Monday, November 25

Tag: Microsoft

After Linkedin, Microsoft Acquires Messaging Start-up Founded By Indian
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After Linkedin, Microsoft Acquires Messaging Start-up Founded By Indian

Technology giant Microsoft has acquired a messaging-app developer founded by an Indian, as the US-based software firm aims to strengthen its position in the emerging era of combining the power of human language with advanced machine intelligence. Microsoft acquired California-based Wand Labs, a start-up which builds messaging technology for apps, founded in 2013 by IIT-Delhi alumnus Vishal Sharma who was previously the vice president, products at Google. The terms of the acquisition were not made public. "This acquisition accelerates our vision and strategy for Conversation as a Platform which (India-born CEO of Microsoft) Satya Nadella introduced at our Build 2016 conference," Corporate Vice President, Information Platform Group at Microsoft David Ku said in a statement yesterday. Dur...
Microsoft Acquired LinkedIn in $26 Billion Cash Deal
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Microsoft Acquired LinkedIn in $26 Billion Cash Deal

On Monday, Microsoft Corp acquired LinkedIn Corporation for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion, inclusive of LinkedIn’s net cash deal. LinkedIn will retain its distinct brand, culture and independence. Jeff Weiner will remain CEO of LinkedIn, reporting to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. Reid Hoffman, chairman of the board, co-founder and controlling shareholder of LinkedIn, and Weiner both fully support this transaction. The transaction is expected to close this calendar year. “Just as we have changed the way the world connects to opportunity, this relationship with Microsoft, and the combination of their cloud and LinkedIn’s network, now gives us a chance to also change the way the world works,” Weiner said. “For the last 13 years, we’ve been uniquely po...
After Ban, Facebook, Microsoft, Google Agree to Work With Bangladesh Government
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After Ban, Facebook, Microsoft, Google Agree to Work With Bangladesh Government

Facebook, Microsoft and Google have agreed to work with Bangladesh government over "inappropriate contents" on the Internet, the Parliament was told today amidst a series of brutal killings by Islamists of secular bloggers and minorities. Speaking at a question-and-answer session, State Minister for Telecoms Tarana Halim said that not only social media giant Facebook, but Google and Microsoft have also agreed to respond to the governments request within two days. "After intense discussion with Facebook, Google and Microsoft, it has been agreed that they will respond to requests with 48 hours," she said. WHEN THE USE OF FACEBOOK WAS SUSPENDED IN BANGLADESH Last year, the Bangladesh government suspended the use of Facebook, its messenger app, and some other communication apps ...
Microsoft Opens Cyber Security Center in Gurgaon
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Microsoft Opens Cyber Security Center in Gurgaon

Technology giant Microsoft has unveiled its Cyber Security Engagement Center (CSEC) in Gurgaon in a bid to drive public-private partnerships to fight cybercrime and strengthen cooperation with Indian businesses, government and academic organisations on cyber security. "India stands at an exciting threshold today as data becomes a key driver of growth across every sector and industry and cloud-based computing become more prevalent. Cyber security is crucial for Digital India. A data driven economy can flourish only when governments, businesses and individuals have access to hyper scale and hyper flexible cloud computing with the confidence that their data is secure," said Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India. Microsoft's CSEC will work with the National Cybersecurity Coordinato...
India is Celebrating It’s Own Tech Innovation: Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO
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India is Celebrating It’s Own Tech Innovation: Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO

India-born CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella today said developers and entrepreneurs from India are playing a key role in driving innovation both in the country and outside and the company wants to be the platform for creators here. Nadella, on a one-day trip to India, today met Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as well as student developers and entrepreneurs this morning. He is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day. "Its so inspiring for me to come here to see this broad spectrum of student developers, entrepreneurs, artists and even some big brands, e-commerce companies who are all changing the landscape of India and thereby, the world," Nadella said while delivering keynote address at Microsofts Tech For Good, Ideas for India event. ...
Microsoft, Facebook to Jointly Lay Giant Cable Across Atlantic
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Microsoft, Facebook to Jointly Lay Giant Cable Across Atlantic

Microsoft and Facebook have joined hands to lay a giant state-of-the-art subsea cable across the Atlantic Ocean connecting the US with Europe and beyond so as to facilitate faster speed and access to the Internet. The new "MAREA" cable will help meet the growing customer demand for high-speed, reliable connections for cloud and online services for Microsoft, Facebook, and their customers, a media release said. Construction of the cable will commence in August 2016 with completion expected in October 2017, it said. Microsoft and Facebook are collaborating on this system to accelerate the development of the next-generation of Internet infrastructure and support the explosion of data consumption and rapid growth of their respective cloud and online services, the release said. MARE...
Microsoft Will Cut off 1800 Jobs
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Microsoft Will Cut off 1800 Jobs

Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it will trim down its smartphone business by cutting 1,850 jobs, most of them in Finland, and write down $950 million from the operation. The U.S. company, which entered the phone business in 2014 by buying Finnish firm Nokia's handset unit, said it would "streamline" its smartphone business and close down its research and development site in Tampere, Finland. Microsoft said it will continue to develop Windows 10 Mobile platform and support its Lumia smartphones, but declined to say whether it would develop new phones. "We are focusing our phone efforts where we have differentiation," said chief executive Satya Nadella in a statement. We will continue to innovate across devices and on our cloud services across all mobile platforms." Earlier this ...
Amazon, Microsoft Look for Data Role in Self-Driving Cars With Here: Report
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Amazon, Microsoft Look for Data Role in Self-Driving Cars With Here: Report

Amazon.com and Microsoft are in talks to supply cloud computing to digital mapping business Here.com, owned by a group of German carmakers developing self-driving cars, sources familiar with the matter said. Amazon is also considering becoming a shareholder in Here, two sources said. Last year, carmakers BMW, Audi and Mercedes struck a EUR 2.5 billion ($2.85 billion or roughly Rs. 18,928 crores) deal to buy Nokia's Here maps business. Intelligent mapping systems supply information to control self-driving cars, which are equipped with street-scanning sensors to measure traffic and road conditions. This location data can in turn be shared with other map users. "Amazon would take a stake as part of a broader deal to lock them in as a provider of cloud computing services," one sour...
Apple Should Unlock San Bernardino iPhone: Bill Gates
Entrepreneurs Talk

Apple Should Unlock San Bernardino iPhone: Bill Gates

A day after some victims of theSan Bernardino shooting said that they would file a legal brief in support of the U.S. Government's attempt to force Apple Inc. to unlock the encrypted iPhone owned by one of the shooters, technology giant Microsoft came out in support of the victims and asked Apple Inc. to unlock the iPhone. The Financial Times quoted Bill Gates as saying that he was in disagreement with Apple CEO Tim Cook that the FBI's request would create an iPhone backdoor. "This is a specific case where the government is asking for access to information. They are not asking for some general thing, they are asking for a particular case," Bill Gates said. "It is no different than the question of should anybody ever have been able to tell the phone company to get information, should...
Talko, a mobile app for business team communications acquired by Microsoft
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Talko, a mobile app for business team communications acquired by Microsoft

Microsoft has acquired Former Microsoft chief architect Ray Ozzie project Talko. Talko allows you to create multiperson conversations that combine voice, text and photos all laid out over an evolving timeline. Talko Features - Amazing things can happen when we talk with each other. Thoughts are shared, ideas formed and problems solved. Talko is the best way to use your voice to get things done. Talk: Voice is the fastest and clearest way for people to communicate. Talk when and how you want – live or not. Share: Photos bring conversations to life. By tapping the camera to share as you talk, others will instantly see what you see. Do: Use voice to get things done. Organize, find, replay and share key moments using tags and bookmarks.   About the Deal I am pleased ...
Apple's iPad Pro to go on sale Wednesday
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Apple's iPad Pro to go on sale Wednesday

Apple Inc  said its iPad Pro will be available to order online on Wednesday and arrive ga naar at stores later this week. The 12.9 inch-screen tablet, which starts at $799 but costs more than $1,000 if buyers also want a keyboard and an optional stylus, will be available in more than 40 countries, including the United States, the UK, China and Japan. Sales of iPads have been falling for several quarters as big-screen iPhones appeal to more consumers. Apple sold 54.86 million iPads in the year ended Sept. 26 – a drop of 19 percent from a year earlier. Since launching iPad with a 9.7-inch screen in 2010, Apple has released a mini version in 2012 with a 7.9-inch screen. Apple unveiled the larger iPad Pro on Sept. 9, hoping to rival Microsoft Corp's 12-inch Surface Pro 3 in at...
Activision Blizzard buys ‘Candy Crush’ maker in mobile push
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Activision Blizzard buys ‘Candy Crush’ maker in mobile push

Video game maker Activision Blizzard will buy "Candy Crush Saga" creator King Digital Entertainment for $5.9 billion, as the heavyweight of console and PC-gaming makes a major push into the faster-growing mobile market. The deal is one of the biggest in the industry in recent years, more than twice the size of Microsoft Inc's $2.5 billion purchase of "Minecraft" maker Mojang last year, and the biggest-ever acquisition of a mobile gaming company. The failure of Dublin-based King to replicate the success of Candy Crush with follow-up titles such as "Farm Heroes" and "Pet Rescue" has led some investors to think it may be a one-hit wonder. But Activision, whose shares were down 0.5 percent at $34.43 in early trading, is betting that its experience in sustaining long-running blockbuste...