We recently opened the brand-new Microsoft Technology Center (MTC) facility in Burlington, underscoring Microsoft’s continued commitment to driving technology advances that benefit the broader Boston-area business community. As one of more than 40 such centers around the world, the Burlington MTC provides a collaborative environment where commercial and public sector organizations alike can come together to explore and experience innovative new technologies and learn how to put them into action.
To showcase the new facility and bring the local business community together, Microsoft hosted a Beyond //build event on Oct. 4. More than 100 developers, architects and technology enthusiasts converged at the Burlington MTC for the one-day event, which featured some of the “best of” innovations from //build, provided an insider’s view to some of the hottest innovations that have arisen since spring, and showed off what’s next for cloud development.
In a compelling keynote, Microsoft Partner Director of Program Management John Montgomery talked about Microsoft’s commitment to creating open and flexible solutions that support any developer, any app and any platform. He walked attendees through some of the most significant transformations in Microsoft technology that are enabling developers to do things they’ve never been able to do before.
“With Microsoft’s intelligent Azure cloud, powerful data platform and flexible developer tools, it is easier than ever to design, build and manage breakthrough apps that work across platforms and devices,” said Montgomery.
From the power of SQL Server to the cutting-edge AI features in Cortana Intelligence, Montgomery explained how Microsoft is making it much easier for developers to create intelligent, predictive apps that surprise and delight customers.
Next came the deep-dive sessions that let developers experience how to put Microsoft’s innovative technologies to work:
- Technology architect Timothy Baggs from the Microsoft Technology Center in Cambridge led a demo-heavy session framed around the latest Microsoft AI technologies. Developers experienced how Microsoft Cognitive Services and machine learning can expand Cortana’s understanding of the world, and also learned how to use the Microsoft Bot Framework and Bot Builder to build their own bots that connect meaningfully with users using natural language processing and deep learning. Baggs also dove into the Universal App Model and demonstrated code that runs apps on Xbox, Windows and HoloLens.
- Rich Ross, an architect at the Microsoft Technology Center in Philadelphia, guided attendees through the key steps for developing hyper-scale and mobile applications using the power of Azure App Service. He showed ways developers can use Microsoft Cognitive Services to interact with users in a natural way, as well as how to integrate computer vision, face recognition and speech processing into their web, mobile and desktop applications. Developers also came away with a deeper understanding of how the Azure Service Fabric and built-in programming models can help them build and manage applications at scale.
- Microsoft developer experience expert Chris Bowen took attendees on a deep dive into DevOps. They learned how building a thriving DevOps culture can break down the barriers (and sometimes conflicting priorities) between development and operations teams. Using Team Services and Azure as a backdrop, Bowen demonstrated how DevOps can fuel the ongoing creation of innovative applications that accelerate the transformation of their business.
Overall, the event showcased just one of the many ways the new Burlington MTC serves the regional community.
If you missed out, it’s not too late to join in on the learning experience. We invite you to come and experience the many ways the Burlington MTC can help you find the right solutions to transform your business in a mobile-first, cloud-first world.
Our beautiful new state-of- the-art facility provides a collaborative environment where you can lay hands on the latest technologies and meet with Microsoft experts who can guide and inspire you. The facility is equipped with an Envisioning Center, an Interactive Center and a Device Bar as well as a few briefing rooms. Our expert staff will show you the latest in Microsoft and partner solutions and guide you through anything from optimizing your investments in Microsoft software to planning a right-sized move to the cloud. We’ll work with you to envision how emerging technologies can help you innovate, find new customers, expand into new markets and build a successful future for your organization.
We hope to see you soon at our new Boston MTC!
Microsoft New England MTC
5 Wayside Road
Burlington, Mass. 01803