The weather might have been cold, but the topics at Microsoft Ignite 2024 were sizzling with innovation and excitement. As the CEO and founder of Tech House, I had the privilege of attending this year’s event, which was brimming with new capabilities offered by Microsoft.
In previous years, the exhibition floor at Ignite was a pretty equal mix of Microsoft and other vendors. However, this year, Microsoft booths filled two-thirds of the hall. I had the opportunity to meet with Microsoft product group professionals and discuss their product strategy. Outside the Expo Hall, numerous hands-on labs were bustling, with attendees eager to explore and understand the new technology. I particularly enjoyed creating various AI models and interacting with custom AI bots.
Many advancements showcased at Ignite will be especially powerful for the small and mid-market organizations we work with. It is exciting to see Microsoft again focusing on tools organizations can use to develop solutions.
AI has reached adoption far faster than any other tool. For instance, it took the Internet 16 years to reach 100 million users, Facebook four years, and ChatGPT only three months. By May 2024, just six months after its release, 70% of organizations worldwide were using some form of generative AI.
That rapid adoption was evident in the Ignite Expo Hall. Every Microsoft booth included AI, whether focused on data security, the Office suite, or Azure services. The Copilot team had one of the largest booths, probably 30×30 feet, and it was busy. Copilot had numerous new feature announcements, including the new Copilot UI for AI and Copilot Actions. Our customers can now easily find information, summarize complex documents, and automate everyday tasks with natural language requests.
Accessing, combining, and analyzing data is crucial for all organizations. Microsoft’s Fabric now integrates AI, making it more effective in analyzing, merging, cleansing, and working with data. SharePoint also now features Azure AI Agent Service, allowing us to create AI capabilities within SharePoint and deliver knowledge-driven responses.
In summary, Ignite 2024 highlighted three key areas for small and mid-market organizations to focus on: artificial intelligence, security, and data. AI continues to enhance security capabilities, which is critical as threat actors also use AI to be more malicious. We are excited to see where 2025 leads. To learn more about what’s possible for small and mid-market organizations in 2025, we recommend checking out our LinkedIn article on 2025 trends. Stay tuned for more insights and updates from Tech House as we continue to guide our clients forward in this rapidly evolving landscape.
