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After being selected as Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador, which was one of my dreams after entering university, my first visit to Microsoft, Sri Lanka was for the After party of Microsoft ignite 2022, and the ignition in knowledge and memories I got after attending the event is what I’m going to share in this blog.
Like many tech events happening, this too had a shortlisting process as it got an immense number of applications and it is not viable to accommodate everyone physically. As someone who thrives on attending tech events, I was quick to fill out the form once it was shared on social media, and fortunately, I got selected for the in-person event. Microsoft, being an organization known for equal opportunities, and fostering learning, didn’t disappoint those who are not selected for the in-person event. The whole event was made live-streamed online as well. Oops, I forgot to mention what MS ignite is.
Microsoft Ignite is a conference for IT professionals and developers that is organized by Microsoft. The conference focuses on the latest technology, products, and services from Microsoft, including Azure, Windows, Office, and more. Attendees can participate in sessions and workshops, network with peers, and hear from industry experts and Microsoft leaders. Microsoft Ignite is typically held in Orlando, Florida, United States. But would it be possible for everyone to visit USA? That is why the Microsoft community in a country, inclusive of MVPs( Most Valuable Professionals) and MLSAs(Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors) organize their own after-party to make sure the local community is not left out in this massive event.
The event started with the Opening note of Harsha Randemy, Country Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka & Maldives. He stressed the fact of why innovation is important in the future to thrive. He also elaborated on how Microsoft has contributed and is contributing towards leveraging IT within Sri Lanka, especially the student community.
Then the opening note of Thilanka Abeywardena who is the Chief Marketing and Business Operations Lead — SEA Emerging Markets at Microsoft. She stressed the fact, of how important it is to upskill ourselves to survive. Because by 2025, 50% of the workforce has to change their skill set and unlearning a skill isn’t quite easy as learning. The Microsoft Learn platform is just what you need for it. You can choose your learning paths and upskill yourselves. She also mentioned how Microsoft democratized the technology for anyone to reach a global platform. For example, Imagine Cup.
If you are wondering what Imagine Cup is, let me give a brief out. Microsoft Imagine Cup is a global technology competition for students. It challenges teams to develop innovative technology solutions that address some of the world’s most pressing issues. The competition includes categories for software development, game development, and mixed reality. Winning teams receive cash prizes, mentorship, and other opportunities to bring their solutions to market. Curious to know more? Check out the session I organized as a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador along with fellow ambassadors of my university and in collaboration with the IEEE Student Branch of the University of Colombo School of Computing.
Next on the agenda was the Keynote speech of Satya Nadella - CEO of Microsoft. He pointed out the importance of “Do more with less" as organizations are moving towards it as they scale up, eyeing us and our digital capabilities. What is Do more with Less? It’s less time, less cost, less complexity with more innovation, agility and more resilience. And we are gonna be the change agents who are gonna make this possible. It doesn’t mean you have to work harder or longer. It means applying technology to amplify what we, and ultimately the organization could achieve under the current constraints prevailing in the world. He mentioned how Microsoft Cloud helps in this as,
Being data driven and optimized with Azure.
Delivering efficiency with automation and AI.
Innovating with a cloud developer platform.
Re-energizing workforce with Microsoft 365.
Protecting everything, everyone and everywhere.
His speech included the new introductions in technology which is amusing and worthy to watch on your own.
Then we had to move to our allocated halls for the tracks we chose. The event had three different technology tracks, out of which the participants had to choose one during the registration. The tracks were,
Data & IoT
Application Development(Low code/ No code)
Azure Infrastructure and Security
Since I am passionate about Data Science, the track I chose was Data &IoT. The first two sessions were online and were done by Microsoft MVPs Dinesh Priyankara, and Shameera Prajapriya respectively. They did insightful sessions with demonstrations on the topic “SQL Server 2022- Azure Enabled Data Platform is now in public review, and it continues with performance and security”, and “What’s next on Azure IoT” respectively.
Then we had a lunch break. As this was my first visit (of many that followed) to Microsoft Sri Lanka, I was really filled with excitement, and I couldn’t resist exploring and capturing the moments through photos. It was a great opportunity to meet new people, network and learn.
After that, we had three sessions by Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors which were physical unlike the previous two.
First Anjana Dodampe did a session on “How the world became data-driven and what’s next?”.He discussed how the world has shifted towards becoming data-driven in recent years and the impact this has had on various sectors. He also explored the potential for future advancements and the potential benefits and challenges that come with a more data-driven world.
Next Yasiru Randika did a session on “Maintain less and Innovate more with Azure Applied AI services”. He explained how Applied AI services are built over cognitive services and how it provides solutions.
Last we had a session on “Learning AutoML with Azure Machine Learning” by Sahan Dissanayake. He started with what and why AutoML and then did a hands-on AutoML problem with Microsoft Azure.
Then we had the networking session and the awarding ceremony. All the participants despite the tracks they chose, were assembled in one hall again. Microsoft caps were given to participants who were actively involved in the panel discussion and Azure water bottles for the ones who won the social media challenge which is to post a photo of themselves at MS ignite After Party Sri Lanka, on social media with the hashtags #MicrosoftIgnite #MVPSriLanka #MLSASriLanka. Guess what! I won one of them too 🥳😍.
The panel comprising of MLSAs and MVPs Sahan Dissanayaka, Gohulan Somananthan, Fiqri Ismail, Anton Canisious, Hansamali Gamage, Suhail Jamaldeen, Nimesh Ekanayaka and Prabhath Mannapperuma answered a lot of queries the audience had and gave some valuable advice for preceding in technology. It was inspiring to hear their stories and motivating to hear their words.
Finally, with the thank you note of Prabhath Mannapperuma who is the South East Asia Regional Partner Technology Strategist, the event ended and a group picture was captured.
This was my first tech event, and it definitely induced and ignited a spark in me in the field of technology. I learnt a lot about what the future holds, trends in the industry etc. Kudos to MVPs, MLSAs, participants and everyone who contributed to making this event a grand success. Looking forward to the next event, next year probably with the shoes of organizing as MLSA!
After this event, I started attending each and every tech event happening around, learning new stuff and sharing it with the community too.