Aaron Back on Directions NA 2023 Takeaways

Microsoft MVP and Chief Content Officer Aaron Back is on location at Directions NA, taking place in Orlando, Florida, from April 16-19.

In this video, Aaron speaks with Acceleration Economy Editor-in-Chief Tom Smith about what he is learning from the event and provides key takeaways.

Highlights

00:28 — Aaron attended a hands-on, Microsoft-led workshop and has gotten exposure to key Microsoft partners and customers. Tom asks Aaron for his key takeaways.

01:02 — Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Microsoft Copilot, has been a major theme throughout the conference, explains Aaron. The event, which is primarily focused on Business Central, has showcased how the tool can be integrated into the platform. It also highlights how Business Central can be integrated within all other Dynamics 365 platforms, like Outlook and Teams.

02:47 — What has been the most compelling session Aaron has attended so far? Microsoft led an open forum, a “town hall” type of session around the topic of AI within Business Central. This session was structured as a “listening session,” explains Aaron, where Microsoft heard from partners, ISVs, and customers about how they want to see the tool integrated into Business Central. Something that was largely discussed in this session was the notion of cost. Specifically, around creating an environment that, at the end of the day, doesn’t hurt the customer because of the associated costs, and still exposes them to the abilities of AI.

05:05 — Tom asks Aaron about the overall feeling and impression that is coming from the conference.

05:29 — Aaron explains that there is a high level of excitement. Directions NA 2023 had the highest number of attendees ever, with a total of around 1,100 users present. He also explains that many new companies “getting into the Microsoft channel” and are feeling a sense of welcome from the community.

Stay tuned for more on location coverage while Aaron is attending Directions NA this week!