New Year, New Momentum: Here are three Copilot updates to get you started into 2026

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It's a new year, so I thought I'd start the year by mentioning three features already released, or soon going to be released. One of the features improves the workflow of sharing files with comments, the other improves the application specific Copilot, and the last feature makes it easer to find the nest available timeslot for a 1:1 meeting. As with all of my other posts, timelines can shift, and the timelines in this post is as written in the Message Center at the time of posting. AI-Summary experience when sharing files. With this new feature, copilot intent to help users share files with clearer context in just a few steps. Users will get the capability to generate a concise summary of a file and include it when sharing from the File Explorer share dialog or the OneDrive activity center. This will make it easier to share the context of a file and giving the receiver a faster understanding of what a document or file contains before they open it. General Availability announced...

Back from Brussels, and not at all happy.

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You might even say I'm "pi$$ed". Not by any means on any one related to the ccie lab, but at myself. Why? because I've tricked myself into believing I knew what I was doing.

I've simply been blinded by believing I knew how to configure a million different features and settings in CUCM and CUCME. And for what? Only to fail because of some "stupid" error.

The first time I sat the lab, I realized I didn't have enough configuration skills. And I was really pressed for time when I ran into a few bugs. Instead of waiting 30 days, i spent 2 months trying to prepare for the second attempt.

This time I thought I had it all covered. Only to sit down at a desk where there was a lot pre-configured (and wrongfully so, to test me, the candidate) for me to troubleshoot. This came as a surprise to me. Here I am, having prepared so well for configuring the systems, I really did not know where to look for answers on some of the tasks. I could argue the lab is somewhat artificial, and in a real life scenario I would either call a colleague of mine or simply just "Google" it. But such is the nature of the ccie lab. It's not like the real world.....

I am obviously not really ready for the ccie lab just yet, but close. And on a lucky day, I might even have passed it. So where does this leave me? I've spent most of my spare time on reading and testing for the past 6 months. It was truly disappointing when I realized how I had failed. I am really tired and fed up with it all. but at the same time, I can't just give it up, can I?

I will take a break over the summer and, as I tweeted some time ago, "..rethink my life". Then I'll try to negotiate a deal with the family (and work) to really go in deep for a few intense week before I'll resit the lab. I know I have the skills, I know I have the knowledge, I just lack the practice and speed. (I'll obviously have to do some troubleshooting labs ;)