Microsoft (MSFT) News

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Microsoft helps Swedish Health Services develop COVID-19 app to track hospital resources

by Karina Mazhukhina on April 1, 2020April 1, 2020 at 2:29 pmComment

Microsoft and Swedish Health Services joined forces over the past two weeks to build an app that helps hospital staff monitor resources for COVID-19-related care. Swedish, the largest nonprofit health… Read More

Microsoft president calls Washington state’s new facial recognition law ‘a significant breakthrough’

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 31, 2020April 1, 2020 at 9:47 am 3 Comments

Microsoft President Brad Smith took a break from responding to the COVID-19 outbreak Tuesday to praise Washington state’s landmark facial recognition regulations. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Tuesday… Read More

Microsoft answers Amazon’s Verizon cloud partnership with new 5G-enabled Azure Edge Zones, starting with AT&T

by Todd Bishop on March 31, 2020April 1, 2020 at 12:51 pmComment

A new service from Microsoft will connect its Azure cloud services to 5G wireless networks inside data centers operated by wireless carriers, aiming to boost the performance of devices and… Read More

Microsoft previews new Teams family features in broader push to expand Office beyond work

by Todd Bishop on March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 at 9:46 amComment

Microsoft will add new features for individuals and families to its Teams collaboration and communication app, seeking to expand further beyond the workplace and into the personal lives of its… Read More

Microsoft cloud services see 775% spike in regions affected by social distancing mandates

by Taylor Soper on March 29, 2020March 31, 2020 at 8:19 amComment

Update, March 31: Microsoft clarified this statistic, noting that the 775% increase was specifically an increase in Teams calling and meeting monthly users in a one month period in Italy. … Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Coronavirus hits tech economy; life under lockdown; a poem for our new era

by Curt Milton on March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 at 10:21 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Seattle’s latest week under the cloud of the coronavirus began with Gov. Jay Inslee’s long-expected shelter-at-home announcement. It requires… Read More

Microsoft to acquire Affirmed Networks to bolster 5G-related cloud offerings

by Taylor Soper on March 26, 2020March 27, 2020 at 1:07 pmComment

Microsoft said today that it will acquire Affirmed Networks, a Boston-area startup that sells virtualized network software to mobile operators. “This acquisition will allow us to evolve our work with… Read More

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says tech giant ‘will weather the storm’ amid COVID-19 outbreak

by Taylor Soper on March 24, 2020March 26, 2020 at 3:10 pmComment

One impact from the sudden change to remote work amid the COVID-19 crisis: Satya Nadella is no longer working from his bed at home. “Sharing the office with my daughters… Read More

Amazon calls DoD review of Microsoft JEDI win too narrow, urges sweeping reevaluation of bids

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 at 10:45 amComment

For months Amazon has been pleading with a federal court to order the Department of Defense to review its decision to award a lucrative, high-profile cloud contract to rival Microsoft.… Read More

Tech Moves: Microsoft names Windows Insider leader; WA Lt. Gov. leaving to join Jesuits; Axon hires Amazon AI vet

by Cara Kuhlman on March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 at 10:09 amComment

— Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay announced Amanda Langowski as the new lead for the Windows Insider program, an online community of 18 million people that allows users to… Read More

‘Uncharted territory’: What Satya Nadella is telling Microsoft employees about the COVID-19 outbreak

by Taylor Soper on March 21, 2020March 22, 2020 at 9:55 pmComment

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thanked employees for their hard work and said the company has a key role to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic in a company-wide email sent Saturday.… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Bill Gates on COVID-19, gig workers in peril, and more on the coronavirus crisis

by Curt Milton on March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 at 11:04 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. It was another tumultuous week in Seattle, the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, with restaurants and bars ordered closed,… Read More

Microsoft Teams hits 44M daily active users, spiking 37% in one week amid remote work surge

by Taylor Soper on March 19, 2020March 19, 2020 at 12:39 pmComment

Microsoft Teams is seeing massive user growth as remote work becomes the norm amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The chat, collaboration and video conferencing app saw its daily active user count… Read More

Bill Gates calls out federal government for disorganized COVID-19 testing in Reddit AMA

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 18, 2020March 19, 2020 at 4:02 pm 9 Comments

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, a leading philanthropist on global public health, offered predictions and advice for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday during a Reddit AMA. He urged everyone who… Read More

News Brief

Microsoft-owned GitHub to acquire JavaScript package manager Npm

Podcast

AI vs. Coronavirus: How artificial intelligence is now helping in the fight against COVID-19

by Todd Bishop on March 17, 2020March 17, 2020 at 8:31 amComment

Artificial intelligence often raises concerns about privacy, bias and trickery in areas such as facial recognition and deep fake videos. But amidst the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, some technology… Read More

Microsoft closes all retail stores worldwide due to COVID-19 outbreak

by Taylor Soper on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 at 9:23 pmComment

Microsoft announced late Monday that it will close all Microsoft Store retail locations due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The decision follows other companies including Apple and Nike that have closed… Read More

Analysis: Microsoft does a deep dive into the ‘most powerful Xbox ever,’ but price tag still a big question

by Thomas Wilde on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 at 3:45 pmComment

Microsoft on Monday revealed new details about the hardware that powers its next console. The Xbox Series X is ostensibly the “most powerful Xbox ever,” intended to deliver high levels… Read More

Microsoft milestone: Windows 10 reaches 1 billion monthly active devices

by Taylor Soper on March 16, 2020March 16, 2020 at 9:57 amComment

Microsoft announced Monday that there are 1 billion active devices running Windows 10. “One in every seven people on the planet are planning, creating, ideating, executing, moving, shaking and doing… Read More

DoD likely to split JEDI contract between Amazon and Microsoft, analyst says

by Taylor Soper on March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 at 9:48 am1 Comment

Could Amazon and Microsoft end up sharing the Pentagon’s coveted $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract? That’s the likely scenario to play out in light of recent legal developments, according… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Seattle adjusts to life under the coronavirus threat

by Curt Milton on March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 at 10:27 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. The gravity of the COVID-19 virus outbreak hit home hard in Seattle this week: Large events were banned, schools… Read More

Bill Gates leaves Microsoft and Berkshire boards in historic milestone for tech pioneer

by Todd Bishop on March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 at 4:02 pmComment

Bill Gates is leaving Microsoft’s board, 45 years after co-founding the company with his childhood friend Paul Allen. Gates also announced that he is stepping down from the board of… Read More

DoD wants to ‘reconsider certain aspects’ of decision to award Microsoft $10B JEDI contract

by Taylor Soper on March 12, 2020March 13, 2020 at 5:54 am1 Comment

New court filings reveal that the Department of Defense wants to “reconsider certain aspects” of its decision to award Microsoft with the coveted $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract.… Read More

Microsoft Build developer event in Seattle moved online amid coronavirus outbreak

by Taylor Soper on March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 at 11:30 pmComment

Microsoft Build will be an online-only event this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The annual developer event draws about 5,000 people and was scheduled for May 19-21 in Seattle.… Read More

Microsoft taps Eric Horvitz as first chief scientific officer; Peter Lee takes over Microsoft Research

by Taylor Soper on March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 at 5:07 pmComment

Microsoft today named its first chief scientific officer, promoting longtime research leader and technical fellow Eric Horvitz to the newly created role. It also announced Microsoft Healthcare chief Peter Lee… Read More

How an unpatched Microsoft vulnerability leaked inadvertently, and what it means for Windows Server security

by Christopher Budd on March 11, 2020March 11, 2020 at 11:41 amComment

As Seattle and Silicon Valley grapple with the impact of the novel coronavirus, Microsoft fixed a large batch of vulnerabilities Tuesday, as part of its regular monthly software updates. According… Read More

News Brief

Microsoft helps take control of Necurs, a ‘prolific’ botnet that infected 9M computers worldwide

Video

Shares of Seattle tech companies sink as stock market sees worst drop since 2008

by Taylor Soper on March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 at 2:05 pm1 Comment

Fears over the novel coronavirus outbreak and an oil price war led to the worst day for U.S. stocks since 2008 and a 15-minute halt in trading Monday. The Dow… Read More

Microsoft, Amazon and others form $2.5M coronavirus response fund

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 9, 2020March 10, 2020 at 8:26 amComment

Microsoft, Amazon, and other Seattle-area companies are partnering with nonprofits and governments to launch a relief fund in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 Response Fund will provide grants… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Seattle struggles with coronavirus; Microsoft renews NFL deal

by Curt Milton on March 7, 2020March 7, 2020 at 8:36 amComment

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Seattle became ground zero in the U.S. coronavirus outbreak this week and tech firms were trying to adjust. Meetings… Read More

Microsoft

Microsoft helps Swedish Health Services develop COVID-19 app to track hospital resources

Microsoft president calls Washington state’s new facial recognition law ‘a significant breakthrough’

Microsoft answers Amazon’s Verizon cloud partnership with new 5G-enabled Azure Edge Zones, starting with AT&T

Microsoft previews new Teams family features in broader push to expand Office beyond work

Microsoft cloud services see 775% spike in regions affected by social distancing mandates

GeekWire Podcast: Coronavirus hits tech economy; life under lockdown; a poem for our new era

Microsoft to acquire Affirmed Networks to bolster 5G-related cloud offerings

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says tech giant ‘will weather the storm’ amid COVID-19 outbreak

Tech Moves: Microsoft names Windows Insider leader; WA Lt. Gov. leaving to join Jesuits; Axon hires Amazon AI vet

‘Uncharted territory’: What Satya Nadella is telling Microsoft employees about the COVID-19 outbreak

GeekWire Podcast: Bill Gates on COVID-19, gig workers in peril, and more on the coronavirus crisis

Microsoft Teams hits 44M daily active users, spiking 37% in one week amid remote work surge

Bill Gates calls out federal government for disorganized COVID-19 testing in Reddit AMA

Microsoft-owned GitHub to acquire JavaScript package manager Npm

AI vs. Coronavirus: How artificial intelligence is now helping in the fight against COVID-19

Microsoft closes all retail stores worldwide due to COVID-19 outbreak

Analysis: Microsoft does a deep dive into the ‘most powerful Xbox ever,’ but price tag still a big question

Microsoft milestone: Windows 10 reaches 1 billion monthly active devices

DoD likely to split JEDI contract between Amazon and Microsoft, analyst says

GeekWire Podcast: Seattle adjusts to life under the coronavirus threat

Bill Gates leaves Microsoft and Berkshire boards in historic milestone for tech pioneer

DoD wants to ‘reconsider certain aspects’ of decision to award Microsoft $10B JEDI contract

Microsoft Build developer event in Seattle moved online amid coronavirus outbreak

Microsoft taps Eric Horvitz as first chief scientific officer; Peter Lee takes over Microsoft Research

How an unpatched Microsoft vulnerability leaked inadvertently, and what it means for Windows Server security

Microsoft helps take control of Necurs, a ‘prolific’ botnet that infected 9M computers worldwide

Shares of Seattle tech companies sink as stock market sees worst drop since 2008

Microsoft, Amazon and others form $2.5M coronavirus response fund

GeekWire Podcast: Seattle struggles with coronavirus; Microsoft renews NFL deal

What you need to know about the CARES Act: A small business virtual roundtable

ONLINE EVENT: Microsoft 45th Anniversary Online Celebration

POSTPONED: Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit Seattle