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Tag: Microsoft

  • Microsoft bets big on Hyderabad data centre 

    Microsoft bets big on Hyderabad data centre 

    Microsoft will make the investment over a period of 15 years into the new data centre region spread across three sites – Chandanvelly, Ellikatta, and Kottur….reports Asian Lite News

     Software giant Microsoft will set up its largest data centre in India at Hyderabad with an investment of Rs 15,000 crore.

    The Telangana government and Microsoft on Monday jointly announced the data centre investment which will be Microsoft’s largest data centre region in India.

    Microsoft will make the investment over a period of 15 years into the new data centre region spread across three sites – Chandanvelly, Ellikatta, and Kottur.

    The software giant already has its India development centre in Hyderabad, which is its largest in the world outside its headquarters in the US.

    The new data centre in Hyderabad will deliver advanced data security and cloud solutions that will help enterprises, start-ups, developers, education, and government institutions.

    The announcement was made in the presence of Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Telangana’s Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao and Principal Secretary, ITE&C, Jayesh Ranjan. The event was also attended by Microsoft’s Executive Vice President, Jean-Philippe Courtois and Microsoft India President, Anant Maheshwari.

    The Hyderabad data centre region is another addition to the existing network of 3 regions in India across Pune, Mumbai, and Chennai, which have been operational for more than five years.

    K.T. Rama Rao called it an iconic moment in the development story of Telangana.

    “This will be one of the largest FDIs that Telangana has attracted; Will indirectly support local business growth and facilitate job creation across IT operations, facilities management, data and network security, network engineering and much more,” he tweeted.

    Through the data centre region, Microsoft will enable opportunities for local businesses to innovate with Microsoft Cloud services in Hyderabad and across Telangana.

    Telangana and Microsoft have earlier entered an MoU that will positively reinforce the state government’s capabilities to enhance its citizen service capabilities. Given the state’s technology driven growth agenda around key sectors like agriculture, healthcare, education, law enforcement and mobility, the Microsoft data centre in the region will push up the local growth.

    “Today’s commitment to the people and businesses of India will position the country among the world’s digital leaders. A Microsoft data centre region provides a competitive advantage to our digital economy and is a long-term investment in our country’s potential. The cloud is transforming every industry and sector. The investment in skilling will empower India’s workforce today and into the future,” said Chandrasekhar.

    “Microsoft and Telangana go a long way back with Hyderabad hosting one of the largest Microsoft offices in the world and I am happy to see the relationship grow,” said Rama Rao.

    Maheshwari noted that cloud services are poised to play a critical role in reimagining the future of business and governance and enabling overall inclusion in the country. “The new data centre will augment Microsoft’s cloud capabilities and capacity to support those working across the country. It will also support new entrepreneurial opportunities while meeting critical security and compliance needs. The new data centre region is a testament to our mission to empower the people and organisations of India to achieve more,” he said.

    ALSO READ: Microsoft stops new sales in Russia
  • Microsoft stops new sales in Russia

    Microsoft stops new sales in Russia


    Apple shut down sales of its products in Russia and Google and Meta have put a pause on selling ads in the country…reports Asian Lite News

    Horrified, angered and saddened by the images and news coming from the war in Ukraine, Microsoft has announced to suspend all new sales of its products and services in Russia.

    Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair of Microsoft, said that the company condemns the unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful invasion by Russia.

    “We are coordinating closely and working in lockstep with the governments of the US, the European Union and the UK, and we are stopping many aspects of our business in Russia in compliance with governmental sanctions decisions,” Smith said in a statement late on Friday.

    “We believe we are most effective in aiding Ukraine when we take concrete steps in coordination with the decisions being made by these governments and we will take additional steps as this situation continues to evolve,” he added.

    Microsoft joins the growing list of Big Tech companies like Google, Meta, Twitter, Snapchat, Reddit, YouTube and others in pausing or curtailing their business/presence in Russia.

    Apple shut down sales of its products in Russia and Google and Meta have put a pause on selling ads in the country.

    Smith said that they continue to work proactively to help cybersecurity officials in Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, including most recently a cyberattack against a major Ukrainian broadcaster.

    “Since the war began, we have acted against Russian positioning, destructive or disruptive measures against more than 20 Ukrainian government, IT and financial sector organisations,” Smith informed.

    Microsoft has also acted against cyberattacks targeting several additional civilian sites.

    “We are also continuing to mobilise our resources to help the people in Ukraine,” Smith added.

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  • Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s son dies at 26

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s son dies at 26

    The software maker told its executive staff in an email that Zain had passed away…reports Asian Lite News

    Tech giant Microsoft Corporation said that Zain Nadella, son of CEO Satya Nadella and his wife Anu Nadella, has died, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

    The software maker told its executive staff in an email that Zain, who was 26 years old and had been born with cerebral palsy, passed away on Monday morning.

    The message asked executives to hold the family in their thoughts and prayers while giving them space to grieve privately, the report said.

    In October 2017, the CEO talked about the birth of his son in a blogpost.

    “One night, during the thirty-sixth week of her pregnancy, Anu noticed that the baby was not moving as much as she was accustomed to. So we went to the emergency room of a local hospital in Bellevue,” Nadella had said in the post.

    “We thought it would be just a routine checkup, little more than new parent anxiety. In fact, I distinctly remember feeling annoyed by the wait times we experienced in the emergency room. But upon examination, the doctors were alarmed enough to order an emergency cesarean section,” he added.

    The CEO mentioned that Zain was born at 11:29 p.m. on August 13, 1996, all of three pounds and he did not cry.

    “Zain was transported from the hospital in Bellevue across Lake Washington to Seattle Children’s Hospital with its state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Anu began her recovery from the difficult birth. I spent the night with her in the hospital and immediately went to see Zain the next morning. Little did I know then how profoundly our lives would change,” Nadella said.

    “Over the course of the next couple of years, we learned more about the damage caused by in utero asphyxiation, and how Zain would require a wheelchair and be reliant on us because of severe cerebral palsy. I was devastated. But mostly I was sad for how things turned out for me and Anu,” he added.

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  • Nadella, world’s top CEO, TikTok fastest growing brand

    Nadella, world’s top CEO, TikTok fastest growing brand

    The top 10 of the Brand Finance ranking is dominated by CEOs (referred to repeatedly as brand guardians) from the tech and media sectors…reports Nikhila Natarajan

    The Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index just in has ranked Microsoft boss, Satya Nadella, as the top CEO in the world.

    Nadella, a first-generation Indian immigrant to the US, “has been credited with overhauling Microsoft’s fortunes by changing its culture towards one of teamwork, innovation, and inclusivity, and instilling a growth mindset throughout the business”.

    Three other Indian-origin expat CEOs rank high: Sundar Pichai of Google is at 5, Shantanu Narayan of Adobe at 6, and Puneet Renjen of Deloitte at 14.

    N. Chandrasekhar of the Tatas is at 25 in the list and Anand Mahindra of M&M and Mukesh Ambani of Reliance are at 41 and 42, respectively. State Bank of India’s Dinesh Kumar Khara is at 46.

    The top 10 of the Brand Finance ranking is dominated by CEOs (referred to repeatedly as brand guardians) from the tech and media sectors.

    Tech boasts six of the top ten – Tim Cook is in second place, having overseen Apple become the first to hit a $3 trillion market valuation.

    Cook is followed by CEOs of household tech names: Tencent’s Huateng Ma at 4, Pichai at 5, and Netflix’s Reed Hastings at 7.

    AMD CEO Lisa Su is a new entrant at 10. This makes her the highest-ranked female.

    She newly qualifies for the ranking as AMD has propelled into the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 after a 122 per cent brand value growth over the past year.

    Su steered AMD through a global chip shortage during the pandemic and came out the other side boasting record revenues.

    Her leadership of a tech company is unfortunately a rarity, with most being run by males.

    This is reflected in the ranking, as the rise in the number of tech brands has come hand in hand with a decrease in the number of female CEOs in the top 100 – from eight in 2021 to five this year.

    At a country level, the index mirrors the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking, with the US and China leading the way. There are 101 CEOs from the US, which represents 40 per cent of the index, and 47 from China, which represents 19 per cent.

    Brand guardians from these two countries head up a number of key sectors: Jianjun Wei of Great Wall in Automobiles at 3, Patricia Griffith of Progressive Insurance at 11, Xiongjun Ding of Moutai Spirits at 12, and Baoan Xin of State Grid Utilities at 13.

    Among the Americans, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America is at 16, Ramon Laguarta of Pepsi at 17, Andy Jassy of Amazon is at 23.

    The highest-ranked CEO outside of the US and China monopoly is ADNOC brand guardian Sultan Al Jaber at 15. He is also the top-scoring leader in the oil and gas sector. Aside from ADNOC, Sultan holds senior positions in the UAE government, and in promoting the diversification and growth of the UAE economy.

    CEOs of the three UAE brands from the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking all feature and record higher scores than last year, with Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Emirates at 34th and Etisalat’s Hatem Dowidar at 79.

    Apple has retained the title of the world’s most valuable brand following a 35 per cent increase to $355.1 billion – the highest brand value ever recorded in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking.

    Apple used 2022 to be effective to a much broader range of services.

    The iPhone still accounts for around half of the brand’s sales. However, this year saw Apple give more attention to its other suite of products with a new generation of iPads, an overhaul to the iMac, and introduction of AirTags. Its range of services, from Apple Pay to Apple TV, has had increasing importance to the brand’s success, the report noted.

    “Privacy and the environment are salient topics, and Apple bolstered its credentials on both fronts. This is evidenced by a greater transparency of the App Store’s privacy policy, reinforcing the trust customers have in the brand, and the announcement that more of Apple’s manufacturing partners will be moving to 100 percent renewable energy, as the company aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.”

    Tripling in brand value over the past year, TikTok is the world’s fastest-growing brand. With 215 per cent growth, the app’s brand value has increased from $18.7 billion in 2021 to $59.0 billion. Claiming 18th spot among the world’s top 500 most valuable brands, TikTok is the highest new entrant to the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking.

    Overall, media brands accounted for the top 3 fastest-growing brands in the ranking – with another social media app, Snapchat, brand value up 184 per cent to $6.6 billion and South Korean internet brand Kakao, brand value up 161% to $4.7 billion, following closely behind TikTok.

    Snapchat saw increased daily usage and revenues grow by 77 per cent in the first 9 months of 2021, with the popularity of its short-form video feature, Spotlight, being a key driver.

    Other notable performers from the media sector include those that offer streaming services, with Disney (brand value up 11 per cent to $57.0 billion), Netflix (brand value up 18 per cent $29.4 billion), YouTube (brand value up 38 per cent to $23.9 billion), and Spotify (brand value up 13 per cent to $6.3 billion).

    Traditional media brands have seen a continued decline, with people favouring social media platforms and on-demand streaming in their place.

    The tech sector remained the most valuable in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking, with a cumulative brand value of close to $1.3 trillion. In total, 50 tech brands feature in the ranking, however, the brand value is largely attributable to three big players, with Apple, Microsoft (brand value $184.2 billion), and Samsung Group (brand value $107.3 billion) together accounting for more than 50 per cent of the total brand value in the sector.

    Closely behind them, Huawei managed to reclaim its place among the top 10 most valuable brands in the world, following 29 per cent growth to $71.2 billion. Huawei’s smartphone business was hit by US sanctions, but it reacted positively by heavily stepping up investment in both domestic technology companies and R&D, as well as turning its focus to cloud services.

    Brand Finance is an independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy headquartered in London.

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  • Iran-backed hackers exploiting Microsoft, Fortinet bugs

    Iran-backed hackers exploiting Microsoft, Fortinet bugs

    The group has highlighted the ongoing malicious cyber activity by an advanced persistent threat (APT) group associated with the government of Iran…reports Asian Lite News

    Federal cyber agencies across the US, the UK and Australia have warned that the Iranian government-sponsored hackers are exploiting several vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange email server and cyber security company Fortinet to perform malicious activities, which include deploying ransomware.

    In an advisory, The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said that they have highlighted the ongoing malicious cyber activity by an advanced persistent threat (APT) group associated with the government of Iran.

    “The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and CISA have observed this Iranian government-sponsored APT exploit Fortinet and Microsoft Exchange ProxyShell vulnerabilities to gain initial access to systems in advance of follow-on operations, which include deploying ransomware,” the CISA said in a statement late on Wednesday.

    By breaking into systems through Fortinet vulnerabilities, cybercriminals can “conduct data exfiltration, data encryption, or other malicious activity.”

    The CISA, the FBI, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have released the joint cybersecurity advisory.

    “ACSC is also aware this APT group has used the same Microsoft Exchange vulnerability in Australia,” it read.

    The Iranian government-sponsored APT group has exploited Fortinet vulnerabilities since at least March 2021 and a Microsoft Exchange ProxyShell vulnerability since at least October 2021.

    The APT actors are actively targeting a broad range of victims across multiple US critical infrastructure sectors, including the transportation sector and the healthcare and public health sector, as well as Australian organisations.

    ALSO READ: Iran reckons India’s role to help peace and stability is very important

    “These Iranian government-sponsored APT actors can leverage this access for follow-on operations, such as data exfiltration or encryption, ransomware, and extortion,” the advisory read.

    In April this year, the FBI and CISA issued warnings about the vulnerabilities in Fortinet gear being actively exploited.

    Microsoft on Wednesday issued its own warning of six Iranian groups using vulnerabilities in the same pair of products to deploy ransomware.

  • Microsoft Net Income at $20.5 Billion

    Microsoft Net Income at $20.5 Billion

    Satya Nadella-run Microsoft has posted robust revenue of $45.3 billion and a net income of $20.5 billion for the July-September quarter, riding on a strong performance on its cloud, server, and Office businesses.

    While revenues were up 22 percent, net income registered 48 percent growth as pandemic forced millions to work and learn from home.

    “Digital technology is a deflationary force in an inflationary economy. Businesses — small and large — can improve productivity and the affordability of their products and services by building tech intensity,” said Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft.

    “The Microsoft Cloud delivers the end-to-end platforms and tools organisations need to navigate this time of transition and change,” he said in a statement late on Tuesday.

    Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $15 billion and increased 22 percent.

    Office Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 18 percent, driven by Office 365 Commercial revenue growth of 23 percent.

    “LinkedIn revenue increased 42 percent, driven by Marketing Solutions growth of 61 percent,” the company informed.

    Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was $17 billion and increased 31 percent in the September quarter.

    Server products and cloud services revenue increased 35 percent, driven by Azure and other cloud services revenue growth of 50 percent.

    “We delivered a strong start to the fiscal year with our Microsoft Cloud generating $20.7 billion in revenue for the quarter, up 36 percent year over year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and CFO of Microsoft.

    Revenue in the ‘More Personal Computing’ vertical was $13.3 billion and increased 12 percent.

    Xbox content and services revenue increased a mere 2 per cent, while Surface laptop revenue decreased 17 percent.

  • Microsoft shutters LinkedIn in China

    Microsoft shutters LinkedIn in China

    The move comes after the career-networking site faced questions for blocking the profiles of some journalists….reports Asian Lite News

     Microsoft is shutting down its business and employment-oriented online service LinkedIn in China, saying that having to comply with the Chinese state has become increasingly challenging, the BBC reported.

    The move comes after the career-networking site faced questions for blocking the profiles of some journalists.

    Microsoft will launch a jobs-only version of the site, called InJobs, later this year. But this will not include a social feed or the ability to share or post articles, the report said.

    LinkedIn senior vice-president Mohak Shroff wrote in a blog, “We’re facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China.”

    LinkedIn was the only major Western social media platform operating in China.

    When it launched there in 2014, it had agreed to adhere to the requirements of the Chinese government in order to operate in China but also promised to be transparent about how it conducted business in the country and said it disagreed with government censorship, the report said.

    Recently, LinkedIn blacklisted several journalists’ accounts, including those of Melissa Chan and Greg Bruno, from its China-based website.

    Bruno, who has written a book documenting China’s treatment of Tibetan refugees, told Verdict that he was not surprised that the Chinese Communist Party did not like it, but was “dismayed that an American tech company is caving into the demands of a foreign government”.

    In a letter to LinkedIn chief executive Ryan Roslansky and Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, US Senator Rick Scott called the move a “gross appeasement and an act of submission to Communist China”, the report said.

    ALSO READ: India rejects China’s objection to Naidu’s visit to Arunachal

  • Microsoft faces subpoena in Google’s antitrust case

    Microsoft faces subpoena in Google’s antitrust case

    Microsoft has provided more than 400,000 documents to civil investigative demands from prosecutors….reports Asian Lite News

    Microsoft, which cooperated with the US prosecutors in building a 2020 antitrust case against Google, is now facing a subpoena to produce millions more documents at the request of Googles defense team, the media reported.

    According to a report in The Verge on Friday, judge Amit Mehta said that “more information was required before the court could give guidance as to how much internal data Microsoft would be required to produce”.

    The US Department of Justice (DoJ) filed an antitrust case against Google in 2020 that focused on anti-competitive behaviour in search and search advertising.

    Microsoft has provided more than 400,000 documents to civil investigative demands from prosecutors.

    “In a filing before today’s hearing, Google argued that participation entitles the company to a similar range of documents that might be helpful to its defense,” the report noted.

    Google first issued a subpoena to Microsoft in April, seeking “older documents that will shed light on whether Microsoft was actually restrained from competing with Google, or whether it simply failed to compete successfully on the merits.”

    “But Microsoft agreed to only eight of the 27 executives to be searched, and drastically limited the search strings to which they would be subject”.

    Google has now asked for a more powerful court order to compel the production of documents from Microsoft.

    In October 2020, the US Justice Department and 11 states sued Google for antitrust violations, alleging that it weaponised its dominance in online search and advertising to kill off competition and harm consumers.

    The lawsuit marked the US government’s biggest move since its case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. This came after 15 months of investigation and could be the opening scene of more antitrust actions against other Big Tech companies.

    Google is also facing a new multi-state antitrust lawsuit in the US that accuses the tech giant of abusing its market power to stifle competitors.

    The lawsuit, filed by a coalition of 37 attorneys general co-led by New York Attorney General Letitia James earlier this month, alleged that Google is forcing consumers into in-app payments that grant the company a hefty cut.

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  • Bill Gates steps down from Microsoft board

    Bill Gates steps down from Microsoft board

    “Microsoft received a concern in the latter half of 2019 that Bill Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee in the year 2000,” a Microsoft spokesperson said…reports Asian Lite News.

    Gates finally resigned from the Microsoft board in March 2020 before the investigation had been completed, the report said on Sunday. Resignation of Bill Gates in 2020 from Microsoft’s Board of Directors came after the board hired a law firm to investigate a romantic relationship he had with a Microsoft employee that was deemed inappropriate, people familiar with the matter said.
    Quoting Wall Street Journal, CNN reported that some Microsoft Directors began an investigation in 2019 into the woman’s allegations of prior sexual relationship with Bill Gates. During the probe, some board members decided it was no longer suitable for Gates to sit as a Director at the software company he started and led for decades, the people said.

    Gates resigned before the Board’s investigation was completed and before the full board could make a formal decision on the matter, another person familiar with the matter said, reported Wall Street Journal.
    “Microsoft received a concern in the latter half of 2019 that Bill Gates sought to initiate an intimate relationship with a company employee in the year 2000,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
    “A committee of the Board reviewed the concern, aided by an outside law firm to conduct a thorough investigation. Throughout the investigation, Microsoft provided extensive support to the employee who raised the concern.”

    Bill and Melinda Gates announce to end marriage after 27 years. (ANI)

    Meanwhile, Gates’s spokeswoman refuted the allegations and said the decision to leave board in 2020 was not related to the matter.
    A spokesperson for Gates said, “There was an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably.” The spokesperson said his “decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter. In fact, he had expressed an interest in spending more time on his philanthropy starting several years earlier,” reported Wall Street Journal. The spokesperson said the “claim of mistreatment of employees is also false,” and that “the rumours and speculation surrounding Gates’ divorce are becoming increasingly absurd and it’s unfortunate that people who have little to no knowledge of the situation are being characterized as ‘sources’.”

    Bill Gates (ANI)

    Earlier this month, Melinda Gates — Bill Gates’ wife and co-founder of their foundation — filed for divorce after 27 years of marriage. In a statement announcing their split, the couple said, “after a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.” (ANI)

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  • Bill and Melinda Gates part ways

    Bill and Melinda Gates part ways

    The mega-billionaire couple have three children and jointly run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation…reports Asian Lite News

    The mega-billionaire couple Bill and Melinda Gates, who have emerged as a philanthropy powerhouse with a foundation named after themselves, are divorcing because their 27-year marriage has “irretrievably broken”.

    According to TMZ, a media outlet that is up on celebrity affairs, Melinda Gates filed for the divorce asserting that their marriage was “irretrievably broken”.

    TMZ, which said it had seen the filings in a Seattle court, the couple, who jointly run the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, does not have a pre-nuptial agreement on splitting their wealth that many ultra-wealthy couples make to lessen the likelihood of disputes should they break up.

    But according to People magazine, they will have a separation agreement to divide their wealth.

    Bill and Melinda Gates(Wikipedia)

    Melinda Gates filed for a temporary order that would prevent either of them from disposing property or making changes to insurance policies unless they agreed in writing or court ordered it, the magazine reported.

    She is not asking for any payment of spousal support, it added.

    Also read:Gates Foundation to roll out $250mn for Covid research

    Since their three children, son Rory John, 21, and daughters Phoebe Adele, 18, and Jennifer Katharine, 25, are all adults, they will not have the headache of child custody arrangements.

    Bill, who is one of the richest people in the world, has often emphasized in interviews that his children should only inherit a small part of his wealth.

    The financial magazine Forbes has estimated he is worth more than $100 billion.


    Earlier on Monday, a joint statement posted on Twitter by the Microsoft founder said: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage.

    “Over the last 27 years we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives.

    “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundations, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”

    According to reports, Melinda Gates was an employee of Microsoft where she met Bill Gates.

    They first met for a dinner in 1987 and later began dating leading to their marriage on New Year’s Day in 1994.

    However, there was another woman lurking in Bill Gates’s life, according to the reports.

    He had an unusual arrangement with his wife that allowed him while they were married to spend a long weekend with his former girlfriend Ann Winblad every year, according to Time magazine.

    Gates and Winblad, who was five years his senior, had broken off in 1987 because she was ready for marriage, but he wasn’t, according to the magazine. But they stayed in touch.

    Speaking to the magazine for a 1997 article, he said, “When I was off on my own thinking about marrying Melinda, I called Ann and asked for her approval.”

    Bill and Melinda Gates are the second ultra-rich couple to split up in the US.

    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott divorced in 2019.

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