Welsh Azure User Group

Join the Welsh Azure User Group for our August 2025 event, held virtually. This month, we have an exciting line up of speakers and topics to help you enhance your skills and leverage the power of Microsoft Azure. Whether you're new to Azure or an experienced user, there's something for everyone in this event.

SAVE THE DATE! - 20th August 2025 6.30pm-8.30pm BST
AGENDA

The bridge will be open from 6.00pm for people to join before we kick of promptly at:

6.30pm - Welcome and House Keeping

6.45pm – Mayur Bhandari - Building Smart Cities with Azure: Real Time IoT Solutions and Cloud Architecture at Scale

This presentation explores how Microsoft Azure's cloud ecosystem is transforming urban infrastructure through scalable IoT solutions and real-time data processing. Drawing from recent Azure implementations across smart city projects, we'll examine how Azure IoT Hub, Event Hubs, and Stream Analytics have delivered a 67.8% improvement in operational efficiency while reducing infrastructure costs by 34.2% compared to on-premises solutions.

Through practical case studies, I'll demonstrate how Azure Digital Twins and AI services power Intelligent Transport Systems that achieve 91.7% reliability in real-time traffic data processing, benefiting 76.2% of commuters during peak hours. We'll explore emergency response systems built on Azure Functions and Logic Apps that have reduced response times by 42.6% while improving resource allocation through Azure Machine Learning models with 63.8% greater efficiency.
The session will showcase Azure's capability to process data from over 5,000 distributed IoT devices using Azure IoT Edge, achieving 78.4% improved incident detection accuracy through Azure Cognitive Services integration. We'll dive into the technical architecture, including how Azure Service Bus handles 1.2 million concurrent operations while maintaining sub-second response times.
Recognizing the importance of responsible cloud adoption, this presentation addresses data governance using Azure Policy and Purview, demonstrating how transparent data management frameworks achieve 67% higher public trust ratings. We'll examine how cities leveraging Azure Confidential Computing show 45% higher success rates in privacy-compliant technology integration, with 82% of residents' data processed securely within Azure's compliance frameworks.
I'll present a comprehensive Azure-based architecture blueprint that balances technological innovation with social responsibility, highlighting how Azure-powered sustainability initiatives have contributed to 28.9% reductions in urban carbon emissions and 35.6% improvements in resource utilization through intelligent monitoring and optimization.

7.30pm – Alka Soni - Azure Enterprise Data Architecture: Strategic Framework for Modern Regulatory Compliance

Enterprise data architecture and regulatory compliance have evolved from separate operational concerns into deeply interconnected strategic imperatives that fundamentally shape organizational capabilities within Azure cloud environments. As regulatory frameworks continue to expand globally, organizations face unprecedented challenges maintaining compliance within their Azure enterprise data environments while supporting broader business objectives.

This presentation explores the strategic convergence of Azure enterprise data architecture and regulatory compliance through a comprehensive framework developed from 18+ years of hands-on experience implementing compliance-driven architectural solutions across financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors. The framework addresses the fundamental shift from reactive compliance management to proactive architectural design that embeds regulatory considerations throughout the Azure enterprise data landscape.
The architectural approach encompasses three critical dimensions: theoretical foundations including Data Protection by Design and Regulatory Technology paradigms leveraging Azure security services, implementation strategies utilizing Azure cloud-native Zero Trust architectures with real-time monitoring through Azure Monitor and Sentinel, and integration patterns that harmonize regulatory requirements with Azure enterprise capabilities. Organizations adopting these Azure compliance-driven architectures report substantial improvements in regulatory relationships, operational efficiency, and enterprise agility.
Key insights include architectural patterns supporting auditability through Azure immutable storage and event-driven architectures using Azure Event Grid, data lineage technologies enabling comprehensive regulatory documentation via Azure Purview, and automated compliance tools integrated within Azure ecosystems through compliance-as-a-service models. The framework demonstrates how Azure technologies like knowledge graphs, cognitive services, and advanced analytics enable effective compliance management while creating strategic business value.
Attendees will receive actionable implementation strategies, architectural blueprints for Azure compliance-driven data systems, and proven frameworks for transforming regulatory requirements from operational burdens into strategic assets that enable responsible data utilization within the Azure digital economy.

8.15pm - Quiz time!

8.30pm - Approximate Close!