Microsoft is focused on helping customers improve their productivity and collaboration in today’s cloud-centric world.
That was the message from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who discussed his company’s mission and unveiled new services today at the Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Orlando.
Nadella talked about the “reinvention of productivity and business process” throughout his one-hour keynote, stressing how “computing is everywhere today” and how companies can improve efficiency with the right personalized data and information.
“It’s no longer just helping people operate businesses — it is about excelling at their business using software and digital technology,” Nadella said.
Microsoft on Monday showed off “Project GigJam,” a new service that it describes as “a breakthrough way for people to involve others in their business tasks.” GigJam essentially turns simple tasks into applications for PCs, tablets, or smartphones that let you easily surface and share specific information to others.
“GigJam empowers business workers to summon information from their line of business and SaaS apps, spontaneously divvy up the specific information and actions needed to get work done, keep track of each part, and bring it all to closure immediately,” the company noted.
Microsoft used a few different devices while demoing GigJam on Monday, including an iPhone, to stress that the service can be used on any device. A preview version of GigJam will be available later this year and no prices were announced.
“Not just talking, not just knowledge share, but getting work done,” the company said in a blog post that described GigJam as “unleashing the human process.”
Microsoft also today unveiled Cortana Analytics Suite, a new subscription service that uses machine learning, big data, predictive technology, and the Cortana personal digital assistant to help customers make better decisions with existing information.
“The key opportunity or challenge for any organization is to be able to convert data into intelligent action,” Nadella said.
Nadella also briefly touched on HoloLens, the company’s holographic headset, and demonstrated how it can be used with Autodesk Maya, a 3D rendering software, in the workplace.
Finally, Microsoft also today launched a new charitable effort called UpgradeYourWorld as it gears up for its Windows 10 roll-out later this month.
