Microsoft showcased new technologies for developers of all kinds to create intelligent products at Microsoft Build 2019, Microsoft's annual developer conference. It released new AI-driven collaboration and hybrid-cloud innovations across Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure. Microsoft customers and partners, including Starbucks, JP Morgan, Kroger, Spatial, Epic Games and others, are showcasing new products that deliver more intelligent, customer-centric experiences.
Announcements include new collaboration and productivity services across apps and the web as well as AI functionalities in Microsoft 365 to further address the changing nature of work. In addition, Microsoft is delivering new open source technologies and developer tools in Azure and Windows.
Microsoft Graph data connect
Microsoft said it's creating new opportunities for developers to build on Microsoft Graph, with the general availability of Microsoft Graph data connect. Microsoft Graph data connect is a service that helps organisations bring together productivity data from the Microsoft Graph with their own business data securely and at scale using Azure Data Factory. Microsoft Graph data connect is now generally available as a feature in Workplace Analytics and as a standalone SKU for independent software vendors (ISVs).
Fluid Framework
The company launched Fluid Framework to give people and teams new ways to create together. This is a new web-based platform and componentised document model for shared interactive experiences. Fluid is expected to be available to developers later this calendar year through a software development kit. Also, the company expects to deliver the first Microsoft 365 experiences powered by Fluid later this year.
New features for the next version of Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge's next version was enriched with new features, including IE mode, Privacy tools, and Collections. These features and more will begin to roll out over time as the company gets closer to the broader launch of the next version of Microsoft Edge.
Future of intelligent agents
The company announced at Build its vision for the future of intelligent agents. This new approach is focused on building powerful conversational interfaces from data and machine learning instead of from rules, intent and code. The company said it's accelerating its work in this domain with the addition of the Semantic Machines team. This technology is going to be integrated into the company's conversational experiences going forward, including Cortana, and made available to developers in the Microsoft Bot Framework and Azure Bot Service.
Features and functionalities to power and safeguard Kubernetes workloads
At Build, Microsoft is delivering several new features and functionalities to power and safeguard Kubernetes workloads: Kubernetes Event-driven Autoscaling (KEDA) and Azure Policy for AKS. The first is an open source component that supports deployment of serverless event-driven containers on Kubernetes created in collaboration with Red Hat. The second applies at-scale enforcements and helps safeguard AKS clusters in a centralised, consistent manner.
Open sourcing Q# compilers and simulators
At Build, Microsoft said it's also open sourcing Q# compilers and simulators to grow the community of Q# developers and unlock new opportunities for partners and startups to enhance their offerings for their own businesses.
Products addressing the security of voting systems
Microsoft is also announcing two new products aimed at addressing the security of voting systems around the world: ElectionGuard, a free, open source software development kit developed in partnership with Galois, as well as Microsoft 365 for Campaigns.
Deepening investments in partners
Microsoft is announcing two expansions to the Microsoft's first co-sell programme: expanding co-sell to Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform to create deeper collaboration in selling line-of-business applications as well as expanding sales incentives to Microsoft channel partners when they resell eligible ISV products through Microsoft's cloud product provider (CSP) programme.
