Microsoft Ignite is underway in Chicago! Throughout the week, our experts will be giving sessions to explore relevant industry topics and offer best practices. Recently, we gave details on sessions from AvePoint Public Sector Chief Technology Officer Dux Raymond Sy and AvePoint Vice President of Product Management John Peluso.
Today, we’ll dive into a session from AvePoint Director of Product Innovation Paul Olenick taking place at 12:35pm-12:55pm on Tuesday, May 5, entitled “Building an App on Top of the Office Graph”. To give you a better sense of what to expect from this session, we sat down with Olenick to ask him a few questions.
Why did you select the Office Graph as your session topic, and why is it especially important for the crowd at Ignite?
Paul Olenick (PO): The Office Graph, and Delve (which is the first experience built on the Office Graph) are very exciting technologies, and with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella mentioning them in his keynotes, the company is clearly betting heavily on them. I fully expect this technology to begin driving experiences throughout Office 365, so it’s important to understand what they are and how they work! The promise of these technologies is very alluring. With so much information available to us stored in so many disparate locations and geographically dispersed team members, a solution that cuts through the noise and surfaces what is important is a game changer.
AvePoint has been hard at work creating our first Office Graph-driven app, which will be available for demo at the Ignite conference. This is completely new territory, and I wanted to share our experiences with the Ignite attendees so they can hopefully create their own apps built on the Office Graph.
What kind of attendee is this session aimed toward, and what are the main reasons he or she shouldn’t miss it?
PO: While it is about building an app on top of the Office Graph, this session would be good for anyone who wants to understand the opportunities, limitations, helpful tools, and considerations when working with the Office Graph. So developers, architects, decision makers, and even power users will find this interesting. We’re also incorporating Cortana integration in our app and will walk through that process at a high level, so folks interested in including Cortana in their apps also shouldn’t miss this.
If attendees of this session walk away with just one thing, what would you want it to be?
PO: They will gain an understanding of the opportunities, limitations, and required skills to build an app on top of the Office Graph.
What is the one thing about Ignite that you’re looking forward to most?
PO: The RED Party, of course! But seriously, I can’t wait to hear all of Microsoft’s latest announcements. They have really changed their culture and are moving at lightning speed with new innovations. And because I spend most of my time working in the Office 365 world, I’m looking forward to attending sessions in all the other categories. Last but not least, this is a fantastic opportunity to connect with our customers and hear what challenges they’re facing.
As a seasoned traveler, what are some things you recommend Ignite attendees do in Chicago outside of the conference?
PO: Well, not to be cliché, but you’ve got to get some deep dish pizza. Hear some jazz or blues. Go see some improv comedy at The Second City. Visit Wrigley Field if you’re a sports fan. Or for something completely different, try Whirlyball!
Want more information on Olenick’s session? Visit the Ignite site today!
