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With Microsoft’s fourth quarter earnings, we delivered double-digit revenue growth across all segments anchored by the growing success in our commercial cloud as technology helps our customers power their innovation. Recently organizations like GE, PGA, NBA, Marks & Spencer, Starbucks, InMobi Bayer and Telefonica shared how they are leveraging cloud and artificial intelligence to support growth and deliver great employee and customer experiences. Across industries and solution areas, here are some of the latest examples. This week we unveiled a strategic partnership with Walmart as the company’s preferred cloud provider and strategic partner to accelerate its digi…

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/07/2e860f5774146239a36246f6e3d382b9-300x147.png The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming how businesses gather and use data to develop competitive insights and create new financial opportunities. As IoT technology matures and our partners gain more experience, they are evolving their business models to increase the overall return on investment of their IoT solutions. This includes adding recurring revenue, enhancing security, and reducing support costs. At Computex a few weeks back, we announced Windows 10 IoT Core Services, which enables our IoT partners to commercialize their solutions running on Windows …

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new build of the Windows Server vNext Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release that contains both the Desktop Experience and Server Core in all 18 server languages, as well as a new build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release in English. In addition, the first preview of Microsoft Hyper-V Server is included with this build. In each preview release, there are two major areas that we would like you to try out: In-place OS Upgrade (from Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016 or a previous preview build). Build-to-Build upgrade is also supported. Application compatibility – please le…

Hello Windows Insiders! Thank you for your continued interest in the Windows Admin Center insider preview! If you are new to the preview, check out last month’s post Announcing Windows Admin Center Insider Preview 1806 to learn the difference between GA and Preview versions, and review all the new features in the 1806 preview. Release Summary July’s release brings a new streamlined experience to connect your gateway to Azure, as well as a top customer request: The Virtual machine inventory page now supports multi-select so that you can perform actions on multiple VMs at once! https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/07/dd98a0b569c904b4974b2…

If you prefer to ink instead of type, you can now use your digital pen to write directly in text fields for a more natural experience, thanks to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Just tap a space, like a search box, and it expands to give you a comfortable area in which to write. You can even edit what you’ve written with simple, intuitive gestures. Go to Settings > Devices > Pen & Windows Ink > select, “Write directly into text field” and then tap on a new text field to try the experience. This works with most Store apps, and also in the search field for the Store. Here’s how to do it: https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/07/ef…

Organizations around the world are undergoing transformation fueled by cloud, artificial intelligence, mixed reality and the Internet of Things. These technologies are helping businesses and society reach new heights – retail is becoming more personal, banking is becoming more seamless, and healthcare is becoming more predictive and preventive. At the heart of these incredible stories of transformation – and more – are Microsoft partners. The Microsoft partner ecosystem is a group of hundreds of thousands of organizations driving positive, global impact. Building everything from line-of-business apps to industry-specific solutions on Dynamics 365 to gaming experiences,…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17713 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. Resetting Skip Ahead We are getting close to the point in the development cycle where our focus will be on stabilization for RS5. As part of the stabilization process, we have “forked” RS5 into its own branch called “RS5_RELEASE” just like we did for RS4 and RS3 before that. Insiders will see this branch change with today’s build. And like we did with RS3 and RS4, we are getting ready to start releasing builds to Insiders who choose to “skip ahead” to the next release of Windows 10. These builds will come from the RS_PRERELEASE bran…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new build of the Windows Server vNext Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release that contains both the Desktop Experience and Server Core in all 18 server languages, as well as a new build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release in English. In addition, the first preview of Microsoft Hyper-V Server is included with this build. In each preview release, there are two major areas that we would like you to try out: In-place OS Upgrade (from Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016 or a previous preview build). Build-to-Build upgrade is also supported. Application compatibility – please le…

Reading online is convenient, but did you know it can also help you get more out of books and articles? Microsoft Edge has built-in learning tools that make it easier to read EPUB books and websites in Reading view: Grammar Tools. The Windows 10 April 2018 Update added Grammar Tools support that allow you to break words into syllables and highlight parts of speed, such as nouns, verbs and adjectives. These tools can improve reading comprehension through increasing fluency for English language learners or readers of other languages, and they can also help build confidence for emerging readers learning to read at higher levels. Breaking words into syllables improves w…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17711 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring in addition to those who opted in to Skip Ahead. What’s new in Build 17711 Microsoft Edge Improvements Learning tools get richer: Under learning tools available on Reading View, you can now see additional themes. These let you choose the theme color which is best for your eyes. https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/07/505e15950adca14af88e48053e94b321-1024x694.png Along with highlighting Parts of speech you can now also change the color in which the Past of speech should be highlighted as well as turn on an …

Does this sound familiar? You’ve got multiple tabs open in your browser and all of a sudden, music or voices blares from one of them. You scramble to find the audio icon on that tab, open the page and scroll down to stop the video that’s playing. There’s a faster way to shut down that sound. A new feature with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update can mute tabs in Microsoft Edge. Here’s how to do it: https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/06/3074383c3299f4bc2634e2d545499c60.gif To mute a tab in Microsoft Edge, click the audio icon Simply click the audio icon or right-click the tab to choose Mute from the drop down menu. If you like this, c…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17704 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring in addition to those who opted in to Skip Ahead. The Bug Bash is on! To the Insiders who have participated so far: Thank You! Our Bug Bash will be running from June 22nd 12am PDT – July 1st 11:59pm PDT. In honor of this we’re doing a special Bug Bash edition webcast on our Mixer channel RIGHT NOW (10am PDT) – come join us while we chat about RS5 and how things are going. And in case you haven’t heard, we’re running a contest! You could win a trip to Microsoft’s campus here in Redmond, details here. What’s new in Build 17704 Micro…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/uploads/prod/2018/06/HealthTeam-1024x512.png From left, Peter Lee, Joshua Mandel and Jim Weinstein of Microsoft Healthcare. Photo: Dan DeLong for Microsoft It’s an exciting time to be working shoulder-to-shoulder with our healthcare partners and customers, who represent some of the brightest minds in this important industry. We have been approaching the complexities of the healthcare industry with a growth mindset, and for the past two years our team has worked across Microsoft to accelerate healthcare innovation through artificial intelligence and cloud computing, with our initiative Healthcare NExT (New Experiences and Technologies). We s…

Last week, the Bing team launched new intelligent Visual Search capabilities, built upon the visual technology already in Bing, which can help you identify things like landmarks, flowers and animals and help you shop for clothes and home furnishings. You can even get search results for similar-looking images, different dimensions of the same image, and links to other site(s) that use the same images. It’s available today on both iOS and Android devices – try it through the Bing app for iOS and Android, the Microsoft Edge app on Android and Microsoft Launcher on Android. Visual search will be coming soon to the Microsoft Edge app on iOS and the Bing.com mobile site. …

Last October, I announced the 16th annual Imagine Cup competition, which gives college and university students the opportunity to test their intellectual, creative and teamwork skills while using technology to change the world. Forty-nine teams who have won their National Finals are now well underway in getting their solutions ready to compete at the World Finals, which will be held July 23-25 at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Last year, dozens of teams from nearly 40 countries were present at the World Finals, and this year is setting up to be just as exciting and diverse! I love overseeing the Imagine Cup because it lets me interact with inspiring tal…

Hey everyone — I hope this month’s blog post finds you well! Today, we are welcoming the solstice in the U.S., and I am very much looking forward to summer in Seattle. In addition to some planned vacation time, I will also be working with our team and partners on some exciting product development efforts for mixed-reality business applications. I can’t wait to share more about that in the coming months! But before we look too far ahead, June has already been filled with some cool mixed-reality moments. Earlier this month my colleagues Dio Gonzalez and Katie Kelly presented at the sixth annual Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Santa Clara, California. I was encouraged…

https://blogs.microsoft.com/uploads/prod/2018/06/HSB_9596-1024x580.jpg Bonsai’s team members. Photo courtesy of Bonsai. With AI’s meteoric rise, autonomous systems have been projected to grow to more than 800 million in operation by 2025. However, while envisioned in science fiction for a long time, truly intelligent autonomous systems are still elusive and remain a holy grail. The reality today is that training autonomous systems that function amidst the many unforeseen situations in the real world is very hard and requires deep expertise in AI — essentially making it unscalable. To achieve this inflection point in AI’s growth, traditional machine learning methodo…

Microsoft has been in the news business for more than 23 years. When we launched MSN in 1995, the news industry was just beginning to provide content online. The period that followed was one of dramatic change and reinvention, forcing news organizations to re-think their programming and business strategies. We changed, too, from a feature of Windows 95 to a network of web and app experiences that now reaches nearly half a billion people in more than 140 countries and 28 languages. As we’ve evolved, our central mission has remained the same: to keep our audience informed in an easily accessible, comprehensive and trustworthy way. Today, we’re excited to share the nex…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are excited to release Windows Admin Center Preview 1806 to Windows Server Insiders. First, an explanation of our two version options: Preview version: For IT admins who want the latest and greatest features on a regular cadence, this version is for you. Windows Admin Center Preview 1806 is the first post-GA preview release, and our intent is to provide subsequent update releases every month or so. The core platform continues to be production-ready and the license provides production use rights. However, note that you will see the introduction of new tools and capabilities which are clearly marked as PREVIEW and are suitable for eva…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today we are pleased to release a new build of the Windows Server vNext Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release that contains both the Desktop Experience and Server Core in all 18 server languages, as well as a new build of the next Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release in English. In addition, the first preview of Microsoft Hyper-V Server is included with this build. For 17692 only, we recommend a clean install. See Known Issues, below. Build-to-build upgrade is currently not supported. What’s New Click here to see the full list of new functionality introduced in earlier builds of Windows Server. Microsoft Hyper-V 2019 Pre…

https://blogs.windows.com/uploads/mswbprod/sites/2/2018/04/b2afbf70365952cd57353d5703587b01-1024x576.png It’s called Nearby Sharing. Here’s what you can do with it: Share quickly. Send any video, photo, document, or webpage viewed on Microsoft Edge to people nearby by clicking on the share charm in the app or right-clicking to get the share menu. You can share a report with a colleague in your meeting room or a vacation photo with your best friend in the library.* Take the quickest path. Your computer automatically picks the fastest way to share your file or webpage, either over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. See who’s available. Bluetooth allows you to quickly discover pot…

On Monday, Microsoft announced the acquisition of video-based social learning platform Flipgrid, used in 180 countries by more than 20 million pre-kindergarten to Ph.D.-level educators, students and families. Like Office 365 Education software, Microsoft will also be making Flipgrid free for schools so it’s easy for any school to utilize the software. Customers who’ve purchased a subscription from Flipgrid will receive a prorated refund. “We’re thrilled to see the impact Flipgrid has had in social learning thus far and look forward to helping them continue to thrive as part of the Microsoft family,” said Eran Megiddo, corporate vice president for Microsoft. “We’re d…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to be a key area of investment for Microsoft, and we’re pleased to announce that for the first time we’ve leveraged AI at scale to greatly improve the quality and reliability of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update rollout. Our AI approach intelligently selects devices that our feedback data indicate would have a great update experience and offers the April 2018 Update to these devices first. As our rollout progresses, we continuously collect update experience data and retrain our models to learn which devices will have a positive update experience, and where we may need to wait until we have higher confidence in a great experience. O…

Hello Windows Insiders! Today, we are releasing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17692 (RS5) to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring in addition to those who opted in to Skip Ahead. What’s new in Build 17692 SwiftKey intelligence comes to Windows SwiftKey gives you more accurate autocorrections and predictions by learning your writing style – including the words, phrases and emoji that matter to you. It’s available for Android and iOS, and starting with today’s build SwiftKey will now power the typing experience on Windows when using the touch keyboard to write in English (United States), English (United Kingdom), French (France), German (Germany), Italian (Ita…

This week at E3, Lenovo announced six new gaming devices powered by Windows 10 that arrive with simple, built-in Mixer streaming for low-latency, interactive moments for viewers and streamers to engage with other gamers, plus the latest in gaming technology from Intel and NVIDIA. With Xbox Play Anywhere, you can buy a game once and play it on both your Xbox One and any of these Windows 10 PCs. Let’s take a closer look at these devices: Lenovo Legion Y530 Laptop Between 24.2mm to 25.2mm thin and 2.3 kg light, up to the latest generation Intel processors, NVIDIA GPUs, DDR4 memory and more, the Lenovo Legion Y530 Laptop is thermally optimized to run cooler and qui…