n 23rd September 2025, the Welsh Azure User Group marked a major milestone—its 5th anniversary—with a vibrant virtual meetup that blended community spirit, technical innovation, and a healthy dose of nostalgia. Hosted by long-time organisers John Lunn and Matthew Fortunka, the event brought together Azure enthusiasts from across the UK to reflect on the journey so far and explore exciting new developments in the Microsoft ecosystem.

👋 A Warm Welcome and Community Reflections

John kicked off the session with a heartfelt welcome, noting the group’s growth from humble beginnings to a thriving community of over 2,000 Meetup members and 300+ LinkedIn followers. He and Matthew reminisced about standout moments, including sessions with Scott Hanselman, John Savill, Abel Wang, and April Edwards, and the creation of their own Azure-hosted quiz platform—a cost-effective alternative to Kahoot that’s now a staple of their events.

The group’s ethos of openness, collaboration, and passion was front and centre, with John encouraging attendees to connect, share ideas, and help shape future sessions. Dee Bolt even proposed an in-person social celebration, sparking interest in hybrid formats to keep the community inclusive and accessible.

🧠 Featured Talk: “From Voice to Action – Driving Better Outcomes in Social Care”

The technical highlight of the evening came from Steve Judd, representing long-time sponsor Servent. Steve presented a compelling case study on Sonic Brief, an Azure-based speech-to-text and summarisation solution designed to transform social care workflows in Wales.

🔍 What is Sonic Brief?

Originally developed as a Microsoft open-source accelerator, Sonic Brief enables secure, structured transcription of spoken conversations. Servent enhanced the solution with a mobile app and deployment framework tailored to frontline social care workers, addressing key challenges such as:

• Reducing admin burden and freeing up time for face-to-face care.
• Supporting offline functionality for rural areas with poor connectivity.
• Ensuring secure deployment in customer-owned Azure environments.
• Integrating with Microsoft Entra ID for seamless identity and access management.
• Offering a cost-effective alternative to commercial transcription tools—just £0.27/hour compared to £3–£5/hour for other services.

🛠 Deployment Tiers

Servent’s approach includes three deployment tiers—New, Emerging, and Mature—to support organisations at different stages of their Azure journey. From creating CAF-aligned landing zones to advanced API integrations, the solution is scalable and adaptable across sectors like healthcare, education, law enforcement, and field services.

💬 Community Engagement

The presentation sparked lively discussion, with Dee Bolt raising questions about air-gapped environments and compliance in government settings. Steve clarified that Sonic Brief is deployed within each customer’s Azure tenant, allowing for tailored compliance and governance controls.

🎮 The Famous WAG Quiz

No Welsh Azure User Group event would be complete without a quiz! Matthew’s custom-built platform delivered another round of Azure-themed trivia, with questions ranging from Microsoft’s acquisition of GitHub to the retirement of Azure AI Speech features. Congratulations to Dee Bolt for winning the quiz and bagging a £25 Amazon voucher.

🙌 Thank You to Our Sponsors

A huge thank you to Servent, Credit Safe, and all the community members who’ve supported the group over the years. Your contributions have helped make WAG a vibrant, inclusive, and technically rich space for Azure professionals across the UK.

📅 What’s Next?

The next Welsh Azure User Group event is scheduled for 22nd October 2025, with plans to streamline the format to one speaker per session. John also hinted at a community feedback survey to help shape future meetups.

A recording can be found on my YouTube Channel – CloudTalk with Jonnychipz

Thanks to all the speakers and to all the attendees!

RSVP to our next Event here: https://www.meetup.com/msft-stack/

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