What we’re about
Created as the Vancouver NT Users Group in 1996, the group changed it's name to the Vancouver Technology User Group in 2002. Since VANTUG's inception, the interest from the membership has been centered around learning both about the newer technologies as well as to seek out other members that may have knowledge to share. Many members have developer, IT Pro, database or Office certifications providing access to a wide range of personal networking opportunities. The group focuses primarily on those topics and technologies that are of interest to IT pros. The hunger for information and knowledge sharing will always be there and VANTUG has played, and will continue to play, an important role in facilitating this.
Please review our Code of Conduct and remember to 'Be Excellent to Each Other" https://twitter.com/MyVANTUG/status/1166586253455843329
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Microsoft VS Code Dev Days | VancouverMicrosoft Campus Vancouver-725, Vancouver, BC
🚀Join us to unlock the full potential of VS Code and GitHub Copilot, and learn how to embed security into your coding and cloud workflows.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, this session will introduce you to AI-assisted development and security-first practices, helping you write better, safer code — faster!***
## ✅ What to Bring
- Get Started: Download VS Code and activate your free GitHub Copilot account to try new features.
- Bring Your Laptop: Follow along and practice new techniques in real time.
- Code of Conduct: We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment. Please review our Code of Conduct before attending.
- Identification: bring a valid ID document to check-in
***
## 📅 Agenda
- 18:00 Welcome & Pizza 🍕
- 18:30 Essential Techniques for GitHub Copilot in VS Code
- 19:15 Break ☕
- 19:30 Secure from Code to Cloud: Protecting Azure Workloads in VS Code
- 20:15 Wrap-up
- 20:45 Pub time 🍻
***
## 🎤 Talks
1. Essential Techniques for GitHub Copilot in VS Code
GitHub Copilot has evolved beyond autocomplete into a full AI-powered development companion — and VS Code is the best place to unlock its potential.
In this session you’ll learn:
- Copilot Chat & Inline Chat
- Next-edit suggestions & Agent Mode
- Customizing Copilot for your team
- Connecting GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini
- Extending with Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers
Live demos will show Copilot helping with code migration, refactoring, documentation, and testing.
Speaker: Bruno Borges, Principal PM at Microsoft
***
2. Secure from Code to Cloud: Protecting Azure Workloads in VS Code
Developers love the speed of VS Code — but when building and deploying to Azure, security can’t be an afterthought. This talk shows how to embed security into your VS Code workflows:
Key Takeaways:- 🔐 Secure VS Code for Azure workloads (extensions, scans, best practices)
- 🔑 Manage secrets safely with Azure Key Vault & Entra ID
- 🛡️ Use GitHub Advanced Security, CodeQL & pipelines to catch issues early
- 🤖 Build AI-powered workflows that are security-first
See how GitHub Advanced Security, CodeQL, and secret scanning integrate directly into VS Code, and how Azure services like Entra ID, Key Vault, and Defender for Cloud extend protection after deployment.
Speaker: Matt Carolan, Cloud Engineer & Community Leader
***
## 👥 Speakers
Matt Carolan
Cloud engineer, community leader, and international speaker with 25+ years in IT and cloud.- President of the Canadian Public Cloud Association
- Founder of Cloud Summit (Vancouver & Toronto) and the Vancouver Azure User Group
- Helps enterprises adopt Azure securely with a focus on DevSecOps, IAM, and governance at scale.
When not in the cloud, Matt enjoys vintage cars, live music, and building strong community.
Bruno Borges
Principal Product Manager at Microsoft with 24 years in developer experience and cloud.- Specializes in Java runtimes & developer relations for Microsoft Azure
- Led the launch of the Microsoft Build of OpenJDK
- Formerly at Oracle, recognized as a Java Champion and one of the top global Java influencers.
Based in Vancouver, Bruno is passionate about making Azure the best cloud for developers.
This event is a collaboration between Microsoft, VanTUG and Microsoft Azure Vancouver Usergroup.
