Visual Studio 17.14 Preview 3 Now Available with GitHub Copilot Enhancements

Microsoft has released Visual Studio 17.14 Preview 3, offering developers early access to a wave of improvements aimed at streamlining the coding experience. The update brings refinements designed to elevate productivity and integrate AI-powered development more seamlessly into daily workflows.

Here are the improvements:

• Improved Model Access: Access cutting-edge models like Claude 3.7 directly in Visual Studio—no extra setup needed!

• Smarter Code Mapping: Copilot now inserts suggestions exactly where they belong in your code. Seamless and intuitive!

• Next Edit Code Completions: Enjoy smarter, contextual code suggestions based on your previous edits—it's like magic for your IDE!

• Smart Paste Functionality: Paste with confidence—Copilot adjusts code to match your existing structure, reducing manual tweaks.

Visual Studio continues to evolve developer experience with smarter editing tools

Microsoft is doubling down on its commitment to streamline the developer workflow with another thoughtful enhancement in Visual Studio. The latest update introduces subtle improvements aimed at reducing friction in everyday coding tasks—particularly during common operations like copy and paste.

Here’s how it works:

• What it does: Automatically aligns pasted code with your document’s syntax and style, infers parameter changes, fixes minor errors, supports translation between natural and programming languages, and completes missing patterns.

• How to use it: Paste code using Ctrl + V (works best with 3+ lines). Wait for the adaptive suggestion to appear, then press Tab to accept it.

• How to enable it: Navigate to Tools > GitHub > Copilot > Editor, then turn on “Enable Adaptive Paste.”

Power BI rolls out key enhancements in April 2025 update

The April 2025 update for Power BI brings another round of improvements aimed at boosting productivity and delivering deeper insights. With a continued focus on usability and performance, the latest release reflects Microsoft's commitment to evolving the analytics experience.

Here are some of the updates:

• Copilot and AI: Ad hoc calculation support is now available in read mode, making it even easier to get AI-powered answers from your data model.

• Reporting: Save time with one-click mobile-optimized layouts—apply it to new or existing report pages effortlessly.

• Modeling:The Azure Maps visual now supports auto-zoom, instantly focusing on plotted reference layers for better geographic insights.

• Visualizations: Introduce clearer structure with the new Table with Custom Headers by JTA, perfect for organizing complex data displays.

View the full list here.

Microsoft sets the stage for the next era of customer service with AI innovation

Microsoft is reshaping the future of customer engagement with its latest advancements in Dynamics 365. Announced this week, the new capabilities promise to streamline service delivery and enhance customer satisfaction using cutting-edge AI technology.

Here are the three powerful AI agents designed to streamline support workflows and enhance customer experiences:

• Case Management Agent (Dynamics 365 Customer Service): Automate case creation, updates, and customer follow-ups—ensuring faster resolutions and fewer errors.

• Customer Intent Agent (Dynamics 365 Contact Center): Analyze past interactions to build an intent library, helping your team understand what customers really want and deliver tailored support.

• Customer Knowledge Management Agent (Dynamics 365 Customer Service): Easily configure knowledge systems and connect sources with minimal effort—freeing up service reps to focus on customers.

Microsoft empowers users with computer use in Copilot Studio

Microsoft continues to enhance the Copilot experience with new capabilities designed to streamline business processes and expand automation potential. As organizations look to simplify complex workflows, the latest update in Copilot Studio reflects Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to making advanced tools more accessible and impactful.

Here’s what to expect:

• Expanded automation power: Copilot Studio agents can now interact with websites and desktop apps just like a human—clicking buttons, selecting menus, and entering data on-screen, even without an API.

• Built-in intelligence: Real-time reasoning means agents can adapt on the fly, correcting issues and keeping work flowing smoothly.

• Enterprise-grade security: Backed by Copilot Studio’s robust security and governance frameworks to help meet your org’s compliance standards.

• Easy to build: Create agents that work across desktop and browser apps like Edge, Chrome, and Firefox—with no need to code against each app directly.

• Endless use cases: From automated data entry and invoice processing to market research and more, the possibilities keep growing.

GitHub levels up AI pair programming with new capabilities

GitHub is pushing the boundaries of AI-driven development with its latest innovation aimed at transforming how developers interact with their code. By deepening the integration between developers and Copilot, GitHub continues its mission to streamline workflows and reduce cognitive load in software development environments.

Here’s what’s new:

• Agent Mode in Visual Studio Code: Copilot’s Agent Mode helps you achieve your goal by automatically identifying or generating the necessary files and completing tasks across them.

• Smarter In-Editor Actions: Agent Mode can suggest terminal commands, tool calls, and even prompt you to execute them. It also analyzes runtime errors with built-in self-healing capabilities to keep your workflow smooth.

• Model Context Protocol: Think of it like plugging intelligence into your development environment—Agent Mode gets access to the context it needs, just like a USB port gives your computer access to new devices.

• Enhanced Tool Usage: With the Model Context Protocol, your prompts in Agent Mode can trigger actions like understanding a database schema, exploring APIs, or even searching the web—making Copilot a true coding partner.

Power BI levels up with new advances in mapping and location analytics

Microsoft Power BI is expanding its capabilities in the realm of mapping and location analytics. These enhancements mark a significant step forward in turning geographic data into deeper, more actionable insights. The update reflects Microsoft's continued investment in making data exploration more intuitive and impactful for users across industries.

Here are some of the features:

• Publish to Web: Embed interactive map visuals in websites or public portals to share location-based insights broadly—no authentication required.

• Interactive Maps with Data-Bound Reference Layers: Combine your business data with dynamic reference layers to create real-time, interactive maps that respond as your data evolves.

• Path Layer: Visualize and analyze routes, logistics flows, and movement patterns across regions with clear, connected path visuals.

Microsoft releases AI summary for call quality in Dynamics Contact Center

Microsoft has introduced a new AI-driven capability aimed at enhancing call quality management within contact centers. This latest development reflects the company’s continued investment in empowering IT professionals with smarter tools for optimizing customer engagement.

Here are the features:

• AI Summaries for Supervisors: Quickly identify coaching opportunities and quality issues without listening to full recordings to help your team improve performance and boost customer satisfaction.

• All-in-One Conversation View: Access key insights in a single, streamlined interface. Everything you need to know, front and center.

• Call Summary & Transcript: Understand the conversation flow at a glance. Read a concise summary or dive into the full transcript—your choice.

• Survey & Metrics Review: Easily assess customer sentiment and agent performance with post-call surveys and detailed metrics.

• Conversation Journey Mapping: Track the entire customer interaction—from initial contact to resolution—including transfers, reassignments, and time to agent.

Microsoft rolls out agent flows in Copilot Studio

Microsoft continues to evolve the way organizations approach automation, bringing AI-driven innovation to the forefront. In its latest announcement, Microsoft unveils a transformative leap within Copilot Studio that reimagines how workflows are designed and executed. This development signals a new era of intelligent automation built for adaptability and scale.

Here are its capabilities:

• Agents + Agent Flows synergy: Work smarter and faster by using agents and agent flows together to streamline automation from design to deployment.

• Deterministic automation: Predefined action sequences ensure consistent execution, enabling better control, visibility, and issue resolution.

• Natural language creation: Describe your intent in plain language, and Copilot intelligently translates it into structured automation.

• Enterprise-ready actions: Use AI, generative, integration, and human-in-the-loop actions to build scalable automations for complex business needs.

Microsoft enhances cloud-native development with latest .NET Aspire update

Microsoft is taking another step toward streamlining cloud-native development with .NET Aspire. In a recent update, the team has introduced a new way to simplify how developers build distributed applications that span across local and cloud environments. This move strengthens the growing synergy between modern .NET tools and Azure services.

Here’s how:

• Instant setup: Quickly create Azure Functions with the Enlist in .NET Aspire orchestration option—just pick your Aspire version and go.

• Automatic service defaults: Configure essentials like OpenTelemetry, health checks, service discovery, and more—automatically.

• App Host made easy: Automatically create an App Host to orchestrate every project in your solution.

• Plug into existing solutions: No need to start from scratch—.NET Aspire integrates effortlessly with your current projects.

• Real-time insights: Monitor and debug your Azure Functions live to see exactly how .NET Aspire orchestrates your app.