Next Generation Technology and Trends Unveiled at Microsoft Ignite

HOST: JERRY: Hello everyone, and welcome to Digital Journeys. In this episode, we will be discussing takeaways from the Microsoft Ignite conference and a new solution that we have added to our Microsoft capabilities involving e-signature. Joining me today are Trace Armstrong and Nate Regimbal.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: The big thing that stands out is that the evolution and progression of what Microsoft is doing has sped up. In past Ignites there were exciting announcements, particularly around the Azure platform, but this year it felt like the accelerator got hit.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Everything was about AI and Copilot and how AI is going to transform the way we work. AI is a big topic in the market today. Many people are afraid that AI will replace workers, and I do not believe that is true.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: I think AI will make the current workforce more productive and less mistake-prone due to the features Microsoft demonstrated with Copilot. Another standout was the advancement in big data functionality, especially in the Azure space when connecting many data sources and building lake houses.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: AI and Copilot will drive a lot of innovation in the marketplace. That raises the question for all of us trying to wrap our heads around what's going on: where do our business solutions and business applications fit in this new world with AI?

HOST: JERRY: Nate, I was sitting next to you at Ignite during the keynote sessions and saw you taking a lot of notes. Anything jump out at you?

NATE REGIMBAL: I will touch on some of the same themes from a different perspective. I have a background in AI from my work at IBM on the Watson launch for industry-specific solutions, and later I served as the non-founding CEO at an AI startup.

NATE REGIMBAL: Listening to Satya at Ignite and seeing the exhibiting companies and featured Copilot use cases, I am as confident as I have ever been that Microsoft's strategy with AI will lead to widespread adoption. I come away optimistic.

NATE REGIMBAL: There are many creative AI use cases, and you need to align solutions with business objectives and pain points. That is where we can help. Microsoft technologies allow developers and business leaders to compose great solutions; it's as agile as it's ever been.

HOST: JERRY: Another thing I heard a lot about was Microsoft Power Apps. Trace, can you describe what those are for listeners who may not know?

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Power Apps is a citizen-developer-friendly platform development tool. For advanced functionality, you should work with a Power Platform expert to properly craft and build apps.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: From a citizen-developer perspective, if someone needs a simple application to track basic inventory—say you have a rental car fleet and need to keep track of vehicle locations and registrations—a citizen developer can build that app in Power Apps easily.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: For more advanced scenarios, such as supply chain apps or integrations with your ERP like Dynamics 365 Business Central or SAP, you will want a developer to help accomplish your goals. Power Apps is a platform development product in the Microsoft Cloud.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: It works on mobile apps, tablets, desktops, and laptops, and it's available anywhere because it's in the cloud.

HOST: JERRY: Let's tie back to Nate's comments around productization on Microsoft. At Ignite, we announced our partnership with a company called Verdox, which offers next-generation e-signature in the Microsoft Cloud. Trace, can you tell the story about this?

TRACE ARMSTRONG: What makes this story exciting, especially for Cherry Bekaert, is the enhancement to our Microsoft practice and licensing. We are not just consulting and providing managed services anymore; we are helping bring our customers' products to market.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: We are giving customers the ability to sell their products on a wider platform globally by being in the Microsoft Teams store as well as AppSource. AppSource is where customers find solutions for specific problems, in this case e-signature.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: If you go to the Microsoft Teams store today, you can download the Verdox Teams app. You can also go to AppSource, where you will find Power Automate connectors and a Power Apps component that allow you to leverage e-signatures in your custom applications.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Since it's built on Power Apps, it also works with Dynamics 365 Business Central. With this offering, Verdox gains a wider platform for integration, meeting both business application and compliance needs related to the legality of e-signatures.

HOST: JERRY: Nate, do you have anything to add?

NATE REGIMBAL: One area I lead within the firm is creating digitally driven, industry-aligned, repeatable solutions and use cases tied to our core offerings, including Microsoft licensing and consulting through managed services.

NATE REGIMBAL: In these solution areas we feature analytics, automation, sustainability, and innovation solutions. The Verdox story aligns well with our Microsoft practice across automation, innovation, and analytics.

HOST: JERRY: Let's discuss the benefits of using the Verdox solution versus other e-signature solutions. What makes Verdox better?

TRACE ARMSTRONG: First, price. Compared to other popular e-signature products on the market, Verdox is highly competitive, which will be a primary benefit for customers' annual budgets.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Second, this is the first fully integratable Microsoft e-signature tool on the market. Some other popular e-signature tools have apps in the Teams store or limited Power Automate functionality, but Verdox takes integration to the next level.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Within the Teams app, you can build your own templates for e-signature, which is difficult in some other tools. The Teams app also allows you to manage administrative functions directly in the app, such as adding users from your organization.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Compared to other tools that require purchasing additional licensing for each user, Verdox sells your tenant a block of signatures. You can add as many users within your organization to consume those signatures as necessary, which is a significant benefit for Microsoft tenants.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Verdox also lets you launch e-signatures from a custom Power App. If you have a contract or an invoice-generating Power App, data can come from an ERP or be manually entered. Power Apps is the gateway through which this information is distributed.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: In the Power App, you can pull information from your ERP and populate details such as customer name, email address, and cell phone. The Verdox component in the Power App lets you map fields from the Power App to a Verdox template created earlier in the Teams app.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: When you use the Power App and click a button labeled "Verdox Me," it auto-generates and sends the e-signature. The next signer receives a text message and an email, can digitally sign, and the workflow continues until completion.

TRACE ARMSTRONG: Verdox enables full integration of the e-signature process within business applications end to end without switching browser windows or opening a third-party application.

NATE REGIMBAL: What I love about composing these use cases is the ease of use. During the Seattle demonstration, it was almost drag-and-drop: step one, use a template; step two, populate it with data; step three, route it to a person.

NATE REGIMBAL: Verdox is a combination of lower cost, ease of use, and agile technology. Documents and workflows requiring electronic signature are mission critical. The business processes, controls, and analytics you can add on top of these workflows, and the related organizational change, are key focus areas for our digital advisory and Microsoft practices.

NATE REGIMBAL: In addition to composing workflow steps, at any step you can invoke a Copilot or AI use case to ask questions about a document being routed for signature. If AI-based answers satisfy certain conditions, the workflow can proceed.