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Tag: Microsoft

  • Microsoft Bets Big On AI

    Microsoft Bets Big On AI

    Microsoft said it will soon add access to OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 image generator for users to create images right in a chat…reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella on Thursday doubled down on the role of generative AI in the company’s product portfolio, starting with Windows 11 that will include the new AI-powered Copilot feature, along with launching a powerful new Surface laptop lineup.

    With over 150 new features, the new Windows 11 Update will be available starting September 26, bringing the power of Copilot and new AI-powered experiences to apps like Paint, Photos, Clipchamp and more right to your Windows PC.

    “Microsoft Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the web, your work data and what you are doing in the moment on your PC to provide better assistance — with your privacy and security at the forefront,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer.

    “It will be a simple and seamless experience, available in Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and in our web browser with Edge and Bing. It will work as an app or reveal itself when you need it with a right click,” he told the gathering.

    Microsoft 365 Copilot will generally be available to commercial customers starting November 1 with a more powerful version of M365 Chat, new capabilities for Copilot in Outlook, Excel, Loop, OneNote, OneDrive and Word.

    The company also announced new features in Bing and Edge.

    Bing Chat Enterprise will also get a few upgrades including support for multimodal visual search and Image Creator now available in the Microsoft Edge mobile app, the company announced.

    Microsoft said it will soon add access to OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 image generator for users to create images right in a chat.

    “We are entering a new era of AI, one that is fundamentally changing how we relate to and benefit from technology. With the convergence of chat interfaces and large language models you can now ask for what you want in natural language and the technology is smart enough to answer, create it or take action,” said Mehdi.

    Additionally, the company introduced new Surface laptops. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 with 14.4-inch display starts at $1,999 and runs on Intel’s 13th generation chips.

    Turbocharged with the latest Intel Core processors and cutting-edge NVIDIA Studio tools for creators-with up to 2x more graphics performance than MacBook Pro M2 Max, the device brings together the versatility to create and the power to perform, said Microsoft.

    The Studio 2 also offers some big new connectivity options: it has two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a microSD card reader, and the Surface Slim Pen 2.

    Microsoft also announced Surface Laptop Go 3 that comes with a 12.4-inch touchscreen and offers up to 15 hours of battery life, along with one USB-A port, one USB-C port, and a headphone jack.

    The Surface Laptop Go 3 starts at $799, with availability starting October 3.

    ALSO READ: OpenAI launches upgraded version of ‘Dall·E 3’

  • Microsoft bets big on AI with Copilot-driven Windows 11

    Microsoft bets big on AI with Copilot-driven Windows 11

    The Studio 2 also offers some big new connectivity options: it has two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a microSD card reader, and the Surface Slim Pen 2…reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella on Thursday doubled down on the role of generative AI in the company’s product portfolio, starting with Windows 11 that will include the new AI-powered Copilot feature, along with launching a powerful new Surface laptop lineup.

    With over 150 new features, the new Windows 11 Update will be available starting September 26, bringing the power of Copilot and new AI-powered experiences to apps like Paint, Photos, Clipchamp and more right to your Windows PC.

    “Microsoft Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the web, your work data and what you are doing in the moment on your PC to provide better assistance — with your privacy and security at the forefront,” said Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer.

    “It will be a simple and seamless experience, available in Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and in our web browser with Edge and Bing. It will work as an app or reveal itself when you need it with a right click,” he told the gathering.

    Microsoft 365 Copilot will generally be available to commercial customers starting November 1 with a more powerful version of M365 Chat, new capabilities for Copilot in Outlook, Excel, Loop, OneNote, OneDrive and Word.

    The company also announced new features in Bing and Edge.

    Bing Chat Enterprise will also get a few upgrades including support for multimodal visual search and Image Creator now available in the Microsoft Edge mobile app, the company announced.

    Microsoft said it will soon add access to OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 image generator for users to create images right in a chat.

    “We are entering a new era of AI, one that is fundamentally changing how we relate to and benefit from technology. With the convergence of chat interfaces and large language models you can now ask for what you want in natural language and the technology is smart enough to answer, create it or take action,” said Mehdi.

    Additionally, the company introduced new Surface laptops. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 with 14.4-inch display starts at $1,999 and runs on Intel’s 13th generation chips.

    Turbocharged with the latest Intel Core processors and cutting-edge NVIDIA Studio tools for creators-with up to 2x more graphics performance than MacBook Pro M2 Max, the device brings together the versatility to create and the power to perform, said Microsoft.

    The Studio 2 also offers some big new connectivity options: it has two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a microSD card reader, and the Surface Slim Pen 2.

    Microsoft also announced Surface Laptop Go 3 that comes with a 12.4-inch touchscreen and offers up to 15 hours of battery life, along with one USB-A port, one USB-C port, and a headphone jack.

    The Surface Laptop Go 3 starts at $799, with availability starting October 3.

    ALSO READ-Microsoft testing HDR background support on Windows 11

  • Microsoft selling Activision Blizzard cloud gaming to Ubisoft

    Microsoft selling Activision Blizzard cloud gaming to Ubisoft

    As part of the restructuring, Microsoft will transfer cloud gaming rights for current and new Activision Blizzard games to French video game publisher Ubisoft….reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft on Tuesday submitted a restructured proposal to UK’s anti-trust watchdog for approval of its $68.7 billion acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard.

    As part of the restructuring, Microsoft will transfer cloud gaming rights for current and new Activision Blizzard games to French video game publisher Ubisoft.

    “To address the concerns about the impact of the proposed acquisition on cloud game streaming raised by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), we are restructuring the transaction to acquire a narrower set of rights,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President.

    This includes executing an agreement effective at the closing of its merger that transfers the cloud streaming rights for all current and new Activision Blizzard PC and console games released over the next 15 years to Ubisoft Entertainment.

    As a result of the agreement with Ubisoft, Microsoft believes its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard presents a substantially different transaction under UK law than the transaction Microsoft submitted for the CMA’s consideration in 2022.

    “As such, Microsoft has notified the restructured transaction to the CMA and anticipates that the CMA review processes can be completed before the 90-day extension in its acquisition agreement with Activision Blizzard expires on October 18,” Smith added.

    Under the restructured transaction, Microsoft will not be in a position either to release Activision Blizzard games exclusively on its own cloud streaming service — Xbox Cloud Gaming — or to exclusively control the licensing terms of Activision Blizzard games for rival services.

    The agreement, said Smith, will enable Ubisoft to innovate and encourage different business models in the licensing and pricing of these games on cloud streaming services worldwide.

    “Ubisoft will compensate Microsoft for the cloud streaming rights to Activision Blizzard’s games through a one-off payment and through a market-based wholesale pricing mechanism, including an option that supports pricing based on usage,” he informed.

    It will also give Ubisoft the opportunity to offer Activision Blizzard’s games to cloud gaming services running non-Windows operating systems.

    Microsoft has also entered into binding legal commitments to bring Call of Duty video game to rival consoles and Activision Blizzard games to rival cloud streaming platforms.

    ALSO READ: Microsoft announces public preview of Windows 365 Switch

  • Microsoft announces public preview of Windows 365 Switch

    Microsoft announces public preview of Windows 365 Switch

    With this update, the company also provided inline setup of a PC from within the Cast flyout in Quick Settings, with step-by-step guidance for users to enable…reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft has announced that Windows 365 Switch is now available in public preview.

    “Windows 365 Switch provides the ability to easily move between a Windows 365 Cloud PC and the local desktop using the same familiar keyboard commands, as well as a mouse-click or a swipe gesture,” the tech giant said in a blogpost.

    It enables a seamless experience from within Windows 11 via the Task view feature.

    “Windows 365 will be required on the endpoint, after which all relevant elements will show up automatically inside the Task view feature,” the company added.

    Task view can be found on the Windows Taskbar next to the Search button.

    Earlier this month, the tech giant had rolled out ‘Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23516’ to the Dev Channel, which included HDR background support and improvements to the screen casting experience.

    With this update, the company also provided inline setup of a PC from within the Cast flyout in Quick Settings, with step-by-step guidance for users to enable.

    Microsoft had also added support for voice access to work right when users start their PC.

    Last month, the tech giant had released ‘Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23511’ to the Dev Channel, which included Taskbar’s notifications changes and improvements for Windows Spotlight.

    Also, with this update, if a camera streaming issue is detected, such as a camera failing to start or a closed camera shutter, a pop-up dialogue will appear with the recommendation to launch the automated Get Help troubleshooter to resolve the issue.

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  • HCLSoftware, Microsoft team up to boost AI-fueled Offerings

    HCLSoftware, Microsoft team up to boost AI-fueled Offerings

    The two companies aim to create a new generation of intelligent applications that can transform industries…reports Asian Lite News

    HCLSoftware, a leading software provider, announced a collaboration with Microsoft to integrate Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service into its software products. By combining HCLSoftware’s expertise in software development and AI with Microsoft’s AI technologies, the two companies aim to create a new generation of intelligent applications that can transform industries.

    “Working together, we will combine our AI expertise to create AI-fueled offerings that will enable businesses to further automate and scale their processes and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights,” said Kaylan Kumar, Chief Product Officer, HCLSoftware.

    “The collaboration between HCLSoftware and Microsoft is a testament to how AI can be used to create innovative solutions that can help businesses become more productive,” said Ahmed Mazhari, President, Microsoft Asia. “HCLSoftware and Microsoft are paving the way for the next generation of intelligent applications that can transform the way businesses operate.”

    HCLSoftware will infuse Microsoft’s AI technologies across HCLSoftware’s four clouds: Business Cloud, Hybrid Data Cloud, Create/Compose Cloud and Intelligent Automation Cloud, thus revolutionizing the way businesses create value for their customers. HCLSoftware also uses GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered coding tool that helps developers write high-quality code faster, reduce time spent on repetitive tasks and focus on more complex problem-solving challenges.

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  • Microsoft testing HDR background support on Windows 11

    Microsoft testing HDR background support on Windows 11

    With the new build, the company also added support for voice access to work right when users start their PC…reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft has announced that it is rolling out ‘Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23516’ to the Dev Channel, which includes HDR background support, improvements to the screen casting experience and more.

    “You can now set JXR files to be your desktop background and if you have an HDR display, they will render in full HDR,” the tech giant said in a Windows Insider blogpost.

    First, users have to make sure that their device has an HDR display or is connected to a display that supports HDR. They can check this by going to Settings > System > Display and checking the HDR toggle.

    “Next, download an HDR .JXR file to your device. Then right-click on your desktop, choose ‘Personalize’ and then ‘Background’, and under ‘Personalize your background’– go and select the .JXR file you downloaded to your device,” it added.

    The company is also making improvements to the screen casting experience. When doing multitasking activities on the PC such as often switching between windows to complete a task or using Snap Assist to organise the screen space, the company will provide the suggestion to Cast via a notification toast.

    Also, the tech giant will now provide inline setup of a PC from within the Cast flyout in Quick Settings, with step-by-step guidance for users to enable.

    With the new build, the company also added support for voice access to work right when users start their PC.

    Users will be able to use voice access to login to their PC and access other areas on the Lock screen. For PCs with presence sensors that support attention detection, the tech giant introduced “Adaptive Dimming.”

    “Now your device can intelligently dim your screen when you look away and undim when you look back,” Microsoft said.

    With Build 23516, the company also fixed multiple bugs.

    ALSO READ-Microsoft cuts 1,000 jobs

  • Microsoft cuts 1,000 jobs

    Microsoft cuts 1,000 jobs

    Microsoft has reportedly shut its “Digital Sales and Success” group, a sales and customer service team….reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft has reportedly reduced its workforce further by 1,000 over the past week, mostly in sales and customer services teams.

    According to a report in Insider, citing sources, the new layoffs are beyond the 10,000 jobs that the tech giant planned to eliminate earlier this year.

    It’s, however, a regular exercise for Microsoft to make changes at the start of a new fiscal year, which began July 1, the report noted.

    Microsoft has reportedly shut its “Digital Sales and Success” group, a sales and customer service team.

    “The company also eliminated the customer solutions manager role, moving some, but not many, employees to another role called customer success account management,” according to the report.

    The job cuts also affected engineering project managers and marketing department employees.

    Last week, reports surfaced that Microsoft has laid off 276 employees, mostly in customer service, support and sales teams, in a new job cut round.

    “Organisational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business,” a Microsoft spokesperson had said in a statement.

    “We will continue to prioritise and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners,” the spokesperson added.

    Several posts on the leading professional networking platform LinkedIn revealed job cuts that targeted customer support and sales jobs across teams.

    In May, Microsoft slashed 158 jobs in Washington State which were not part of the 10,000 announced earlier.

    According to reports, more than 2,700 Seattle-area workers were affected by the layoffs announced earlier this year.

    The tech giant had more than 220,000 employees (as reported earlier this year).

    ALSO READ: Cisco begins fresh layoffs

  • Microsoft tops in global public cloud revenue

    Microsoft tops in global public cloud revenue

    Software as a Service – applications (SaaS-applications) continued to be the largest source of public cloud services revenue, accounting for more than 45 per cent of the total in 2022…reports Asian Lite News

    Led by Microsoft, global revenue for the public cloud services market reached $545.8 billion last year, an increase of 22.9 per cent over 2021, according to a new report.

    Top 5 public cloud service providers – Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, Google, and Oracle – captured more than 41 per cent of the worldwide total and growing 27.3 per cent year over year, according to the latest IDC data.

    With offerings in all four deployment categories, Microsoft remained in the top position in the overall public cloud services market with 16.8 per cent share, followed by Amazon Web Services with 13.5 per cent share.

    Software as a Service – applications (SaaS-applications) continued to be the largest source of public cloud services revenue, accounting for more than 45 per cent of the total in 2022.

    Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) was the second largest revenue category with 21.2 per cent of the total while Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service – System Infrastructure Software (SaaS – SIS) delivered 17 per cent and 16.7 per cent of overall revenue, respectively.

    “The assessment and use of AI, triggered by generative AI, is starting to dominate the planning and long term investment agendas of businesses and cloud providers will play a significant role in the evaluation and adoption of AI enablement services,” said Rick Villars, group vice president, Worldwide Research at IDC.

    Meanwhile, the revenue for foundational cloud services that support digital-first strategies saw revenue growth of 28.8 per cent. 

    “SaaS – Applications remain the largest segment of the more than $547 billion cloud software market forecast by the end of 2023,” said Frank Della Rosa, research vice president, SaaS, Business Platforms, and Industry Cloud at IDC.

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  • Microsoft to build quantum supercomputers

    Microsoft to build quantum supercomputers

    To build the quantum supercomputer, Microsoft said that it “will follow a similar path as classical supercomputers did in the 20th century…reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft has announced its roadmap for building its own quantum supercomputer that can solve impactful problems that even the most powerful supercomputers cannot.

    To build the quantum supercomputer, Microsoft said that it “will follow a similar path as classical supercomputers did in the 20th century. From vacuum tubes to transistors, to integrated circuits, advances in underlying technology will enable scale and impact”.

    According to the company, quantum hardware will fall into one of the three categories of Quantum Computing Implementation Levels, which include Level 1 — Foundational (Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum); Level 2 — Resilient (reliable logical qubits); and Level 3 — Scale (Quantum supercomputers).

    Presently, Microsoft has achieved the first milestone towards a quantum supercomputer.

    “We can now create and control Majorana quasiparticles. With this achievement, we’re well on our way to engineering a new hardware-protected qubit. With it, we can then engineer reliable logical qubits to reach the Resilient Level and then progress to reach Scale,” Jason Zander, Executive Vice President, Strategic Missions and Technologies, Microsoft said in a blogpost.

    Moreover, the tech giant said that a quantum supercomputer will be able to solve problems that are intractable on a classical computer and scale to solve the most complex problems facing our world. To do this, it must be both performant and reliable.

    In addition, Microsoft announced Azure Quantum Elements, which combines high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology to accelerate scientific discovery, as well as Copilot for Azure Quantum, an artificial intelligence model that can assist scientists (and students) in creating quantum simulations and calculations.

    ALSO READ: Hyundai to push forward EV investments

  • Microsoft to build quantum supercomputers

    Microsoft to build quantum supercomputers

    Microsoft has achieved the first milestone towards a quantum supercomputer…reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft has announced its roadmap for building its own quantum supercomputer that can solve impactful problems that even the most powerful supercomputers cannot.

    To build the quantum supercomputer, Microsoft said that it “will follow a similar path as classical supercomputers did in the 20th century. From vacuum tubes to transistors, to integrated circuits, advances in underlying technology will enable scale and impact”.

    According to the company, quantum hardware will fall into one of the three categories of Quantum Computing Implementation Levels, which include Level 1 — Foundational (Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum); Level 2 — Resilient (reliable logical qubits); and Level 3 — Scale (Quantum supercomputers).

    Presently, Microsoft has achieved the first milestone towards a quantum supercomputer.

    “We can now create and control Majorana quasiparticles. With this achievement, we’re well on our way to engineering a new hardware-protected qubit. With it, we can then engineer reliable logical qubits to reach the Resilient Level and then progress to reach Scale,” Jason Zander, Executive Vice President, Strategic Missions and Technologies, Microsoft said in a blogpost.

    Moreover, the tech giant said that a quantum supercomputer will be able to solve problems that are intractable on a classical computer and scale to solve the most complex problems facing our world. To do this, it must be both performant and reliable.

    In addition, Microsoft announced Azure Quantum Elements, which combines high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology to accelerate scientific discovery, as well as Copilot for Azure Quantum, an artificial intelligence model that can assist scientists (and students) in creating quantum simulations and calculations.

    ALSO READ-Microsoft adds new phone photos feature in File Explorer

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