Analyzing data is not only reserved for data scientists. Even if you have no background in data science, today’s advanced tools are able to provide their users with everything they need to predict trends and patterns, draw proper conclusions,  and make informed decisions.

Make use of the cloud services which Microsoft provides – Azure Machine Learning, Azure Stream Analytics, Azure HDInsight, and Azure Data Factory – to help you find new and actionable insights. Your business and its data are about to get very cloudy, in the best possible way.

Microsoft Azure Machine Learning

Microsoft Virtual Academy (MVA) has only five courses in its advanced analytics section. It is one of the smallest section in MVA, but it is worth its weight in gold. The courses are:

1. Getting Started with Microsoft Azure Machine Learning (Level 100)
2. Implementing Big Data Analysis (Level 100)
3. Building Recommendation Systems in Azure (Level 200)
4. Data Science and Machine Learning Essentials (Level 300)
5. Office 365 Admin Support Skills: Mail Flow Specialty (Level 300)

The  two most popular courses in the Advanced Analytics section are: Building Recommendation Systems in Azure, and Office 365 Admin Support Skills: Mail Flow Specialty. Let’s go a little bit more in-depth with each of these popular courses.

Course Review: Building Recommendation Systems in Azure

Building Recommendation Systems in Azure is instructed by Olivia Klose. It is a course that discusses the true meaning of the words “Machine Learning” and “Data Science”, and the implications of those meanings.

Machine Learning can be used in near-infinite scenarios. From suggesting lottery numbers, through recommending clothes in online shops, to predicting maintenance development. Data is everywhere, and Machine Learning is one of the most popular ways to harness that data and convert it to useful information, from which conclusions can be drawn.

MatchBox Recommender in AzureML

The topics covered in this course are:

• Understanding machine learning
• What is needed for a machine learning task
• Understanding the difference between collaborative and content-based filtering
• Binary classification
• Machine Learning Processes
• Deploying ML model as a web service in AzureML
• Reading data from Azure SQL Database in ML Studio
• Association rules in RStudio
• Integrating R in AzureML
• MatchBox Recommender in AzureML
• Extending content-based filtering to hybrid
• Using Recommendations API

This course is a Level 200, and it runs approximately three hours. It is worth 70 points, and has five modules and five corresponding assessment exams. There are no prerequisite for this course, but since it is a Level 200, it is meant for data professionals with at least six months of experience. Each module includes downloadable slides and screenshots, with which the student can follow the instructor and achieve a better grasp of the coursework. This course is rated 5 out of 5 stars.

About the Instructor: Olivia Klose

Klose works as a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft Germany. Her focus is on all data services on Microsoft Azure, in particular Big Data (HDInsight / Hadoop on Azure) and Azure Machine Learning. Prior to joining Microsoft, Klose had studied Computer Science with Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, the Technical University of Munich, and IIT Bombay. She is a frequent speaker at various conferences, German and international.

Course Review: Office 365 Admin Support Skills – Mail Flow Specialty

Office 365 Admin Support Skills: Mail Flow Specialty is instructed by Martin Coetzer and Andy Puntahachart. Essentially, it is a course on troubleshooting. It is the third course in a series of Admin Support Skills for Office 365.

Proper mail flow is vital. With so many messages coming and going through the Office 365 and Exchange environments, troubleshooting knowhow is something every admin should have. In a world where every second counts, proper problem solving is crucial. No data professional or system administrator should be without this essential skill.

Keep your mail flowing, without issues

The topics covered in this course are:

• The Art of Troubleshooting
• Tools to Troubleshoot Mail Flow Issues (two parts)
• Troubleshoot Mail Flow Scenarios

This course has a prerequisite or two. Since this is the third course in a series, it expands upon material that was previously discussed. Completion of the previous two courses – Office 365 Admin Support Skills: Core Concepts, and Office 365 Admin Support Skills: Service Management – is necessary for full comprehension and proper completion of this course.

This Level 300 course includes five modules, and runs approximately four hours long. Because it is an advanced course, it applies to data professionals with at least one year’s worth of experience. The course includes self-paced exercises, and is rated 5 out of 5 stars.

About the Instructors: Martin Coetzer and Andy Puntahachart

Coetzer is a Senior Content Developer with the Microsoft Learning eXperiences team. He is responsible for managing the Office 365, Exchange, Lync, SharePoint, Office and Dynamics certification portfolios. Prior to this Martin was a consultant with Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) responsible for architecting and deploying Microsoft technologies at medium to large customers around the world.

Puntahachart is a Senior Support Escalation Engineer, focused on Office 365 and Exchange Online. He has been with Office 365 since its inception. Before Office 365, Puntahachart was working as a consultant, designer, implementer, supporter, and optimizer of Exchange.

Office365

Advanced analytics give businesses and organizations a real edge. Using tools like Microsoft Azure, data professionals can go beyond the limits of simple number-crunching, and use the analysis to gain foresight and better understanding of the market in which they are in. Microsoft’s experts are here to guide data professionals through the avenues of analytics and Big Data.