DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Microsoft Employees Are Hooked on the Company’s Training Videos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Like other aspiring actors, Devin Badoo makes ends meet working on TV commercials, including as dads hawking Loctite glue and Hot Wheels toys. Office theatricsWhat Hollywood producers might not know is that Mr. Badoo is already the star of a hit show—just not one they would ever see. The 35-year-old plays Nelson, one of the most popular characters of “Trust Code,” a series of Microsoft compliance training videos that has made him a celebrity among the company’s 221,000 employees in 190 countries.

☆ Microsoft won't raise salaries for full-time employees this year and is reducing bonus and stock award budget, internal email shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told employees in an internal email salaried employees will not receive raises this year. Microsoft will not raise salaries for full-time employees this year, according to an email CEO Satya Nadella sent to employees Wednesday morning. Nadella's email also stated the company will not "overfund" bonuses and stock awards like the company said it did last year, meaning the bonus and stock award budget has been reduced. While we will not be providing salary increases for our full-time salaried employees this year, we will continue to invest in our employees through promotions, bonus and stock." While we will have salary increases for certain hourly or equivalent roles, we will not have salary increases for ful-time salaried employees this year.

☆ Leaked Microsoft email instructs managers to give fewer 'exceptional rewards' as it halts raises and cuts the budget for stock awards and bonuses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Microsoft plans to halt raises and cut its bonus and stock awards budget, according to an internal email. A separate internal email instructs managers to give fewer employees "exceptional rewards." Microsoft sent managers an email about the company's plan to halt raises and cut its bonus and stock awards budget instructing them to give fewer employees exceptional rewards. Microsoft's spokesperson declined to comment on the email to managers but confirmed the news about halting raises and cutting the bonus and stock award budget. Thank you for navigating a more conservative rewards budget coupled with recent workforce reductions and a challenging and dynamic environment this year.

☆ Interview: Amazon Web Services cofounder Charlie Bell dishes on why he moved to Microsoft, how he met Satya Nadella, and if he'll ever work on Azure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Amazon Web Services cofounder Charlie Bell left in 2021 for a job at Microsoft. Many in the industry, including current and former Microsoft and Amazon executives, wonder whether there's a better job for Bell. In a rare interview with Insider, Bell discussed why he left Amazon, how he met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and whether he'll ever work on Azure. Wind the clock back to January of 2021, Jeff (Bezos) came to us and said, "Hey, I'm going to retire." The more I thought about it, the more I thought, "Well, Microsoft might be the place to do it."

☆ At Microsoft, Charlie Bell's shackles are finally off. Watch out, Amazon.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Many in the industry, including current and former Microsoft and Amazon executives, wonder whether there's a better job for Bell. It could get intense, with Bell going toe-to-toe with Jassy and getting into disputes with Selipsky. "There were two different sets of security products and actually different security organizations that were securing the products for Microsoft," Bell said. While Bell has imported some processes from Amazon, he has introduced them with a "Microsoft flavor," by using Microsoft productivity tools, one person said. "So many decisions get made at Microsoft by looking at PowerPoints, and sometimes those PowerPoints lack details," Rashid, the former Microsoft and Amazon executive, said.

☆ ChatGPT could cost over $700,000 per day to operate. Microsoft is reportedly trying to make it cheaper.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

ChatGPT could cost OpenAI up to $700,000 a day to run due to "expensive servers," an analyst told The Information. Microsoft is secretly building an AI chip to reduce the cost, per The Information. "Most of this cost is based around the expensive servers they require," Patel told the tech publication. Microsoft is reportedly working on a secret chipIn an effort to reduce the cost of running generative AI models, Microsoft is developing an AI chip it calls Athena, The Information first reported. Nearly four years later, more than 300 Microsoft employees are now reportedly working on the chip, according to the report.

☆ We're identical twins who interned at Microsoft and absolutely loved our experience. Here's what our internships were like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Jenna Gyimesi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

For our internships, we worked in-person in Seattle, then both moved on to full-time roles as lead product managers at Microsoft. We already had a decent amount of experience before we interned at Microsoft: Mark had interned for companies like Apple, and Andrew with Apple and Tesla. Mark and Andrew AnsellLet's start with the fun thingsEvery year Microsoft has an intern day. I think they purposefully give interns a lot of independence because full-time work at Microsoft requires the same sort of self-guidance. Microsoft truly has one of the best work cultures in our experience and we recommend the company to anyone.

☆ Microsoft's Charlie Bell confirms security layoffs in internal email: 'While we have restructured in some areas, we will continue to invest to grow in others.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft Security boss Charlie Bell confirmed layoffs in his organization. Bell said security remains critical for Microsoft and that it will continue to grow despite cuts. Microsoft Security boss Charlie Bell confirmed layoffs on his team in an internal email viewed by Insider. In Monday's email, Bell said security remains critical for Microsoft and that it will continue to grow the organization despite the cuts. "Security remains a critical area of investment for the company and our customers, and while we have restructured in some areas, we will continue to invest to grow in others."

Both are owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, but Douyin launched before TikTok and became a viral sensation in China. Like TikTok, it’s a short-form video app. Then in 2017, the privately-owned tech company bought a US-based video startup and released TikTok as the overseas version of Douyin. The download page for the TikTok app displayed on an Apple iPhone. Besides TikTok, there’s also shopping app Temu, fast fashion retailer Shein and video editing app CapCut, which is also owned by ByteDance.

☆ An A.I. chatbot asked Bill Gates what he wishes he could tell his younger self — here’s what he said
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Recently, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder sat down with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as the two answered questions generated by an AI chatbot. In past interviews, Gates has also said he'd tell his younger self to "read a lot" and "explore the developing world" as a traveler. "I never asked [Microsoft employees] to work any harder, or be tougher on their mistakes, than I was on myself," Gates told the "Armchair Expert" podcast in 2020. Eventually, Gates had to learn to lighten up, he told Sunak — especially as Microsoft grew. "For the small, early Microsoft group, that was OK," Gates said.

☆ Even at its weirdest, most unhinged moments, Bing's chatbot is making Microsoft relevant again
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Alex Kantrowitz | Big Technology | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Screenshots of a maniacal, unhinged Bing chatbot have flooded the internet this week, showing the bot condescending, gaslighting, and trying to steal husbands. Even in its weirdest moments, Bing's chatbot has brought new relevance to Microsoft and its search division. "The fact that people are even writing about Microsoft Bing at all is a win," one Microsoft employee told me this week. Now, interest in Bing is soaringThe Bing app set its daily download record over the weekend, according to Apptopia. (Upon joining the waitlist for Bing's chatbot, Microsoft encourages downloading the app to get earlier access.)

☆ From a horseback-riding model to a secret daughter: Meet the children of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Grace Kay | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Steve Jobs left the bulk of his fortune to his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, when he died in 2011. Later, he had Reed Jobs, Erin Jobs, and Eve Jobs with his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs. Meet Jobs' four children and his widow Laurene Powell Jobs, and see how his legacy helped his loved ones succeed. Erin Siena JobsErin Siena Jobs is the most private of Steve Jobs' children. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/APTwenty-four-year-old Eve Jobs, the youngest of Steve Jobs' children, is a model and an accomplished equestrian.

☆ The week that tech became exciting again
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN Business —Let’s be honest: For much of the past decade, tech events have been pretty boring. In each case, the changes were powered by new AI technology that allows for more conversational and complex responses. And there are already rumors of another event next month for Microsoft to demo similar features in its Office products, including Word, PowerPoint and Outlook. Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu also said this week that they would be launching their own ChatGPT-style services. Microsoft employee Alex Buscher demonstrates a search feature integration of Microsoft Bing search engine and Edge browser with OpenAI on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Redmond.

☆ Microsoft warns employees not to share 'sensitive data' with ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Microsoft's CTO office told staff they can use ChatGPT at work as long as they don't share "sensitive data." In response, a senior engineer from Microsoft's CTO office wrote that they were allowed, as long as employees don't share confidential information with the AI tool. "Human beings sign NDAs and consequently have incentives to be careful in how they share information. While employees are on the hook for protecting confidential data, it's not clear what exactly Microsoft or OpenAI are doing to address the issue. Is the responsibility on employees to not share sensitive information, or is the responsibility on OpenAI to use information carefully, or some combination?"

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google announced layoffs of a total of 40,000 employees this week. Tech companies embarked on a massive hiring spree as the Covid-era made their products the backbone of the world's remote-working offices. The era of tech companies spending like rock stars is overOver the last decade Big Tech companies spent money "like 1980's rock stars," wrote Dan Ives, managing director at the investment firm Wedbush . On the other end, tech companies may look much different this decade as they did in the last. As companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft cut costs, they'll find ways to operate leaner, and their stock prices will stabilize.

☆ BRUTAL JOB CUTS JANUARY: More than 55,000 tech workers are being laid off as Microsoft, Google, and others make deep cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce have all announced layoffs this year. All told, some 55,300 employees from more than a 154 tech companies have been affected this year. Microsoft said it's letting go of 10,000 workers over the next few months, while Google will let go of 12,000 employees. The layoffs foreshadow more cuts and potential pay reductions in store for workers this year. Read Insider's coverage of the latest wave of tech layoffs:Google is laying off around 12,000 workers as tech giants continue to slash jobs.

☆ Leaked memo shows how Microsoft is directing managers to communicate about layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company shared a guide on how it wants managers to talk to employees about the layoffs. In the guide, Microsoft calls for managers to "show empathy" and "keep a pulse on team morale." As Microsoft prepares to lay off 10,000 employees through March, the company published a guide directing managers on how to communicate with employees, according to an internal email viewed by Insider. Microsoft on Wednesday notified employees about the plan to lay off 10,000 employees over the next three months. Read Microsoft's full memo to managers about layoffs:Managers,It is important for Microsoft leaders and managers to consider how they communicate with their teams during significant workforce changes.

☆ Steve Jobs' nepo babies: From a model to a secret daughter, here's everything we know about the Apple cofounder's kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Grace Kay | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Steve Jobs left the bulk of his fortune to his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, when he died in 2011. Later, he had Reed Jobs, Erin Jobs, and Eve Jobs with his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs. Apple, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Reed Jobs did not reply to requests for comment, nor did representatives for Lisa Brennan-Jobs and Eve Jobs. Since Jobs' death, Powell Jobs has been active in philanthropy and founded Emerson Collective in 2004 as a "social change organization." Erin Siena JobsErin Siena Jobs is the most private of Steve Jobs' children.

☆ Microsoft layoffs shake up the unit responsible for integrating ChatGPT technology into Bing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

WebXT includes the team responsible for integrating AI technology from ChatGPT into Bing. Affected units include Microsoft's Web Experience Team, known internally as WebXT, which includes the company's Bing search engine and Edge web browser. Notably, this is the unit responsible for integrating ChatGPT technology into Bing. The Information reported earlier this year that Microsoft plans to use the same AI as ChatGPT to provide users with answers to some searches. One Microsoft employee theorized that the layoffs will help Microsoft cut higher-paid staff and hire new employees at lower compensation into investment areas like Bing.

☆ Microsoft cuts 10,000 jobs – read CEO Satya Nadella's email announcing the layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

CEO Satya Nadella told employees the company was "living through times of significant change." Read the email sent to Microsoft staff announcing its layoff plans. Read the email sent to Microsoft staff below:We're living through times of significant change, and as I meet with customers and partners, a few things are clear. When I think about this moment in time, the start of 2023, it's showtime – for our industry and for Microsoft. Thank you for the focus, dedication, and resilience you demonstrate for Microsoft and our customers and partners each day.

☆ Microsoft is telling some managers to embrace 'good attrition,' using massive layoffs to push underperforming employees out the door quicker
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft plans to lay off 10,000 employees over the next three months. Ahead of the layoffs, some managers were asked to identify employees for performance-based exits. Some managers were asked to identify employees for exits who would otherwise be put on performance coaching. Now, if HR agrees the employee has concerning performance, they'll consider laying off the employee without performance coaching, according to this person. Are you a Microsoft employee or do you have insight to share?

☆ Microsoft employees are bracing for more layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft employees are bracing for an additional round of layoffs as soon as this week. Microsoft did a round of layoffs in October, cutting about 1,000 employees. Microsoft employees are bracing for an additional round of layoffs as soon as this week as the company extends hiring freezes across many teams. In October, Microsoft laid off about 1,000 employees from teams including the Xbox console gaming division, the cutting-edge Microsoft Strategic Missions and Technology organization, and other units, Insider reported. Several other tech companies have conducted an additional round of job cuts, following on from layoffs last year.

☆ Amazon employees think the company is lowering the bar with a streamlined interview process
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Matt Weinberger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This is Matt Weinberger, deputy editor of Insider's tech analysis team, filling in once again for your regular captain Diamond Naga Siu. Stop me if you've heard this one: Amazon walks into a bar... But seriously folks, my colleague Eugene Kim reports on a big, meaningful change in the online retail giant's hiring process. Some employees think so, Insider's Eugene Kim reports. He says that "current and former bar raisers I talked to were not too happy about this decision and were concerned about its potential to drag down Amazon's hiring bar."

☆ Microsoft will stop tracking vacation time for US salaried employees, internal memo shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Microsoft will no longer track vacation time for US salaried employees, an internal memo shows. Time-off will still require manager approval, as is standard for companies with "unlimited' vacation time. And as we've transformed, modernizing our vacation policy to a more flexible model was a natural next step." Time-off will still require manager approval, as is standard for companies with "unlimited' vacation time. Microsoft employees outside the US will keep existing vacation benefits.

☆ Damar Hamlin’s Toy Drive Solved the Chaos in Fantasy Football
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Roy Vincent and a few guys went to a bar in Seattle last Monday night to watch the game that would decide who would win their fantasy football league. The 37-year-old Microsoft employee narrowly trailed in the championship matchup but had one player who could swing the outcome in that Bills-Bengals game. Hundreds of dollars, pride and fantasy football’s greatest rite—bragging mercilessly—were on the line. But minutes into the game, fantasy football stopped mattering.

Search resuls for: "Microsoft Employee"

25 mentions found