyond. I’m honored to contribute to this tradition and look forward to engaging with you all.
If you’re planning to attend, let’s connect! Feel free to reach out to discuss the session, share ideas, or say hello. Together, let’s explore the future of training!
📅 Mark your calendar: 📍 Where: Manchester, UK 🗓️ When: January 9–10, 2025 🔗More Information: https://www.mctsummit.co.uk/
Stay tuned for updates and sneak peeks as we approach the event.
Microsoft announced that Managed DevOps Pools for Azure DevOps is now generally available! This milestone marks a significant advancement in improving developer productivity in the CI/CD loop, reducing your cloud bill for ES infrastructure, and minimizing the toil associated with creating and maintaining custom CI/CD infrastructure for your pipelines.
What is Managed DevOps Pools?
Managed DevOps Pools enable development and platform engineering teams to quickly spin up custom DevOps pools tailored to their workload’s unique needs. It combines the flexibility of Scale Set agents with the ease of maintenance of Microsoft Hosted agents, offering improved performance and advanced reliability features. Managed DevOps Pools is a fully managed service where VMs powering the agents are created and managed by Microsoft, reducing the time spent managing agents and improving reliability.
Key Features:
Tailored Pools: Create pools in any supported Azure region with any SKU, including ARM64 and GPU.
Custom Software: Customize the software installed on your agents using Microsoft-hosted quick starter images, selected marketplace images, or bring-your-own images.
Performance and Cost Optimization: Use Standby agent mode to configure predictions that ensure the correct number of agents are ready when needed.
Private Network Connectivity: The bring-your-own-network feature allows you to connect your agents to resources on your private network and control network security.
New Features:
Support for New Azure Regions: It is now available in Sweden Central, Brazil South, Japan East, UAE North, Korea Central, and Norway East.
Easy Discoverability: The Azure DevOps “Add agent pool” UI now includes the “Managed DevOps Pools” option.
Proxy Support: Set up Managed DevOps Pools to direct network traffic through a proxy.
IP Address Visibility: You can view the agent’s IP address in the Initialize job step of your pipeline log.
Resource Group or Subscription Move: Move your Managed DevOps Pools to another Azure resource group or subscription.
Ubuntu 24.04 Support: Support Ubuntu 24.04 with new images and bring-your-own options.
Azure Key Vault Integration: Configure your pool to download certificates from Key Vaults.
Looking Ahead
The general availability of Managed DevOps Pools is just the beginning. Microsoft will continuously improve and evolve the service. Upcoming features include:
Microsoft has introduced a new category of cloud computing that allows users to access the full Windows 365 experience through streaming on a small computer. Windows 365 Link offers a cloud-based operating system experience, enabling users to stream their Windows desktop from Microsoft’s cloud to any device.
This enterprise-focused solution is designed for organizations adopting Windows 365, aiming to enhance user productivity, security, IT efficiency, and sustainability. The Windows 365 Link is Microsoft’s first Cloud PC, built to provide quick access to Windows 365 in seconds. It addresses virtualization challenges such as complex authentication steps, peripheral incompatibility, and latency issues, promising to resolve these with a solution that wakes up in seconds and quickly resumes work from the cloud.
The compact device supports two 4K monitors, has four USB ports, an Ethernet network port, and wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. It offers high-performance video processing and conferencing capabilities, including Microsoft Teams, and integrates partner solutions like Cisco’s Webex.
Security is a priority, with the operating system locked down, no local data or apps, and no local admin privileges, reducing the risk of attacks. Authentication is passwordless, using Microsoft Entra ID, allowing access via multi-factor authentication methods such as the Microsoft Authenticator app, a QR code passkey, or a FIDO USB key.
The device simplifies IT management, reducing logistical challenges and costs for companies. Users only need to connect the PC, set up the internet, and authenticate their account to start working in minutes. The Windows 365 Link is available for initial testing in select countries and is expected to hit the market in April 2025 for $349.
Today at Microsoft Ignite, one of the announcements was about Azure Local.
Azure’s adaptive cloud approach, powered by Azure Arc, revolutionizes how over 39,000 customers manage their hybrid, multi-cloud, and edge infrastructure. With Azure Local, you can deploy cloud-connected infrastructure at your physical locations, maintaining operational control while leveraging Azure’s powerful tools and services.
Key Features of Azure Local:
Unified Management: Operate and scale distributed infrastructure using the Azure portal and APIs, treating physical machines like cloud resources.
Flexible Deployment: Connect compatible machines to Azure Arc and follow a simple workflow to create an Azure Local instance with customizable clusters, networking, and storage options.
Seamless Updates: Manage Azure Local updates through Azure Update Manager, ensuring non-disruptive updates in multi-node environments.
Centralized Monitoring: Integrate with Azure Monitor for unified observability across cloud resources and distributed locations.
Support for All Apps: Run VMs and containers, Windows and Linux, side-by-side on the same physical infrastructure.
Enhanced Security: With built-in security features and integration with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, extend cloud security practices to your distributed locations.
Azure Local offers flexible hardware and software options to meet your specific requirements and budget, making it an ideal solution for industries with distributed computing needs. Whether you’re in retail, manufacturing, finance, or government, Azure Local provides the tools to enhance efficiency, security, and scalability.
What do you think about this announcement? Excited?
I’m pleased to share that I’ve recently completed the GitHub Foundations Certification. While it may seem like a small milestone, given my extensive experience with GitHub over the years, it felt like an essential step in formalizing and validating my knowledge.
GitHub has been a core part of my daily workflow for quite some time. From version control to collaboration on various projects, GitHub has been integral to my consulting and teaching efforts. When teaching Microsoft Official Azure Training like Azure Administrator, Developer, and Architect, … I use several repositories on the Microsoft Learning organization to keep the labs updated. Then we have the Microsoft DevOps Solutions course, aka the AZ-400 exam, that has some modules dedicated to GitHub. We can’t forget the use of GitHub when consulting projects focused on Azure and AI.
Although I’ve worked extensively with GitHub in different contexts, the certification provided me with a structured opportunity to refine and consolidate my understanding of best practices, workflows, and advanced features I may not have encountered daily.
Incorporating GitHub into my Azure DevOps training sessions and consulting projects has always been a natural fit. Whether I’m teaching students about CI/CD pipelines in the AZ-400 course or helping clients with their Azure and AI solutions, GitHub plays a crucial role in facilitating collaboration and version control. It’s invaluable when setting up and managing repositories for code, automating workflows, or working with teams across different locations.
While this certification might be a little overdue, given my years of experience, I’m proud to have it as a formal acknowledgment of my expertise. It reminds me that even with extensive experience, there’s always room to learn and grow.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue leveraging GitHub in my projects, teaching, and consulting work while sharing my insights. The platform’s evolving features, especially in the context of Azure and AI, present incredible opportunities for more efficient development and collaboration.
I highly recommend the certification to anyone considering it. It’s an excellent way to validate your skills, stay updated with GitHub’s latest capabilities, and ensure you make the most of this powerful tool in personal and professional projects.
As part of my commitment to sharing knowledge, I’m currently working on creating two new courses: one focused on Git Essentials and another on GitHub. If you’re starting with Git and GitHub, these courses will guide you through the fundamentals and best practices, ensuring you have a solid foundation on which to build. You can find these courses and many others on my learning platform, Learn With Tiago, available at https://learn.tiagocosta.com. Stay tuned for updates, and I look forward to helping you master these essential tools!
