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Microsoft is weaving AI into its own products, such as the $30-a-month "Copilot" assistant for its Microsoft 365 service that can summarize a day's worth of emails into a quick update. Microsoft's results show heavy spending on AI services ahead of commensurate revenue growth. For the segment that includes Azure, Microsoft forecast a first-quarter revenue range with a midpoint of $23.45 billion. Microsoft's forecast for its Windows segment had a midpoint of $12.7 billion, below analysts' estimate of $13.14 billion. Microsoft has started integrating AI functionality across its products such as Azure, Microsoft 365, GitHub and several developer tools.

Persons: Amy Hood, Hood, Satya Nadella, Yuvraj Malik, Devika Syamnath, Richard Chang Organizations: Microsoft, Wall, Nvidia Corp, Revenue, Alpha, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Microsoft is giving out free cybersecurity tools after an alleged Chinese hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Microsoft is offering free cybersecurity tools to some government and commercial customers following criticism of the tech giant’s handling of a major alleged Chinese hack that compromised US government email accounts. Starting in September, Microsoft cloud computing customers won’t have to pay extra money to get access to critical data to help them spot cyberattacks, Microsoft said Wednesday. The move comes after cybersecurity officials privately expressed frustration that Microsoft had not done enough to detect the alleged Chinese cyber-espionage campaign, according to US officials. The email accounts of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and State Department officials were breached in the activity, CNN has reported. Until now, Microsoft’s business model has involved charging customers extra for access to these logs.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, ” Sean Koessel, ” Koessel, —, Jen, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft, Street Journal, State Department, CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Locations: New York

☆ Korean telco giant adds ChatGPT tech to its A.I. chatbot, says you can talk to it like a 'close friend'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The company has integrated its various service from music streaming to e-commerce into A. and is planning to launch it fully in 2023. SKT added a feature called "Chat T" to A. that is powered by the technology behind ChatGPT, based on Microsoft's Azure OpenAI cloud computing service. The Korean telecoms giant also added a chatroom function to A. that allows users to have conversations with an AI character. "Through these conversations, users can share information about their daily life like they are talking to a close friend," SKT said in a press release. SKT said it has brought more AI agents named "A. friends" to the product, equipped with conversational AI technology "that enables emotional and human-like conversations."

Persons: chatbot, OpenAI's, Sapeon Organizations: SK Telecom's, SK Telecom, South Korea's, Microsoft, CNBC Locations: South, South Korea

☆ Microsoft CEO Nadella said last year goal is to reach $500 billion in sales by 2030, court filing shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told fellow executives and board members last year that the software company aims to reach $500 billion in revenue by the 2030 fiscal year, more than doubling from its current size. Nadella described a goal of "20/20," involving 20% year-over-year revenue growth and 20% operating income expansion for the 2022 fiscal year and subsequent years. For 2022, Microsoft wound up reaching 18% top-line growth to $198.27 billion in revenue, and 19% operating income growth. In the memo, Nadella used the phrase Microsoft Plus to describe products aimed at consumers. "Our priority is to maintain growth above the market rate to extend our lead over GCP and close the gap with AWS," Nadella wrote in the accompanying document.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Nadella, Kevin Simpson Organizations: Microsoft Corp, White, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Amazon Web Services, Google, LinkedIn, Federal Trade Commission, Activision, Apple Locations: Washington , DC

☆ Microsoft's cloud boss faces tough questions about pay and low morale, leaked messages show
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Employees blasted Microsoft's decision to pause raises and low morale ahead of a cloud meeting. Cloud boss Scott Guthrie told employees at the previous meeting no changes would come to raises. Microsoft cloud boss Scott Guthrie is facing tough questions about the company's decision to pause raises and cut bonuses and stock awards ahead of an employee meeting for the Cloud + AI organization. Many of the questions ahead of Guthrie's latest meeting, initially scheduled for June 8 and then canceled, were directed at Microsoft's senior leadership team, internally abbreviated as LT or SLT. Are you a Microsoft employee or do you have insight to share?

Persons: Scott Guthrie, Guthrie, Satya Nadella, Will LT, Kathleen Hogan, Charlie Bell, Ashley Stewart Organizations: Microsoft, Microsoft's

Analyst Brent Bracelin raised his price target on shares to $400 from $348, saying he was increasing estimates "for an AI All-Star." Recall, Microsoft Cloud is poised to exceed $110B in F2023 which is larger than the entire business in F2013 at $78B. We think the Microsoft AI opportunity could be bigger than cloud," Bracelin wrote in a Tuesday note. Microsoft shares have been on fire this year, surging more than 38%, as excitement grows around the prospects of artificial intelligence. The analyst added, however, that "AI tailwinds can justify further multiple expansion as AI news flows further converts into higher confidence in out-year growth."

Persons: Piper Sandler, Brent Bracelin, MSFT, Bracelin, Michael Bloom Organizations: Microsoft Locations: Seattle

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Nvidia, Chevron, Amazon, Avis, SeaWorld & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Needham initiates Sovos Brands as buy Citi said Sovos' Brands Rao's Tomato Sauce will be a $1 billion brand in the next three-to-four years. " Citi reiterates Anheuser-Busch InBev as buy Citi said investors should buy the dip in the beer giant. Deutsche Bank upgrades Avis to buy from hold Deutsche said the rental car company that it has upside potential. "In a tougher recession and sharp travel fall-off where revenue growth is cut in half, we estimate mid to high single digit EPS risk, implying an excellent risk/reward given valuation. Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said investors should "stay long" in shares of Nvidia.

Persons: Needham, Sovos, Michael Angelo's, Bernstein, Wedbush, it's, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Bud, Baird, Mobileye, XYL, Wells, Key, AMBA, Mizuho, Piper Sandler, Piper Organizations: Brands, Citi, Amazon, Worldwide, Conference, SeaWorld, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Deutsche Bank, Avis, Deutsche, UBS, American Express, American, Palo Alto Networks, JPMorgan, Chevron, Service, Nvidia, TAM, Liberty, Microsoft Locations: US, Noosa, Cupertino, European, Wells Fargo, CrowdStrike, Zscaler, Palo, America, F2023E

☆ These 7 Club holdings are using pricing power to boost profits this earnings season
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Pricing power is what's allowing many companies — including seven of our Club holdings — to support revenue growth and enhance, or at the very least protect, profitability during an earnings season marked by a still-elevated inflationary environment. When we're talking about "pricing power," it's the ability of companies with strong brands to raise prices without seeing too much impact on demand. Here's a list of Club holdings with pricing power, starting with a closer look at P & G. PG YTD mountain Procter & Gamble's stock performance year to date. LIN YTD mountain Linde's stock performance year to date. Halliburton has exhibited strong pricing power due to massive demand from global end markets, benefitting from years of under-investment in drilling.

☆ Exclusive: Google says Microsoft cloud practices are anti-competitive
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BRUSSELS, March 30 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google Cloud has accused Microsoft (MSFT.O) of anti-competitive cloud computing practices and criticised imminent deals with several European cloud vendors, saying these do not solve broader concerns about its licensing terms. In response, Microsoft referred to a blogpost in May last year where its president Brad Smith said it 'has a healthy number two position when it comes to cloud services, with just over 20 percent market share of global cloud services revenues'. "We are committed to the European Cloud Community and their success," a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday. There is intense rivalry between the two U.S. tech giants in the fast-growing, multi-billion-dollar cloud computing business, where Google trails market leader Amazon (AMZN.O) and Microsoft. 'UNFAIR ADVANTAGE'Zavery said individual deals struck with several smaller European cloud vendors only benefit Microsoft.

☆ These tech giants are still making money, but layoffs are coming hard and fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Here are some of the more prominent global tech firms that have axed staff despite earning big money. 30 despite a "dynamic environment," CEO Satya Nadella said in the tech giant's annual report. Despite that, Microsoft announced in January that it's laying off 10,000 workers as the firm braces for slower revenue growth. The enterprise software company also returned to positive operating profit growth of 2%. However, SAP announced in January that it's cutting up to 3,000 jobs, as the leadership seeks to steer the company toward double-digit profit growth in 2023.

☆ Bill Gates says some people provoke AI and make it look stupid but it poses no threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Gates told the FT that people try to make AI look stupid but it wasn't a threat to humans. Asked by a Financial Times journalist whether he was worried about AI, Gates said it was "fine, there's no threat." "It's not clear who should be blamed, you know, if you sit there and provoke a bit," Gates told the FT. But according to Gates, the main problem with AI is not the AI itself doing things but the people controlling it. Although he believes AI is set to trigger some labor displacement, it will create more efficiency, he told the FT.

☆ Microsoft cloud outage hits users around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Akriti Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Microsoft Teams app is seen on the smartphone placed on the keyboard in this illustration taken, July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationJan 25 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) on Wednesday was hit with a networking outage that took down its cloud platform Azure along with services such as Teams and Outlook, potentially affecting millions of users globally. "We've determined the network connectivity issue is occurring with devices across the Microsoft Wide Area Network (WAN)," Microsoft said. During the outage, users faced problems in exchanging messages, join calls or use any features of Teams application. Among the other services affected were Microsoft Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, according to the company's status page.

☆ Microsoft's $10 billion bet on ChatGPT's maker gives it a powerful new weapon in the cloud wars with Amazon and Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Cloud, increasingly important to Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, is slowing down in the short term. But the company has a longer-term strategic weapon that could help it win the cloud wars: its once-in-a-generation bet on OpenAI. Any hint of a slowdown in growth for Microsoft's Azure, Amazon's AWS, and Google Cloud tends to provoke analyst angst. Even if there are immediate challenges for cloud growth, Microsoft sees its OpenAI bet, reported to be worth $10 billion, as a bigger strategic move. Microsoft Cloud, which also includes revenue from Office 365 and other products as well as Azure, represented around 50% of the company's overall revenue.

☆ Microsoft quarterly profit falls 12% but cloud computing business shows strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The tech giant reported revenue of $52.7 billion for the quarter, a modest 2% increase from the year prior but slightly less than analysts had expected. The earnings results come at a turbulent moment for Microsoft, and the tech industry as a whole. Microsoft said last week that it plans to lay off 10,000 employees as part of broader cost-cutting measures. On Tuesday, Microsoft reported revenue declines from its Windows OEM operations and from its Xbox content and services lines. Revenue from its cloud computing division, a key area of focus for Microsoft in recent years, increased 22% from the prior year.

☆ Microsoft's forecast suggests gloomy tech environment will continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A metric dubbed Microsoft Cloud — including Azure, commercial subscriptions to Microsoft 365, commercial LinkedIn services and Dynamics 365 enterprise software — now represents 51% of total sales. Large organizations are optimizing their spending on cloud services, a key area of growth for Microsoft, CEO Satya Nadella said. Hood said said Azure growth would slow down more. In the full December quarter, revenue from Azure and other cloud services rose 42% in constant currency. Her forecast included flat revenue for Windows commercial products and cloud services, compared with a decline of 3% in the fiscal second quarter.

☆ Microsoft CEO says OpenAI partnership will allow companies to access tools like ChatGPT in workplace emails, slideshows, and spreadsheets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Increased availability of Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service follows AI integration within the company's own products like Excel and Bing. The tech giant announced earlier this week it opened access to its Azure OpenAI Service, which uses Microsoft cloud computing technology to allow companies to use AI tools like ChatGPT, according to a company press release. "With Azure OpenAI Service now generally available, more businesses can apply for access to the most advanced AI models in the world," the announcement states. Nadella went on to say that workers should embrace new AI tools instead of fearing them, the Journal reported. At the Wall Street Journal panel Tuesday, he said AI tools will increase human productivity, in turn bolstering economic growth and wages.

☆ ChatGPT and generative AI look like tech's next boom. They could be the next bubble.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Generative AI is the catchall term for artificial intelligence that can create something new — text or images for example — from existing data, when given prompts. OpenAI's generative AI tools can seemingly do anything from write poetry and code to producing frame-worthy art, triggering huge excitement in the space. How generative AI generates revenue is unclearAll of this might be justifiable if there was a clear path for AI firms to make money. Some of the hype around generative AI may be justified and the technology feels genuinely exciting. But to avoid another bubble, investors would do well to quiz the fundamentals of generative AI businesses, before handing out hefty valuations.

☆ Microsoft to buy 4% stake in London Stock Exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. The European Union has just approved a law introducing safeguards on cloud providers in financial services, with Britain set to follow suit. "We will continue to maintain our multi-cloud strategy and working with other cloud providers," Schwimmer said. Microsoft said the basis of the partnership will be the digital transformation of LSEG's technology infrastructure and Refinitiv platforms on to the Microsoft Cloud. Microsoft will buy LSEG shares from the Blackstone (BX.N)/Thomson Reuters (TRI.TO), Consortium, the exchange operator said.

☆ Microsoft extends free tech support for Ukraine through 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Thursday it would extend technology support for Ukraine free of charge through 2023, as Russia's invasion of the country drags on. Microsoft said it would provide additional technology aid of nearly $100 million, bringing its total support for Ukraine to more than $400 million since the crisis started in February. The company's support "will ensure that government agencies, critical infrastructure and other sectors in Ukraine can continue to run their digital infrastructure and serve citizens through the Microsoft Cloud," Microsoft Corp President Brad Smith wrote in a blog post. read moreA number of companies across Europe and North America have mobilized in offering aid to Ukrainian authorities and people. read moreRussian forces swept into Ukraine in February in what Moscow calls a "special military operation" to eliminate dangerous nationalists and protect Russian-speakers.

☆ Vleeschhouwer: Microsoft cloud computing services are growing
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailVleeschhouwer: Microsoft cloud computing services are growingJay Vleeschhouwer, Managing Director of Software Research at Griffin Securities, joins Worldwide Exchange to discuss Microsoft's Q1 earnings.

☆ Analysts are still bullish on Microsoft's long-term prospects but see more near-term headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Still, most analysts covering Microsoft remained bullish on the company in the long-term. While a number of firms covering the tech company lowered their 12-month price targets, buy ratings for the tech giant remained intact. The firm reiterated its buy rating but cut its price target to $315 from $330 to reflect slower growth ahead. Lenschow maintained his overweight rating but lowered his price target to $296 per share from $310. The bank has a buy rating on Microsoft and a price target of $282 per share.

☆ Microsoft cloud leader Scott Guthrie says companies aren't holding off on cloud spending as inflation mounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of cloud and enterprise at Microsoft Corp., speaks during the Microsoft Developers Build Conference in Seattle, Washington, U.S., on Monday, May 7, 2018. But Guthrie said that doesn't seem to be the case with Azure, Microsoft's cloud infrastructure service. "I've not seen the current situation cause people to pause cloud," said Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft's cloud and artificial-intelligence group, in an interview with CNBC. Guthrie said he hasn't heard companies saying they would slow their use of cloud computing because of the higher energy costs. That's been a discussion topic among executives at Paris-based health care company Sanofi , which uses cloud services from Amazon , Google and Microsoft.

☆ Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft collaborate on supply chain data platform
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Mercedes-Benz logo is seen at the 43rd Bangkok International Motor Show, in Bangkok, Thailand, March 22, 2022. REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaBERLIN, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) announced a partnership on Wednesday using Microsoft Cloud for a data platform intended to improve production efficiency at over 30 passenger car plants globally, the carmaker said on Wednesday. The data platform, called MO360, is already available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and will also be launched in the United States and China, the statement said. The aim is to gather data from across the production process from components to logistics to the assembly line to create a virtual replica that allows teams to identify potential supply chain bottlenecks more quickly. The collaboration should lead to a 20% increase in vehicle production efficiency by 2025 from 2022 levels, the statement added.

☆ Tanium insiders say the $9 billion startup is trying to cozy up to Microsoft and angle itself to be acquired as cost cutting and a market downturn chill hopes for its long-awaited IPO
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( Rosalie Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Current and former Tanium employees say the company has been tightening its belt. Tanium had two rounds of job cuts in the past month as internal hopes for its IPO faded. "Plenty of ink has been spilled over the past few months on this topic," a Tanium spokesperson said of its IPO plans. Even so, many rank-and-file employees are skeptical that either an acquisition or IPO will happen, a current employee said. "All well run organizations look for ways to simplify their structures and adapt to meet changing business requirements and industry shifts," the Tanium spokesperson said.

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