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Directions on Microsoft
@directionsonmicrosoft.com
210 followers 59 following 180 posts
Independent IT planning and EA negotiation service focused exclusively on Microsoft since 1992.
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directionsonmicrosoft.com
New podcast is out! SQL Server 2016 and 2017 are leaving Extended support in the not-too-distant future. Directions' analyst @expatandyuk.bsky.social shares his preparation tips and checklist with @maryjofoley.bsky.social: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/sql... #MSTech #MSLicensing
February 13, 2026 at 3:37 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Windows 11 26H1: Why It’s A Nothing-Burger for Enterprises: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/windows-11-2... #MSTech
Windows 11 26H1: Why It's A Nothing-Burger for Enterprises
Microsoft is releasing two different versions of Windows this year: Windows 11 26H1 and Windows 11 26H2. For the vast majority of business customers, 26H1 is going to be a nothing- burger; it only wil...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:36 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
On our new 'Three Smart Guys' podcast, Directions' @barryb.bsky.social and industry analysts George Gilbert and @pbokelly.bsky.social chat about Microsoft's 2026 challenges.
Audio only: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/thr...
Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_K2...
#MSTech
January 30, 2026 at 8:08 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Microsoft Claims 15 Million Paid M365 Copilot Seats. (Is that good?) And more takeaways from its Q2 FY26 earnings call: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/microsoft-cl... #MSTech #MSLicensing
Microsoft Claims 15 Million Paid M365 Copilot Seats
Microsoft has released for the first time an AI adoption number about which many had been curious. During its Q2 FY26 earnings call on January 28, officials said the company now has 15 million paid se...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:31 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Does Microsoft Care About What You Care About? If not, Directions' @jimgaynor.bsky.social has some ideas as to what you can do. #MSLicensing #MSTech

Blog: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/does-microso...
Podcast (with @maryjofoley.bsky.social): www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/mic...
Does Microsoft care about what you care about?
The last three years have seen Microsoft pivot to a hard focus on AI, similar to how the company turned to the web browser and internet in the late 1990s or tried to shoulder up to Apple and Google in...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:18 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Microsoft plans to make some Teams Premium features available to those who don't have a Premium license starting April 1, 2026: techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microso... #MSTech
Licensing updates extend access to advanced capabilities in Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Places | Microsoft Community Hub
At Microsoft, we empower organizations to achieve more through intelligent communication, inclusive collaboration, and connected workplace experiences. Our...
techcommunity.microsoft.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:30 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
New podcast now live. Directions analyst @getwired.com talks with @maryjofoley.bsky.social about Microsoft bundling more separately priced features with Microsoft 365 SKUs, and what this means for customers and the long-rumored M365 E7: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/wha... #MSLicensing
January 9, 2026 at 2:32 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
New podcast: Microsoft Licensing and Negotiation: A Year in Review -- featuring Directions' lead negotiator Dean Bedwell and @maryjofoley.bsky.social : www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/mic... #MSLicensing #MSTech
December 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Directions' annual Microsoft Roadmap webinar is free for everyone to watch/listen to. We look back at the biggest MSFT tech events of 2025 and make some 2026 predictions. Check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Xn... #MSTech
Microsoft Roadmap Update: What's New, What's Next.
YouTube video by Directions on Microsoft
www.youtube.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:50 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
As Microsoft transitions more customers off EAs and onto MCAs, orgs need to be aware of some potentially costly changes they may incur. Directions' lead negotiator Dean Bedwell shares with @maryjofoley.bsky.social the biggest gotchas: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/mov... #MSLicensing
December 16, 2025 at 6:26 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
New podcast for you: As similar AI strategies proliferate, are there still reasons to choose Azure over AWS (or vice versa)? Duckbill's @quinnypig.com joins Directions' @getwired.com and @maryjofoley.bsky.social to debate the topic: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/is-... #MSTech #MSLicensing
December 10, 2025 at 10:05 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
In 2026, Microsoft will put into effect first substantial price increase for Microsoft 365 and Office 365 commercial suites since 2021. Here's what to expect: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/microsoft-to... #MSLicensing #MSTech
Microsoft to increase Office suite prices across the board starting July 2026
Microsoft will be increasing pricing for its commercial Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites beginning July 1, 2026.    Company officials attributed the increase to the inclusion of AI capabilities suc...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:24 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Want an explainer on Microsoft's recently announced Fabric IQ, Foundry IQ and Work IQ -- and why they matter? Directions analyst @barryb.bsky.social has you covered: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/cio-talk-mic... #MSTech
CIO Talk: Microsoft Gets IQ
By Barry Briggs Let the semantic-layer wars begin! A little over a month ago, I made the less-than-prescient claim that “Microsoft has done little to nothing about a semantic layer.” But – in fairness...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:55 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
The annual Directions webinar on Microsoft's roadmap is coming up next week. It's open to anyone interested in Microsoft products and trends. Our analysts will take questions live.

Dec. 10 from 1-2 pm ET. Register for free: register.gotowebinar.com/register/533...
December 3, 2025 at 8:02 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
What's going to be big at Microsoft's Ignite conference this week? Here are Directions' Top 10 picks -- the announcements that could impact enterprise customers and partners moving forward into 2026: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/microsoft-ig... #MSTech #MSLicensing
Microsoft Ignite 2025: Ten Things You Need to Know
Microsoft’s annual Ignite conference for IT professionals, developers and partners, is kicking off this week in San Francisco. CEO Satya Nadella is not the lead keynoter this year; instead, the newly ...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Microsoft is expected to take the next step toward its promise of agents becoming digital workers with its 'Agent 365' platform: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/microsofts-a... #MSTech #MSLicensing
Microsoft's Agent 365 digital 'employees' are coming for your business
Ahead of Microsoft’s Ignite conference next week, rumors are swirling about Microsoft launching an “Agent 365” platform. If the tips pan out, Agent 365 could become a way for Microsoft to unify how th...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:40 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Starting in Sept. 2026, Configuration Manager is moving from a semi-annual to an annual release schedule: techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/configu... #MSTech
Announcing the Annual Release Cadence for Microsoft Configuration Manager | Microsoft Community Hub
Starting with version 2609, Microsoft Configuration Manager will transition to an annual release cadence. This change is a formalization of the direction...
techcommunity.microsoft.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:00 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
New Directions podcast is now available. Everything you wanted to know (or SHOULD want to know) about Microsoft ESUs with Directions' @jimgaynor.bsky.social , Rob Helm and @maryjofoley.bsky.social: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/mic... #MSTech #MSLicensing
October 30, 2025 at 7:37 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Here's Microsoft's preliminary post-incident review for the Oct. 29 multi-hour Azure outage. It was not a good day for Azure Front Door and all the Azure services it touched: azure.status.microsoft/en-us/status... #MSTech
Azure status history | Microsoft Azure
Check the status history of Microsoft Azure services here.
azure.status.microsoft
October 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
Microsoft is dropping support for Office Online Server as of Dec. 31, 2026. Microsoft's recommended replacement (no surprise): Microsoft 365, which includes web-based versions of Word, Excel, PPT, OneNote: www.theregister.com/2025/10/22/m... #MSLicensing
Microsoft puts Office Online Server on the chopping block
: The end is nigh, now get thee to 365
www.theregister.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:41 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
That plan for rolling out Auto-archiving for Exchange Online starting Oct. 15 -- which Microsoft postponed due to negative customer feedback -- is back on again, but not until Jan. 2026. Public preview to start Nov. 15, 2025: techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/exchang... #MSTech
Auto-Archiving for Exchange Online | Microsoft Community Hub
We are happy to announce the time-based archiving feature for Exchange Online users with archives.  
techcommunity.microsoft.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:46 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
The product formerly known as "Copilot for Finance" (and also later as "Finance Agents") is now generally available. The newest name might be Finance solution for M365 Copilot (?): www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynami... #MSTech
Finance in Microsoft 365 Copilot is now generally available
Built with Microsoft 365 Copilot, this role-based AI solution brings ERP-connected data and workflows directly into the flow of work
www.microsoft.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:42 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
What's happening with Microsoft Exchange? Get caught up with our new podcast now out with special guest Tony Redmond @office365itpros.com
Directions analyst Rob Helm and @maryjofoley.bsky.social
directionsonmicrosoft.com/podcasts/wha... #MSTech
October 17, 2025 at 8:25 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
New post from Directions analyst
@barryb.bsky.social: Enterprise Semantic Layer: The Missing Link for AI (and Microsoft)? www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/cto-talk-the...
CIO Talk: The Enterprise Semantic Layer: The Missing Link for AI (and Microsoft)?
This blog post is a little different. I’m not going to tell you about the pros and cons of a Microsoft technology – rather, I’m going to talk about a missing Microsoft piece of the puzzle. Maybe it’s ...
www.directionsonmicrosoft.com
October 16, 2025 at 5:36 PM
directionsonmicrosoft.com
With Windows 10 hitting end of support this week, Microsoft is trying to make Windows 11 more appealing by adding more AI features. If you loved "Hey Cortana," you might love "Hey Copilot." And if not, probably not... blogs.windows.com/windowsexper... #MSTech
Making every Windows 11 PC an AI PC
New Copilot and agentic experiences make powerful AI easy on Windows 11 Today, we’re taking an exciting step forward with a new wave of updates that make every Windows 11 PC an AI PC – with Copilot at...
blogs.windows.com
October 16, 2025 at 5:32 PM