Microsoft Ignite 2024: Key Innovations to Shape Your IT Strategy for 2025

As we look to the new year, I want to reflect on the recent insights from last month’s Microsoft Ignite. For me, one thing is clear: AI and security innovation are at the forefront of the tech agenda as we move into 2025.

For those of us in the world of IT and cyber security, this event wasn’t just about solution announcements—it was a roadmap for our industry and an insight into how business leaders should prioritise their tech strategies in the coming year.

With over a year of Microsoft 365 Copilot now in the wild, where the focus has been largely on AI innovation, this has unsurprisingly been coupled with critical data security updates to address widespread adoption challenges.

With this in mind, here’s a breakdown of the highlights, and what I believe will help inform a modern IT strategy for 2025.

AI Innovation: The Evolution of Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot has come a long way since its launch. It’s now positioned as “the UI for AI,” that looks to expand artificial intelligence outside of productivity tools like Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. While there’s been a promise of automation and efficiency, early security concerns have slowed adoption.

This year, Microsoft has doubled down on addressing these issues while also expanding Copilot’s capabilities.

Copilot Actions: Automating Everyday Tasks

In private preview, Copilot Actions promises to revolutionise workflows with simple, fill-in-the-blank prompts. Think of it as email “rules” but applied across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

For example, imagine automatically flagging, categorising, and forwarding emails based on specific content, or pre-scheduling recurring tasks based on patterns in your calendar.

Sounds great right?

Here are the upcoming features to watch:

• Copilot Pages (General Availability in early 2025): Enhancements that will make it easier to create, organize, and share content across your organisation.
• Teams Integration (Public Preview in early 2025): Copilot in Teams will soon offer advanced features like summarising visual content shared onscreen during meetings and answering questions about it—from PowerPoint slides to web pages.
• PowerPoint AI (Available in 2025): A game-changer for globalised teams; PowerPoint will offer translation into 40 languages, making presentations more accessible.
• Outlook Enhancements: Released in November, Copilot will help users book meetings by analysing free time and generating agendas. Let’s be honest – trying to schedule meetings in with busy members of your team can be a nightmare… Well not anymore.

Copilot Agents: A New Era of Autonomous AI

Microsoft is introducing a suite of AI agents designed to take on repetitive tasks. These agents include:

• Facilitator Agent: Real-time notetaking during Teams meetings, making meeting summaries more accurate and actionable.
• Interpreter Agent: Breaking down language barriers with real-time translations during Teams meetings.
• Project Manager Agent: Assisting with project timelines and task management within Planner.

Organisations looking to reduce manual overheads could use these agents to improve efficiency and cross-team collaboration.

Security Innovation: Mitigating Risks in the Age of AI

While AI advancements took centre stage, Microsoft also addressed the elephant in the room: security. AI’s integration into enterprise ecosystems brings unparalleled opportunities—but also significant risks. So, if you’re going to focus on one thing next year, my advice is to double down on this area and focus on security.

Microsoft Ignite 2024 showcased a range of new and enhanced security controls aimed at making Copilot and other AI tools safer for widespread use.

SharePoint Advanced Management: A Holistic Approach to Data Security

One standout update is the comprehensive set of controls for SharePoint, designed to:

• Manage Content Sprawl: Features like AI insights and inactive site policies ensure your organisation’s data remains organised and accessible.
• Prevent Oversharing: New permissions settings limit who can see and share sensitive data.
• Control Content Lifecycle: Tools like site change history reports and recent site actions provide greater visibility into your organisation’s data flow. Restricted access policies further tighten controls for both SharePoint and OneDrive.

Additional Security Enhancements:

• Restricted Content Discovery (RCD): Automatically identifies and flags sensitive content to help prevent unauthorised access.
• Restricted Access Control (RAC): Provides insights into access policies to ensure compliance with internal and external regulations.
• Data Security Posture Management for AI (DSPM for AI): Provides actionable insights to secure AI-related data and minimise risks.
• Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Copilot: Safeguards sensitive data from accidental or malicious leaks.
• Copilot Control System: Offers administrators a single pane of glass for managing data protection, measuring Copilot’s value, and applying management controls.
• Scoped Permission Reports: Enhances visibility into who has access to sensitive data, enabling better governance.

These updates build upon the security foundation already established by Microsoft Purview, ultimately providing organisations with the tools needed to confidently adopt AI solutions, without compromising data integrity. Win-win.

Microsoft’s Zero-Day Quest: A Proactive Security Initiative

Microsoft announced the Zero-Day Quest—a $4 million hacking challenge inviting security researchers to identify vulnerabilities within its cloud technologies. This initiative signals a proactive shift in Microsoft’s approach to cyber security, encouraging collaboration with the broader security community.

For businesses, it’s a reassurance that Microsoft is investing heavily in protecting its ecosystem from emerging threats.

Azure and Windows Enhancements: Building a Resilient Infrastructure

Beyond Copilot and security updates, Microsoft Ignite 2024 unveiled several improvements to Azure and Windows, aimed at creating a more resilient and efficient infrastructure.

Azure Innovations:

• Azure Integrated HSM: Strengthens encryption management, ensuring critical data remains secure.
• Azure Local: Enhances local cloud capabilities for organisations with strict data residency requirements.
• NVIDIA Blackwall on Azure: Provides high-performance GPUs tailored for AI workloads, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with cloud-based AI.
• Fabric Databases: Delivers enhanced data management capabilities to support large-scale data-driven applications.

Windows 11 Updates:

• Windows 365 Link: A terminal device for quick, secure access to your Windows 365 desktop from anywhere.
• Windows Hotpatch: Enables reboot-less updates for Windows 11 machines, minimizing downtime and ensuring systems stay secure.

What Should Be on Your 2025 Agenda?

Microsoft Ignite 2024 gave us a good benchmark for what’s coming, and here’s what I think IT leaders should prioritising in 2025:

1. Mature Your SharePoint and OneDrive Data Management: Ensuring data maturity and security in SharePoint and OneDrive should be a top priority. Leverage tools like SharePoint Advanced Management and Restricted Access Control to manage content distribution, prevent oversharing, and maintain data integrity. Enhancing your organisation’s data policies will not only reduce risks but also streamline collaboration.
2. Identify High-Impact Use Cases for Copilot: Instead of enabling Copilot broadly, focus on areas in your business where it can make the biggest impact. For example, streamline workflows in Teams, automate routine tasks in Outlook, or use Copilot Pages to organise content effectively. Combine Copilot with existing automation solutions within Microsoft 365 to save more time and resources than with AI alone.
3. Enhance Overall Security Across Your Environment: Don’t overlook the rest of your environment’s security. Many organisations are already paying for advanced features within Microsoft 365 but may not be fully utilising them. Explore tools like Microsoft Purview, Data Loss Prevention, and Zero Trust principles to maximise your existing investments and strengthen your cyber security posture.
4. Leverage Automation Beyond AI: Consider using solutions like Power Automate and Copilot Actions to further optimise workflows and reduce manual tasks. Automation can complement AI tools like Copilot, delivering compound time and cost savings while improving operational efficiency.
5. Reassess Your Cloud Infrastructure: With updates like Azure Integrated HSM and Fabric Databases, now is the time to evaluate your cloud environment for security, scalability, and performance. Invest in solutions that align with your organisation’s long-term goals.

For those that want to understand more about leveraging AI, or build a secure foundation for the future, get in touch with our team.