Microsoft releases its Power BI November 2024 latest features

Microsoft has officially released the Power BI November 2024 updates, packed with enhanced features across reporting, modeling, data connectivity, development, and visualizations. These new functionalities offer powerful tools to elevate your data analysis and presentation. With these updates, users can expect a more streamlined experience that drives insights and boosts productivity.

Explore this month’s Power BI innovations designed to enhance your productivity and insights:

• Copilot in Power BI mobile apps: Access insights on the go with Copilot, now in preview for mobile users.

• Path layer in Azure maps: Visualize geographic connections between multiple points using the new Path layer in Azure Maps.

• Quick DAX measure creation: Easily create measures directly in DAX query view with the new "Define New Measure" option in quick queries.

• Fabric Git integration: Start exporting semantic model definitions in Tabular Model Definition Language (TMDL), making collaboration and development smoother for teams.

• KPI by Powerviz: Design visually appealing, advanced Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with the new KPI by Powerviz visual.

See the full list here.

Copilot in Power BI mobile apps is now available in preview mode

Microsoft has introduced Copilot in Power BI mobile apps in preview mode, designed to eliminate the manual effort of data analysis. This innovation empowers users to make data-driven decisions anytime and anywhere. With Copilot, users no longer need to sift through multiple pages and visuals—Copilot handles the analysis for them, delivering insights with ease.

Copilot in Power BI mobile apps features:

• AI at your fingertips: Bring the power of AI to analyze your data, anytime, anywhere instantly.

• Instant insights: Access summaries and insights from your reports that meet Copilot requirements in Power BI—all in a single tap.

• Data exploration made easy: Tap on any data reference to explore related visuals and delve deeper into your insights.

• Customizable summaries: Adjust Copilot’s insights by summarizing entire reports, tweaking length, and modifying tone to suit your needs.

• Effortless sharing: Copy and share insights seamlessly via email, Teams, or other platforms for smooth collaboration.
  

Copilot Studio's November 2024 feature updates

Microsoft has launched the "What's New in Copilot Studio" series to deliver monthly highlights of the latest updates and features from Microsoft Copilot Studio. The November 2024 edition spotlights advancements in extending Microsoft 365 Copilot, including the new embedded Copilot Studio agent builder. This tool simplifies customization, making it easier than ever for users to tailor Copilot to their needs.

Discover the latest updates in Copilot Studio this November:

• Smarter, personalized agents: Customize your Copilot with specialized agents capable of a range of tasks, such as sending emails and automating workflows.

• Event-triggered responses: Set agents to detect specific events and follow your predefined language model instructions for precise, timely responses.

• Action history tracking: Access detailed action histories, including step-by-step execution, system interactions, API calls, and more.

• Enhanced knowledge sources: Enrich your agents' knowledge base by integrating images, graphs, and charts for more comprehensive insights.

• Real-time monitoring: Keep tabs on agent activity with real-time audit logs via Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Sentinel, ensuring security and compliance.
  

v1.2.0 Infinity Buttons Brings Export and Clone Templating to Dynamics 365

We're excited to announce the release of Infinity Buttons v1.2.0, bringing significant improvements to user customization options and fixing key interface issues. This update focuses on enhancing user experience through template configuration capabilities and better integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365's new interface.

New Features and Improvements

Modern D365 Style Integration

The latest release aligns Infinity Buttons with Microsoft Dynamics 365's "new look" styling, ensuring a seamless and consistent user experience within your D365 environment. This update maintains visual harmony with the modern D365 interface while preserving all the powerful functionality our users rely on.

Configurable Templates

One of the most significant additions in this release is the introduction of configurable templates for two key features:

• Clone Record

• Record to ZIP

This powerful new functionality allows organizations to create and manage standardized templates for these operations, ensuring consistency across teams, reducing setup time, reducing clicks and speeding up the user experience.

Template Selection Process

The template system has been thoughtfully implemented with user experience in mind:

1. Available templates appear on the first screen of the respective operations

2. If only one template exists, it's automatically selected to streamline the process

3. Users with appropriate permissions can create or modify templates directly from the final screen

Bug Fixes and Technical Improvements

Enhanced Relationship Handling

We've resolved an important issue regarding N:1 relationships in both the Record to ZIP and Clone Record dialogs. The fix ensures unique ID generation for these relationships, preventing potential conflicts and improving data integrity during operations.

SharePoint Integration Fix

Users working with Enhanced Email for Timeline will notice improved functionality with the "Attach from SharePoint" feature. We've corrected a modal layering issue that previously caused the SharePoint dialog to appear behind the Enhanced Email modal.

Getting Started

To take advantage of the new template features, ensure your users have the appropriate roles or permissions assigned. System administrators can manage these through the standard D365 security settings.

Looking Forward

This release represents our ongoing commitment to improving the Infinity Buttons experience while maintaining compatibility with the latest Dynamics 365 updates. We continue to value user feedback and incorporate it into our development roadmap.

For more information about these updates or to provide feedback, please contact our support team or consult the documentation. Or download a trial version by visiting the Infinity Buttons product page.

Copilot makes filing forms easier with copy

Microsoft is eliminating the hassle of manual form-filling with its new Smart Paste capability in Copilot form-fill assistance for model-driven apps. This feature simplifies data entry by automatically pulling relevant information from sources like emails, documents, or notes. Now, filling out forms is as easy as a quick copy and paste, saving users time and effort.

With the new Smart Paste feature, completing forms is faster and smarter. Here’s what’s new:

• Effortless data entry: Copy text from an email, document, or note, then click the Smart Paste button to instantly auto-fill form fields—saving you time and reducing manual effort.

• Enhanced transparency with citations: Each suggestion includes a source citation for added clarity and confidence in the recommendations you receive.

• Expanded availability: Form Fill Assistance, including Smart Paste, is now supported in quick create forms and is rolling out in 21 languages worldwide.

• Easy setup: Turn on this feature by going to Power Platform Admin Center > Settings > Product > Features > AI Form Fill Assistance.

v3.4.0 Dialog Builder for Dynamics 365 and Power Apps Released

We're excited to announce the release of version 3.4.0 of our Dialog Component for Power Apps, bringing significant visual and functional updates to align with Dynamics 365's "New Look" design system.

Visual Refinements

The latest update introduces several key improvements to dialog appearance and behavior:

• Modernized Layout: Dialog padding has been increased to 24px, matching the out-of-the-box Dynamics 365 and Power Apps model-driven app experience

• Enhanced Icon Integration: Icons now display at a more compact 24px size and sit naturally inline with dialog titles

• Improved Content Flow: Message content now consistently appears below the title and icon section, creating a clearer visual hierarchy

• Better Space Management: Close and resize buttons have been repositioned inline with the title and icon, eliminating content overlap issues

Breaking Changes

Please note several important changes that may affect existing implementations:

• The color dialog option has been deprecated as part of our alignment with D365 standard styling

• Element sizing adjustments may introduce scrollbars in some existing dialogs

• The showLoading function now uses a default size of 300x160px

• Our JavaScript compiler now targets ES2022, which may affect compatibility with browsers released before 2021

New Features

We've added new functionality to enhance customization and user experience:

• Field Dividers: A new divider option is available for all field types, allowing you to add underlines to simulate grid layouts

• Enhanced Lookup Field Behavior: Clearing a Lookup field now triggers the callback function with a null value, providing better control over field interactions

Getting Started

To upgrade to version 3.4.0, please review your existing dialog implementations, particularly checking for:

1. Any custom color configurations that need updating

2. Dialog sizes that might be affected by the new sizing standards

3. Browser compatibility requirements for your user base

We recommend testing your existing dialogs thoroughly after upgrading to ensure proper functionality with these new changes.

You can download a trial of v3.4.0 by clicking on this link.

Microsoft Learn launches AI training resources to empower developers

Microsoft’s latest initiative on Microsoft Learn is dedicated to empowering developers in the AI era. Through new, AI-focused training resources, developers can gain essential skills for integrating AI responsibly and securely within their workflows. By leveraging tools like Azure AI services and GitHub Copilot, Microsoft aims to streamline development processes, enhance productivity, and support developers in building secure, ethical AI solutions.

Microsoft Learn helps:

• Stay current with technology: Tackle new challenges, from mastering the latest tech updates to addressing complex integrations and navigating security and ethical concerns.

• Boost efficiency with AI: Discover how tools like GitHub Copilot can automate repetitive tasks and accelerate app development.

• Build secure AI-powered applications: Gain hands-on experience to build, test, and deploy robust AI-driven applications using GitHub and Azure.

• Optimize software delivery cycle: Learn how to implement, configure, and secure every stage of software delivery process—from code to cloud.

Access the training resources here.

Microsoft transforms HR functions with AI-powered Copilot Studio agents

HR professionals are tasked with critical functions like recruitment, onboarding, and managing the employee lifecycle—a workload that often stretches resources thin. Microsoft’s Copilot Studio steps in to ease these challenges, providing AI-driven agents that help organizations streamline and automate their HR processes for greater efficiency and productivity.

Discover how AI-powered agents with Copilot can help transform HR functions:

• Leave Management Agent: Easily manage absence requests, view history summaries, and access time-off policies—all in one place.

• Wellness Check Agent: Encourage employees to incorporate healthy habits into their day-to-day routines through Microsoft Teams.

• Awards & Recognition Agent: Simplify the process of nominating and recognizing employees for their contributions and achievements.

• Inclusivity Agent: Enhance workplace culture with tools to foster inclusivity and respectful interactions.

• Job Craft Agent: Streamline recruitment tasks by generating job descriptions, interview questions, and role requirements.

Microsoft releases hundreds of AI capabilities in its 2024 wave 2 updates

Microsoft has unveiled hundreds of new Copilot features in its 2024 Release Wave 2, transforming Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and role-based Microsoft Copilot offerings. Spanning from October 2024 through March 2025, these updates are set to enhance productivity and empower users across business roles with AI-driven insights and automation.

Benefits of using AI capabilities:

• Future-ready AI solutions: From simple prompt-response systems to fully autonomous agents, Copilot and agents are redefining what’s possible for business automation.

• Enhanced customer engagement: Boost customer experiences with multilingual bots, Copilot-generated prompts, in-line email functionality, and much more.

• Streamlined efficiency: Enhance organizational efficiency with five autonomous agents tailored for Dynamics 365, designed to simplify processes and drive productivity.

• Rapid solution development: Unlock faster solution-building across your organization with cutting-edge AI features integrated into the Power Platform.

• Enhanced user experiences: Automate routine tasks and deliver actionable insights effortlessly with the power of Copilot and autonomous agents.

Microsoft makes AI more accessible for enterprises with Azure OpenAI Service expansion

As AI adoption accelerates across industries, businesses need more than just advanced models—they require adaptable, reliable, and scalable solutions. Microsoft is stepping up to this challenge by expanding its Azure OpenAI Service, making enterprise-grade AI more accessible and tailored for scale, security, and seamless integration into business workflows.

Discover how AI can be broadly available and enterprise-ready with Azure OpenAI Service Provisioned offering:

• AI workload scalability: Meet regional data residency requirements with the new Azure OpenAI Service Data Zones, now available across the EU and US.

• Enhanced token generation: Boost efficiency with 99% latency service level, speeding up token generation for smoother operations.

• Cost reduction: Starting November 1, 2024, enjoy lower hourly rates for both Provisioned Global and Provisioned Data Zone deployments.

• Accelerated deployment: Experience faster deployment times when transitioning from Standard to Provision to meet business needs promptly.

• Optimized API performance: Leverage Prompt Caching for more economical and rapid responses in repetitive API requests.