Microsoft (MSFT) News

Satya Nadella shares Microsoft’s inclusion strategy amid sexual harassment claims

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 at 1:11 pm 4 Comments

Microsoft’s workplace culture is under a magnifying glass now that emails from dozens of women have surfaced with damning stories of harassment and discrimination within the company. But Microsoft CEO… Read More

Microsoft bets on a real-time operating system for IoT devices with Express Logic acquisition

by Tom Krazit on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 at 9:59 amComment

The devices that make up the internet of things require a different approach to computing, which is one of the reasons why Microsoft just agreed to acquire a company known… Read More

Ahead of Zoom’s IPO, new report says Microsoft repeatedly tried to acquire video conferencing company

by Nat Levy on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 at 4:37 pmComment

Video conferencing company Zoom is set to go public this week, but its future could have been a lot different, according to a new report. Recode reported that Microsoft has… Read More

Where Microsoft draws the line on selling facial recognition tech to government agencies

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 at 12:29 pmComment

Microsoft is being selective about the government agencies that can buy the company’s facial recognition software. Speaking at a conference at Stanford University, Microsoft President Brad Smith gave examples of… Read More

Video

Microsoft unveils next-generation Surface Hub, starting at $9,000 and shipping in June

by Nat Levy on April 17, 2019April 17, 2019 at 8:51 amComment

Microsoft will begin shipping the follow-up to its Windows 10-powered interactive conference computer, Surface Hub 2, in June at a starting price of $9,000. At an event in New York… Read More

Microsoft bundling Game Pass subscription service with Xbox Live for $15/month

by Nat Levy on April 16, 2019April 16, 2019 at 2:25 pmComment

Microsoft is bundling its Game Pass subscription service with its Xbox Live Gold membership, the latest move in the company’s push toward a gaming future that relies less on discs… Read More

Microsoft’s ambitious new environmental goals include shifting data centers to 70% renewable energy by 2023

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 15, 2019April 16, 2019 at 7:31 amComment

Microsoft is amping up efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and be a global leader in the fight against climate change. On Monday the software giant unveiled sweeping new sustainability… Read More

Internal memo: Satya Nadella promises Microsoft HR overhaul following new sexual harassment complaints

by Nat Levy on April 15, 2019April 15, 2019 at 11:09 am 9 Comments

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is pledging to take action as women at the company share a growing number of allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. RELATED: In leaked emails, women… Read More

Surface Buds? Microsoft working on its own Apple AirPods competitor, report says

by Nat Levy on April 15, 2019April 15, 2019 at 11:49 amComment

Microsoft’s foray into headphones may not be a one-off, according to a new report. Citing multiple sources, journalist Brad Sams reports on Thurrott.com that the tech giant is working on… Read More

Ex-NFL player Steve Gleason launches eye-controlled wheelchair system inspired by Microsoft hackathon

by James Thorne on April 11, 2019April 12, 2019 at 9:49 amComment

It all started with a hackathon. Back in 2014, a team of Microsoft employees developed the EyeGaze, a wheelchair that users could move through eye movement and a Surface tablet.… Read More

And then there were two: Amazon Web Services and Microsoft named finalists for the Pentagon’s $10B JEDI cloud contract

by Tom Krazit on April 10, 2019April 11, 2019 at 10:34 amComment

The U.S. Department of Defense narrowed down the list of contenders for its ten-year $10 billion cloud contract to the two companies, and their names will not surprise you. Either… Read More

Google plans to offer a managed version of Microsoft’s SQL Server database

by Tom Krazit on April 10, 2019April 10, 2019 at 9:59 amComment

Google is expanding the quiet relationship it has with Microsoft’s commercial software division, with plans to offer a managed version of the venerable SQL Server relational database on its public… Read More

How Dropbox’s partnerships with Microsoft, and now Google, have shaped its SaaS approach

by Tom Krazit on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019 at 3:43 pmComment

Dropbox’s decision to partner with Microsoft five years ago has paid off handsomely for the company. Tuesday it plans to unveil an important step in its evolving partnership with Google,… Read More

Slack unveils new integrations with Microsoft Office 365 apps, bringing key rival into its ecosystem

by Nat Levy on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019 at 10:33 amComment

Slack is battling Microsoft in the competitive market for workplace collaboration apps, but that isn’t stopping the company from integrating some of the most popular services from its rival into… Read More

Tech Moves: Microsoft Healthcare lands ex-Google leader; StubHub hires Amazon legal vet; and more

by James Thorne on April 8, 2019April 10, 2019 at 8:45 amComment

Dr. Gregory Moore has joined Microsoft as corporate vice president of health technology and alliances. Moore made the jump from Google, where he was vice president of Google Cloud Healthcare… Read More

Microsoft launches first preview builds of Chromium-powered Edge browser for Windows 10

by Nat Levy on April 8, 2019April 8, 2019 at 10:48 am 3 Comments

Microsoft gave a first look at the next evolution of its Edge web browser built on Chromium, the open-source browser that also powers Google Chrome. Microsoft launched the first preview… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Celebrating the first man in space and exploring underwater artifacts

by Nicole Tanner on April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 at 4:34 pmComment

More than 60 years ago, the world got serious about exploring space. The global fascination with the great beyond led to a massive race between the United States and the… Read More

Microsoft reportedly plans to bundle Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live for $15/month

by Nat Levy on April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 at 12:06 pmComment

As Microsoft embarks on a cloud-powered gaming future, the tech giant is reportedly planning to bundle Xbox Live Gold with its game subscription service Xbox Game Pass. First spotted by… Read More

In leaked emails, women at Microsoft share stories of alleged sexual harassment

by Nat Levy on April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 at 2:07 pm 10 Comments

An increasingly large group of women at Microsoft have been emailing back and forth for several weeks, sharing their stories of sexual harassment at the company. The thread has grown… Read More

In whistleblower suit, ex-Microsoft employee alleges she was terminated for reporting discrimination

by Nat Levy on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 at 2:51 pm 4 Comments

A former Microsoft employee filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging she was terminated in retaliation for coming forward after witnessing discrimination against others at the company. According… Read More

Microsoft and BMW add industrial IoT platform to their long-running cloud partnership

by Tom Krazit on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 at 9:17 amComment

A giant shift is underway in manufacturing as sensors and robotics make their impact on the factory floor, and Microsoft and BMW want to help other manufacturers take advantage. The… Read More

Microsoft launches Visual Studio 2019 after focusing on making the popular software development tool easier to use

by Tom Krazit on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 at 10:30 amComment

Developers planning to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft’s Visual Studio code-writing platform will find a new and improved user interface that the company says will make writing and… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: How Microsoft is boxing Amazon into a corner on privacy and taxes

by Todd Bishop on March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 at 10:25 amComment

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Microsoft is putting Amazon into a difficult position by advocating a tax increase on both companies in their home state, as part of a… Read More

Video

Tech worker charged in fatal Seattle rampage claims he was playing Xbox, drinking, blacked out and doesn’t remember anything

by Todd Bishop on March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 at 8:36 am 12 Comments

A tech worker accused of going on a fatal shooting rampage in Seattle says he was drinking heavily while playing Xbox prior to the incident — claiming that he blacked… Read More

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