Blogs
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BMC Extends Scope and Reach of DevOps Mainframe Workflows
Mike Vizard discusses BMC’s enhancements to its mainframe DevOps analytics tool, including Git data integration and a new generative AI assistant to facilitate workflow optimization.
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Redefining Engineering Excellence - How Product Skills Amplify Impact in the AI Era
In this article, Maryna Rybalko examines how AI-driven automation is shifting the focus for software engineers, emphasizing the necessity of developing product and business skills to maintain relevance.
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Limited to 300 Free Premium GitHub Copilot Requests? Here’s an Expensive Workaround
In this article, Reinier van Maanen explores the financial and practical challenges of circumventing GitHub Copilot’s premium usage limits, offering valuable insight for enterprises and developers.
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Improved Git Workflow Custom Prompt & Upcoming VS Code Change Warning
Reinier van Maanen introduces improvements to his custom Git workflow prompt and highlights crucial updates coming to VS Code’s terminal auto-approval—especially for developers relying on Copilot and automation.
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Building a Center of Excellence for AI - A strategic approach to enterprise AI adoption
In “Building a Center of Excellence for AI: A strategic approach to enterprise AI adoption,” the author delves into why organizations need an AI Center of Excellence (CCoE) to centralize AI efforts, avoid duplicated work, and foster strategic alignment. The article details the roles, governance structures, and phased implementation required for an effective CCoE. Drawing on lessons from industry leaders like Oracle, Deloitte, and the Department of Defense, the piece provides practical frameworks, benchmarks, and checklists to help enterprises achieve measurable AI impact.
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Automating my Git workflow in VS Code with Copilot Chat, Custom Prompts, and Terminal Auto-Approval
Automate your Git workflow in Visual Studio Code by combining Copilot Chat, custom prompts, and the new terminal auto-approval system. This approach lets you review, commit, rebase, and push changes with a single chat command, while maintaining safety and control over every step. Reinier van Maanen shares how to set up this workflow, including prompt files, settings, and a Python script for last-minute intervention.
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Your New Rubber Duck is an AI
In this article, Rene van Osnabrugge reflects on stories from the LEAD podcast, highlighting how AI tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot are modernizing the way development teams debug and collaborate.
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GitHub Copilot Custom Chat Modes
In this article, Harald Binkle demonstrates how to create custom chat modes for GitHub Copilot within VS Code, offering developers advanced options for specialized project workflows.
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How to improve my GitHub Copilot results?
This article provides valuable tips and strategies authored by an unnamed source to help developers achieve better results with GitHub Copilot in their projects.
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Bicep vs Terraform vs OpenTofu - Your Infrastructure as Code options in 2025
This article, authored by Hidde de Smet’s Blog, offers an in-depth, practical comparison of Azure Bicep, HashiCorp Terraform, and OpenTofu for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) workflows based on direct, real-world experience.
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GitHub Copilot Premium Requests
In this article, Rob Bos delves into the recent changes around billing for Generative AI in GitHub Copilot, emphasizing the new Premium Requests pricing model and its implications for developers.
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Understanding GitHub Copilot Premium Requests - Costs, Management, and Usage Insights
Rob Bos provides an in-depth guide to the new GitHub Copilot Premium Requests, helping users and organizations understand costs, request multipliers, and strategies for monitoring and managing AI usage and expenses.
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From simple to sophisticated - Terraform infrastructure evolution
In this article, Hidde de Smet shares practical lessons learned while evolving Terraform infrastructure code from simple beginnings to an enterprise-ready solution, making it invaluable for teams moving from novice to advanced use.
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Is AI the right solution? Part 3 - Metrics, piloting, and key takeaways
In this article, Hidde de Smet’s Blog concludes a comprehensive series on AI project validation, emphasizing clear success metrics, the value of pilot projects, and key takeaways for responsible AI implementation.
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GitHub Copilot & Productivity
In this article, Rob Bos challenges prevailing views on engineering productivity, especially in the age of tools like GitHub Copilot. Bos critiques the narrow focus on metrics like lines of code accepted and explains why this approach fails to capture the true complexity and value of software development.
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Is AI the right solution? Part 2 - Examples and ethical risks
In this summary, we’ll dive into the key insights from Hidde de Smet’s Blog on the topic of validating AI projects, focusing on practical framework usage and the ethical landscape of contemporary AI development.
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Is AI the right solution? Part 1 - The decision framework
Authored by Hidde de Smet’s Blog, this article examines the process of deciding if an AI implementation is the right solution for your project, drawing inspiration from the IASA Global AI Architecture course.
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A practical guide to Machine Learning for image classification
Hidde de Smet’s Blog details a hands-on journey through implementing an image classification project using machine learning, inspired by Zach Gardner’s AI Architecture course from IASA Global. By sharing this guide, Hidde aims to provide practical insights for professionals aiming to deliver effective AI solutions in real-world business contexts.
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Understanding the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
In this article, Hidde de Smet’s Blog delves into the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a game-changing open-source standard designed to enhance how AI models interact with external data and tools.
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GitHub Copilot Agent Mode - Transforming your development workflow
In this article by Hidde de Smet’s Blog, the author explores the transformation of pair programming using GitHub Copilot Agent Mode, which allows for natural language conversations within your IDE.
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Picking the right GitHub Copilot model
In this article, author Jesse Houwing explores the new documentation released by GitHub detailing all the large language models (LLMs) currently available for use in GitHub Copilot.
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Give it a Face to Talk To
In this article, the author presents a comprehensive guide to building a React-based user interface for an AI Avatar that enables conversational interaction through speech, moving away from traditional text input methods.
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Running Model Context protocol servers in a specific Node version inside Visual Studio Code
In this article, Jesse Houwing shares experiences as a maintainer of several Azure Pipelines extensions, particularly focusing on backward compatibility which requires supporting TypeScript projects that target Node 16.
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GitHub Copilot - Change the Narrative
In this article, Rob Bos discusses the need to shift how organizations use GitHub Copilot and other generative AI tools. Bos criticizes the current narrative, which centers on immediate developer productivity gains, and instead urges a move towards leveraging AI to reinforce reliable DevOps practices and foundational systems within teams.
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Azure Essentials Overview Video
Thomas Maurer, joined by Kailyn and Ben from Azure Marketing, explores Azure Essentials and its role in guiding organizations through their cloud and AI projects.
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Really keeping your GitHub Actions usage secure
In this article, Rob Bos details a major security incident involving a widely-used GitHub Action. He shares practical steps users and organizations can take to secure their workflows and fortify their software supply chain.
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Use inline completions for more answers with GitHub Copilot Free
In this article, Jesse Houwing shares insights on optimizing the use of GitHub Copilot’s limited free tier, specifically by rethinking how you use completions and chats.
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Troubleshooting GitHub Copilot keyboard shortcuts in Jetbrains IDEs
Jesse Houwing details his experiences after delivering hundreds of GitHub Copilot workshops, from brief introduction sessions to full-day, hands-on events.
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Translytical Fabric - Power BI's Major Write-Back Update Announced at Ignite 2024
In this article, Antti Suanto explores the ‘Translytical’ feature unveiled at Ignite 2024, showcasing Power BI’s breakthrough write-back capabilities as highlighted by CTO Amir Netz.
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Microsoft Ignite 2024 - Key Updates from a Microsoft Fabric Perspective
Samu Niemelä provides insights into the newest announcements for Microsoft Fabric made during Microsoft Ignite 2024, focusing on how Fabric is shaping enterprise data and AI initiatives.
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#FabConEurope – Onsite Reporting from Microsoft Fabric’s First Community Conference
Samu Niemelä shares insights from Europe’s first Microsoft Fabric Community Conference, highlighting Microsoft’s announcements and new features. This article offers a concise yet comprehensive summary of the event for anyone interested in the latest Fabric developments.
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AI Security Posture Management (AI-SPM) - Overview and Key Considerations
Kim Grönberg explores the concept of AI Security Posture Management (AI-SPM), discussing what it is, its importance, and adoption considerations for securing GenAI services.
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GitHub Universe 2024 - Successfully scaling GitHub Copilot to thousands of developers
In this article, Rob Bos recounts his experience speaking at GitHub Universe 2024 about successfully scaling GitHub Copilot to thousands of developers. He describes the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere of the GitHub community at the conference and emphasizes the value of connecting with others at such events.
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GitHub Models and Inference API
If you’re looking to connect Python apps to Azure OpenAI using the Azure Inference AI SDK, Rob Bos offers practical guidance for correctly configuring authentication methods and endpoints.
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EU AI Act Timer is Ticking - Are You Prepared?
Matias Näveri discusses the impending EU AI Act, highlighting its core elements and guiding organizations on achieving compliance as the implementation deadline approaches.
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GitHub Copilot Extensions
Author Rob Bos introduces the exciting new ability for developers to write their own extensions for GitHub Copilot, enabling custom integrations and expanded functionality.
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GitHub Copilot Debugging experience in Visual Studio
Visual Studio’s integration with GitHub Copilot Chat has been significantly enhanced to provide developers with powerful AI-assisted debugging capabilities. The new features move beyond code completions to offer in-depth analysis and explanations of how code works, directly within your debugging workflow.
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Scan all workflow artifacts for leaked secrets
This article, authored by Jesse Houwing, highlights the critical security concerns arising from leaked access tokens in GitHub Actions build artifacts. Houwing explores how these tokens can be exploited by malicious actors to push unauthorized code into repositories or compromise cloud-based infrastructure.
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VS Code supports user input as extra prompt instructions
Matt Olson discovered a powerful new GitHub Copilot feature in Visual Studio Code that allows users to set custom instructions to tailor Copilot’s suggestions. This feature addresses a common request from developers who want to avoid repeating the same prompts, such as specifying library preferences or language version constraints.
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TDD with GitHub Copilot in Python
In this article, Jesse Swart shares insights into trying out Test-Driven Development (TDD) in Python, leveraging GitHub Copilot as an assistant.
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Quickly Consume External APIs with GitHub Copilot
In this article, Jesse Swart’s Blog explores how developers can leverage GitHub Copilot to work with external APIs, especially when SDKs or OpenAPI specifications are missing.
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How to consume an API without an OpenAPI spec
When working with external APIs that lack SDKs or OpenAPI specifications, developers often face the tedious task of manually creating typed interfaces. Jesse Swart demonstrates how GitHub Copilot can dramatically simplify this process by generating complete TypeScript code from raw API documentation.
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Copilot Data Conversion
In this article, Jesse Swart’s Blog discusses the practical use of GitHub Copilot for converting data exported from a table designer tool into working test files.
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GitHub Copilot Chat - Power User example
In this article, Rob Bos shares his experience leveraging GitHub Copilot Chat to streamline the development of a script designed for interacting with the GitHub API. Rob explains his workflow, detailing the prompts he used and the iterative nature of working with Copilot.
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Converting data into a different format
GitHub Copilot can efficiently convert data between various formats, making it a powerful tool for developers working with exported data from design tools. Jesse Swart demonstrates a simple three-step process to transform structured data like SQL statements into other formats such as Markdown.
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GitHub Copilot - Levels of enlightenment
In his video series ‘Levels of Enlightenment,’ Rob Bos shares his journey and practical lessons learned while using GitHub Copilot over the last year and a half.
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GitHub Copilot Power User example
In this article, Rob Bos walks through his experience leveraging GitHub Copilot to refactor a YAML pipeline script by extracting a script directly from the pipeline into a standalone file.
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GitHub Copilot video series: Levels of Enlightenment
Become more proficient with GitHub Copilot through Rob Bos’s comprehensive “Levels of Enlightenment” video series. This 10-part collection shares valuable insights and lessons learned from extensive experience with the tool, helping developers progress from basic usage to advanced techniques.
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GitHub Advanced Security for Azure DevOps
In this article, Rob Bos explores the public preview of GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS) features recently introduced to Azure DevOps, as announced at Microsoft Build 2023, and shares firsthand experiences and key distinctions compared to GitHub’s native implementation.
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How Copilot/AI helps me in my daily work
In this article, Rob Bos shares insights into leveraging AI tools, especially GitHub Copilot, to accelerate application and code generation workflows, focusing on GitHub Actions deployment protection and app setup.