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Today, I’m proud to announce the second Female Founders Competition, a global contest to identify and fund top women entrepreneurs who are leading enterprise tech startups. This year, Microsoft’s venture fund, M12, is partnering with Mayfield and Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company founded by Melinda Gates, to help create a more equitable playing field for innovative female founders. It’s well-documented that women-led companies deliver higher returns over time than those founded by men, yet female founders—particularly of enterprise tech startups—continue to receive significantly less access to capital. In fact, last year companies founded solely by…

The world of IoT is more exciting than ever, transforming every business on the planet, and that transformation is accelerating. Advances in AI and ML are helping companies across industries gain efficiencies; reduce downtime, waste, and errors; and improve customer satisfaction by harnessing the power of the Intelligent Edge and Intelligent Cloud. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/063c8014b177993b981b9cce4b1ce908-1024x535.jpg Windows has been powering enterprise-grade embedded devices for more than two decades, and during the keynote today at CEATEC Japan, I shared Microsoft’s strategy for how Windows for IoT helps device builders of…

https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/d838e29e23edfca187af47fd65ff2d7e-1024x509.jpg Razer has debuted what it calls “the world’s first optical keyboard designed for gaming laptops,” meaning that it has added next-generation optical switches to the Razer Blade 15 gaming laptop. This keyboard has been designed for gaming enthusiasts who demand near instant key actuation, satisfying tactile feedback and rapid-fire inputs. Under every key, an infrared light beam detects when a key is pressed (actuation), allowing for much greater precision and speed versus conventional laptop keyboards. Players can thus input more commands in less time in the…

Hello Windows Insiders! We are now getting the Windows 10 November 2019 Update (19H2) ready for release. We believe that Build 18363.418 is the final build and we will continue to improve the overall experience of 19H2 on customers’ PCs as part of our normal servicing cadence. Build 18363.418 includes all of the latest 19H2 features as well as the latest fixes included as part of KB4517389. Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring already have this build, so no action is needed from them to get this build. As we have communicated previously, the May 2019 Update (version 1903) and November 2019 Update (version 1909) share the same servicing content. That means th…

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18999 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. IMPORTANT: As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs that might be painful for some. If you take this flight, you won’t be able to switch Slow or Release Preview rings without doing a clean-install on your PC. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of …

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new Insider preview build of the Windows Server VNext Semi-Annual Channel editions. Available Content Windows Server vNext Semi-Annual Preview The Server Core Edition is available in the 18 supported Server languages in ISO format and in VHDX format in English only. Windows Server Core App Compatibility FoD Preview Windows Server Language Packs Windows Admin Center 1909 Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. Matching Windows Server container images will be available via Docker Hub. For mo…

Screen time is something so many families think about every day, including me, both at work as the product and strategy lead for family at Microsoft, and at home as a mother of two. I’m excited to share the next step in our efforts to empower families to strike the right balance of technology use in their lives with new app and game limits. Starting today, you can access this new feature in preview within our existing family settings across Windows 10, Xbox One and Android via Microsoft Launcher. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/e11591e01d4e2dddd2a2c28bdc3519f0-1024x576.jpg You may already be familiar with our existing device scr…

Our Windows Insider community plays a critical role in the momentum we have seen for Windows 10. You show up constantly. Your engagement each week with new builds and the feedback you give us are instrumental in helping deliver a great experience for our customers. You engage with us on social media and you show up at our events. We love shaping Windows with you. Thank you for your continued dedication. Most of you know Dona Sarkar – our Chief #NinjaCat of the Windows Insider Program. She’s been a steward for the program and tireless advocate for the community and the important role you play. Though bittersweet, today I’m proud to announce that Dona will be moving to a…

Artificial intelligence can help us to solve some of society’s most difficult challenges and create a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for all. I’ve already shared the exciting possibilities in the fields of healthcare and agriculture in previous posts. But there may be no area where the possibilities are more interesting – or more important – than education and skills. From personalized learning that takes advantage of AI to adapt teaching methods and materials to the needs of individual students, to automated grading that frees teachers from the drudgery of assessing tests so they have more time to work with students, to intelligent systems that are transformi…

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18995 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. IMPORTANT: As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs that might be painful for some. If you take this flight, you won’t be able to switch Slow or Release Preview rings without doing a clean-install on your PC. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of …

In a world where every company is transforming to be digital, we see examples of organizations across public and private sectors embracing the concept of ‘tech intensity’ to maximize their impact. From our perspective, there are three aspects to the leadership principle of tech intensity: First, every leader will need to tune their organization to become a fast adopter of best-in- class technology. Second, organizations will need to build their own unique digital capabilities, which starts with workers who are deeply knowledgeable about the latest technology. And finally, leadership in the digital economy will be exponentially amplified by the level of trust that is crea…

https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/10/483f53c2dcbbfaa041f2642d878eabc9-1024x367.jpg [Pre-release product shown, screens simulated and subject to change] Windows 10 is now on more than 900 million devices and we want to thank all of our customers around the world who use Windows 10 every day. Whether it is to run your business, browse the web, collaborate on documents, play games, create or learn, you inspire us and push us to continue to innovate and improve Windows 10. As long as we have been building it, Windows has also evolved based on the possibilities enabled by hardware innovation. Both with Surface and our ecosystem partners, we s…

In the world of commercial research and science, there’s probably no undertaking more daunting – or more expensive – than the process of bringing a new medicine to market. For a new compound to make it from initial discovery through development, testing and clinical trials to finally earn regulatory approval can take a decade or more. Nine out of 10 promising drug candidates fail somewhere along the way. As a result, on average, it costs life sciences companies $2.6 billion to introduce a single new prescription drug. This is much more than just a challenge for life sciences companies. Streamlining drug development is an urgent issue for human health more broadly. From…

https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/09/75650cc1198d323e854a70800de2b25b-1024x768.jpg For those who want one device for both their professional and personal pursuits, the new HP Spectre x360 13 emphasizes mobility and security to work anywhere, anytime. The new Spectre has two times the performance of the previous generation [1], and is HP’s first convertible with a quad-core 10th Generation Intel Core processor and Intel Iris Plus Graphics, verified to the target specification and key experiences of Intel’s Project Athena innovation program. The device has up to 22 hours of battery life [2]. It’s dramatically smaller than its previous g…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are releasing 19H2 Build 18362.10022 to Windows Insiders in the Slow ring. This build includes the improvements and fixes from KB4515384 as well as general improvements to the overall quality of 19H2. NOTE: For an explanation as to why the 19H2 build number in the Slow ring is different than the 19H2 build number in the Release Preview ring – see this blog post. We are working to move Insiders in the Slow ring to 19H2 Build 18363 builds. We also announced yesterday that we will begin making pre-release Windows 10 feature updates available to IT administrators using Windows Server Update Service (WSUS). For all the details, check …

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18990 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. IMPORTANT: As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs that might be painful for some. If you take this flight, you won’t be able to switch Slow or Release Preview rings without doing a clean-install on your PC. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of …

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new Insider preview build of the Windows Server VNext Semi-Annual Channel editions. Available Content Windows Server vNext Semi-Annual Preview The Server Core Edition is available in the 18 supported Server languages in ISO format and in VHDX format in English only. Windows Server Core App Compatibility FoD Preview Windows Server Language Packs Windows Admin Center 1909 Symbols are available on the public symbol server – see Update on Microsoft’s Symbol Server blog post and Using the Microsoft Symbol Server. Matching Windows Server container images will be available via Docker Hub. For mo…

Editor’s note: We’re back with the latest batch of weekly Windows 10 tips posts, which highlight some of the many helpful features that come with the Windows 10 May 2019 Update. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make your daily life easier with a streamlined update process, as well as clean and simple experiences for your desktop. https://blogs.windows.com/wp-content/uploads/prod/sites/2/2019/09/454871acdf9b4881e8621cb449835b4b-1024x767.jpg Text suggestions for the hardware keyboard is a learning tool originally introduced in RS4, and with RS5 it has expanded language support. If you’d like to try it out in one of the supported languages, you can do so by…

Last week, at a gathering of press and analysts in San Francisco, I had the privilege of introducing new features and applications for Dynamics 365, spotlighted by AI-driven insights that empower organizations to take informed actions and improve customer experiences. In addition, I presented our vision for retail, brought to life by two new applications—Dynamics 365 Commerce and Dynamics 365 Connected Store—that will help organizations transform the retail experience. Helping worldwide business leaders drive intelligent action and make better decisions More organizations are choosing Dynamics 365 and Power Platform than ever before – from industries spanning energy…

It’s a transformative time for the financial services industry. In the fast-changing, tech-driven world banks now live in, they recognize that technology can play a role in helping them meet both their customers’ expectations and challenging regulatory requirements. Coming to Microsoft from that world myself just two weeks ago, I’m now leading the team responsible for helping our customers do just that – regardless of where they are in their transformation journey. After 20 years in financial services, I’ve seen the impact technology can have, and recognize we have been approaching an inflection point for some time – and are at the tipping point. We’re approaching t…

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18985 (20H1) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. IMPORTANT: As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs that might be painful for some. If you take this flight, you won’t be able to switch Slow or Release Preview rings without doing a clean-install on your PC. If you want a complete look at what build is in which Insider ring, head over to Flight Hub. You can also check out the rest of our documentation here including a complete list of new features and updates that have gone out as part of Insider flights for the current development cycle. Not seeing any of …

Hello Windows Insiders! Thanks for staying up to date on the Windows Admin Center journey! This release contains incremental changes and quality improvements for the new functionality released in the preceding previews. Specific updates to Packetmon, and a couple visual changes are described below. This will be the last preview release in anticipation of the next generally available release of Windows Admin Center coming in the next two months. Specific connection type for Azure VMs In new Add connection experience, Azure VMs are now a top-level connection type. This functionality previously lived under the “Azure” tab when adding a server. When a server is added…

Space represents the next frontier for cloud computing, and Microsoft’s unique approach to partnerships with pioneering companies in the space industry means together we can build platforms and tools that foster significant leaps forward, helping us gain deeper insights from the data gleaned from space. One of the primary challenges for this industry is the sheer amount of data available from satellites and the infrastructure required to bring this data to ground, analyze the data and then transport it to where it’s needed. With almost 3,000 new satellites forecast to launch by 20261 and a threefold increase in the number of small satellite launches per year, the magni…

Empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more is a 7 billion-person mission that we don’t take lightly. None of us at Microsoft could ever hope to reach that objective without a vast set of partnerships with curious and passionate people who seek to deeply understand technology and its power to transform individuals, businesses and industries. Facilitating connections, sharing our technologies and partnering to create solutions to real-world challenges is why we create the many Microsoft event experiences we host around the world. Microsoft event experiences are designed to benefit specific audiences and structured to support clear object…

It sneaks up on me every year. One minute, my family is fully ensconced in summer break, the next we’re deep into school supply lists and pre-work to prep for the first day back. This year, as I’ve helped my own students get ready to go back to school, I’ve been thinking about all the cool (and free!) offerings Microsoft provides to bridge the technology gap for student developers. We’re committed to empowering the next generation of creators with access to technology and training – after all, our future is in their hands! – and we have a little healthy competition thrown in for good measure. Here are a few of the offers that students can take advantage of today and th…