#TeamsRecap - Post-Ignite Microsoft Teams Review with Lori Wright

I had the distinct honor of being joined by a very special guest on the #TeamsRecap this week. Lori Wright, the General Manager of Office Collab Apps at Microsoft, offered great perspective on some of the recent Microsoft Teams announcements coming out of Microsoft Ignite.



We even managed to work a raccoon into the conversation! This is a #TeamsRecap not to be missed - listen in:






Thanks for watching, and stay tuned for more Microsoft Teams & Skype for Business news - there is certainly no shortage of it, as of late!

Get-CsJosh -Location "Microsoft Ignite" -Type Session (I'm speaking at Ignite!)

Microsoft Ignite 2018 Participation

Right below this paragraph is how to follow me and stay plugged in during Microsoft Ignite. WHY to follow me for Microsoft Ignite follows comes after that ;-)!

How to follow...

Twitter: @GetCsJosh

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/GetCsJosh

Microsoft TechCommunity: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/33823

WHY to follow...

Here we are, less than a month away from Microsoft Ignite 2018, and all passes for Microsoft Ignite have been sold out for about a week now. This is going to be a BIG event! This will be my 3rd Ignite, but my excitement for this one is greater than it has been in years before. Why, you ask? What is the big deal with this year versus yester year[s]? Well read on to find out!

Community Reporter

This year, I have the distinct honor of being chosen to participate as one of the 10 Community Reporters for Microsoft Ignite! If you are not familiar with the Community Reporter role, it was created for Microsoft Ignite last year, with one Community Reporter (a Microsoft MVP or RD) from each major Microsoft product area. The Community Reporter brings the highlights of Ignite from a respective product area back to the relevant social communities by means of short video clips.

The following are some examples of the types of videos you would expect to see from the Community Reporters throughout the duration of Ignite:

• Interviews of key speakers & Microsoft executives and Program Managers
• Interviews of attendees on their experiences and thoughts on various components of the conference.
• "Experience" and "tour" videos of key areas (i.e., the Expo Floor, the Keynote, etc)
• Daily Recaps

You get the idea! Obviously, I will be reporting largely on the Microsoft UC/IC news (Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Office 365). I have some big shoes, to fill, though - the Community Reporter in this space last year was none other than industry legend, fellow MVP, and Microsoft Master, Tom Arbuthnot! Wish me luck (and tune in)!

I'm Speaking at Microsoft Ignite

This year, for the first time, I will actually be speaking at Microsoft Ignite, and could not be more excited for the opportunity! What am I speaking on, you ask? Microsoft Teams, of course! I have a 45-minute session entitled "Building a community-led tech conference using Microsoft Teams", and the Session Code is BRK2285.

Now that you know the session title and the code, you have no excuse not to add it to your schedule now! ;-) Also, if you are not able to make it to Ignite this year, I am told that EVERYTHING will be live-streamed, so be sure to tune it live to watch!

This session will dive into the various ways that myself and the rest of the #CommsvNext team designed and built every aspect of this conference completely from within Microsoft Teams. If all works out, I may even be able to have the rest of the team join me on stage to provide their insights! (fellow MVPs, Jonathan McKinney, Adam Ball, and Pat Richard).

#TeamsRecap - Microsoft Ignite 2018 Edition

It has become somewhat of a tradition at each Microsoft Ignite to have a special #Skype4BRecap / #TeamsRecap episode, co-hosted with fellow MVP, Matt Landis. This year will be no different - except that I may actually have access to record in a more professional setting: and actual production STUDIO! Be sure to keep up with me on Twitter (info above) for the release of this episode.

Matt and I will be going over any key news, and talking about that burning question on every Skype for Business Online customer's mind right now: Is it yet the right time to move to Microsoft Teams?

How to connect while at Microsoft Ignite?

If you are looking to connect with me at Microsoft Ignite, there are a couple key ways (though I can't promise a ton, because as it happens, my schedule is already looking a bit hectic...):

1. Sessions! Obviously, I will be at BRK2285, speaking, and able to chat a bit afterwards. However, there is a good chance you will run into me at some of the key Microsoft Teams sessions, and a VERY good chance I will be at THE Skype for Business session.
2. Sponsor Events/Parties. I typically try to make sure I make it to some of the multi-vendor parties (SfB & Teams-related vendors). While some of those details are still being sorted, I am already registered for the CDW Customer Appreciation Event on Wednesday night. If you are CDW customer, and are coming to Ignite, I look forward to seeing you there!
3. FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER (@GetCsJosh). Seriously, that is one of the best ways to know what I am up to at any given point during a Microsoft Ignite conference. I have a bit of a bad mad-Tweeting habit during these conferences...

See you there!

Landis' Technologies' Office 365 Contact Center, Calling in Microsoft Teams, & More News

The first #TeamsRecap episode of 2018 is finally here! This episode covered the following topics:

• End of Life Support for OCS
• Skype for Business client updates
• Fulfilled Calling Roadmap items for Microsoft Teams
• Landis Technologies' Office 365 Contact Center

To watch the video in my YouTube channel, and to get the links to the above content in the Video Description, check it out at the following link: https://youtu.be/aqaRWx2mams

Or you can watch the video right here in this post:

Some Changes for the #TeamsRecap Webcast

Through the holidays of 2017, and the first half of January 2018, the #TeamsRecap webcast took a bit of a break. Not only was it a very busy time riddled with family visitations and the traditional passing around of the random sicknesses, but I was also taking time to ponder what was next, for the #TeamsRecap.

I was starting to have a hard time keeping up with the consistent weekly cadence of the show that had been present for the first 2 years, and felt that it may also be time to have more than just my ugly mug talking about Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams news. So, after a bit of pondering, the #TeamsRecap is resurfacing with its first guest Co-Host, MVP Matt Landis of Landis Technologies!

In addition to having guest Co-Hosts, the show is also longer, as we take time to discuss the normal list of topics that I work my way through in the browser tabs. Previously, the show targeted about a 15-minute timeframe. I know this was desirable for some of you, but this new format will likely range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour (though I want to try to keep it well under an hour when possible). While there is a sacrifice on the brevity, more perspective is being brought, and I feel that there is good value in that.

Finally, when doing a show with a Co-Host, I needed to find another platform to record on. Pexip has graciously provided space on their Infinity platform for the meeting & recording of the episodes, and I want to extend a HUGE thank you to Graham Walsh and the entire team over at Pexip - thank you for making this new format for the #TeamsRecap possible! Check them out: https://www.pexip.com/.

More changes may come throughout the year, but this is a good starting point. As always, though, I would LOVE to get your thoughts and in-filtered feedback.

A Re-Branding: Introducing the #TeamsRecap

Well, I finally did it. The #Skype4BRecap has been officially renamed to the #TeamsRecap! As you can see from the image above, I have even embraced the purple.

Admittedly, I struggled with whether or not to do this, as Skype for Business Server 2019 is still slated for H2 2018, per the latest from Ignite, and Skype for Business Online will still be around for some time. However, I came to the realization that when it comes to Skype for Business Server 2019, a LOT can happen between now and the actual release. AND, there is very clear marketing message that Microsoft is pushing 150% with Teams. SO, I decided that with much of my future content probably shifting more and more toward Teams, this was likely the right move.

At any rate, the show is still the same for now: same me, same format, same hat, etc. Again, though, this is for now. I am mulling over changing up a couple things, maybe just a bit, but time will tell with those. In the meantime, I have the latest episode of the #TeamsRecap published to YouTube, and ready to watch! Get caught up on what's new with the Skype UG (HINT: International locations may be in our future!), and get a good recap of all the Teams news from Microsoft Ignite:

Don't forget to Re-Tweet or Share on LinkedIn if you enjoy the show, or find it helpful/amusing!

Josh