In Episode 354 of the CIAOPS "Need to Know" podcast, host Robert Crane sits down with Philip Meyer, a seasoned Microsoft veteran, to explore the seismic shifts in the IT landscape driven by artificial intelligence. From reflections on decades of industry evolution to practical advice for SMBs and partners, this episode delivers a rich blend of insights, personal stories, and actionable strategies. Topics include AI's impact on employment, cybersecurity challenges, digital labor, and the future of partner enablement.

Resources

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Show Notes

Microsoft named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for XDR -

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/10/02/microsoft-named-a-leader-in-the-idc-market…

Retail at risk: How one alert uncovered a persistent cyberthreat -

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/09/24/retail-at-risk-how-one-alert-uncovered-a-p…

Fluid forms, vibrant colors -

https://microsoft.design/articles/fluid-forms-vibrant-colors/

What’s new in Microsoft 365 Copilot | September 2025 -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/Microsoft365CopilotBlog/what%E2%80%99s-new-in-microsoft-36…

An IT pro’s guide to Windows 11, version 25H2 -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/an-it-pro%E2%80%99s-guide-to-windows-11…

Announcing Microsoft Sentinel Model Context Protocol (MCP) server – Public Preview -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-security-blog/announcing-microsoft-sentinel-mode…

Microsoft Sentinel data lake is now generally available -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-security-blog/microsoft-sentinel-data-lake-is-no…

Empowering defenders in the era of agentic AI with Microsoft Sentinel -

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/09/30/empowering-defenders-in-the-era-of-agentic…

Microsoft 365 Backup: Protect your business with data recovery -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft_365_backup_blog/microsoft-365-backup-protect-you…

Office Agent – “Taste driven” multi-agent system for Microsoft 365 Copilot -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/office-agent-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%9Cta…

Vibe working: Introducing Agent Mode and Office Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot -

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/09/29/vibe-working-introducing-agent-mode-a…

Building Agent Mode in Excel -

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/excelblog/building-agent-mode-in-excel/4457320

Microsoft Sentinel and Defender: ITSM Integrations Explained –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftsentinelblog/microsoft-sentinel-and-defender-itsm…

AI vs. AI: Detecting an AI-obfuscated phishing campaign –

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/09/24/ai-vs-ai-detecting-an-ai-obfuscated-phishi…

Expanding model choice in Microsoft 365 Copilot –

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/09/24/expanding-model-choice-in-microsoft-3…

Introducing Channel Agent in Teams –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/Microsoft365InsiderBlog/introducing-channel-agent-in-teams…

SharePoint Showcase highlights: Get the most out of SharePoint agents –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365insiderblog/sharepoint-showcase-highlights-get…

New collaborative agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biWymgItJ_I

Introducing Knowledge Agent in SharePoint –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/spblog/introducing-knowledge-agent-in-sharepoint/4454154

AI and Microsoft Teams: A New Era of Collaboration –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftteamsblog/ai-and-microsoft-teams-a-new-era-of-col…

Microsoft 365 Insider Round-Up: September 2025 –

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/microsoft-365-insider-round-up-september-2025-microsoft-365-insider-…

Addressing multi-tenant management challenges for MSPs with Microsoft Intune and partner innovations –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftintuneblog/addressing-multi-tenant-management-cha…

Defending against evolving identity attack techniques –

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/05/29/defending-against-evolving-identity-attack…

Copilot Chat comes to the Microsoft 365 apps –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/copilot-chat-comes-to-the-microsof…

Get ready now: One month until Office 2016/2019 end of support –

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/officeeos/get-ready-now-one-month-until-office-20162019-en…