The Cloud + Enterprise News Bytes Blog regularly provides posts that consolidate all the announcements from the two groups.  The December post has lots of information about new capabilities we've added.  Check back monthly to see if you can keep up!

• Live Channels for Azure Media Services
• Analytics Platform System
• New Java, PHP and Migration Tools
• SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for IBM DB2 Databases
• New Preview for Latest SQL Database Update
• Announcing High Performance Virtual Network Gateways
• Azure Active Directory Application Proxy Generally Available.
• Administration Delegation on Azure Active Directory in Public Preview
• Add Your Own Password SSO SaaS Applications in Public Preview
• More Ways to Get Azure Active Directory Premium
• Azure Site Recovery New Deployment Options
• New Mobile Application Management Capabilities Coming to Microsoft Intune This Week
• Introducing Preview of Premium Storage
• Azure RemoteApp General Availability
• Visual Studio Online Updates

Read the full blog entry for more details on each item. 

http://blogs.technet.com/b/stbnewsbytes/archive/2014/12/11/cloud-enterprise-release-announcements-for-december-11-2014.aspx

Want to make sure the data on your PC or laptop is backed up regularly? Microsoft just announced the ability to protect Windows client devices with Azure Backup.  Don't backup to a USB drive and then sit that drive on a shelf in your office!  This is a fast, cost-efficient solution for backing up your data.  Read more on the Azure Blog - http://azure.microsoft.com/blog/2014/12/16/azure-backup-announcing-support-for-windows-client-operating-system/

We've been talking about this for a while, but this "Office Garage Series" episode covers the DLP and mail encryption capabilities of Office 365.  We're consolidating all compliance policies in one place and letting you define a single policy that can apply across multiple services.  We're giving users the ability to encrypt emails to outside users easily and efficiently.  Finally, we're adding tools so iOS and Android devices can consume RMS protected content.  If you have 13 minutes to spare, this would be a great use of your time!

http://blogs.office.com/2014/12/17/garage-series-bringing-data-loss-prevention-sharepoint-first-look-new-office-365-message-encryption-viewers-ios-android/

A great blog post from the CIO of Texas discussing the success her state is having with Microsoft's cloud solutions.  It's a quick read, but covers some of the important things that sets Microsoft apart from other cloud solution providers.

http://blogs.office.com/2014/12/12/serving-26-million-texans-secure-cloud-based-computing-leap-forward-state-government-agencies/

If you are watching, you have really seen Microsoft Intune grow up in the last year.  If you think it's just for managing Windows devices, you're missing the big picture.  Intune is a cloud-based, cross-platform management solution that can solve your mobile device management (MDM) headaches.  And now we've added some capabilities around application management as well.  Check out the latest info at the Microsoft Intune Blog:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoftintune/archive/2014/12/09/new-mobile-application-management-capabilities-coming-to-microsoft-intune-this-week.aspx

"Building upon the Intune announcements made at TechEd Europe and the recent November service update, we will be rolling out the next Microsoft Intune service update between December 9, 2014 and December 12, 2014. This service update introduces new mobile application management (MAM) capabilities, protecting Office 365 data and much more."