News


Microsoft To Funnel Intune Premier Support Requests Toward Azure Portal

Microsoft will soon begin shifting Intune support requests toward the Azure Portal for organizations with Microsoft Premier support accounts, the company announced this week.

Windows Server 2019 'Essentials' Version for Small Business Coming

An upcoming Windows Server 2019 Essentials edition for small businesses is on tap from Microsoft this year. It might the last Essentials edition Microsoft ever ships.

Microsoft Cloud Services Stumble After Outage Hits Texas Datacenter

Various Office 365 and Azure cloud services went down this week after a Sept. 4 lightning strike temporarily disabled Microsoft's datacenters in the South Central U.S. region.

Microsoft Surface Leasing No Longer an Option for Students

As of Aug. 31, Microsoft's Surface Plus Program for students looking to lease Microsoft Surface devices is no longer accepting applications.

Windows Server 2019 Puts an Emphasis on SDN Security

Software-defined networking (SDN) security is one of the top 10 networking features coming to Windows Server 2019, according to details shared by Microsoft this week.

Microsoft Gives Upcoming SharePoint Mobile App an AI Boost

A more streamlined SharePoint Mobile App is arriving next month with new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, Microsoft announced this week.

SharePoint Online, OneDrive To Bolster AI Capabilities This Year

Microsoft on Tuesday described the host of artificial intelligence (AI) features that it plans to add to SharePoint Online and OneDrive by year's end.

Microsoft Brings Google ID Support to Azure Active Directory B2B

For the first time, Microsoft is allowing users with non-Microsoft IDs to use its Azure Active Directory Business to Business (B2B) service.

Microsoft Adds Apple Watch to Authenticator App Lineup

Microsoft this week launched a preview version of its Authenticator companion app for the Apple Watch, with general availability expected "within the next few weeks."

Microsoft Deems Teams Ready To Replace Skype for Business

Microsoft last week gave organizations the go-ahead to substitute the Skype for Business Online client with Teams, deeming the latter a "complete meeting and calling solution."

Microsoft Pulling the Plug on Sway for iOS This Year

Microsoft says it plans to discontinue its Sway application for Apple iOS devices on Dec. 17, 2018, and urges users to switch to using Sway via its Web portal.

Microsoft Enhancing SharePoint Online Capabilities Next Month

Microsoft will preview SharePoint Online improvements next month, including an expanded limit on Hub Site creation plus scripting additions for automating site provisioning.

Microsoft Store Support To End for Windows 8 and 8.1 Apps

Microsoft has specified end dates for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 apps in the Microsoft Store, prodding developers to port them to Windows 10.

Smaller Monthly Updates Coming to Next Windows 10 Version

Microsoft is promising that the next major releases of Windows 10 and Windows Server will kick off a new update scheme that will feature smaller monthly patch deliveries.

Microsoft Promising Improved Console Apps Support in Next Windows 10 Release

The next major Windows 10 release will get a Windows Pseudo Console for better support of command-line and graphical user interface-based applications.

Microsoft To Drop Support for 'Hybrid MDM' Scheme in 2019

Starting Sept. 1, 2019, Microsoft will drop support for hybrid mobile device management (MDM) using Microsoft Intune and System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) -- a model it calls "hybrid MDM."

Microsoft, Intel Warn of 'Foreshadow' CPU Security Attacks

Yet another speculative execution side-channel attack method, this one dubbed "Foreshadow," was identified by researchers from Microsoft, Intel and Red Hat this week.

Microsoft Says It's Developing Next-Gen BizTalk Server

Microsoft recently shared its plans for an upcoming release of BizTalk Server, its enterprise integration solution for "on-premises" installations that's used to connect business applications and services.

Microsoft Explains Its Office 365 ProPlus Update Process

A recent Microsoft announcement gives some insight into how the company schedules the release of new Office 365 ProPlus features.

Windows Server 2019 To Support Software-Defined Datacenters

"Software-defined datacenters" (SDDCs) will be among the top 10 networking features supported in the forthcoming Windows Server 2019 product, Microsoft said this week.