Category: Microsoft
Category Archives: Microsoft
Azure OpenAI chat baseline architecture in an Azure landing zone
The excitement surrounding Microsoft Build 2024 brings into focus the significant steps required to integrate AI and ML innovations into Azure workloads effectively. An essential resource for this integration journey is the Azure OpenAI Chat Baseline Architecture within an Azure landing zone – a strategic framework crucial for transitioning generative AI from the experimental phase into production.
The Azure OpenAI chat baseline architecture in an Azure landing zone provides clear guidance on deploying AI workloads by delineating the management of shared resources, such as networking and access, while maintaining a clear separation of concerns. It outlines how workload-specific configurations can coexist within a broader organizational context, emphasizing the importance of scalability, compliance, and thoughtful governance.
This architecture is a critical component for organizations as it ensures that AI solutions are not only technically sound but also align with critical governance, cost management, and organizational policies – enabling sustainable and responsible innovation in the cloud.
The architecture addresses several key aspects:
Design for Shared Resources: It carefully details how to structure interactions between workload and platform teams, facilitating effective management of shared resources that are often centrally controlled within an organization.
Governance Strategy: By embedding compliance and governance strategies within the architecture, it guides teams on how to govern and secure AI workloads within the organization’s broader policy framework.
Operational Monitoring and Excellence: It provides actionable insights for setting up monitoring and defining policies that align with the Azure Well-Architected Framework, ensuring operational excellence across reliability, performance efficiency, and cost optimization.
Why this Architecture Matters
The shift from prototype to production in AI is fraught with technical and operational challenges. Azure OpenAI Chat Baseline Architecture serves as a roadmap to navigate these challenges effectively:
Guided Deployment: Assisting teams in understanding the necessary steps for architecting resilient and agile AI systems.
Scalability and Governance: Offering a framework for growth that rigorously meets compliance requirements.
Balancing Costs and Performance: Delivering strategies for efficient resource management while maintaining high performance – vital for AI-driven applications.
For additional insights and demonstrations related to this architecture, consider exploring the following resources:
Written Guide:
Azure OpenAI Baseline Architecture in an Azure Landing Zone
Videos:
Microsoft Build serves as a reminder of the importance of laying solid foundations for the AI solutions of tomorrow. By following the guidance provided in theAzure OpenAI chat baseline architecture in an Azure landing zone, developers and architects can ensure that their AI applications are not only innovative but also resilient, secure, and ready for the demands of real-world production environments.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Azure CLI and PowerShell Tools Build 2024 Announcement
The priority for Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell remains to provide our customers with the most complete, secure, and easy-to-use tools to manage Azure resources.
At Microsoft Build 2024, we are announcing the following new capabilities delivering on our priorities:
Extending our coverage and commands API version upgrade.
Improvements in user login experience.
Security improvements.
Invested in Copilot in Azure
Extending our coverage
In the past six months, we have added or refreshed coverage for those new or existing Azure services within 30 days of their general availability.
You will see the addition of AzureSphere, AzureMonitor/DataCollectionRule, AzureMonitor/Metricdata, AzureMonitor/ActionGroup, Workloads, Fleet, CustomLocation, EventGrid, Subscription, ContainerApp modules or API upgrades, Azure CLI upgraded or added new commands exceeding 600, Azure PowerShell upgraded or added more than
Note: To use the associated commands, you may need to manually install the Azure CLI extension or the Azure PowerShell module.
For details about all the commands that have been updated, as well as a complete list of great and exciting new features of this release for the Azure client tools, see the release notes of each tool:
Azure CLI: https://learn.microsoft.com/cli/azure/release-notes-azure-cli
Azure PowerShell: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/azure/release-notes-azureps
Credential detection from Az CLIs outputs
We have been actively working on hardening your defense in depth with secrets awareness in Azure command line tools, please refer to the link for details Hardening your defense in depth with secrets awareness in Azure command line tools – Microsoft Community Hub.
Importance of handling secrets returned by Azure APIs with care, especially when the output of commands is stored in log files. The article from Palo Alto Networks describes a scenario where sensitive information was exposed, which has since been fixed in Azure CLI 2.60.0 and Azure PowerShell 11.6.0 versions.
In Azure CLI 2.61.0 and Azure PowerShell 12.0.0 versions, we have enabled secret detection by default in Local installation, Azure DevOps, GitHub action, and CloudShell. When you upgrade to Azure CLI 2.61.0 and Azure PowerShell 12.0.0, the Client command line tool will detect whether secrets, access tokens, and storage account keys are in your pipeline or logs and display warning messages. This detection has covered most key modules and extensions, such as Compute, Network, and Storage. In the next step, we will further cover the new service module and extension.
To ensure consistency, CLI and PS have added the same environmental parameters:
AZURE_CLIENTS_SHOW_SECRETS_WARNING=True (Default）
New login experience (GA)
In April this year, we released a preview version of the new login experience based on customer feedback of the login experience over the past few months.
In Azure CLI 2.61.0 and Azure PowerShell 12.0.0 version, we set the new login experience as the default and added a login experience selection configuration. Details can be viewed: Announcing a new login experience with Azure PowerShell and Azure CLI
Azure CLI add new environment parameter:
az config set core.login_experience_v2=on (Default)
Azure PowerShell add new environment parameter:
Update-AzConfig – LoginExperienceV2 $On (Default)
Web Account Manager (WAM) by default
Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell announced WAM preview versions in 2023. After a preview period, WAM is now the default authentication mechanism simultaneously with Azure CLI 2.61.0 and Azure PowerShell 12.0.0 . Please refer to the following for details.
Azure CLI: Sign in with Azure CLI using web account manager (WAM) | Microsoft Learn
Azure PowerShell: Sign in to Azure PowerShell interactively | Microsoft Learn
Note:
National Cloud does not currently support WAM, we will implement it in the coming months.
Long Term Support releases (LTS) announcement
Starting from Azure CLI 2.61.0 and Azure PowerShell 12.0.0, Azure CLI and PowerShell will support both Standard Term Support releases (STS) and Long-Term Support releases (LTS). Users can choose the appropriate version according to their project needs. Users can choose to stay in the LTS version for a period, or they can choose to upgrade with the latest version to experience new features. The following document details the definitions of LTS and STS.
Azure CLI support lifecycle: Azure CLI lifecycle and support | Microsoft Learn
Azure PowerShell support lifecycle: Azure PowerShell support lifecycle | Microsoft Learn
In 2023, we added knowledge of Azure CLI commands and end-to-end scenarios to Copilot for Azure to answer questions related to Azure CLI commands or scripts, following our best practices. In the 2024 Build Event, we added knowledge of Azure PowerShell commands and end-to-end solutions.
Over the past 6 months, we have continued to be onboarding the Azure PowerShell knowledge base to Copilot in Azure, and we encourage users to try it out. At the same time, to ensure that the accuracy returned by the command line script is more reliable, we have updated the knowledge base of Azure CLI and PowerShell, and verified the command line or script in the example so that the syntax of the command line displayed to the user is accurate.
We also encourage you to try our new question-skilling experience. When you ask for command line parameters in the question description, Copilot will actively inject the parameter values into the returned command line answer and prompt whether other parameters need to be reassigned. This greatly reduces the need for users to repeatedly edit using the command line. Here is an example:
To learn more about Microsoft Copilot for Azure and how it can help you, visit: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-infrastructure-blog/simplify-it-management-with-microso…
GitHub Actions for Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell
In the past six months, we put some effort into adding some exciting feature upgrades to GitHub Actions. We’ve made the following improvements to security and efficiency.
New Features
Support Managed Identity Login.
Support Self-hosted runners.
Support OIDC login for sovereign clouds
Support macOS in Azure PowerShell Action.
Security
Support pre- and post- cleanup.
Efficiency
Reduce the action package size from 80M to 500K+. Self-hosted runner speed has increased by more than 70%.
For details, please refer to the document:
Azure Login · Actions · GitHub Marketplace
Breaking Changes
The latest breaking change guidance documents can be found at the links below. To read more about the breaking changes migration guide, ensure your environment is ready to install the newest version of Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell.
Azure CLI: Release notes & updates – Azure CLI | Microsoft Learn
Azure PowerShell: Migration guide for Az 12.0.0 | Microsoft Learn
Thank you for using the Azure command-line tools. We look forward to continuing to improve your experience. We hope you enjoy Build and all the great work released this week. We’d love to hear your feedback, so feel free to reach out anytime.
GitHub:
https://github.com/Azure/azure-cli
https://github.com/Azure/azure-powershell
Let’s be in touch on X (Twitter) : @azureposh @AzureCli
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Class library targets 4.8 and MVC project referencing that lib project targets 4.5.1?
Hello!
I am in the process of upgrading a legacy application from .Net framework version 4.5 to 4.8.
The solution has a couple of class library projects and an MVC project and a Web Forms project.
The Web Forms & MVC projects reference the class library projects.
We want to upgrade the Web Forms project to target 4.8 and therefore also decided to upgrade the class library projects to 4.8 as well.
The challenge/question is.. we are not sure if the MVC project is being used at all.
In order to spend our time efficiently, is it ok if we upgrade the class libraries to 4.8 and leave the MVC application to target 4.5.1?
Hello!I am in the process of upgrading a legacy application from .Net framework version 4.5 to 4.8.The solution has a couple of class library projects and an MVC project and a Web Forms project.The Web Forms & MVC projects reference the class library projects.We want to upgrade the Web Forms project to target 4.8 and therefore also decided to upgrade the class library projects to 4.8 as well.The challenge/question is.. we are not sure if the MVC project is being used at all. In order to spend our time efficiently, is it ok if we upgrade the class libraries to 4.8 and leave the MVC application to target 4.5.1? Read More
Teams Operator Connect
I have setup Teams Operator Connect and one user serves as the Main Line Number and the others have there own DDI number, I need all outbound calls to shows as the number assigned to Main Line User.
I know that this can be done if you unassign the number and assign it to a resource account but the customer doenst want to do this as it gives a delay on calls.
Does anyone know of a way to do this via Teams Powershell etc..
Many thanks
I have setup Teams Operator Connect and one user serves as the Main Line Number and the others have there own DDI number, I need all outbound calls to shows as the number assigned to Main Line User. I know that this can be done if you unassign the number and assign it to a resource account but the customer doenst want to do this as it gives a delay on calls. Does anyone know of a way to do this via Teams Powershell etc.. Many thanks Read More
Pass ADF expressions from SQL table using Lookup
Hi Team
I have ADF pipline which is fetching data from SQL table using lookup. and the output of the lookup is used as an expression to the set variable activity. But it is taking as string?
Do we have any way to convert string to expression?
Hi Team I have ADF pipline which is fetching data from SQL table using lookup. and the output of the lookup is used as an expression to the set variable activity. But it is taking as string?Do we have any way to convert string to expression? Read More
E3 and E5 auto-apply and disposition review
I’m trying to understand which licences are necessary for specific features in Data lifecycle or Records management.
For example, is label auto-applying part of E3?
Is the disposition review part of E3? The Disposition tab is in the ‘Records management’ module but I can create a label in Data lifecycle with a disposition review.
What are exactly rule-based automatic retention policies?
Would you have a detailed list of the features and licence plans?
I’m trying to understand which licences are necessary for specific features in Data lifecycle or Records management.https://cdn-dynmedia-1.microsoft.com/is/content/microsoftcorp/microsoft/final/en-us/microsoft-brand/documents/Modern-Work-Plan-Comparison-Enterprise1.pdfMicrosoft 365 E5 | M365 Maps For example, is label auto-applying part of E3?Is the disposition review part of E3? The Disposition tab is in the ‘Records management’ module but I can create a label in Data lifecycle with a disposition review.What are exactly rule-based automatic retention policies? Would you have a detailed list of the features and licence plans? Read More
barcodes for asset inventory in Excel
I’m building an inventory for my collection of antique tools in excel. I’m hoping to identify each of my 20k items with some kind of unique bar code tied to a six digit number. Can anyone provide watchouts for phone or computer based reader/scanners of spreadsheet issues before I start?
I’m building an inventory for my collection of antique tools in excel. I’m hoping to identify each of my 20k items with some kind of unique bar code tied to a six digit number. Can anyone provide watchouts for phone or computer based reader/scanners of spreadsheet issues before I start? Read More
setting GP Link failure
I’m trying to connect several group policies to their OU via Powershell
the command used is
New-GPLink -Name $line.Displayname -Target $line.Target -LinkEnabled $LinkEnable -Order $line.Order
where the viariables are read from a csv file
The command fails with the following error
New-GPLink : A referral was returned from the server.
At D:ScriptsLinkGPO.ps1:17 char:1
+ New-GPLink -Name $line.Displayname -Target $line.Target -LinkEnabled …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [New-GPLink], DirectoryServicesCOMException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryServicesCOMException,Microsoft.GroupPolicy.Commands.NewGPLinkCommand
I also tried the same command with the explicit path and names but it fails as well
connecting it via the Group Policy Management works indeed
any help ?
I’m trying to connect several group policies to their OU via Powershellthe command used isNew-GPLink -Name $line.Displayname -Target $line.Target -LinkEnabled $LinkEnable -Order $line.Orderwhere the viariables are read from a csv fileThe command fails with the following errorNew-GPLink : A referral was returned from the server.At D:ScriptsLinkGPO.ps1:17 char:1+ New-GPLink -Name $line.Displayname -Target $line.Target -LinkEnabled …+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [New-GPLink], DirectoryServicesCOMException+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : System.DirectoryServices.DirectoryServicesCOMException,Microsoft.GroupPolicy.Commands.NewGPLinkCommand I also tried the same command with the explicit path and names but it fails as wellconnecting it via the Group Policy Management works indeedany help ? Read More
Webinars: Copilot for Microsoft 365 – Starter Series Round 2 Pharma Focus
Are you looking for a way to reduce the time and effort required to complete your tasks in Microsoft 365? Do you want to optimize your workflows and processes to achieve more with less resources? Do you want to see how Copilot for Microsoft 365 can help you solve real-world challenges frequently encountered in the Pharmaceutical Industry today?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you don’t want to miss this webinar series. Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a powerful tool that leverages artificial intelligence and automation to help you work smarter and faster in Microsoft 365. Whether you need to create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, emails, or any other content, Copilot for Microsoft 365 can assist you with suggestions, templates, insights, and best practices.
In this webinar series, you will learn how to use Copilot for Microsoft 365 to gain immediate value from your subscription. You will also see how Copilot for Microsoft 365 can address specific use cases and scenarios in the pharmaceutical sector. You will hear from the experts from Microsoft’s Healthcare and Life Sciences groups, who will share their insights and experiences with Copilot for Microsoft 365. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speakers and other attendees.
The webinar series consists of 5 sessions, each lasting one hour. You can register for any or all the sessions, depending on your interest and availability. Each session will begin at 12 noon eastern. The sessions are as follows (download the .ics calendar invite file or join at the appropriate date/time via the direct link)
June 3rd Reducing Repetitive Tasks and Improving Processes for Pharma Sales Reps
June 3rd 12 noon eastern Direct Link
June 10th Pharma Sales Trainer Enablement with Copilot
June 10th 12 noon eastern Direct Link
June 17th Copilot Use with Clinical Trials Manager/Researcher
June 17th 12 noon eastern Direct Link
June 24th Empowering Pharma Marketers with Copilot
June 24th 12 noon eastern Direct Link
July 1st 12 noon eastern Direct Link
We hope you find these recorded webinars educational in your efforts to transform your pharmaceutical organization as well as other organizations in Healthcare and Life Sciences and beyond.
Thanks for visiting – Michael Gannotti LinkedIn
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
What’s New? – Security Copilot Azure logic app Connector
As we pioneer the use of generative AI in security, we are continuing to learn from our Microsoft Copilot for Security customers. Feedback from our initial preview phase highlighted a strong demand for automation. Recognizing this, we’ve developed the Copilot for Security Azure Logic App connector to seamlessly integrate with your security workflows. This enhancement allows for the creation of custom prompts within Copilot, enabling dynamic input and output processing that boosts both efficiency and customization.
For example, if a user reports a phishing email, you might use a standard operating procedure to triage the email. This might involve extracting the indicators, assessing the domain reputation, etc. Copilot for Security can perform this analysis for you and send the results to someone for review.
This blog post delves into the of the Copilot for Security Logic App connector. We’ll explore how it facilitates the integration of Copilot’s AI capabilities and into existing workflows, revolutionizing automated security processes.
Figure 1: Security Copilot prompting
What Is an Azure Logic App?
In this blog post, I’ll be diving into the world of Azure Logic Apps, a versatile cloud service that revolutionizes the way users create and automate workflows. This powerful tool is expertly crafted to integrate applications, data, systems, and services across various enterprises or organizations.
Key Use Cases for Logic Apps Include:
Remediation: Streamlining the process of identifying and correcting issues within systems.
Enrichments: Enhancing data quality and utility by adding necessary details or context.
Business workflows: Automating and optimizing routine business processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
Logs transfer: Facilitating the seamless movement of log data between systems.
Integration with Azure functions: Empowering Logic Apps to call upon Azure functions for specialized tasks.
Copilot for Security Logic App Connector
We’re excited to share some of the new and dynamic ways our connector is set to expand Copilot for Security capabilities:
Extending promptbook logic: Copilot currently offers curated promptbooks that help users automate common actions associated with investigating an incident, responding to a vulnerability, analyzing a script and building a threat profile. Customers will soon be able to customize their own workflows. This Logic App connector offers an early preview of that functionality. Build workflows in the product and automate them using Logic Apps.
Seamless integration with existing systems: Customers can now integrate Copilot prompts and the power of Generative AI directly into their existing workflows. This means smoother processes, whether it’s integrating data from a ticketing system, analyzing CVEs from vulnerability management systems, or synchronizing with your own SOAR system.
Expanding capabilities with Azure: The connector also opens the door to the extensive Azure logic app ecosystem. Customers can now combine Copilot’s robust features with over 200 security connectors available in Azure, significantly enhancing their security infrastructure and capabilities.
For sample and automation examples, check our new Github.
***Note: When utilizing Logic Apps with Copilot for Security, please be aware that it may increase your consumption of Secure Compute Units (SCUs). We recommend closely monitoring SCU usage to optimize resource management.
Prerequisites for using our new Logic App connector:
To make the most of this new Logic App connector, there are a few prerequisites to be aware of:
Tenant deployment requirements: Your Logic App must be deployed within a tenant that is onboarded into Copilot for Security
User authentication and role access: Users looking to authenticate with the Logic App connector must hold specific access roles. For a deeper understanding of these roles and how they function within the framework of Copilot, we recommend exploring Understand authentication in Microsoft Copilot for Security | Microsoft Learn
Data access for enhanced security interaction: It’s important that the authenticated user can access data from various remote security products. This encompasses tasks like reading Defender incident reports and gathering multi-factor authentication (MFA) details, among others.
Getting started with Copilot for Security Logic App connector.
After setting up the Azure Logic App and configuring the initial trigger step, proceed to search for the new Security Copilot action.
Figure 2: Adding an action in Secuity Copilot
After choosing the new Copilot action, proceed to fill in the following information:
Figure 3: Prompt content to fill parameter
Prompt Content (required): Here, you can enter the prompt that needs to be evaluated.
Session Id (optional): This field is for the session context, helping to maintain continuity in your tasks.
Skill Inputs (optional): An optional field where you can input a JSON body. This is particularly useful for specifying values for required plugin parameters, or ‘skills’.
Skill Name (optional): This option allows you to call a specific skill directly. It’s a convenient way to bypass the standard Copilot planner if you’re targeting a particular function.
Skillsets (optional): Similar to the ‘Skill Name’ option, this lets you directly call a skillset, providing a shortcut past the Copilot planner for more direct task execution.
These new parameters and inputs are designed to give you more flexibility and precision in how you use Copilot, enhancing your overall experience. Stay tuned for more updates and tips on how to optimize your use of these features.
**Important Reminder for Sequential Workflow Creation: When designing a workflow that involves multiple prompts, it’s crucial to include the session ID parameter in each step. This practice ensures continuity by maintaining the same session, thereby preserving context throughout the workflow sequence.
Figure 4: Including the SessionID parameter
So, we’ve explored how the new Copilot for Security Azure Logic App connector revolutionizes the integration of AI-driven security solutions into current workflows. This tool not only provides greater customization and smoother system integration, but also access to a broader range of ready-made Azure logic security tools integration. We encourage you to experience the efficiency of the Copilot for Security Azure Logic App connector in enhancing your security operations.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Windows deployment with the next generation of Windows Autopilot
Device deployment: read, write, repeat
For years the process of provisioning a new laptop or PC for a corporate end user was labor intensive. It required physical space for you to house devices and infrastructure to build and maintain device images.
Since its introduction in 2017, Windows Autopilot has revolutionized device deployment, introducing a direct-to-user, zero-touch experience. As Hervé Janmot, Deputy Global Head of Digital Workplace Architecture, Security, and Transformation at Société Générale put it:
“It’s a game-changer for the employee experience and a powerful productivity tool for our team and the employees we serve.”
Changing the game again
Today, we’re excited to announce the first of many exciting releases on the journey to the next generation experience of Windows Autopilot: device preparation.
Screenshot of the new Windows Autopilot device preparation experience, which is accessible from the Windows enrollment blade.
We based this new capability on re-engineered architecture that will allow us to accommodate more devices, deliver more efficient results, and allow provisioning of cloud instances like Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktops. This new foundation will also expand our service to government cloud customers for the first time.
To keep delivering Windows Autopilot to existing users without disruption, this next iteration was built alongside the current Windows Autopilot technology. The features you know and love in Windows Autopilot aren’t going anywhere! We’re offering the reliability of it and innovations of device preparation in tandem until the experience can be totally unified with the new, more capable architecture.
For those ready to use Windows Autopilot device preparation, you’ll find the entire deployment experience streamlined. As you’ll see, profiles are now configured from a single screen:
Screenshot of Windows Autopilot device preparation policies configuration screen brings required settings into a streamlined workflow.
Adding devices to groups is simpler and faster. We’ve replaced dynamic grouping with enrollment time grouping, so devices get assigned apps policies and scripts more efficiently.
Reporting is much more detailed and is available in near-real time.
Screenshot of the revised reporting for Windows Autopilot deployments.
Reports also offer more granular detail and facilitate troubleshooting with links to devices, policies, and even scripts that impact failed deployments.
Screenshot of the Device deployment details side menu showing Deployment status as Failed.
Admins can define apps to be installed during the out-of-box experience (OOBE). For example, admins can make sure that Microsoft Defender is installed before users can get to work while specifying that other less critical apps are installed in the background. This allows users to be productive once their device is more secure. For more details, find them in the release announcement.
End users will get a re-designed OOBE with clearer indications of how close the setup process is to completion and more resilient recovery options that help them resolve issues without calling the Help Desk.
Screenshot of the new progress percentage of setup.
See what’s to come
We’re eager to share some of the capabilities coming to the new Windows Autopilot device preparation experience! We’ll update you with release dates soon of the following features:
Customize OOBE and rename devices during provisioning based on organizational structure.
Self-deploying and pre-provisioning mode.
Additional admin-specified configurations delivered before allowing desktop access.
Enhanced optional desktop onboarding experience inside the Windows Company Portal app.
The ability to associate a device with a tenant.
Help shape the future
While there’s a lot more still in development already, you can influence what’s next for Windows Autopilot by working with the technology and giving your feedback and suggestions to our team. Let us know how you use and how you wish you could use Windows Autopilot. Add your comments and requests to this blog post or upvote an existing comment to vote for it. Our product teams are passionate about building products that meet real-world needs.
Stay up to date! Bookmark the Microsoft Intune Blog and follow us on LinkedIn or @MSIntune on X to continue the conversation.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Meeting nonprofit challenges with AI: Research identifies key opportunities
For dedicated nonprofit professionals, burnout is a particularly painful challenge. Afterall, we get into this sector because we have a drive to do good. Without that drive, how can we succeed? And burnout is just one of many challenges nonprofits are facing today. Many factors impact nonprofits today—including staffing shortages, reduced funding, and decreased productivity.
While these critical organizations are trying to meet some of the world’s biggest challenges, like social justice, housing crises, access to food and education, and environmental protection, they are faced with constraints that limit their ability to address increasing needs in their communities.
AI offers nonprofits a unique opportunity to address these challenges head on with organizational changes combined with technology solutions to change the way they work and make the most of their resources.
In September 2023, Microsoft conducted a Work Trend Index fielded from August 10-31, 2023, to gather data on the state of the nonprofit industry. The study surveyed 402 respondents and revealed several challenges and opportunities for the industry.
Disruptions to productivity – and how to help
According to the study, nonprofits expressed these shared pain points:
Employee burnout: 48% of respondents reported feeling burned out on their job.
Lack of innovation: 59% of respondents were concerned about the lack of innovation or breakthrough ideas on their team.
Declining productivity: 16% said they were less productive than they were one year ago.
When nonprofits have constrained time, funds, and staffing, efficient use of staff time becomes even more critical to mission success. Many nonprofits responded with specific examples of interruptions to their workflow and productivity. They identified some common productivity disruptors:
15% of respondents said having inefficient meetings was most disruptive to their day.
10% said not knowing how to get started on a project or task.
8% said planning, taking notes, entering data, and scheduling.
Nonprofit staff are also keenly aware of what would boost their productivity. When asked what would add the most value to their productivity:
35% said being as efficient as possible with the resources they have.
26% said prioritizing time as smartly as possible during the day.
30% said being able to learn a new skill twice as fast.
20% said getting work done without compromising well-being.
20% said cutting time spent on answering emails and chats.
Meeting challenges with AI
The study also explored the potential of AI in the nonprofit industry and found that nonprofit staff are more than aware of how AI can help with their capacity challenges. And they are ready to adopt AI for specific tasks:
Managing information and data: 80% said it could help with finding the right information.
Supporting writing and editing: 69% said AI could help with editing their work and 66% said it could help with creating the first version of their work.
Summarization: 72% said it could help with summarizing their meetings and action items.
Reducing busywork and supporting time management: 69% said it could help with planning their day and 65% said it could help with responding to their emails.
When asked which of these areas of assistance by AI would add the most value to their work, nonprofits said:
69% helping employees with necessary but repetitive tasks.
30% eliminating employee time on low-value activities.
29% increasing employee productivity.
AI sentiment: Optimism and caution
Nonprofits are not only aware of how AI could support their capacity – they are also ready to adopt AI. The sentiment towards AI was overall positive and receptive to the capabilities of AI:
63% of respondents believe that AI tools can be trusted in the workplace.
69% would be comfortable with AI taking on more administrative aspects of their work.
64% would be comfortable using AI for more creative aspects of their work.
Nonprofits are eager to find solutions to boost their productivity, and they are well aware that AI can help with daily tasks—so why is there hesitation to accelerate AI adoption? Many nonprofits still harbor concerns about AI’s trustworthiness and capabilities:
59% of respondents said they don’t trust the decisions AI would make for them about their work.
58% are doubtful that AI can help in their day-to-day work.
63% are worried about the security risks AI poses in the workplace.
Yet these concerns can be mitigated with organizational alignment, responsible AI frameworks and tools, and secure data practices. The hesitancy cited by respondents can be addressed by clear and consistent frameworks and adoption strategies.
How can you get your nonprofit team ready for AI?
AI team readiness was also cited as a key hindrance in AI adoption: 60% were concerned that there is a big learning curve with using AI.
The learning curve, however, is more approachable than ever. Many AI productivity tools are seamlessly built into familiar technology and apps like Microsoft 365. Taking the first steps can be as simple as playing with free generative AI tools. For learning about prompts, navigating features, making the most of AI-assisted productivity – there are numerous free skills development opportunities. Beyond productivity into use cases for data, analytics, security, and more – learning paths at every level and for every role are available at aka.ms/digitalskillshub.
A new way to work
The data suggests that nonprofits can benefit from addressing employee wellbeing, supporting innovation, and leveraging AI to enhance productivity and support employees in their day-to-day work.
In the words of Adam Grant, “The best antidote to burnout is not teaching coping skills to handle stress. It’s redesigning work to reduce stress. To prevent exhaustion, we need to remove overwhelming demands and reject the norm of self-sacrifice. Healthy workplaces value well-being as much as performance.”
AI offers nonprofits more than another technology tool: It offers them a new way to work, enhancing productivity and creativity for teams that are understaffed and overwhelmed. The opportunity of AI has come at just the right time to solve key nonprofit crises.
Continue the conversation by joining us in the Nonprofit Community! Want to share best practices or join community events? Become a member by “Joining” the Nonprofit Community. To stay up to date on the latest nonprofit news, make sure to Follow or Subscribe to the Nonprofit Community Blog space!
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Looking to Merge and Sum Duplicates from Multiple Fields
I have a Zoom report that lists attendees by their Display Name/Number and the Length of Time on the call. A new entry is added for each time an attendee joins or rejoins the call. In this instance, I have someone who has three call logs, that I’d like to merge and sum to get the total time spent on the call by the attendee.
Any advice on an efficient way to do this without going line by line?
I have a Zoom report that lists attendees by their Display Name/Number and the Length of Time on the call. A new entry is added for each time an attendee joins or rejoins the call. In this instance, I have someone who has three call logs, that I’d like to merge and sum to get the total time spent on the call by the attendee. Any advice on an efficient way to do this without going line by line? Read More
Microsoft Project for Teams & Power Automate
One of my colleagues has created a Project Plan on Teams using the Microsoft Project app.
It is very similar to the Microsoft Planner tab. but I just cannot seem to create any flows for this in Power Automate. There is a Project Roadmap connector in PA but there doesn’t seem to be a way to automatically add tasks or create buckets in the Project App.
One of my colleagues has created a Project Plan on Teams using the Microsoft Project app. It is very similar to the Microsoft Planner tab. but I just cannot seem to create any flows for this in Power Automate. There is a Project Roadmap connector in PA but there doesn’t seem to be a way to automatically add tasks or create buckets in the Project App. Read More
how do you disable calendar’s auto email generation?
every calendar item ends up as an email in the morning. I don’t need it, that is why it is in calendar.
Same with the pop ups of each of these unwanted emails.
Hard to get anything actually done due to all the crap to deal with. I just want the efficiency of outlook 2007 back. UGH
every calendar item ends up as an email in the morning. I don’t need it, that is why it is in calendar.Same with the pop ups of each of these unwanted emails. Hard to get anything actually done due to all the crap to deal with. I just want the efficiency of outlook 2007 back. UGH Read More
Upgrade guide .net framework 4.5 to 4.8
Hello!
We are in the process of upgrading .net framework version from 4.5 to 4.8 for a legacy application.
We have class library projects, web forms project and an MVC project.
1.
The system.* assemblies for some of the projects in the the .csproject file look like below. I don’t think these are installed as nuget packages. instead, i believe these are added as reference from the GAC. is this assumption correct?
If so, as part of the upgrade process, should i remove these assembly references and install them as nuget packages instead or shall i keep the assemblies as they are?
<Reference Include=”System” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.DataSetExtensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.Linq”>
<RequiredTargetFramework>3.5</RequiredTargetFramework>
</Reference>
<Reference Include=”System.Web.ApplicationServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.DynamicData” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Entity” />
<Reference Include=”System.Drawing” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Extensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml” />
<Reference Include=”System.Configuration” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Services” />
<Reference Include=”System.EnterpriseServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Mobile” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml.Linq” />
2.
How do i determine should i need to use a newer version of the assemblies than the current ones while upgrading to framework 4.8?
3.
Here is the collective list of all the System.* assemblies that are referenced in the projects in the solution
System
System.Core
System.Xml.Linq
System.Data.DataSetExtensions
System.Data
System.Xml
System.configuration
System.Data.Linq
System.Web
System.Web.ApplicationServices
System.Web.DynamicData
System.Web.Entity
System.Drawing
System.Web.Extensions
System.Web.Services
System.EnterpriseServices
System.Web.Mobile
Hello! We are in the process of upgrading .net framework version from 4.5 to 4.8 for a legacy application.We have class library projects, web forms project and an MVC project. 1.The system.* assemblies for some of the projects in the the .csproject file look like below. I don’t think these are installed as nuget packages. instead, i believe these are added as reference from the GAC. is this assumption correct? If so, as part of the upgrade process, should i remove these assembly references and install them as nuget packages instead or shall i keep the assemblies as they are? <Reference Include=”System” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.DataSetExtensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Data.Linq”>
<RequiredTargetFramework>3.5</RequiredTargetFramework>
</Reference>
<Reference Include=”System.Web.ApplicationServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.DynamicData” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Entity” />
<Reference Include=”System.Drawing” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Extensions” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml” />
<Reference Include=”System.Configuration” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Services” />
<Reference Include=”System.EnterpriseServices” />
<Reference Include=”System.Web.Mobile” />
<Reference Include=”System.Xml.Linq” /> 2.How do i determine should i need to use a newer version of the assemblies than the current ones while upgrading to framework 4.8? 3.Here is the collective list of all the System.* assemblies that are referenced in the projects in the solution System
System.Core
System.Xml.Linq
System.Data.DataSetExtensions
System.Data
System.Xml
System.configuration
System.Data.Linq
System.Web
System.Web.ApplicationServices
System.Web.DynamicData
System.Web.Entity
System.Drawing
System.Web.Extensions
System.Web.Services
System.EnterpriseServices
System.Web.Mobile Read More
Sending form requests and approvals
Hi im new to forms , i have a travel form , where employee needs to enter few details , one of them is the manager email , im trying to create an approval request to the email entered in manager email , then sends the request to that manager , i did that but it dosent send the response and details entered and also it sends request to teams which i want to avoid that
Hi im new to forms , i have a travel form , where employee needs to enter few details , one of them is the manager email , im trying to create an approval request to the email entered in manager email , then sends the request to that manager , i did that but it dosent send the response and details entered and also it sends request to teams which i want to avoid that Read More
Creating ADMX backed Configuration policies
I am trying to figure out how to create an ADM backed Config Profile in Intune to disable the weather and stock information that is now sent to the Windows 11 lock screen but I cannot get it to work. According to this post, I should use the WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications CSP. This article describes the CSP configuration and as it is an ADMX backed policy, it requires SyncML format to configure. Between this article and this article, I created a custom Config Profile like below,
Name: Disable App Notifications
Description: Blank
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications
Data Type: String
Value:
<SyncML xmlns=”SYNCML:SYNCML1.2″>
<SyncBody>
<Replace>
<CmdID>2</CmdID>
<Item>
<Meta>
<Format>chr</Format>
<Type>text/plain</Type>
</Meta>
<Target>
<LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications</LocURI>
</Target>
<Data><Enabled/></Data>
</Item>
</Replace>
<Final/>
</SyncBody>
</SyncML>
I’ve deployed it to my user account first and after it failed, I deployed it to my device where it also failed. The event log shows this error in both cases
Can anyone please help tell me where I am going wrong?
Thanks in advance
I am trying to figure out how to create an ADM backed Config Profile in Intune to disable the weather and stock information that is now sent to the Windows 11 lock screen but I cannot get it to work. According to this post, I should use the WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications CSP. This article describes the CSP configuration and as it is an ADMX backed policy, it requires SyncML format to configure. Between this article and this article, I created a custom Config Profile like below, Name: Disable App NotificationsDescription: BlankOMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotificationsData Type: StringValue: <SyncML xmlns=”SYNCML:SYNCML1.2″><SyncBody><Replace><CmdID>2</CmdID><Item><Meta><Format>chr</Format><Type>text/plain</Type></Meta><Target><LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/DisableLockScreenAppNotifications</LocURI></Target><Data><Enabled/></Data></Item></Replace><Final/></SyncBody></SyncML> I’ve deployed it to my user account first and after it failed, I deployed it to my device where it also failed. The event log shows this error in both cases Can anyone please help tell me where I am going wrong? Thanks in advance Read More
Where can I find borders on the new version of Outlook?
Hi,
On the older version of Outlook I used to use the border tool to make lines:
On the new version of it I can’t find the tool anywhere:
Where can I find it?
Thanks
Hi,On the older version of Outlook I used to use the border tool to make lines:On the new version of it I can’t find the tool anywhere:Where can I find it?Thanks Read More
Feature request: Labeling emails, files, etc for use in summarization in copilot
I’m trying to use copilot to create summaries, action items, and areas that I’ve failed to follow up on. The problem is even with a detailed prompt I only get partial (at best) information back. I’d like a way to tag or label items for copilot to base its summaries/action items off of.
I picture a world where I can tag certain emails and office docs throughout my week and ask copilot to specially create output from those docs at the end of the week to give me a status report.
I’m trying to use copilot to create summaries, action items, and areas that I’ve failed to follow up on. The problem is even with a detailed prompt I only get partial (at best) information back. I’d like a way to tag or label items for copilot to base its summaries/action items off of. I picture a world where I can tag certain emails and office docs throughout my week and ask copilot to specially create output from those docs at the end of the week to give me a status report. Read More
