Microsoft Ignite 2020: Cloud, DevOps, and Security Updates You Need to Know

Digital transformation continues to be a centerpiece of the enterprise IT landscape. Over the last several months, as organizations were forced to quickly pivot to a mostly remote workforce, we saw an unprecedented level of digital innovation and resilience.

So, it was no surprise to see this theme of resilient innovation at the heart of the Microsoft Ignite 2020 conference. Even the event itself, which had to make the same pivot to online as every other 2020 event, proved to be a strong example of how critical adaptable and scalable technologies are in keeping businesses moving forward through even the most unexpected challenges.

And as its Azure user base continues to search for ways to innovate and build up their systems to weather whatever challenges may come next, Microsoft delivered an exciting lineup of new features and services. These included some noteworthy updates in cloud, DevOps, and Security for organizations looking to fortify their IT architectures with Azure.

Streamlined, Hybrid Cloud

Given our “new normal” workplace composed of more remote workers than ever before, Hybrid- and multi-cloud adoption is picking up speed to help organizations take full advantage of cloud computing regardless of where their teams are physically working. To support this transition, Azure introduced a number of new services and updates to some old favorites. The latter includes new features for Azure hybrid-enabled cloud servers, services, and devices (e.g., Azure Arc-enabled servers, Azure Arc-enabled data services, and Azure Stack Edge).

Then there’s the completely new offering Azure Communication Services. Secure, streamlined communication is more crucial than ever and Azure Communication Services promises to make it easier for developers to deliver enterprise-grade communication experiences across devices and platforms.

Low-Code Options for DevOps

To help remove some of the burden from developers, who have seen a spike in urgent requests to build custom apps to help with the swift shifts of recent months, Azure introduced a low-code update. These new features in Power Platform allow for custom app, bots, and workflow development, but simpler and faster with Azure APIM and GitHub integration.

Central and Secured Systems

Regardless of this year’s curveballs, secure systems still remain a high priority for all organizations. It’s critical to continue to meet compliance requirements and maintain strong identity management best practices even as the workforce goes remote. To help businesses stay secure as they weather this unpredictable landscape, Microsoft introduced a slew of security updates for Azure and Microsoft 365.

These include merging Azure Defender and Microsoft 365 Defender into one platform: Microsoft Defender. They’ve also enhanced protection for containers and IoT, introduced a new decentralized identity pilot, added new connectors and APIs, and increased capabilities for businesses to protect identities, apps, and services across all cloud environments, even outside of Microsoft.

Every day we work with businesses to find innovative,  resilient solutions for their most pressing IT challenges. We’re excited to help them leverage these key new features from Azure to strengthen their digital transformation and build IT architectures that will not only work for their organization now but help them grow and thrive well into the future.

To learn more about how Centrilogic can help you innovate in the cloud, contact us today.