The Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework promises a solid foundation. Azure Verified Modules promise consistent, reusable infrastructure. The Azure Security Benchmark will make sure your resources are protected and secured. And they deliver, but not without making them your own.

With flexibility comes complexity. In this session we look at where Microsoft Azure best practices are strong, and where they might start working against you. Not because they are wrong, but because the average company is hard to find. We look through what the standards are and why they will or will not work for you. Maybe your company doesn’t need the flexibility of AVM, which can be a pain to update. Maybe developers at your company don’t want the freedom that comes with the Cloud Adoption Framework. And some policies in the Azure Security Benchmark can actually block built-in Azure resources. With these and more examples from the field we will pinpoint how you can make these standards work for your company. You will walk away with a clearer vision on what to adopt and what to adapt.

Assumed Knowledge:

You should have a basic understanding of Azure and be familiar or curious with the following: the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework, Azure Verified Modules, or Azure Policy. You do not need hands-on experience with all three.

Practical Takeaways:

A concrete method for evaluating whether a Microsoft best practice fits your organization before adopting it. examples of where CAF, AVM, and the Azure Security Benchmark break down in real environments and why

Out of Session Scope:

This session will NOT cover how to implement CAF, AVM, or Azure Policy from scratch. It will NOT cover Terraform or non-Microsoft IaC tooling. It is not a getting-started guide for any of the frameworks discussed.