We are confident that you have been keeping up with the buzz surrounding Microsoft's latest innovations hitting the market. These groundbreaking feature sets and technologies are set to revolutionise the way each and every one of us interacts with technology in our daily lives, whether it be at home or in the workplace.

Here at CAE, we have yet to fully grasp and experience the immense benefits that these new features will bring to our modern work environment. We are only scratching the surface in terms of how these technologies will enhance our daily lives, boost productivity both at home and at work, and elevate our overall Microsoft experience.

Excitingly, there have been significant changes to Microsoft Azure Secure access: the remarkable Security Service Edge solution provided by Microsoft.

Azure AD

As part of the exciting expansion of the Microsoft Entra product family, Azure AD is transforming into the powerful Microsoft Entra ID. With Microsoft Entra, you gain access to a comprehensive suite of solutions that ensure secure identity and network access across multi-cloud and hybrid environments. This robust package includes eight innovative products that cater to all your identity and access requirements, from managing user identities and permissions to verifying and governing access, as well as securing your cloud workloads and internet access.

Rest assured, this renaming does not disrupt any existing deployments, configurations, or integrations with Azure AD. Everything will seamlessly continue to function as before, without any action required from end users. You will witness the new name reflected in various areas such as admin portals, websites, documentation, and other platforms where you engage with Azure AD.

For more information on the expanded Microsoft Entra product family, check out the announcement blog. Additionally, you can find detailed Entra plans and pricing on Microsoft's Entra plans and pricing page . 

Microsoft Mesh

Introducing Microsoft Mesh, an extraordinary new venture set to make its public debut in October 2023. But what exactly is Microsoft Mesh? Well, it's a groundbreaking 3D immersive experience that will revolutionise the way employees connect and collaborate. By blurring the boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds, Microsoft Mesh creates awe-inspiring "digital spaces" where individuals can come together in a three-dimensional environment. This innovative concept is backed by the latest insights from Microsoft's Work Trend Index Report, highlighting the growing need for organisations to facilitate seamless connections across different locations and geographies using existing tools.

Whether joining these immersive spaces through Microsoft Teams or custom immersive spaces in Microsoft Mesh, prepare to embark on a transformative journey that turns traditional two-dimensional meetings into captivating 3D experiences. These immersive spaces boast unique attributes, such as spatial audio interaction, co-presence, and immersion feedback, making participants feel as if they are physically present in a mesmerising digital realm. Get ready to be blown away by the future of collaboration with Microsoft Mesh.

Power Automate Licensing Changes: 

• Power Automate per user with attended RPA is being renamed to Power Automate Premium with the added benefit of Process Mining visualise and analysis processing capabilities
• Power Automate Process is a brand-new SKU available in place of Power Automate per flow. It is Power Automate Premium but licensed per flow, rather than per user. An additional benefit is that there is no minimum purchase of 5 licenses anymore, as was with the Power Automate per flow licence. 
• Power Automate Process Mining is also a new SKU available to those wanting to benefit from process mining. This is a tool aiming to help businesses seeking to improve operational efficiency and make informed decisions. 

Read More: https://powerautomate.microsoft.com/en-gb/pricing/ 

Other Updates: 

Microsoft has announced that the Visual Studio for Mac IDE will be retiring, with end of support scheduled to begin on August 31, 2024. For more details and alternative options to the Visual Studio for Mac, you can find the official announcement on the Visual Studio Blog.

Additionally, Microsoft has confirmed that Commercial Legacy Licenses will now be transitioning into the New Commerce Experience (NCE). Starting from January 2024, any renewals will automatically be converted into NCE. If you require flexibility in your licensing model, we recommend reaching out to your CAE account manager to discuss the availability of 30-day rolling licenses.

Stay tuned for more updates and innovations from Microsoft as they continue to revolutionise the way we interact with technology in our daily lives.