Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Demystifying Microsoft

Taking charge of your meeting summary notes isn’t the only thing Copilot is built for. It is capable of handling all other meeting processes starting from configuration all the way to referencing. In this episode of Demystifying Microsoft, Nathan Taylor, SVP Global Microsoft Practice Leader at Sourcepass, explores how Microsoft 365 Copilot can transform meetings from passive conversations into actionable insights, using tools like Facilitator, Loop and WorkIQ. These features help to capture context, automate tasks and make information searchable. Nathan also shares how he uses these capabilities in his own day-to-day work to stay on top of meetings, customers and projects. Tune in to learn how to optimize Microsoft Copilot for your meetings and organization.

Microsoft 365 licensing for small and mid-sized businesses just got more interesting, yet confusing. In this episode of Demystifying Microsoft, host Austin Kelly from Sourcepass MCOE breaks down two of the most compelling SMB offerings in the Microsoft ecosystem right now: Microsoft 365 Business Standard with the Copilot add-on and the Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot bundle. If you’re evaluating Copilot pricing, Microsoft 365 security, endpoint management, or SMB licensing strategy, this episode reframes the conversation from “what does it cost” to “what is an hour of my employee’s time worth?”

Azure Virtual Desktop no longer has to mean running the session hosts in Azure. In this episode of Demystifying Microsoft, Nathan Taylor speaks with Azure Cloud Engineer Denis Vozian about AVD Hybrid: running virtual desktops on existing on-premises infrastructure while retaining Microsoft-brokered access, Entra ID controls and the familiar AVD user experience. They also get into Azure Local, Arc-enabled deployment, infrastructure-as-code and the current limitations IT leaders should know before treating AVD Hybrid as production-ready everywhere.

In the age of AI, the “insider” is no longer human, and that changes the insider-threat model. Majorly. In this episode of Demystifying Microsoft, Nathan Taylor speaks with Gabriel Friedlander, Founder and CEO of Wizer and former founder of ObserveIT, about shadow AI, identity-less AI workers, the limits of traditional access monitoring, and why human oversight becomes even more important as organizations give AI systems greater autonomy.

Microsoft Defender is no longer just an endpoint antivirus. In this episode of Demystifying Microsoft, Austin Kelly from Sourcepass MCOE explains five Microsoft Defender features that help organizations stop attacks faster. He breaks down Attack Disruption, Unified XDR, email and collaboration protection, Exposure Management and data protection. He also covers where Microsoft Security Copilot fits in and how AI can help reduce investigation time for lean security teams without replacing human judgment. Tune in to learn how Microsoft Defender helps connect alerts, prioritize real risk, protect Microsoft 365 collaboration tools and respond faster when attacks are already in motion

Moving away from GoDaddy Microsoft 365 sounds like a migration project. In reality, it’s a defederation one. In this episode of Demystifying Microsoft, Lindsay Cowan, Senior Sales and Business Development Manager at the Sourcepass Center of Excellence for Microsoft makes one thing clear: removing GoDaddy’s authentication and management layer while leaving the underlying Microsoft tenant, mailboxes and data in place is the real task at hand. Nathan and Lindsay also break down when organizations tend to outgrow GoDaddy, how to sequence a defederation without creating licensing problems and why security hardening after the change matters just as much as the defederation itself.

Microsoft has been adding features to Business Premium that used to be reserved for enterprise customers. Learn about the recent updates, from the 100 GB mailbox increase to advanced security add-ons like Defender and Purview suites. Your organization should review your licensing because if you haven’t in the last year, you are likely missing out on tools that are already available to you.

Successful AI adoption doesn’t just happen after assigning a license. In most cases, the biggest hurdle for organizations is a cultural resistance to change rather than a technical limitation. Nathan Taylor and Steve Adams talk about managing Copilot for Microsoft 365 credits, the value of using the right model for the right job, and how to build a governance framework that serves the majority of your workforce today.

AI implementation moves faster than any previous tech cycle, leaving many IT leaders in the noise. Chance Weaver from Pax8 joins Nathan Taylor and talks about going beyond basic prompts to building autonomous agents that solve specific operational blockers. You will hear about the transition from responsive Copilot tools to automated "Chief of Staff" agents and the impending arrival of a token-based economy. This conversation details managing agent identity with Agent365 while balancing the costs of consumption-based AI.

AI agents, Copilot for Microsoft 365 365 365, and Microsoft 365 productivity tools offer significant profitability gains for organizations if deployed correctly. Brittney Saultman from The Partner Masters joins Nathan Taylor to clarify the confusion surrounding the agent store. They discuss why starting with identifying business improvement opportunities rather than technology shopping leads to better results. You will hear how Copilot for Microsoft 365 has improved over the last few months, the benefits of the Frontier program, and how to maintain security while using third-party models.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint security and EDR telemetry provide a secondary protection layer. Nathan Taylor and Nick Ross analyze why running Microsoft security in passive mode optimizes your Business Premium licensing. They explain how to use Endpoint DLP and threat vulnerability management alongside tools like SentinelOne or CrowdStrike. This setup feeds richer data into Security Copilot and simplifies your incident response strategy while maintaining your trusted third party security vendor.

Microsoft government clouds like GCC High and Azure Gov provide CMMC and ITAR compliance for the Defense Industrial Base through US data residency. Nathan Taylor and Lindsay Cowan from Sourcepass MCOE clarify that these environments are built for rigorous compliance guarantees rather than just basic security features. You will hear about the logistical hurdles of eligibility, the financial implications of annual licensing, and why a full migration is necessary for those chasing specific regulatory standards.

Organizations can now use AI to build high-performing cultures by focusing on skills and belonging rather than just administrative compliance. Nathan Taylor from Sourcepass MCOE welcomes Robin Daniels, Chief Business Officer at Zensai, to analyze the future of human success within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. They examine how agentic AI moves beyond basic automation to proactively support employee growth and motivation. The conversation highlights the merit in ditching traditional HR tools and adopting integrated systems that prioritize people while driving business outcomes.

Conditional Access serves as the firewall for identity in a modern organization. Nathan Taylor explains the essential policies every Microsoft tenant needs to block credential stuffing and token stealing. From phishing-resistant MFA to blocking device code flow, this session details the specific rules that secure your environment. You will see how to implement these layers without locking yourself out. It is a baseline for any security conscious IT leader managing Microsoft 365 identities.

Microsoft Copilot is evolving faster than most organizations can track. In this episode, Nathan Taylor and Graham Rosenberg explore the Copilot Frontier program, a gateway to experimental features like Claude Opus in Excel and advanced AI agents. They discuss moving past basic chatbots toward agentic workflows that handle complex tasks like ticket routing and inbox triaging. Learn why ongoing education and a champion strategy are vital for turning these AI tools into a true competitive advantage.

Device Code Flow attacks, Microsoft 365 security, Conditional Access policies, and OAuth abuse are threatening identity authentication in the cloud right now. As you know, traditional MFA isn’t always enough to stop sophisticated phishing that exploits legitimate pathways. In this episode, Nathan Taylor of Sourcepass MCOE breaks down how threat actors have hit 340+ organizations by turning security controls into credential laundering services. You will learn how to audit your tenant and deploy a blocking policy that secures your environment without breaking your conference room setups.

FIDO2 and passkeys are redefining identity security by moving beyond vulnerable shared secrets. In this episode, Nathan Taylor of Sourcepass MCOE and Dom Kirby of Pax8 explain why traditional MFA methods like SMS and TOTP are failing against modern adversary-in-the-middle attacks. They touch upon hardware-backed cryptography and provide a roadmap for IT leaders to deploy phishing-resistant authentication across their organizations without overwhelming users.

Microsoft Entra Suite provides a comprehensive Zero Trust identity solution, including Entra ID Governance, Protection, Private Access, and Internet Access. Nathan Taylor details the evolution of identity security within the Microsoft ecosystem. This episode breaks down the five core pillars of the Entra Suite and explains how these tools unify access control across users and devices. Discover how to move beyond legacy VPNs while preparing your infrastructure for the rise of AI agents. It is a technical look at hardening your enterprise against modern credential-based threats.

As Microsoft moves away from legacy Open License programs toward the Cloud Service Provider (CSP) model, IT leaders must understand how to optimize their spend. This episode talks about the transition to subscription-based licensing, the financial impact of Azure Hybrid Use Benefit, and how tools like Azure Arc and Azure Local provide flexibility for on-premises and hybrid environments. Join hosts Nathan Taylor and Lindsay Cowan from Sourcepass MCOE as they untangle the complexities of Windows Server and SQL Server licensing.

Learn why most organizations underestimate the complexity of Microsoft tenant-to-tenant migrations, where the real risks lie beyond email and data, and how better planning across identity, devices, and licensing can ensure a smoother, more secure M&A integration.

Nathan Taylor and Tracy Harper examine the rising tide of sophisticated phishing attacks, including the "direct send" exploit currently targeting tenants. They break down the Defender ecosystem from Endpoint to Office 365, explaining how Business Premium serves as a foundation for identity protection. This conversation provides a pragmatic roadmap for moving beyond basic MFA to a fully hardened and assessed environment.

A fast, practical breakdown of Microsoft’s latest changes across AI, security, and licensing. This episode focuses on how new announcements like E7, Copilot advancements, and licensing changes will impact cost, control, and day-to-day operations and where you need to pay attention right now.

Nathan Taylor and Austin Kelly examine the transition from free grace periods to Microsoft’s new Extended Service Terms (EST), which introduce a 23% premium on expired subscriptions, turning a previously free window into a prorated paid extension. The conversation covers critical enforcement dates, the financial impact on CSP and MCA customers, and strategic moves across SKUs such as Office 365 E3 and Business Premium. They provide a framework for using EST as a deliberate tool rather than an accidental expense.

Mike Hughes joins host Nathan Taylor to examine the strategy behind Microsoft’s E7 license and why it is designed for organizations operating at enterprise scale with growing AI demands. As many IT leaders are already evaluating, the rise of AI consumption and agentic AI systems is beginning to reshape licensing models, infrastructure planning, and workforce dynamics. The conversation explores what this shift means for cost optimization, governance, security, and the operational realities of integrating AI agents into modern enterprise environments where they increasingly function as digital teammates rather than standalone tools.

Join hosts Nathan Taylor and Austin Kelly from Sourcepass MCOE as they dive into the critical decisions behind Microsoft licensing. They’ll uncover why default licensing choices might not be the best fit, share strategies to optimize costs without compromising security, and break down how to choose between Business Premium, E3, and E5 based on your unique business needs.

Business email compromise is one of the biggest threats to Microsoft 365 tenants—and most environments are more exposed than they think. Nathan Taylor unpacks how these attacks work, where the real gaps are, and how to fix them fast. From MFA to email and identity protection, get a 7 step approach to locking down your tenant.

Nathan Taylor and Lindsay Cowan from Sourcepass Center of Excellence for Microsoft examine Microsoft’s E7 announcement and what it means for organizations already navigating AI adoption. As many IT leaders are experiencing, the challenge is shifting from capability to control. The conversation focuses on what’s included in E7, how it builds on existing licensing, and why governance is becoming critical as AI agents take on more responsibility across enterprise environments.

Compromised Microsoft 365 accounts are increasing, and many organizations don’t clearly understand how or why. Nathan Taylor breaks down what’s actually happening, from phishing and token theft to gaps in identity controls. He explains how business email compromise works, why it’s accelerating, and what follows once access is gained, including the financial and operational impact most teams underestimate.

Microsoft releases hundreds of updates every year. Demystifying Microsoft is a podcast for IT leaders who want clarity, not complexity, around what matters most. No jargon. No fluff. No vendor spin.