News


Microsoft Launches New Flagship Windows Phone, Readies 'Denim' Update

Microsoft took the wraps off three new Windows Phone Lumia devices on Thursday at the IFA technology conference in Berlin.

Microsoft Exec Talks Azure Pricing, Cloud Economics

Microsoft is committed to keeping pace with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the cloud price wars, reiterated Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of the Cloud and Enterprise Group at Microsoft.

Microsoft Extends MPSA To Include Software Assurance

Microsoft's Product and Services Agreement (MPSA), the company's new licensing plan for organizations with over 250 users or devices, now includes Software Assurance (SA).

New Azure SQL Database Service Tiers Coming September

Microsoft is planning to roll out its new service tiers for Azure SQL Database sometime next month with a new pricing plan, the company said on Wednesday.

With Azure ML, Microsoft Lowers the Barriers to Predictive Analytics

The cloud-based service would let partners deploy complex machine-learning models for their customers in a matter of hours, instead of months.

Microsoft May Implement New Update Schedule with Windows 9

The next version of Windows may feature a more regular update release cycle similar to Office 365, according to a new report.

Faster Windows Cycle Brings Subtle Changes to Microsoft Support Policies

The traditional Windows release cycle of once every three years -- with a service pack or two thrown in -- became mostly old news last year, when Microsoft switched to annual product releases.

Microsoft Launches Azure Search Preview, Other Improvements

Microsoft last week rolled out preview releases of Azure DocumentDB and Azure Search, as well as announced the general availability of Azure HDInsight.

Microsoft Feature Phones To Run Opera Browser by Default

Opera Software has entered a deal with Microsoft in which its Opera Mini browser will come preinstalled on new Microsoft feature phones, the company announced on Thursday.

Ballmer Resigns from Microsoft's Board of Directors

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is stepping down from the company's board of directors effective Aug. 19.

Microsoft Brings OneNote to Android Tablets

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a number of updates to its OneNote notetaking app for both Android and Windows devices.

Windows 9 Preview May Be Released by Early October

A "technology preview" version of Microsoft's next Windows operating system may be released sometime this fall, according to a recent report.

Windows Phone Left Out of Smartphone Market Boom

The market for smartphones is bigger than ever, but Android and iOS continue to vastly outperform all other platforms, including Windows Phone.

Microsoft Cloud Exec Touts Azure's Growth, Says AWS Is 'Struggling'

Amazon Web Services (AWS) may be the current cloud leader, but growing competition from Microsoft Azure and the cloud price war are putting a dent on its lead.

Report: Orgs Using Windows 7 Should Start Migration Plans Now

Windows XP isn't even cold yet, but researchers at Gartner Inc. are already urging organizations to begin making plans to move off of Windows 7.

Microsoft Picks Startups for 'Internet of Things'-Themed Accelerator

Microsoft on Wednesday announced the 10 startup firms that will participate in its first home automation-focused accelerator.

Chromebook Adoption Growing, but Enterprise Use Still Low

According to a recent report by Gartner, while Chromebooks sales are set to triple by 2017, business adoption of the Google-backed laptops is still very limited.

Microsoft Discontinues Skype for Windows Phone 7.x

Users of Windows Phone 7 will no longer be able to use Skype on their devices, according to an announcement posted last week on the Skype support page.

'Virtual Desktop' Feature Reportedly Coming to Windows 9

The next version of Windows could have a new "virtual desktops" feature, according to reports this week.

Microsoft Killing Support for Older IE Versions

Microsoft will implement a new browser support policy at the beginning of next year that will significantly limit what versions of Internet Explorer the company supports.