Software QA and Testing

**Setbacks happen…but so do restarts!** Come hang out **IN PERSON** at Shift & Sip for a casual hour of mindset shifts, life systems exploration, and good conversation with like-minded people. Bring a notebook and your awesome energy...we’ll supply the cuppa and snacks! **The Mayfair, Kaikōura** 12 March \| 7–8pm Koha appreciated

**🔥 Modernizing ASP.NET Framework to Core in 2026** Inside Microsoft’s AI‑Driven App Modernization Work 📅 Wednesday, 11 March 2026 🕠 5:30pm – 7:00pm NZDT 📍 Microsoft Auckland (Hybrid) 🎤 Presenter: Taylor Southwick **🌏 Why this session is special** This is a rare opportunity for the Auckland / New Zealand .NET community. Taylor Southwick is based in Redmond, working directly inside Microsoft engineering on application modernization tooling and strategy. He’s only in Auckland for a short visit — and this session gives local developers a chance to hear first‑hand how Microsoft is approaching AI‑assisted App Modernization for large, real‑world .NET applications. This isn’t a conference replay or a polished marketing talk — it’s direct insight from the team building the tools. **🧠 Session overview** Modernising large, long‑lived ASP.NET Framework applications is no longer a “someday” problem — it’s a right‑now reality for many teams across NZ and beyond. In this session, Taylor Southwick will share how Microsoft is thinking about modernising ASP.NET Framework applications to ASP.NET Core in 2026, drawing directly from real customer and ISV engagements involving very large, very real codebases. **Rather than a theoretical migration guide, this talk focuses on:** ✅ What actually works in practice ✅ What breaks (and why) ✅ How teams are using AI‑assisted and incremental approaches to modernisation ✅ Where the latest App Modernization (AppMod) tooling is heading Much of this thinking is shaped by recent work with enterprise customers — including Vista‑backed organisations — navigating complex, multi‑year modernisation programs under real business constraints. **🧩 What Taylor will cover** Taylor will start with \~30 minutes of prepared content, followed by an open, interactive discussion. Topics include: * The current state of ASP.NET Framework → Core migrations in 2026 * How Microsoft and customers are breaking down large monoliths without “stopping the world” * Common anti‑patterns and traps teams fall into during modernisation * Where incremental modernisation makes sense — and where it doesn’t * How AI‑driven tooling is starting to influence AppMod decisions * How teams are thinking about risk, ROI, and sequencing for long‑running migrations * This content comes straight from frontline engineering and customer work, not greenfield demos. 🧪 Format ✅ \~30 minutes of prepared walkthrough and insights ✅ Followed by open Q&A and discussion ✅ No heavy slide deck — this is about shared learning and lived experience Whether you’re: * Sitting on a 10+ year old ASP.NET Framework app * Mid‑migration and feeling the pain * Or trying to work out how to even start …this session should give you practical clarity and confidence — straight from the source. 🍕 Logistics * Food & drinks provided (thanks Arinco!) * In‑person and remote attendees welcome * Please RSVP so we can plan catering

The APAC Umbraco HQ team have finalised the agenda for Umbraco 360° on Tuesday, 10 March. This is a chance for the local community - developers, practitioners, and partners alike - to get together, talk shop, and hear the latest directly from the source. This is a free hybrid event, but in-person space is limited. Please make sure to register so we can get the catering right! Register here: [https://umbraco.com/umbraco-anz-community-360-auckland/](https://umbraco.com/umbraco-anz-community-360-auckland/) **Why come along?** 🛠️ The Inside Track: Get a first look at the global roadmap and the future of the Umbraco ecosystem directly from CEO Mats Persson. ⚡ Community Lightning Talks: Rapid-fire innovation showcases from our Umbraco legends Pete Lister, Brett Hancock and Alexander Jacobsen 🍻 Socialise & Connect: This isn't just a series of slides. We've carved out some time for food, drinks, and honest chats with the HQ team and your fellow ANZ developers after we let the virtual attendees leave. **Event Details** 📅 Date: **Tuesday, 10 March** 🕔 Time: **3:30 PM – 5:00 PM AEDT** 📍 Location: **The Annex, 12 Madden Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010, New Zealand** Tickets are moving fast. Grab your spot to catch up with the community and see where the platform is headed next. Secure your place: [https://umbraco.com/umbraco-anz-community-360-auckland/](https://umbraco.com/umbraco-anz-community-360-auckland/)

**Hello Columbus!** **The community is buzzing and growing well.** **We are thrilled to bring our third BrowserStack QA Meetup on March 12th!** We are creating a space for deeper insights, meaningful connections, and a vibe you won't want to miss. **What to expect:** * **Connect:** Network with Columbus' top engineering and QA minds. * **Learn:** Real-world tactics and trends you can use immediately. * **Enjoy:** Food, drinks, and great community spirit. **Agenda** * **[Sam Gomez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueljgomez/)** is presenting "AI is more than LLMs: Choosing the right AI for your needs." **RSVP Essential:** Space is limited, and we want to ensure a great experience for everyone. **RSVP now to secure your spot!** 📍 **Venue:** Leading EDJE, 6515 Longshore Loop, Suite 300, Dublin, OH 43017 📍 **Free Parking:** 6725 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017 📅 **Date & Time:** March 12, 6:00 PM **Stay Connected!** Want to continue the conversation beyond the meetup? Join our **BrowserStack Discord Server** to get updates, connect with fellow QA professionals, and be part of an ongoing discussion. **Don’t miss out—click below to join!** 🔗 [\[](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[Join the BrowserStack Discord Server](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW)**[\]](https://discord.gg/6SdCyWTNyW) **A Few Notes:** ✅ This is an **in-person event** ✅ **RSVP does not guarantee a seat** – A confirmation email will be sent one day before the event. **TALK ABSTRACT:** AI is all the hype these days; however, despite (or maybe because of) the excitement around it, a high percentage of AI projects fail. Projects that are over budget, delayed, or that fail to scale past the POC phase are very common. In many of these scenarios, choosing the right approach can be as critical as the solution itself. Should you build a tailored machine learning model, leverage the power of large language models (LLMs), or integrate with AI copilots? Each option has unique strengths, trade-offs, and resource requirements, and the key to success lies in aligning your choice with your business goals and technical constraints. In this talk, we will go beyond the basic concepts and definitions to provide a practical guide that allows attendees to navigate these decisions through real-world case studies. We will examine scenarios in which different AI paradigms were chosen, discuss the factors that influenced those decisions, and outline the process for evaluating needs, constraints, and outcomes. From assessing data availability and team expertise to balancing cost and scalability, you'll gain insights into the critical considerations that guide the selection process. By the end of this session, you’ll have a clear process for determining whether machine learning, LLMs, or copilots are best suited to your AI challenges and understand the resources and strategies needed to bring your chosen solution to life. This talk is ideal for decision-makers, technical leads, and innovators seeking to demystify AI implementation and maximize the impact of their investments.

Discover Kiro, AWS’s innovative development environment that adapts to your workflow. Whether you prefer specification-driven development or a more intuitive, vibe-based approach, Kiro empowers you to build applications your way. In this session, speakers will explore Kiro’s core functionality and its evolution through re:Invent 2025, along with demonstrations of prompts used to create APIs, hooks, and steering documents. In the latter part of the session, watch as we build a complete example from scratch, showcasing Kiro’s agentic AI workflow in action for spec-driven development and vibe coding. What You'll Learn - Core Kiro concepts and development philosophy Feature evolution: pre and post re:Invent 2025 Practical examples: API creation, hooks, and steering docs Live coding demonstration with real-time problem solving Who Should Attend - Developers, solutions architects, and technical leaders interested in modern AWS development tools and AI-assisted coding workflows. **Speakers Bio:** Matthew Jorat: Matthew Jorat is a Customer Solutions Manager at AWS with nearly three decades of expertise in AI, cloud transformation, migration, modernization, IT, technology, and business. His career spans infrastructure engineer, solutions architect, security auditor, customer success director, support and services director, and operations officer. He was an early adopter of AWS services as a customer, and his current role at AWS uniquely blends his technical and business skills as he partners with executive teams to translate strategic priorities into measurable business outcomes through cloud adoption, AI implementation, and operational excellence. Matt leads end-to-end AI initiatives for enterprise customers, identifying high-impact use cases and maintaining relentless focus on measurable ROI. He holds eight AWS certifications and serves as Adjunct Professor at Franklin University teaching cloud computing and AWS architecture. His expertise encompasses GenAI, agentic AI systems, migration, modernization, and optimization strategies that drive transformation at scale. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjorat/) Girish Bhatia: Girish Bhatia is a seasoned technology delivery leader with deep expertise in cross-domain program management. He holds multiple AWS certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS Certified Developer – Associate, and AWS Generative AI Practitioner, and is also an AWS Community Builder. Girish brings over two decades of experience in the information technology industry. Throughout his career, Girish has led major technology-driven business transformation from modernizing on-premises applications to driving large-scale cloud migrations. His work includes API-based integration platforms, data-center and mainframe modernization, and enterprise cloud adoption initiatives. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Girish works at a tech-forward fintech company. He is passionate about AWS serverless architectures, Generative AI and emerging cloud technologies. An avid learner and builder, he continues to explore and apply the latest innovations in AWS to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/[https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/girishbhatia/) **THANK YOU** *Franklin University* for hosting our meetup! To learn more about *Franklin University*, please visit their website: https://www.franklin.edu/ **DIRECTIONS** Franklin University Fisher Hall 300 E. Main St, Columbus, OH 43215 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jxjBA2hUmS5qrvhq8 Parking is FREE! Please park in Lot C in front of Fisher Hall. See attached map. NOTE: Map the address only. When mapping with Google Maps it may use the Fisher Hall at OSU, which is NOT correct. **Want to sponsor the pizza and/or bar tab?** Please contact me if you would like to sponsor this meetup's pizza and/or bar tab: angelo@mandato.com

Drake Lundstrom is presenting: Code Anywhere by Talking to your Phone Abstract: Have you heard the trend of people deploying code anywhere from checkout lines to doctors' offices? In this talk, you will learn how to talk to your phone and have an app on Azure to show your friend 5 minutes later. The basic DevOps tools you already know, plus a little bit of AI magic, are all you need! If you want to follow along, the demo will be in Azure with GitHub Actions and GitHub Copilot, and you can have it set up on your phone by the end of the session. Just come in with an Azure account and a GitHub repo. Join us for pizza, drinks, and networking @ Improving's office. Doors open at 5:45.

**Presenter:** All of Us **Time:** Pizza at 6:00, Presentation Starts at 6:30pm Eastern **Location:** Theoris, 9000 Keystone Crossing, Suite 230, Indianapolis Let's have a fishbowl discussion about AI. Has it replaced you yet? Have you replaced it? Somewhere in between? How is AI impacting your career as a software engineer? Looking forward to seeing you there! ### What is a Fishbowl Discussion? [A ](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=00b4b265baa395dc4ad7b262d4d6e3b7b7c31b2195941076e51d2eca252c2d02JmltdHM9MTc2MjgxOTIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0e60c23d-2dbf-642d-0fd7-d4512c2b6597&psq=fishbowl+discussion&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvRmlzaGJvd2xfKGNvbnZlcnNhdGlvbik&ntb=1)**[fishbowl discussion](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=00b4b265baa395dc4ad7b262d4d6e3b7b7c31b2195941076e51d2eca252c2d02JmltdHM9MTc2MjgxOTIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0e60c23d-2dbf-642d-0fd7-d4512c2b6597&psq=fishbowl+discussion&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvRmlzaGJvd2xfKGNvbnZlcnNhdGlvbik&ntb=1)**[ is a structured format for dialogue that typically involves two groups: an inner circle (the "fishbowl") and an outer circle. The inner circle consists of a small number of participants who actively discuss a topic, while those in the outer circle listen and observe. This format encourages participation from all members, as individuals from the outer circle can join the inner circle by taking an empty seat when they wish to contribute.](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=00b4b265baa395dc4ad7b262d4d6e3b7b7c31b2195941076e51d2eca252c2d02JmltdHM9MTc2MjgxOTIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0e60c23d-2dbf-642d-0fd7-d4512c2b6597&psq=fishbowl+discussion&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvRmlzaGJvd2xfKGNvbnZlcnNhdGlvbik&ntb=1)

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** TBD **YouTube Link** TBA

One of the most valuable parts of this community is the opportunity to think out loud with other product professionals. This session is built for exactly that. As we wrap up the quarter, it’s a great time to pause and reflect. What’s on track? What needs adjustment? Where could a small shift create bigger impact? Join fellow product professionals for a focused, interactive conversation designed to help you recalibrate for the next quarter. You’ll have the opportunity to share where you are, hear how others are thinking through similar challenges, and gain fresh perspective you can bring back to your team and organization. We’ll gather at 8:00AM, with discussion starting promptly at 8:15AM. 📍 First Watch - 7227 N High St Located in: The Shops at Worthington Ample parking is available. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Start your morning with clarity and connection — we hope to see you there! ☀️