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Tag: Satya Nadella

  • Microsoft Azure Will Be Bigger Than Office In 2022

    Microsoft Azure Will Be Bigger Than Office In 2022

    Microsoft Azure is growing by leaps and bounds, with at least one analyst predicting it will eclipse Office by 2022.

    Microsoft’s cloud platform has been on a tear, outpacing the industry’s growth and contributing to the company’s most recent stellar quarter. Despite being in second place behind AWS, Azure already makes up a larger portion of Microsoft’s business than its venerable Windows family of products.

    According to CNBC, Piper Sandler analyst Brent Bracelin has said Azure is well on its way to eclipsing Microsoft Office, becoming the single biggest source of revenue for the company. Azure has already surpassed Office 365, but should surpass 365 and traditional licenses combined in 2022.

    “We have quarterly Azure revenue of $11.8B by June 2022 (eclipsing Office all-in revenue of $10.9B for the first time),” Bracelin told CNBC in an email on Wednesday.

    Azure’s growth — growing importance — is a validation of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s strategy. Since taking the helm, Nadella has changed the entire focus of the company. Microsoft was once known for vigorously protecting its Windows and Office platforms. Under Nadella, however, Microsoft has become far more open, working to provide its software on virtually all the major platforms. Nadella’s goal has been to provide the best experience…regardless of a person or organization’s platform of choice. A big part of that strategy has been Microsoft’s emphasis on Azure.

    In view of Azure’s growth, it’s clear Nadella knew exactly what he was doing when he helped Microsoft pivot to the cloud.

  • Microsoft Trounces Earnings Forecast on Cloud, ‘Digital Transformation’

    Microsoft has trounced earnings estimates on strong cloud and PC results, in what CEO Satya Nadella called “a second wave of digital transformation.”

    Just a day after Wedbush raised its Microsoft target price, the company smashed expectations with its Q2 earnings. In particular, cloud performance and PC sales helped propel results.

    The company reported revenue of $43.1 billion, an increase of 17% and handily beating analysts’ estimates of $40.2 billion. Net income was $15.5 billion, an increase of 33%.

    The company’s Intelligent Cloud business accounted for $14.6 billion, a 23% increase. Similarly, the More Personal Computing division accounted for $15.1 billion, an increase of 14%.

    “What we have witnessed over the past year is the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation sweeping every company and every industry,” said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Building their own digital capability is the new currency driving every organization’s resilience and growth. Microsoft is powering this shift with the world’s largest and most comprehensive cloud platform.”

    “Accelerating demand for our differentiated offerings drove commercial cloud revenue to $16.7 billion, up 34% year over year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft. “We continue to benefit from our investments in strategic, high-growth areas.”

  • Microsoft and SAP Partner to Integrate Microsoft Teams

    Microsoft and SAP Partner to Integrate Microsoft Teams

    Microsoft and SAP are partnering to integrate Teams across SAP’s suite of solutions, with the goal of streamlining customers’ cloud transitions.

    Microsoft Teams and Slack are the two dominant corporate messaging platforms on the market. Salesforce recently inked a deal to acquire Slack in a move that was seen largely as a way to fend off threats and remain competitive. It’s not surprising that Saleforce’s rivals would want to offer similar levels of integration. This is especially true for SAP and Microsoft, both among Salesforce’s biggest competitors.

    The partnerships builds on a joint commitment by the two companies, and will see Teams integrated with SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Customer Experience.

    “New ways of working, collaborating and interacting completely transform how we operate,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE and member of the Executive Board. “By integrating Microsoft Teams across our solution portfolio, we will bring collaboration to the next level, jointly determining the future of work and enabling the frictionless enterprise. Our trusted partnership with Microsoft is focused on continuously advancing customer success. That’s why we are also expanding interoperability with Azure.”

    “The case for digital transformation has never been more urgent,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “By bringing together the power of Azure and Teams with SAP’s solutions, we will help more organizations harness the power of the cloud so they can more quickly adapt and innovate going forward.”

    The new integrations are expected to be available in mid-2021.

  • Microsoft Invests In Cruise, GM’s Self-Driving Subsidiary

    Microsoft Invests In Cruise, GM’s Self-Driving Subsidiary

    As part of a new $2 billion round of funding, Microsoft has invested in Cruise, GM’s self-driving subsidiary, sending GM’s stock up 9%.

    Headquartered in San Francisco, Cruise’s mission is to bring all-electric, self-driving, shared vehicles to the market. The investment will see Microsoft become the preferred cloud provider for Cruise, as it leverages Azure to help commercialize its vehicle offerings.

    “Our mission to bring safer, better, and more affordable transportation to everyone isn’t just a tech race – it’s also a trust race,” said Cruise CEO Dan Ammann. “Microsoft, as the gold standard in the trustworthy democratization of technology, will be a force multiplier for us as we commercialize our fleet of self-driving, all-electric, shared vehicles.”

    “Advances in digital technology are redefining every aspect of our work and life, including how we move people and goods,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “As Cruise and GM’s preferred cloud, we will apply the power of Azure to help them scale and make autonomous transportation mainstream.”

    This latest round of investment brings Cruise’s total valuation to $30 billion. Meanwhile, GM’s stock reached an all-new, intraday high on the news, hitting $54.42 after the opening bell.

  • Is Microsoft Teams the Next Great Spyware?

    Is Microsoft Teams the Next Great Spyware?

    Microsoft Teams is one of the primary corporate communications platforms, but recent information suggests it collects disturbing amounts of information.

    Since the start of the pandemic, Microsoft Teams has experienced meteoric growth, surpassing rival Slack in the corporate messaging market. The company has continued to add features and abilities, making Teams a full-featured platform. As such, the product is increasingly important to Microsoft.

    In March 2020, CEO Satya Nadella said Teams had “become critical infrastructure for people who are doing remote work.” Similarly, Nadella told The Financial Times that he sees Teams being as big and important as the web browser.

    ZDNet’s Chris Matyszczyk decided to take a look at the information Teams collects and reported his “head is spinning” after what he found. Per Microsoft’s own documentation, the company collects the following information:

    Microsoft Teams Data Collection
    Microsoft Teams Data Collection

    As Matyszczyk points out, employees have little say in the data collection, a point confirmed by Microsoft. When he reached out to the company, a spokesperson told Matyszczyk:

    At Microsoft, we believe that data-driven insights are crucial to empowering people and organizations to achieve more.

    The spokesperson reiterated the company’s commitment to privacy, but made it clear the Teams administrator is the one that has all the control:

    We also believe that privacy is a human right, and we’re deeply committed to the privacy of every person who uses our products. Only the global administrator has rights to the analytics and reporting experience, which provides insights into the ways in which the organization is using Microsoft Teams, not the message content itself.

    In many ways, it’s easy to see why Microsoft has built such extensive data collection into Teams. The company is battling Slack for dominance of the corporate messaging market, and is facing further competition from up-and-coming rivals. Given Nadella’s prediction about the important of the platform, Microsoft clearly wants to provide every advantage it can to companies who use its product over competitors. One big advantage is a treasure trove of data that can give insight into how a company’s workers, especially remote workers, are doing their job.

    At the same time, there’s no denying that many companies have gone to extreme measures to monitor their remote employees, measures that have even been labeled “spying.” If Microsoft isn’t careful, it could find itself facing backlash for making it that much easier to spy on workers.

  • Microsoft All-In On Open Source: ‘The Accepted Model For Cross-Company Collaboration’

    Microsoft All-In On Open Source: ‘The Accepted Model For Cross-Company Collaboration’

    Microsoft has fully embraced open source software, calling it the “industry-accepted model for cross-company collaboration.”

    Microsoft was once considered by many as the number one enemy of open source. The company’s approach to software was diametrically opposed to the open source movement, since Microsoft’s business was based entirely on charging for its operating systems (OS) and software.

    In recent years, however, especially under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has embraced open source and shifted its entire business model. Rather than vigorously protecting its OS business, and working to keep everyone using Windows, Microsoft has adopted a more open approach. The company’s new focus is providing the best software and services, regardless of the platform the user is on.

    This new approach lends itself well to working with open source, especially when it comes to collaborating with other companies. Sarah Novotny, Open Source Lead, Azure Office of the CTO, outlined how much things have changed in a blog post:

    A few years ago if you wanted to get several large tech companies together to align on a software initiative, establish open standards, or agree on a policy, it would often require several months of negotiation, meetings, debate, back and forth with lawyers… and did we mention the lawyers? Open source has completely changed this: it has become an industry-accepted model for cross-company collaboration. When we see a new trend or issue emerging that we know would be better to work on together to solve, we come together in a matter of weeks, with established models we can use to guide our efforts.

    Novotny highlights several benefits of being part of the open source community, including gaining different perspectives, balancing corporate policy with employee empowerment and autonomy, securing every stage of the software supply chain and over communicating.

    These lessons have had a profound impact on how Microsoft does business.

    As a result, companies are working together more frequently, and the amount of cross-industry work we’re able to accomplish is accelerating. In 2020 alone, Microsoft participated in dozens of industry groups, associations, and initiatives—from long-standing established organizations, like the Linux Foundation and Apache Foundation, to new emerging communities like Rust and WebAssembly. This work across companies and industries will continue in the year ahead and we look forward to learning, growing, and earning our place in open source.

    Microsoft’s example can serve as a lesson to all companies on the importance of open source in today’s industry, and especially in the context of the digital transformation currently in effect.

  • Microsoft Working On ‘Sweeping Visual Rejuvenation of Windows’

    Microsoft Working On ‘Sweeping Visual Rejuvenation of Windows’

    Microsoft is planning to implement a “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows” in an effort to make the operating system (OS) more relevant than ever.

    Once the undisputed champion of the OS market, Windows has increasingly become less important. Recent technological changes, such as mobile computing, cloud computing and virtualization, have almost made the end user’s OS the least important part of the equation.

    In many ways, Microsoft has contributed to this trend. Under CEO Satya Nadella, the company is more focused on making its software available on virtually every platform — and ensuring that software provides the best possible experience. While this has helped transform Microsoft into a cloud behemoth, it has further lessened the importance of Windows.

    Nonetheless, according to a job posting, Microsoft is looking to revamp Windows, and wants an engineer to help “build the future of Windows Experiences!” The company goes on to say that position will help “deliver experiences that ensure Windows is a great user experience for our customers.”

    As The Verge points out, Microsoft has removed some of the original wording that hyped up the role even more, such as its goal of a “sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows.”

    The Verge also quoted another segment of the original post that appears to have been removed as well:

    On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers.

    Whatever the case, it appears Microsoft has some big plans for Windows in 2021.

  • Microsoft Reports Stellar Quarter, Fueled By Cloud Earnings

    Microsoft Reports Stellar Quarter, Fueled By Cloud Earnings

    Microsoft has reported its results for the quarter ending September 30, and it was good news for the company and its cloud business.

    Like many tech companies, Microsoft’s business has seen significant growth as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the move to remote work. Its cloud business, in particular, has seen stellar growth.

    The company reported revenue of $37.2 billion, representing a 12% increase over the year-ago quarter. Operating income came in at $15.9 billion, an increase of 25%, while net income increased 30% to $13.9 billion.

    Office 365 Commercial revenue grew some 21%, driving Office Commercial products and services revenue up 9% as a whole. Similarly, Dynamics revenue was up 19%, with Dynamics 365 up 38%.

    “The next decade of economic performance for every business will be defined by the speed of their digital transformation,” said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “We are innovating across our full modern tech stack to help our customers in every industry improve time to value, increase agility, and reduce costs.”

    “Demand for our cloud offerings drove a strong start to the fiscal year with our commercial cloud revenue generating $15.2 billion, up 31% year over year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft. “We continue to invest against the significant opportunity ahead of us to drive long-term growth.”

    Microsoft’s results illustrate the fundamental shift the pandemic has created, with effects that will last far longer than the cause.

  • Salesforce Beware: Microsoft, Adobe and C3.ai Reinvent CRM

    Salesforce Beware: Microsoft, Adobe and C3.ai Reinvent CRM

    Microsoft, Adobe and C3.ai have joined forces to use artificial intelligence (AI) to reinvent customer relationship management (CRM).

    The new product, C3 AI CRM, is powered by Microsoft Dynamics and fully integrates with Adobe Experience Cloud. The goal is to deliver “the first enterprise-class, AI-first customer relationship management solution is purpose-built for industries.”

    Salesforce, in particular, should be worried by this development. Microsoft has been trying for years to dethrone Salesforce as the CRM king, with little success. While Dynamics 365 has certainly carved out a corner of the market, Salesforce is still the undisputed leader.

    The combination of Dynamics’ foundation, C3.ai’s artificial intelligence and Adobe’s “AI-driven solutions for marketing, analytics, advertising, and commerce” may be just the winning combination Microsoft has been looking for.

    “This year has made clear that businesses fortified by digital technology are more resilient and more capable of transforming when faced with sweeping changes like those we are experiencing,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Together with C3.ai and Adobe, we are bringing to market a new class of industry-specific AI solutions, powered by Dynamics 365, to help organizations digitize their operations and unlock real-time insights across their business.”

    The companies made a point of highlighting how the digital transformation had changed the requirements for a CRM solution, with general-purpose software no longer meeting customers’ needs.

    “Microsoft, Adobe, and C3.ai are reinventing a market that Siebel Systems invented more than 25 years ago,” said Thomas M. Siebel, CEO of C3.ai. “The dynamics of the market and the mandates of digital transformation have dramatically changed CRM market requirements. A general-purpose CRM system of record is no longer sufficient. Customers today demand industry-specific, fully AI-enabled solutions that provide AI-enabled revenue forecasting, product forecasting, customer churn, next-best product, next-best offer, and predisposition to buy.”

    Microsoft’s open approach to data and integration have already been labeled a big advantage over Salesforce’s approach. Should this new partnership deliver on its promise, Salesforce may soon find itself scrambling to catch up.

  • Microsoft Buying ZeniMax Media/Bethesda Softworks For $7.5 Billion

    Microsoft Buying ZeniMax Media/Bethesda Softworks For $7.5 Billion

    Microsoft has announced it is acquiring ZeniMax Media, the parent company of gaming studio Bethesda Softworks, for $7.5 billion in cash.

    Bethesda Softworks is the studio behind The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Rogue Warrior, Ghostwire: Tokyo and others. Bethesda has established itself as one of the most successful, privately held game studios in the world.

    Microsoft’s acquisition will help the company capitalize on the growing gaming market, and fits in well with its current software strategy. While the Microsoft of the past fiercely protected its own platforms, under CEO Satya Nadella the company has emphasized providing the best software experience on all available platforms. This has resulted in more of its software being available on macOS, iOS, Android and Linux, in addition to Windows.

    The same is true for gaming. Microsoft is focusing on providing the best gaming experiencing wherever, and on whatever device, a person may be playing. Owning a studio with Bethesda’s track record is a big step toward that goal.

    “Gaming is the most expansive category in the entertainment industry, as people everywhere turn to gaming to connect, socialize and play with their friends,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Quality differentiated content is the engine behind the growth and value of Xbox Game Pass—from Minecraft to Flight Simulator. As a proven game developer and publisher, Bethesda has seen success across every category of games, and together, we will further our ambition to empower the more than three billion gamers worldwide.”

  • Microsoft Moving to Purchase TikTok

    Microsoft Moving to Purchase TikTok

    Following a weekend of back-and-forth talks, Microsoft appears to be pursuing a deal to purchase TikTok.

    TikTok has found itself in hot water, with the Trump administration threatening to ban the social media app. This comes on the heels of numerous controversies surrounding the app’s privacy and security. It has been sued over claims it uploaded user videos to servers in China without permission. Numerous government, military and business organizations have banned the app, and the company has been accused of violating child privacy. In a rare rebuke within the tech industry, at least one CEO labeled it “fundamentally parasitic.”

    The end result has been the Trump administration first threatening, and then promising to ban the app in the US. At the last minute, however, Microsoft floated the possibility of buying the beleaguered social media company. After initial opposition from the administration, it appears a meeting between Trump and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has opened the way for talks to continue.

    ”Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J. Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States,” says the company blog.

    ”Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.

    ”Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks, and in any event completing these discussions no later than September 15, 2020. During this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President.”

  • Microsoft Beats Estimates, Powered by Strong Cloud Growth

    Microsoft Beats Estimates, Powered by Strong Cloud Growth

    Microsoft has announced its quarterly results, beating estimates as a result of its strong cloud growth.

    As the coronavirus pandemics has swept the globe, companies have been moving to the cloud in record numbers. This has enabled them to remain functional and productive, despite millions of American employees working from home. Microsoft, in particular, has benefited from this thanks to its complete technology stack—from local operating systems and office software, to full cloud platform.

    “The last five months have made it clear that tech intensity is the key to business resilience. Organizations that build their own digital capability will recover faster and emerge from this crisis stronger,” said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “We are the only company with an integrated, modern technology stack – powered by cloud and AI and underpinned by security and compliance – to help every organization transform and reimagine how they meet customer needs.”

    The company’s position helped it hit $38 billion in revenue, an increase of 13% over the year-ago-quarter. Its operating income was $13.4 billion and its net income was $11.2 billion.

    “Our commercial cloud surpassed $50 billion in annual revenue for the first time this year. And this quarter our Commercial bookings were better than expected, growing 12% year-over-year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft. “As we drive growth across the company, we remain committed to investing in long-term strategic opportunities.”

  • Microsoft Reports Quarterly Results, Azure Scores Big

    Microsoft Reports Quarterly Results, Azure Scores Big

    Microsoft has released its quarterly earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2020, and Azure stands out as one of the company’s big hits.

    Analysts were deeply interested in Microsoft’s earnings for this quarter, in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. How the company faired would be a good indicator of the overall impact the pandemic is having. In its earnings, Microsoft beat analysts exceptions, reporting revenue of $35 billion, representing a 15% increase over the year-ago-quarter.

    A particular standout was the company’s Azure cloud business, which saw revenue growth of 51%.

    “We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months. From remote teamwork and learning, to sales and customer service, to critical cloud infrastructure and security – we are working alongside customers every day to help them adapt and stay open for business in a world of remote everything,” said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Our durable business model, diversified portfolio, and differentiated technology stack position us well for what’s ahead.”

    “In this dynamic environment, our sales teams and partners executed a solid third quarter, with Commercial Cloud revenue generating $13.3 billion, up 39% year over year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft. “We remain committed to balancing operational discipline with continued investments in key strategic areas to drive future growth.”

    The quarterly report was good news, and Microsoft made a point of highlighting that the pandemic had minimal impact on its revenue. However, there was a note of caution, as the company acknowledged “the effects of COVID-19 may not be fully reflected in the financial results until future periods.”

  • Microsoft Scores With NBA Partnership

    Microsoft Scores With NBA Partnership

    Microsoft has announced a multi-year partnership with the NBA, beginning with the 2020-21 season.

    Microsoft’s technology has been a staple on NFL sidelines for years, but the new NBA deal represents a significant expansion into the sports world. With the new deal, the NBA will use Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to broadcast on-demand and live broadcasts.

    The partnership will also heavily utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve the customer experience. The technology will be used to help generate a “more personalized fan experience,” based on the NBA’s video archives. AI and ML will also help provide coaches and broadcasters with unique insights.

    “We are thrilled to serve as the official AI partner of the NBA,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Together, we’ll bring fans closer to the game and players they love with new personalized experiences powered by Microsoft Azure.”

    “This partnership with Microsoft will help us redefine the way our fans experience NBA basketball,” said Adam Silver, NBA commissioner. “Our goal, working with Microsoft, is to create customized content that allows fans — whether they are in an NBA arena or watching from anywhere around the world — to immerse themselves in all aspects of the game and engage directly with our teams and players.”

    The partnership is a big win for Microsoft and the company’s technology will help revolutionize the experience for NBA officials and fans alike.

    Image Credit: Microsoft

  • Satya Nadella: Microsoft Teams Becoming ‘Critical Infrastructure’

    Satya Nadella: Microsoft Teams Becoming ‘Critical Infrastructure’

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is touting the company’s software in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    In an interview with CNBC, Nadella talked about the responsibility he felt toward keeping the company’s employees safe, and the wider role the company plays as “digital first responders.”

    “I think at this point, the most important thing for us as a company, is to ensure the safety of our own employees,” said Nadella. “That’s, I think, the place where I start from. We have done everything to stay grounded in the public health guidance….

    “This pandemic has no borders, and its cure is not going to have any borders. So we have to come together as a global community, and we have to do our part. I sort of describe our role as the ‘digital first responders’ to all the first responders. So, even if you take what’s happening with Microsoft Teams, it’s become critical infrastructure for people who are doing remote work. We’re seeing 60X increase in Teams’ usage, 900 million minutes a day. So, therefore, scaling—I’m very thankful to all the Microsoft employees who are really building all the critical infrastructure and scaling it.

    “Similarly, we’re working with CDC in their pre-screening bot. Because one of the other challenges we face right now, is how do we take the load off of the healthcare system. So this pre-screening bot with CDC protocol is being used, even by Providence and others….

    “The other thing that’s also happening is education. We have lots of students now with remote learning. And that’s another place where Microsoft is stepping up…how does one conduct remote learning? And one of the things we’re doing even today is taking the lessons we’ve always had in Minecraft Education and making them just part of the base game. Because when kids are at home, and parents are also getting involved in helping them stay with their education lesson plans, I think this can be a step forward.

    “So we’re doing everything we can to help us work through this crisis, but it’s going to take all of us.”

  • Bill Gates Leaves Microsoft Board

    Bill Gates Leaves Microsoft Board

    Microsoft has announced that co-founder Bill Gates has stepped down from the company’s Board of Directors.

    Gates has not had a day-to-day role in the company since 2008, when he transitioned away to spend more time with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Even following today’s announcement, he will continue on as Technology Advisor to CEO Satya Nadella.

    “It’s been a tremendous honor and privilege to have worked with and learned from Bill over the years. Bill founded our company with a belief in the democratizing force of software and a passion to solve society’s most pressing challenges. And Microsoft and the world are better for it. The board has benefited from Bill’s leadership and vision. And Microsoft will continue to benefit from Bill’s ongoing technical passion and advice to drive our products and services forward. I am grateful for Bill’s friendship and look forward to continuing to work alongside him to realize our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

    “On behalf of our shareholders and the Board, I want to express my deep appreciation to Bill for all his contributions to Microsoft. As a member of the Board, he challenged us to think big and then think even bigger. He leaves an enduring legacy of curiosity and insight that serves as an inspiration for us all,” said John W. Thompson, Microsoft independent board chair.

    Even though Gates will continue to have input in his role as Technology Advisor, there’s no denying this is the end of an era for Microsoft.

  • Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to Open NRF 2020 Vision: Retail’s Big Show

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to Open NRF 2020 Vision: Retail’s Big Show

    In a press release issued today, the National Retail Federation (NRF) announced that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to deliver the opening keynote at the federation’s 109th annual convention.

    Microsoft has supported the NRF’s annual convention for over 20 years, leveraging their IoT, cloud, data, AI, modern workplace and mixed reality solutions to help retailers digitally transform and embrace intelligent retail.

    “At NRF 2020, we’re bringing together the brightest and most influential leaders from around the world who have a clear vision for the retail industry’s future,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Satya Nadella will kick us off with an inspiring session on how Microsoft’s success is built around a purpose-led culture and business model.”

    Other notable speakers include:

    Mastercard President and CEO Ajay Banga

    Hudson’s Bay Company CEO Helena Foulkes

    Sam’s Club President and CEO John Furner

    Crate and Barrel CEO Neela Montgomery

    Nordstrom Co-President Erik Nordstrom

    Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (2015-2019) Paul Ryan

    Additional details for sessions and speakers at NRF 2020 Vision: Retail’s Big Show can be accessed here.

    Complimentary registration is available to editorial members of the news media and discounted registration is available to accredited retail analysts. For more information, visit the NRF 2020: Retail’s Big Show media registration page.

    About NRF
    The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies.

  • Microsoft Expects ‘Halo Effect’ From Winning Pentagon JEDI Contract

    Microsoft Expects ‘Halo Effect’ From Winning Pentagon JEDI Contract

    Fresh off of winning the Pentagon’s $10 billion JEDI contract, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company is expecting a “halo effect,” according to Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi.

    “Halo effect” was a term used frequently in regard to Apple products, starting with the iPod. If customers liked the iPod enough, and were impressed with the Apple experience, it might entice them to purchase a Mac. That halo effect has since expanded to iPhones, iPads and Watches. Microsoft is now in a position to generate a halo effect of its own in the cloud market.

    While Windows may be the dominant player in the desktop market, it’s a distant second in the cloud arena, with 15.5% compared with AWS’ 47.8% market share. A significant deal—not to mention Microsoft’s recent Impact Level 6 Pentagon security certification—could entice other government agencies to invest in the software giant for their cloud needs, creating an ever-expanding halo effect. Nadella believes the JEDI contract could do just that, but also emphasized the need to stay grounded and not become overly confident.

    “Any big deal has a halo effect,” Nadella told Sozzi in an exclusive interview. “But to me, the most important thing is not to take any deal you won as some guarantee for future success but to stay humble, stay grounded on what we need to continue to do, which is be obsessed about customer needs. That’s what got us here.”

  • Microsoft Gaining Ground As Retail Cloud Alternative To Amazon

    Microsoft Gaining Ground As Retail Cloud Alternative To Amazon

    According to a report by Bloomberg, Microsoft is increasingly positioning itself as the cloud vendor of choice for retailers seeking to avoid Amazon, as well as more generalized software vendors.

    The software giant has been rolling out a number of cloud tools and services designed specifically for the retail market. Microsoft has had tremendous success in this market, as many retailers want to avoid relying on software made by their primary competitor, Amazon.

    “A key part of our offering is that we partner and we don’t compete,” Shelley Bransten, Corporate Vice President, Global Retail & Consumer Goods, told Bloomberg.

    One such feature that has come from that partnership is one that allows Teams users to use their phones as walkie-talkies for in-store communication. Microsoft is quick to point out, however, that features such as this one have value far beyond the retail environment.

    The end result of this focus has been some large, high-profile defections from competing products to Microsoft. Ikea, for example, has already moved 70,000 employees from Slack to Teams and “plans to have the rest of its 165,000-person workforce on Office 365 cloud software and Teams by the end of spring.”

    As Bloomberg points out, Microsoft’s stature in this market is turning heads. CEO Satya Nadella is scheduled to speak at the National Retail Federation’s annual show next week, “underscoring how significant the industry is to Amazon’s biggest cloud competitors.”

  • Microsoft Opens the Door to Azure Programs Running on Competitors’ Clouds

    Microsoft Opens the Door to Azure Programs Running on Competitors’ Clouds

    At its Ignite 2019 conference, Microsoft announced the release of Azure Arc, a tool designed to allow developers to deploy Azure programs to Amazon and Google clouds.

    Since Satya Nadella took over as CEO in 2014, Microsoft has taken a completely different approach to competitors. Rather than viewing other companies as the enemy and doing everything possible to keep users locked into the Windows ecosystem, the company has focused on making the best software possible and deploying it as widely as possible.

    This approach has led to a renewed focus on Office for the Mac, industry-leading versions of the productivity suite for iOS and Android, not to mention the company reaching out to Linux developers for help in porting Edge. Now, as the cloud wars heat up, it appears Microsoft is taking that same all-embracing approach to competing cloud platforms. Azure Arc will not only help companies deploy their Azure programs, but also help them manage them regardless of where they are run from.

    “Azure Arc enables Azure services anywhere and extends Azure management to any infrastructure for unified management, governance and control across clouds, datacenters and edge. They look and feel just like Azure resources, and they provide unified auditing, compliance, and role-based access control across multiple environments and at scale.

    “As a result, customers can modernize any infrastructure with cloud management and security protection. With cloud practices that work anywhere, Microsoft is delivering these resources, from cloud to datacenter to edge, and enabling cloud security anywhere.

    “Millions of Azure resources are managed, governed, and secured daily by thousands of customers. With Azure Arc, customers can now take advantage of Azure’s robust cloud management experience for their own servers (Linux and Windows Server) and Kubernetes clusters by extending Azure management across environments. Customers can seamlessly inventory, organize, and govern their own resources at-scale through a consistent and unified experience through the Azure Portal.”

    On the heels of news that Microsoft beat out Amazon for a lucrative defense contract, the Azure Arc announcement is further evidence the company is firing on all cylinders in its execution of Nadella’s strategy.

  • Microsoft Beats Out Amazon For Lucrative Defense Contract

    Microsoft Beats Out Amazon For Lucrative Defense Contract

    Microsoft pulled off an upset, beating Amazon for a defense contract valued as high as $10 billion.

    According to a statement by the U.S. Department of Defense, Microsoft emerged the winner of the JEDI Cloud contract. The win is a major step in Microsoft’s attempts to take on Amazon, widely regarded as the industry leader. It’s also a testament to how far the Azure platform has matured to become a viable competitor to AWS.

    “The JEDI Cloud contract will provide enterprise level, commercial Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) to support Department of Defense business and mission operations. Work performance will take place at the awardee’s place of performance. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000,000 are being obligated on a task order against this award to cover the minimum guarantee. The expected completion date is Oct. 24, 2029, if all options are exercised.”

    Since CEO Satya Nadella took the reins from Steve Ballmer, he has increased the company’s focus on cloud computing and cross-platform interoperability, a strategy that has paid off as Microsoft navigates a more mobile, cloud-based industry. These kind of gains will likely lead more companies to take note of Microsoft’s offerings, further putting pressure on Amazon.