Softcat plc
Dudley College
Telford, England, United Kingdom
7K followers
500+ connections
7K followers
500+ connections
About
I help enterprises adopt Microsoft AI — from Copilot deployment and agentic AI…
Articles by Alex
Activity
7K followers
-
Alex Pearce shared thisThe world isn’t changing, it’s changed and you are either flying high or about to sink on the ship. It’s as simple as that. People ask what the future looks like with AI, their future is here today and it’s your investment in your own leaning and development, if you are going to get aboard the plane or not! Redundancy at Oracle, big restructures at Microsoft, the frontier firm is a true thing and the impact it has over the next 12 months while organisations realise the potential is massive. I expect more redundancy…a scary world! As James says. What does that mean for our kids? Good question…we don’t know. As parents we must teach them critically thinking, emotional intelligence and how to switch off from the digital world. Our schooling and education system isn’t good enough for this and as parents, we need to step up!
-
Alex Pearce shared thisAs the Microsoft MVP Summit 2026 comes to close for me, I’m reminded of 2 things. 1. The world is changing because of AI. The transformation organisations will go through in the next 5 years will be the biggest we’ve ever seen and it’s not to be underestimated. 2. It’s a privilege to be a Microsoft MVP. I know so many of my colleagues and friends who are just as passionate as me and would love the content shared with me this week. And I can’t share it with you, before you ask 🤣. Thanks to Softcat for sponsoring me being here and thanks to Microsoft for an awesome Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Summit. #mvpsummit
-
Alex Pearce shared thisI've attended the UCISA Leadership Summit for the last 4 years with Softcat but this year was the first time I was on stage. When chatting with Andy Crossley from Oakland Everything Data around what we should talk about, we decided we wanted to let the university attendees hear from a customer and the great work we have been doing with them. We were desighted to have Cathy Arnold FRSA and Ayesha Hussain from the University of Leeds talk about the great work they have been doing with their data foundations and some of their AI agents that are built within their data and AI governance. Note: I'm starting to think Andy and I need a podcast!!
-
Alex Pearce reposted thisI AM HIRING!!! Are you the kind of person who doesn't just follow the industry — you shape it? Come and join the best Solutions Partner in the UK by a fair old margin and work in the best team in the business - Softcat Advisory Services (I would say that I am biased! But we are amazing 😁) High Performance Computing isn't a niche anymore. It's the engine behind AI, life sciences, financial modelling, defence, and the next wave of digital transformation. Organisations who win in that landscape will be the ones with the boldest, sharpest thinkers in their corner. That's exactly why Softcat is hiring an Enterprise Technologist — Data Centre & HPC. We are looking for the best and most driven candidates who want to truly steer our largest and most exciting customers. Are you a CTO with direct experience in HPC, a vendor SE, a Field CTO, a Super-Star Architect... and...and ...and !? Come to legitimately the best business I have ever worked in! Softcat #AdvisoryServices #BetheBestwiththeBest #HPC #FutureNow Andy L. Paul Fleming Dean Gardner Matt Smith Hadley Grindrod Giles Townsend Simon Brown Andrew Gabriel John Boardman Katharine Wooller Ross Humphrey Radhika Rangaraju Russ Barnes Matt Osborne Alex Pearce Alex Mold Rachel Clay Paris Alderman Tim Jeans https://lnkd.in/eEfUdP8D
-
Alex Pearce shared thisIt's been almost a week since Microsoft announced that Agent 365 will be here in around 6 weeks. We've seen Agent 365 in Frontier since it was orginially announced at the Microsoft Ignite Conference but now we have the final version coming, we need to understand the true opportunity it gives us. I've spent some time trying to understand what is Agent 365 and it's clear to me that you only use Agents in Agent 365 when they are acting on your behalf. Take a read and let me know your thoughts around converting and protecting your agents.
-
Alex Pearce shared thisThis week I was delighted to be at the Housing Technology Conference at the East Midlands Conference Centre. The passion for technology to support tenants was shown throughout the 2 day event with many people asking about AI and the recently announced Microsoft 365 E7. Thanks to Softcat and Connor Jones and Zoe Gibbons for the invite. Next year we want to share more of what we are seeing in the housing market and hope to be speak.
-
Alex Pearce shared thisYou will need both Agent 365 and Entra Suite for full agent goverance. I've spent the evening looking through the documentation from Microsoft around Agent 365 and while we were expecting agents within the license, there are some hidden messages that aren't very clear. Microsoft describe Agent 365 as 3 pillars, Observe, Govern and Secure however to do that fully, you will need Entra Suite and primarily, Entra Governance and Entra Internet Access (add filter and web access to the agents). Its also very noticable to me that you have even more controls over you agents if you are E5 rather than E3. So looks like to get full control of your agent platfom within Microsoft the new E7 license will be the best option! #Copilot #M365 #M365Copilot #Cowork #AI #A365 #MicrosoftEntra
-
Alex Pearce shared thisMicrosoft 365 E7 is here, read my article on the Softcat website and hear more about what the features are. So much going on with Microsoft today - will try and get a summary out. This licensing bundle seems with it!Alex Pearce shared thisIntroducing Microsoft 365 E7, the largest Microsoft 365 licensing addition in a decade, available from Friday, 1st May! Microsoft 365 E7 unifies multiple licences into a single suite. This simplifies purchasing, deployment, and management while maximising ROI. It includes: ✅ Everything in Microsoft 365 E5 ✅ Microsoft Entra Suite ✅ Microsoft 365 Copilot ✅ Agent 365 Read the full blog to find out how E7 can transform your organisation: https://okt.to/4qbRtn
-
Alex Pearce shared thisI owe a lot to SharePoint and its community. It only felt write to share a little of my own story and how SharePoint changed my life, brought me a career, love and my family. It's a true love story!! Happy Birthday SharePoint! #SharePoint #SPat25 I mentioned a few people in my article and with working in IT for over 25 years, you can imagine there are more people and a much longer story. But just to thank a few here: Steve Smith (retired), Dave Coleman (RIP), James Seaman, Daniel Locke-Wheaton CMgr FCMI, Jeff Teper (none of this would have happened without you and your team), Sam Dolan. Love you Becks - Love you Ruby, Oli and H!SharePoint at 25: It Brought Me a Career, Love, and a FamilySharePoint at 25: It Brought Me a Career, Love, and a Family
Alex Pearce commented on a post
4d
Great to finally meet….considering you live down the road.
Alex Pearce replied to a comment
1w
Jukka Niiranen thanks for this. I think this messaging is key and not getting out to customers. Agent 365 is 2 parts and only 1 part is going GA
-
Alex Pearce liked thisAlex Pearce liked thisDuring the #MVPSummit week, we also had a couple of sessions between Accenture/Avanade Microsoft MVPs (thanks Aaron Reich for organising)🙏 It was great to exchange experiences as MVPs on different countries and types of projects, and also to have a panel directly with Microsoft about AI and Microsoft strategy👀 (You will be curious about those conversations, because they are all under NDA😏) Great to meet all of you in person! Your passion for community and the talent in this group are world-class. Thanks for making the experience so memorable! Danny McDermott Tricia Sinclair Heidi Hasting Caio Daruiz Correa Felipe Chikuji András Fördős - 🇭🇺 Aimery THOMAS Juergen Mayrbaeurl Federico Porceddu Jose María Flores Zazo Marcelo Villacorta Moreno Josh McDonald Jayshree O. Kamil Nowinski Peter Gallagher Kevin McDonnell Paul Bullock Reshmee Auckloo Dr Booma Poolan Marikannan Tiffany Songvilay Uday Adhikari Bülent Altinsoy Alexandre Nédélec Raj Jonnalagedda Hammed Abdulazeez #MVPBuzz
-
Alex Pearce liked thisAlex Pearce liked thisI’ve realised I keep surprising people in meetings… so it’s time for an update! Super happy to say my partner & I are expecting — baby due in June 🤍 My final quarter before I take some time out on maternity leave as we become a family of three!
-
Alex Pearce liked thisAlex Pearce liked thisUp, up and away I go again! 🛫 This #MicrosoftFanGirl just arrived at Arlanda this Saturday afternoon and today, Monday morning at 5:10 am she is back. This time bound for Sarajevoand the Adriatics Tech Summit. My very first time at this event - excited to meet up with many old friends and making new ones. That’s what #Community events are all about. That and #KnowledgeSharing because we all know that #SharingIsCaring - right? What makes us tick? Why do we do this to our families, pets and loved ones? Because of the #CommunityLuv and because sharing your knowledge, expertise and experience, without expecting anything in return, simply is a gift that keeps on giving. That is why #CommunityRocks! 🙌🏻 The topic for me this week? The value of #Community and how to maximise it using #Engage - now available to all #M365 license holders, native in #Teams… #WeLoveCommunities
-
Alex Pearce liked thisAlex Pearce liked thisI’ve seen the future and it is wonderful … I work directly with customers on building large scale infrastructure and solutions centred around machine learning and artificial intelligence - I also hate most things in the public domain that are generated using AI (whether it’s writing, artwork, crappy videos etc). Both things can co exist because there are some incredible use cases being built at scale to solve real problems (remote surgery, cancer diagnosis co pilots, medical note triage for example). AI slop however is environmentally irresponsible, boring and a waste of time and brain power for anyone creating or viewing it. Enter Angine De Poitrine. A band that’s recently found viral fame. Their Dadaist visuals and microtonal music feel like a f*** you to AI slop - off centre, almost unbelievably addictive but undeniably interesting. Their popularity (selling out an entire European tour) may seem baffling - but maybe just maybe we have all been crying out for something different to the Taylor Swift and Bring me the Horizon clones - where our human need for originality has been suppressed for too long and suddenly there is something/someone (no idea what to call it) brave enough to fly in the face of average. Finally … we have something new to enjoy. To step outside of the norm, to sit on the min and the max, to never revert to the mean … this deserves celeberation. If the future is rebellion against slop and a celebration of originality - the future is better than I could of ever imagined. What a joy 🖤
-
Alex Pearce liked thisAlex Pearce liked thisToday, I’m starting a new chapter as a Cloud & AI Specialist at Microsoft. I’m excited to be joining such a talented and inspiring team. A big thank you to Sophie Sarratt for the continuous support and encouragement throughout this process. I’m also grateful to Patrick Schidler, Morritz Cadacio and the entire onboarding team for making my first day so welcoming. Being surrounded by such remarkable people, both professionally and personally, is something I don’t take for granted. I’m looking forward to learning, growing, and contributing to everything this team is building. Here’s to new beginnings and the challenges ahead. #Microsoft #NewJob #CloudComputing #AI
-
Alex Pearce reacted on thisAlex Pearce reacted on thisHable have always evolved our services in line with global workplace trends. We helped organisations move to the cloud. Then we helped them shift to fully remote working during the pandemic, through Microsoft Teams adoption. More recently, we’ve supported organisations to embrace AI and Microsoft Copilot. And now, we’re focusing on the next wave: Human connection. In a world increasingly driven by AI and agents. Announcing our latest innovation: the Hable Stable. A place where you and your teams can learn. Without screens. Using the calming, grounding, and scientifically-proven* power of horses. No slides. No prompts. No notifications. It's time to give your change programme some horsepower. Read our official press release and sign up to the Hable Stable today: https://lnkd.in/e3JQb9Fx 💚🐴 #HableStable #TeamHable *please don't fact check this
-
Alex Pearce liked thisAlex Pearce liked thisHuge congratulations for all new Microsoft MVPs in April 2026! 👏 Thank you all for the invaluable work you do on helping others to succeed within their day to day work by sharing your knowledge 🧡 We are looking forward on what we can achieve together in the future! #MVPBuzz
Experience & Education
View Alex’s full experience
See their title, tenure and more.
or
Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
-
Cricketeer: Transport
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
- 2 months
Arts and Culture
6 Days volunteering for the Cricket World Cup 2019 in Birmingham as a transport driver taking ICC board members and other VIPs to their required destination to and from the cricket ground.
-
Co Opted Director
EMMAUS CATHOLIC MULTI ACADEMY COMPANY
- Present 3 years
Education
Similar to a Multi Academy Trust (MAT), I sit on the board of directors for the Emmaus Catholic Multi Academy Company providing guidance and my knowledge of the sector to improve all the schools within the MAC. I’m also delighted that my daughter is part of one of these schools and I am helping in additional ways to support her and all students.
Recommendations received
3 people have recommended Alex
Join now to viewWebsites
Other similar profiles
Explore more posts
Explore collaborative articles
We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
Explore More