TOP STORIES #63
It's a busy month for conferences. Microsoft's Build conference kicks off on the 21st May, which you can read more about here on what to expect.
Google just had it's I/O developer conference. You can read a summary of what was announced here.
Last Week's TOP STORIES #62 is here.
If you would like colleagues to sign up for this newsletter, they can click here.
Hardware
Intel prepares Lunar Lake with integrated 32Gig RAM
This is a special version of the CPU that will be able to get in your computers in the near future (see Dell leak below) that will support applications that demand intensive memory usage, such as video editing, 3D rendering, and high-end gaming. Users can expect smoother multitasking, quicker load times, and more efficient handling of memory-intensive tasks. You can read more about these "MX" CPU's here.
ARM based Silicone to change (up) Microsoft's game
Today (Monday) Microsoft is going to unveil it's vision of Windows PC's with an emphasis on Arm-based silicone which is looking to have more AI horsepower than what is currently available from Intel and AMD.
A huge change is that emulated applications will not "feel" emulated, with the added bonus of having even more performance when compiled natively for ARM. Buying a Windows-based computer is about to become a lot more complicated! You can read more here.
Major Dell Roadmap leak
This is a huge leak that reveals when we can be expecting the next 4 generations of Intel CPU's to ship. What's interesting is that we can expect Lunar Lake MX series CPU's to arrive before the end of 2024, Panther Lake Q1 2026 and Nova Lake in 2027.
it also looks like that Panther Lake will really be 5 times faster than the current Meteor Lake processors that we can get today - a huge increase in performance!
It is really important to be planning your refresh cycles well in advance! You can read more here.
Microsoft
Power BI to Fabric migration warning
Directions on Microsoft has published an article warning about Microsoft forcing Power BI customers to migrate to Fabric whether they are ready or not.
Andrew Snodgrass from Directions has published a document detailing the implications which can be pretty serious for some customers: "Power BI Premium customers can theoretically remain on Power BI until the end of their agreements, which could be three years from now. However, unless their Power BI deployment is purely reporting, that’s not likely to happen. It’s evident that any Power BI feature that can be replaced by a Fabric experience (like machine learning or data marts or streaming datasets), will be. This means customers who need those features will be forced to migrate to Fabric (with short notice) either by redeploying their Power BI workloads in Fabric or creating a separate Fabric deployment that runs alongside Power BI, just to perform those activities." You can read more detail about the implications here.
It is really important that you ask your First Technology account manager to connect you with our Power BI/Fabric specialists to help you with the migration should you feel you will be affected.
System Center 2025 available Fall 2024
System Center will include all the products and will be fully compatible with Windows Server 2025 (also expected end of 2024) and also compatible with Azure stack HCI 23H2. System Center will focus on security enhancements as well as support for Azure Arc. You can read more about what to expect here.
Updated Microsoft Viva Comparison Table
There is an updated feature comparison table for the Viva family of products as of April 2024.
A new row has been added for Viva Pulse in the Product Terms, which is now available as a standalone licence costing $2 per user per month.
Additionally, references to Viva Topics have been removed, as this feature will be retired in February 2025.
Notably, the comparison table now specifies which Viva products require a Microsoft Teams licence, given that Teams is now sold separately from the Office 365/Microsoft 365 suites (see points 1 through 8 below the table).
It may be a good idea to understand how Viva can benefit your company.... (Directions on Microsoft has a helpful blog that explains Viva here).
I recommend that you contact your First Tech. account manager, who can connect you with our Viva experts to discuss this further.
Cloud & AI
OpenAI rolls out 4o
OpenAI has rolled out its latest AI model that can converse in real-time and can read emotional cues as well as respond to visual input. It is free for all users, but do not give up on your subscription, as another major upgrade is probably coming soon for subscriptions only. You can read more about this announcement here.
Security
DocuSign Phishing threat
As always this is a reminder that you never let your guard down. Hackers are using credible-looking templates to trick you into viewing or signing a document. Read more about the attack here.
What's up at FTG
CoPilot Readiness Workshops are now available for you to register here or here.
Copilot for Security Join BUI, (FTG’s Azure, Cloud and Security specialists) for an exclusive one-on-one demo session featuring Microsoft Security Copilot!
This is a prime opportunity for your team to experience the forefront of technology with our latest release.Dive into discussions about defining and understanding the consumption needs specific to your organisation.
Reserve your spot now! Sign up here.
Microsoft CoPilot Studio Webinar
Join us for an enlightening webinar on Microsoft CoPilot Studio, where we'll unveil the capabilities and potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing organizational productivity. Discover how to craft your own AI CoPilots and integrate them seamlessly into your business processes.
Don't miss this opportunity to empower your organization with the next generation of AI technology.
When
Thursday 23 May @ 10:00am - Register Here
Where
Online - Microsoft Teams Thursday, 23 May 2024
Movies
Now Playing: The Strangers: Chapter 1
Now playing: Imaginary Friends - also known as "IF"
24 May: The Garfield Movie
24 May: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
24 May: Hit Man
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