The Directions on Microsoft Briefing

Microsoft Support: You've Got More Options Than You Think Jan 30, 2025

Microsoft's Unified Support plan is not beloved by many enterprises. US Cloud VP Mike Jones provides the latest on the plan, plus some support tips and tricks in this conversation with Directions' Mary Jo Foley.

Azure Local: What's New, What's Next Jan 22, 2025

Microsoft's Azure Local falls in the uncanny valley between on-prem and cloud. Our newest analyst Greg DeMichillie shares his recommendations with Mary Jo Foley on what customers should (and shouldn't yet) do with this technology.

Microsoft Roadmap: What Was Hot in 2024 and Will Matter in 2025 Dec 17, 2024

Our panel of Directions on Microsoft analysts talk about the biggest Microsoft enterprise pain points for 2024 and predict what will be top-of-mind in 2025 in this recording of our annual update webinar.

Microsoft Ignite 2024: What You Missed (and Didn't) Nov 26, 2024

Microsoft's Ignite 2024 conference focused heavily on all things AI. But that wasn't all. Directions analyst Wes Miller grills Mary Jo Foley about the announcements and non-announcements from Chicago.

Behind Microsoft's AI Curtain Nov 19, 2024

Microsoft's intense focus on all things AI has resulted in noticeable security, quality and delivery issues with some of its key enterprise products and services. Directions analysts Jim Gaynor and Wes Miller share with Mary Jo Foley their insights on how Microsoft's new priorities have affected and may continue to impact its commercial customers.

Deploying Windows -- You've Got Choices: A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm Oct 25, 2024

There's one year left before Microsoft ends support for Windows 10. Directions analysts Michael Cherry, Jim Gaynor, and Wes Miller talk with Mary Jo Foley about the best paths forward for enterprises who want to stay safe and up-to-date.

What's Top of Mind for CxOs? Oct 14, 2024

CxOs are juggling more than just AI ROI these days. Security, cloud-computing costs, governance and more all are vying for attention and budgets. Directions analyst Barry Briggs and Mary Jo Foley talk about the latest technologies on which CxOs need to focus.

Microsoft Picks Up the Premium Pace With Dynamics 365 Sep 30, 2024

Microsoft is making more and more Dynamics 365 features available exclusively as part of pricey premium subscriptions. Directions analyst Andrew Snodgrass and Mary Jo Foley talk through the implications of this shift for customers both now and in the longer term.

Cutting Through Copilot Complexity Sep 20, 2024

As Microsoft commences its 'Wave 2' Copilot push, it's becoming more challenging than ever to find clear answers about features, pricing and licensing. Fortunately, Directions analyst Wes Miller and Mary Jo Foley have you covered with tips and resources to help with your evaluation of the growing family of Microsoft Copilots.

Diving Into the Data: A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm Aug 27, 2024

When it comes to databases, Microsoft offers almost too many options for storing and analyzing all kinds of data. Directions analysts Barry Briggs, Rob Sanfilippo and Andrew Snodgrass talk with Mary Jo Foley about how customers can keep up with the growing set of Microsoft on-premises and cloud database offerings and figure out which solution best fits their particular needs.

Stuck in a VMware Squeeze? You've Got Microsoft Options Aug 15, 2024

Broadcom's purchase of VMware late last year has left many customers in the lurch. Microsoft is making a play for the disenfranchised. Directions analysts Jim Gaynor and Wes Miller provide guidance with host Mary Jo Foley to help you navigate the potential technology and licensing minefields.

Like It Or Not, The New Outlook Is Coming Soon Jul 17, 2024

Microsoft's new Outlook (and the on-premises Exchange Server SE release) are marching ahead. What do customers need to do now to prepare? Directions' Rob Helm, Jim Gaynor, and Mary Jo Foley share the very latest info and their insights on what's happening with these two key new products.

Onboarding AI With ROI: A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm Jul 02, 2024

What should companies be doing to on-board AI in ways that generate a positive return on investment? Directions analysts Barry Briggs, Michael Cherry, and Rob Sanfilippo tackle some of the biggest AI-related compliance, legal, and implementation questions that we're getting from customers.

Microsoft Customers: Your Security Strategy Needs an Overhaul, Too Jun 12, 2024

After the U.S. Cyber Safety Board gave Microsoft a terrible report card, Microsoft reiterated its plans for a company-wide security overhaul. But what should its customers be doing? Directions analyst Michael Cherry and Mary Jo Foley offer guidance on steps organizations should take in light of Microsoft's recent security missteps.

Bootcamp and Build Debrief May 31, 2024

Directions on Microsoft's latest licensing bootcamp AND Microsoft's Build 2024 developer conference? analyst Wes Miller and Mary Jo Foley have you covered. We talk about the highs, lows and lessons learned from both events.

Understanding Microsoft's Edge-Computing Strategy May 15, 2024

Microsoft's edge-computing strategy has been shifting in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways. In the evolving AI era, edge computing will become even more central for customers, partners and Microsoft itself. Directions analyst Barry Briggs and Mary Jo Foley dissect Microsoft's evolving edge-computing plans and tactics in this episode.

More Microsoft End-of-Life Meteors Appear on the Horizon Apr 25, 2024

There's a new wave of end-of-life Microsoft product meteors coming for your organization. Directions on Microsoft analyst Joshua Trupin talks with Mary Jo Foley about what to watch out for in 2025 and beyond, including new, pricey, Pay As You Go options -- and how customers can try to blunt the impact.

Cloud Repatriation! A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm Apr 17, 2024

Directions analysts Jim Gaynor, Rob Sanfilippo and Andrew Snodgrass debate when, how, and why customers might want to move some (or even all) of their workloads and apps from the cloud back to on-premises.

Windows Server 2025: What you need to know Apr 17, 2024

Windows Server is back! Directions on Microsoft analyst Jim Gaynor and Mary Jo Foley delve into the new features and capabilities coming with Windows Server 2025 worth knowing about, including new Active Directory and security features, GPU partitioning for Hyper-V, hotpatching – and the Azure services you need to use them.

Microsoft Licensing Boot Camp Lessons Learned Apr 17, 2024

Mary Jo Foley interviews veteran Directions analyst Wes Miller, who shares surprising insights gained teaching customers how to navigate the Microsoft licensing maze for more than a decade. From over-licensing and under-licensing to underestimating Microsoft's revenue drive, you’ll learn the important do’s and don’ts of effective Microsoft licensing.

What's on the Azure Roadmap Feb 22, 2024

Directions on Microsoft analyst Rob Sanfilippo talks with Mary Jo Foley about how the Directions' twice-yearly Azure roadmap comes together. The two compare notes on the latest Azure trends and hot buttons. Plus, Rob takes the Azure codename challenge (and loses).

Subscriptions! A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm Feb 13, 2024

Directions analysts Michael Cherry, Jim Gaynor, and Wes Miller dive into how subscriptions have transformed Microsoft business model and what it means for Microsoft customers, both now and in the future.

Thinking about Data Jan 26, 2024

Directions analysts Barry Briggs and Andrew Snodgrass talk with Mary Jo about the hype and the reality surrounding database systems this episode of the Directions podcast. Are organizations any closer to harnessing the power of data now than before? What works and what doesn't when it comes to data-management strategies?

Copilots! A Directions on Microsoft Brainstorm Dec 21, 2023

In our first Brainstorm episode, Mary Jo Foley, Andy Snodgrass, Rob Sanfilippo, and Barry Briggs discuss the avalanche of Copilots announced by Microsoft, whether they’ll live up to the marketing hype, and what they mean to enterprises and to enterprise users.

Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast: Levers Dec 08, 2023

In the last episode of the Directions on Microsoft EA podcast series, Mary Jo Foley quizzes former Microsoft negotiator Dean Bedwell about common Microsoft negotiation traps customers should avoid and the negotiation levers they can apply to optimize their EA renewal outcomes.

Microsoft Roadmap: What was hot in 2023 and will matter in 2024 Nov 29, 2023

Our panel of Directions on Microsoft analysts talk enterprise product and licensing hot buttons for 2023 and what will be top-of-mind in 2024 -- and answer customer questions.

Executive Focus: Microsoft's Seismic Shift to AI Nov 07, 2023

After years of promoting "Cloud, Cloud, Cloud," Microsoft has shifted to "AI, AI, AI." Mary Jo and former Microsoft CTO Barry Briggs put Microsoft’s big bet on AI into perspective by comparing it to its other strategic initiatives – past, present, and future.

Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast Series: Discounts and Concessions Oct 13, 2023

In episode five of the Directions on Microsoft EA Negotiation podcast series, Mary Jo Foley talks with former Microsoft negotiator Dean Bedwell about the top pricing, business, and legal concessions every Microsoft customer should ask for and the best way to negotiate for them.

Keeping Up with Teams Phone Sep 18, 2023

Think you know all about Microsoft's telephony services in Teams? In this episode, Directions analyst Jim Gaynor talks with Mary Jo Foley about the Teams Phone use cases, licensing requirements and more. Whether you're replacing your organization's phone system or looking for the best way to dial into a Teams meeting, Jim has you covered.

Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast Series – Negotiation Aug 30, 2023

In this fourth installment of a series covering Microsoft Enterprise Agreements (EAs), Directions on Microsoft's director of advisory services and former Microsoft negotiator Dean Bedwell shares his top tips and tricks for a successful EA negotiation.

Fourteen Years of Microsoft Licensing Rule Changes: Looking Back and Forward Aug 10, 2023

Directions analysts Rob Horwitz and Wes Miller talk with Mary Jo Foley about what they've learned about Microsoft licensing after delivering more than one hundred Licensing Boot Camps over the past fourteen years. You learn what’s changed – and what never seems to change – about Microsoft licensing programs and rules. You’ll also find out about upcoming changes and the implications for Microsoft customers.

Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast Series - Analysis Jul 27, 2023

In this third installment of a series covering Microsoft Enterprise Agreements (EAs), Mary Jo Foley discusses the analysis phase of a successful EA negotiation with senior Directions on Microsoft negotiator Steve Kelley.

How to Keep Up with Microsoft Jul 13, 2023

Microsoft's products, priorities, and strategies never stop changing. In this episode, Directions analyst and former Microsoft CTO for IT Barry Briggs interviews veteran Microsoft watcher and Directions editor in chief Mary Jo Foley about the strategy she’s used to track big shifts at Microsoft for more than 30 years.

When Should You Walk Away from a Microsoft Product? Jul 04, 2023

When Microsoft stops investing, you should, too. Mary Jo Foley talks with Directions on Microsoft analyst Wes Miller about how to know when it's time to walk away from Microsoft technologies. He also identifies key Microsoft technologies you may being using that are already on that list.

Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast Series - Discovery Process Jun 16, 2023

In this second installment of a multi-episode series covering Enterprise Agreements (EAs), Mary Jo Foley talks with Direction on Microsoft senior consultant Joshua Osborne about the EA negotiation discovery process -- what it is, why it matters, how best to do it and key mistakes to avoid.

What is Microsoft Fabric? Jun 07, 2023

Microsoft is changing its data and analytics playbook with a new end-to-end platform called Microsoft Fabric. In this episode, Mary Jo Foley and analyst Andrew Snodgrass dissect Fabric to parse out what’s really new. They also discuss how Fabric will -- and won't -- change the way customers work with Microsoft business intelligence technologies.

Viva EXP: What you need to know about Microsoft's employee-experience platform May 08, 2023

Microsoft's Viva employee-experience platform is a morphing collection of brand-new and older technologies aimed at improving workers' productivity and job satisfaction. Mary Jo Foley talks with Directions analyst Joshua Trupin about Viva's capabilities (including its AI capabilities), and how its packaging, pricing, and licensing are evolving.

Microsoft EA Negotiation Podcast Series - Project Management Apr 28, 2023

In this first installment of a multi-episode series covering Enterprise Agreements (EAs), Mary Jo Foley talks with Direction on Microsoft consultant Gus Volpe about EA negotiation project management -- why it's key to the EA negotiation process; the pillars of an effective EA project plan; and the top EA project management pitfalls to avoid.

Generative AI: Where Customers Need to Look Before They Leap Apr 16, 2023

Generative AI is taking off in the enterprise, but there are many legal, governance, compliance, and privacy issues that customers need to consider first. Mary Jo Foley talks to Directions analyst Michael Cherry about some of the big-picture issues that organizations need to tackle before putting these new AI technologies into production.

Teams or Outlook? Why Not Both Mar 13, 2023

People forget, but Teams isn't Microsoft's only collaboration solution: Exchange combined with Outlook is by far Microsoft’s most mature and popular collaboration platform. In this episode, Mary Jo Foley talks with Directions' Rob Helm and Jim Gaynor about where Teams and Outlook overlap, integrate and compete -- and what it means for customers planning their collaboration strategies.

Microsoft Licensing for Non-Microsoft Clouds Mar 02, 2023

Microsoft licensing rules are written to favor customers that use Azure and penalize customers who run their Microsoft software on competitors’ cloud platforms, especially AWS, Google, and Alibaba. In this podcast, Mary Jo Foley and analyst Wes Miller discuss the extra licensing costs Microsoft customers face when they use non-Microsoft clouds to run their Microsoft workloads – including recent and upcoming rule changes that further increase the pressure to use Azure.

SQL Server 2022’s New Azure-Connected Features Feb 13, 2023

In this episode, Mary Jo Foley and Andrew Snodgrass discuss the advantages, limitations and workarounds of Azure-connected features in SQL Server 2022. They cover the activities you need to take, and other services required, for use of certain features. Final considerations before adoption are summarized as well.

The World of Microsoft Regulatory Compliance Solutions Feb 02, 2023

Regulatory compliance is a challenge for most large organizations. In this podcast, Mary Jo Foley and Directions analyst Barry Briggs discuss the headaches regulatory compliance creates for IT departments and the “good news-bad news” of new cloud solutions Microsoft offers to help.

Analyzing Microsoft’s Migration to .NET Jan 16, 2023

In this episode of the Directions on Microsoft Briefing, Mary Jo Foley and Directions analyst Rob Sanfilippo discuss Microsoft’s case studies of its migration from the .NET Framework to .NET. What were the benefits gained and lessons learned, what is missing from Microsoft’s narratives, and under what circumstances is it best to migrate to .NET? Mary Jo and Rob also discuss the value of Microsoft case studies in general.

Microsoft Teams What's Next for the Platform Dec 19, 2022

In this episode of the Directions on Microsoft Briefing, Mary Jo Foley and Directions analyst Jim Gaynor discuss recent Teams announcements, including what features are likely to launch, and which may not be generally available in the near future. They also discuss how to choose which Teams options are right for your organization as well as which new feature Directions’ customers mention wanting the most.

The Microsoft End-of-Life Meteor Approaches Nov 17, 2022

In this episode of the Directions on Microsoft Briefing, Mary Jo Foley and Directions analysts Joshua Trupin and Rob Helm discuss upcoming end-of-life dates for Microsoft on-premises products that could catch many Microsoft customers by surprise. They also offer advice and guidance on how organizations can prepare to minimize the impact.

The Microsoft Cloud: Past, Present and Future Oct 20, 2022

In this episode of the Directions on Microsoft Briefing, Mary Jo Foley and Directions analyst Barry Briggs discuss the uneven history of Microsoft’s cloud strategy, including what it got right and got wrong. They also discuss where the Microsoft Cloud is now headed and what that means for both its customers and competitors.

Top 5 Microsoft Licensing Questions Answered Sep 16, 2022

In this episode, Direction on Microsoft co-founder Rob Horwitz takes on one of the biggest pain points for Microsoft enterprise customers: licensing. He explains why Microsoft licensing is mind-bogglingly complex and what makes compliance practically impossible. He also provides advice on how customers should approach their own Microsoft compliance challenges.

Trusting Microsoft -- Features, Updates and Security Aug 17, 2022

In this episode, Mary Jo Foley and Directions on Microsoft senior analyst Michael Cherry discuss who you should trust as speaking for Microsoft, and whether Windows 11 is the most secure version of Windows.

GitHub versus Azure DevOps: Is Panic Warranted? Jul 25, 2022

GitHub has received major Microsoft investments since it was acquired. It is now a centerpiece of Microsoft’s developer platform. Directions on Microsoft analyst Rob Sanfilippo joins Mary Jo Foley to discuss how GitHub will impact the future of Azure DevOps, how organizations can respond, and some new Azure services that organizational development teams should consider.

Five Things You Need to Know About Power Platform Jun 15, 2022

Power Platform, a set of low-code, easy to use development services from Microsoft are assuming a rapidly expanding role in many companies’ IT footprints. Analyst Joshua Trupin joins Mary Jo Foley to discuss some of the licensing traps and complexities that every company needs to know about before adopting these services.

Negotiating a Microsoft EA May 16, 2022

Mary Jo talks to veteran negotiator Dean Bedwell about Microsoft Enterprise Agreements

Windows on Macs Apr 21, 2022

In this episode, Mary Jo Foley and Directions on Microsoft analyst Wes Miller talk about Windows on ARM, Apple silicon Macs, and the feasibility of using Windows on ARM running virtually on a modern Mac.

Microsoft's Future for Windows Server Mar 17, 2022

Mary Jo Foley and Jim Gaynor talk about Windows Server 2022, Windows Server Azure Edition, Azure Stack HCI, and the future of Microsoft’s server operating systems both on-premises and in the cloud.

Power BI: Beyond Pretty Pictures Feb 21, 2022

Power BI is a sprawling set of business analysis and reporting technologies that can be hard to comprehend. In this podcast, Andy Snodgrass and Mary Jo Foley discuss key Power BI capabilities, likely future improvements, and the licensing and deployment challenges facing customers who use it.

Chat with the Co-Founders Feb 02, 2022

Meet the Co-Founders! Mary Jo Foley chats with Jeff Parker and Rob Horwitz, who founded Directions on Microsoft almost 30 years ago!

Microsoft in 2022 Jan 24, 2022

It's All About the Cloud! Mary Jo Foley and Barry Briggs discuss the outlook and strategy for Microsoft in 2022.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Directions on Microsoft Briefing

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected