Just one week to go until Microsoft Ignite 2026!
Microsoft Ignite returns November 17–20 in San Francisco and online, bringing together technology professionals, Microsoft experts, and the community to explore what's next.
If you're attending in person, it's a great opportunity to connect with Microsoft experts, explore new innovations, and engage with the community. If you're joining virtually, there's plenty to look forward to as well!
And if you haven't registered yet, there's still time.
Register for Microsoft Ignite 2026
With Ignite just around the corner, I've been exploring the session catalog. There are multiple sessions covering AI, security, cloud, and enterprise transformation, and choosing what to follow isn't easy.
Here are 12 sessions I'm particularly looking forward to, grouped into three areas that interest me.
First, the Opening Keynote
KEY01 — Microsoft Ignite Opening Keynote
Speakers: Satya Nadella and Judson Althoff
November 17 | 10:00 AM PT / 11:30 PM IST | Chase Center, San Francisco
The opening keynote is where I'll start, looking forward to Microsoft's direction across AI, Copilot, cloud, security, and enterprise transformation.
12 Sessions on My Watchlist
1. AI Innovation & Agentic Capabilities
| Session | What interests me |
|---|---|
| BRK205 — Beyond Chat: Delegate Complex Work with Copilot Cowork | Moving from AI assistance to more complex delegated work |
| INV642 — Observability at Every Layer for Every Role | Understanding agent behavior, performance, risks, and value |
| BRK260 — The Next Evolution of AI FinOps: From Cost to Value | AI consumption, cost optimization, and measurable outcomes |
| BRK234 — Agentify Your Business Processes: The Next Era of Business Applications | How agents connect people, data, and business processes |
2. Security, Identity & AI Governance
| Session | What interests me |
|---|---|
| BRK340 — A Zero Trust Approach to Securing AI Runtime with Microsoft Defender | Runtime protection, prompt injection, and unsafe agent actions |
| BRK331 — A Single Policy for Humans and AI Agents? Here's How to Make It Work | Unified access policies for people and agents |
| BRK339 — Local Agents Are Here. Can You Find and Secure Them? | Discovering and securing agents running on devices |
| BRK343 — AI Is Changing Access. See How Microsoft Entra Helps You Stay Ahead | Identity governance and secure access in the AI era |
3. Digital Workplace, Operations & Business Value
| Session | What interests me |
|---|---|
| BRK404 — AI Ready Endpoints: Secure, Manage and Scale | Preparing and managing endpoints for enterprise AI |
| BRK229 — The Frontier Firm Journey: Accelerate AI with Frontier Accelerate | Moving from AI pilots to broader organizational adoption |
| BRK585 — Accelerate Your Path to Frontier | Redesigning work and achieving measurable business outcomes |
| BRK276 — Unlock More Value from Business Apps with Microsoft Copilot Harness | Connecting agentic workflows with existing business applications |
What I'll Be Watching Closely
Beyond the individual announcements, a few questions stand out for me:
- How far are we moving from AI assistants toward autonomous agents?
- Are security, identity, and governance capabilities keeping pace with AI innovation?
- How will organizations manage AI consumption, optimize costs, and demonstrate real business value?
- What does all this mean for Digital Workplace operations, employee experience, and service ownership?
These are areas I've been exploring throughout the year, and I'm interested to see what new perspectives and capabilities Ignite brings.
Build Your Ignite Schedule
This is simply my personal watchlist. There are many other interesting sessions across the Microsoft ecosystem, and your priorities may be different.
The sessions above are listed for online attendance, with the breakouts scheduled to be recorded. Check the catalog for the latest delivery and recording details, particularly for innovation sessions.
If you're attending virtually, explore the available sessions and add the ones that interest you to your schedule.
Explore the Microsoft Ignite 2026 Session Catalog
Looking forward to another exciting Ignite, the learning opportunities, and the conversations that follow.
What sessions are on your watchlist this year?
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