Microsoft Ignite 2024: The Agentic Future of AI and why SharePoint and Yammer (Viva Engage) are here to stay

By Tanel Vahk

Last week, Microsoft hosted Ignite 2024 in Chicago – a buzzing annual event with over 800 sessions that showcase the future of Microsoft products and services. Here’s a few of the highlights for Copilot, SharePoint and Viva Engage.

Expanding the Copilot Ecosystem

AI and Copilot were the stars of the show, and for good reason. With over 300 updates, Copilot is transforming from a tool into an active participant in workflows:

• Copilot Pages: A collaborative AI workspace for creating and sharing interactive content, from flowcharts to code snippets.
• New Actions: Automate daily workflows with fill-in-the-blank prompts, from summarising action items to prepping for client meetings.
• Specialised Agents: AI agents like the Interpreter (real-time multilingual voice replication) and Project Manager (task automation in Planner) are coming soon, with public previews rolling out in 2025.
• Read more here.

The Secure AI-Powered Future

What stood out most was the focus on governance and security, addressing many organisations concerns around AI adoption.

Key announcements included:

• Copilot Control System: A unified platform to manage, secure, and measure Copilot’s impact, giving IT teams greater control and transparency (find out more here).
• Microsoft Purview Enhancements: Improved data governance tools to prevent oversharing, mitigate risks like prompt injections, and ensure safe AI use. (find out more here).

SharePoint and Yammer (Viva Engage): Stronger Than Ever

For years, rumours suggested that SharePoint and Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) might be losing relevance. However, Ignite 2024 proved just the opposite – these tools are evolving and thriving, with tighter integration into Microsoft’s ecosystem and innovative updates that keep them indispensable in today’s workplace:

• SharePoint continues to be a powerhouse, with over 2 million sites and 2 billion documents created daily. Its integration with Copilot Agents for SharePoint – now generally available – takes productivity to the next level:
  • Turn Content into Expertise: Transform SharePoint sites into agents that deliver insights, streamline workflows, and empower decision-making.
  • Personalized Assistance: Agents in SharePoint provide answers and recommendations based on the content users have access to, making it easy to surface relevant information.
  • Effortless Collaboration: Share and use agents across Teams and email, ensuring consistent access to accurate, contextual knowledge.
  • Read more here.

• Viva Engage is redefining employee engagement with updates like:
  • AI-Powered Moderation to ensure safe and constructive discussions.
  • Copilot Summaries, which automatically highlight key takeaways from conversations.
  • Storylines Integration with Teams, enhancing how leaders and employees connect and share insights.
  • Read more here.

Together, these updates show that SharePoint and Viva Engage aren’t just surviving – they’re thriving, offering stronger integrations and smarter capabilities that align perfectly with Microsoft’s vision for the future of work.

Obviously, Ignite 2024 had many more exciting updates beyond what’s mentioned here. From Microsoft Fabric to the Azure AI Foundry SDK and Windows 365 Link, the event was packed with insights across various areas. If you missed any of the announcements, I highly recommend checking out the Ignite 2024 Book of News for a full roundup.