My First Microsoft #MVPsummit in Microsoft Redmond, Seattle

It was an exciting few days for Simon Doy, founder of iThink 365, as he attended his first Microsoft #MVPsummit at the Microsoft Redmond campus in Seattle. The Global MVP Summit is an annual event held by Microsoft to connect with and recognize the contributions of its Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs). Simon was thrilled to be invited to this event which gave him the opportunity to meet key product groups, leaders in the Microsoft 365 eco system including Jeff Teper and Mark Kashmann and finally meet the Maturity model for Microsoft 365 team in person, a team that he has been working with for 3 years but has not met in real life. 

So, what was Simon’s key thoughts about his first event? 

Firstly, it was great to meet up with everyone, the buzz at the venue was fantastic. The keynote highlighted some of the amazing contributions that the MVP community have to make the Microsoft ecosystem more inclusive and help Microsoft and the community to achieve more. It was great for the MVP community to be recognised as having a great effect on the community by the senior Microsoft management team. 

Secondly, this year is all about AI and Microsoft Copilot. There was so much talk about Copilot and more to be announced at Microsoft 365 Conference in May 2023. 

The Microsoft MVP Summit Experience 

The Microsoft MVP Summit is an exclusive event for the select group of MVPs invited by Microsoft. I got the opportunity to attend the event and was amazed by the supportive and collaborative culture of the Microsoft community. 

The summit is a great opportunity for MVPs to learn about new technologies, products, and features that Microsoft is working on. At the summit, there were several sessions that focused on different areas of Microsoft’s technology stack. Simon attended sessions on Microsoft Teams and Power Platform and was impressed with the new capabilities that are coming to these products. 

The Maturity Model for Microsoft 365 

I was finally able to meet the maturity model for Microsoft 365 team in person. The Maturity Model for Microsoft 365 is a set of guidelines that Microsoft has developed to help organizations achieve their digital transformation goals. The model is designed to help organizations improve their productivity, security, and compliance posture. 

The maturity model team at Microsoft is made up of subject matter experts who help organizations understand the model and how it can be applied to their specific business needs. I was impressed with the team’s knowledge and their willingness to help organizations navigate through the model. 

New Capabilities Coming to Microsoft365, Microsoft Teams and Power Platform 

Whilst all the content was under NDA, along with the wider Microsoft community, I was excited to learn about the new capabilities that are coming to Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and Power Platform. Microsoft is constantly working to improve its products and making them more user-friendly and efficient. 

I do believe that these new capabilities will help organisations improve their productivity, streamline their workflows, and make better-informed decisions. 

Microsoft’s commitment to innovation and community building is what makes it a leader in the technology world. I look forward to attending future Microsoft MVPsummit events and continuing to learn about the latest advancements in Microsoft’s technology stack. 

The introduction of AI and these large learning model (LLM) such as Chat GPT is going to have a huge impact on how we work regardless of which industry you are in.  

Until next time…