In this episode, the team dives into the latest cloud industry keynotes, comparing Microsoft’s agent-focused messaging with AWS’s infrastructure-first approach. David unpacks the real progress in AI, from research pipelines to agentic frameworks, while Richard shares his ongoing adventures (and occasional frustrations) with GitHub Copilot—think less chaos, more candid lessons learned.

Cyrus rounds things out with a practical look at Intune Suite’s new features, what’s now included in E3 and E5, and why these updates matter for security and device management. Expect grounded commentary, a dash of British sarcasm, and plenty of real-world takeaways for anyone working in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Blog
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

YouTube
Cloudy with a Chance of Insights - YouTube

Soicials
Twitter / X
BlueSky
LinkedIn
Threads
Facebook

For all the links to the articles etc, please visit the companion blog site.
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

This week on Cloudy with a Chance of Insights, Richard, David, and Cyrus dive into the biggest announcements from Microsoft Ignite—without the marketing fluff. From Security Copilot landing in every E5 license, to the merging of Defender portals, and the rise of agentic solutions, we break down what’s actually new, what’s just rebranding, and what’s still in preview.

Blog
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

YouTube
Cloudy with a Chance of Insights - YouTube

Soicials
Twitter / X
BlueSky
LinkedIn
Threads
Facebook

For all the links to the articles etc, please visit the companion blog site.
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

This week’s “Cloudy with a Chance of Insights” dives into the latest from the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem, with Richard, David, and Cyrus tackling everything from AI datacenter architecture to Zero Trust compliance, new certifications, and some eyebrow-raising security stories. Expect candid commentary, a dash of British sarcasm, and practical insights for IT leaders and practitioners.

Blog
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

YouTube
Cloudy with a Chance of Insights - YouTube

Soicials
Twitter / X
BlueSky
LinkedIn
Threads
Facebook

For all the links to the articles etc, please visit the companion blog site.
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

Welcome to another episode of "Cloudy with a Chance of Insights," where the only thing more unpredictable than the British weather is the state of the Microsoft Cloud.

This week, Richard, David, and Cyrus gather to dissect a week that saw Azure Front Door trip over its own welcome mat, the existential crisis of the humble architecture diagram, and a healthy dose of security theatre—complete with all the drama and none of the popcorn.

Blog
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

YouTube
Cloudy with a Chance of Insights - YouTube

Soicials
Twitter / X
BlueSky
LinkedIn
Threads
Facebook

For all the links to the articles etc, please visit the companion blog site.
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

Welcome back to Cloudy with a Chance of Insights, the bi-weekly podcast where three Microsoft Cloud architects (Richard, David, and Cyrus) attempt to make sense of the ever-expanding universe of Azure, M365, D365, and all things cloud—usually with minimal preparation and maximum digression.

This week, Richard kicks things off with a personal update, before launching into a philosophical ramble about why he’s doing a podcast at all—spoiler: it’s not for the likes, but if you fancy pressing that button, it does help others find us though :-)

David then dives into Microsoft’s TypeChat (think: making AI output less of a fever dream and more of a structured answer), DeepSpeed (the unsung hero keeping Copilot’s LLMs from collapsing under their own weight), and Mark It Down (finally, a tool to turn your document chaos into Markdown sanity).

Cyrus brings his usual blend of technical depth and existential musings, covering, the big shift: Microsoft Entra as the new source of authority for identity, Passwordless guidance, Intune’s new security baselines, Purview Insider Risk’s new network-based detection for cloud apps and GenAI

Along the way, we reminisce about Commodore 64s, DOS pranks, and the joys of wiring up PC speakers (or not), the state of search engines, the rise of GenAI, and why none of us are likely to become TikTok influencers anytime soon.

Blog
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

YouTube
Cloudy with a Chance of Insights - YouTube

Soicials
Twitter / X
BlueSky
LinkedIn
Threads
Facebook

For all the links to the articles etc, please visit the companion blog site.
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

This week on Cloudy with a Chance of Insights, Richard, David, and Cyrus unpack a wide range of Microsoft Cloud updates and real-world challenges. Dive into the new Microsoft Agent Framework, Arc Gateway’s general availability, and the latest AI research breakthroughs. We explore Sentinel Graph, Meister’s Azure Web App release, and fresh developments in certifications and applied skills.

Security takes centre stage with a deep dive into the “one token to rule them all” vulnerability, plus practical tips for managing cross-tenant integrations. The team also discusses spec-driven development, GitHub Copilot, and the quirks of generative AI coding.

Whether you’re an architect, developer, security pro, or just cloud-curious, this episode covers the latest news, practical insights, and a few honest opinions from the front lines of Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Topics this week, include:

• Microsoft Agent Framework and Arc Gateway
• AI model training and 3D ML rendering
• Sentinel Graph, Meister, and UEBA updates
• VMware licensing changes in Azure
• Inclusive packaging design
• Spec-driven development and Copilot
• Certifications, accreditations, and applied skills
• Security incident: “one token to rule them all”

Blog
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

YouTube
Cloudy with a Chance of Insights - YouTube

Soicials
Twitter / X
BlueSky
LinkedIn

For all the links to the articles etc, please visit the companion blog site.

• The Microsoft Cloud Blog
  

Cloudy with a Chance of Insights returns with Richard and Cyrus (minus David this week) for a fast-paced, insightful discussion on the latest in Microsoft Cloud, security, and AI.

Richard kicks things off with a deep dive into Microsoft’s $30 billion investment in UK cloud infrastructure, exploring what it means for data sovereignty, jobs, and the future of AI in the region. Cyrus then shares how a Microsoft Sysinternals tool for Mac helped uncover a critical MacOS vulnerability, before breaking down the latest Microsoft Entra app management policies and why security pros sometimes cheer for feature removals.

The episode also covers the latest Patch Tuesday highlights, with practical advice for managing vulnerabilities and configuration at scale. Wrapping up, Richard and Cyrus reflect on how AI is reshaping IT careers, the risks of over-automation, and why critical thinking is more important than ever in cybersecurity.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay up to date with all things Microsoft Cloud

Blog
The Microsoft Cloud Blog

YouTube
Cloudy with a Chance of Insights - YouTube

Socials
Twitter / X
BlueSky
LinkedIn

LINKS & Additional Notes

• Microsoft’s $30 Billion UK Investment
  
• MacOS Security Flaw Discovered with Microsoft Tool
  
• New Microsoft Entra App Management Policies
  
• Patch Tuesday Highlights
  

Join Richard, David, and Cyrus for a lively, practical discussion on the latest from the Microsoft Cloud universe. This episode covers Zero Trust in action, Intune and security updates, Logic Apps on Rancher K3s, Azure Service Groups, Excel’s Fabric One Lake integration, the US government’s “OneGov” mega-deal with Microsoft, new Defender for Cloud features in GovCloud, and developer-focused updates in VS Code and Azure DevOps.

Highlights:

• Zero Trust: Microsoft’s updated assessment tools and workshops, now with six pillars for holistic security.
• Intune & Security: Targeted app control, autopilot patching, real-time Apple device management, and multi-admin approval.
• Logic Apps & Service Groups: Deploy Logic Apps on lightweight Kubernetes, and visualize resources with Azure Service Groups.
• Excel + Fabric: Pull governed enterprise data into Excel with Fabric One Lake integration.
• US Government x Microsoft: The OneGov agreement—sovereign cloud, compliance, and major discounts.
• Defender for Cloud: New features for GovCloud, boosting security for public sector workloads.
• Developer Experience: VS Code Schema Designer and Azure DevOps Test Run Hub for streamlined workflows.
• Trends & Tangents: IT/HR convergence, server naming schemes, and more real-world insights.

Subscribe & follow for more insights:
#MicrosoftCloud #Azure #ZeroTrust #CloudSecurity #Podcast #CloudyWithAChanceOfInsights

Links
Logic Apps Deployment using Rancher
Azure Service Groups
Excel support for Fabric OneLake
New Test Run Hub in Azure Test Plans
General availability of Defender CSPM and Defender for Servers Plan 2 in Azure Government cloud
Why firms are merging HR and IT departments
Zero Trust assessment and progress tracking resources
Accelerating AI adoption for the US government
What’s New in Microsoft Intune: August 2025