The next milestone in Microsoft’s AI journey

- Harry Shum - Executive Vice President, Microsoft AI and Research Group

This week at Microsoft Ignite, we showed how we are infusing artificial intelligence (AI) broadly across Microsoft to help our customers. Our approach to this fundamental shift is to democratize AI and to make it accessible and valuable to everyone. We’re focused on building an AI stack spanning infrastructure, services, apps and agents and reaching key customer audiences — consumers, enterprises, developers. We are creating tools to make it easier … Read more »

Empowering IT to drive digital transformation

- Judson Althoff - Executive Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Business

We have all heard the mind-blowing statistics around growth in the number of mobile and digital devices, and the amount of data generated every day. These trends represent the digital shift our society is undergoing, and they are also having an acute impact on the business world. Every company in every industry around the world is now being challenged to transform from being an organization that uses digital technology, to … Read more »

Creating an innovation corridor, ‘solving’ cancer and 6 students’ empowering effort — Weekend Reading: Sept. 23 edition

- Tracy Ith
A smiling woman and two girls appear happy as they look at something together on a Surface device

As summer officially turned into fall, this week brought plenty of extraordinary news at Microsoft and beyond. Plans to build an “innovation corridor,” researchers’ technology-based battle against cancer and six students’ invention to help blind people are just a few of the remarkable and ongoing efforts that were announced in recent days. In an in-depth feature story on Monday, we learned about the scientists, engineers and programmers in Microsoft research … Read more »

How six scrappy young inventors built a breakthrough text-to-Braille translator device

- Tracy Ith
The six members of Team Tactile stand side by side

A group of engineering students knew exactly what they wanted to build at a student technology competition, and they had just 15 hours to do it. As they worked furiously alongside other MIT students, the young women hit a series of snags. They had to wait in long lines to use the 3D printer and laser cutter they needed to shape various parts for their project. Some of the supplies … Read more »

Microsoft Cloud expands with first-of-its-kind offering for Europe

- Takeshi Numoto - Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Cloud + Enterprise

Today, I’m pleased to announce the availability of Microsoft Azure from datacenters in Germany that offer a first-of-its-kind model developed in response to customer needs. The Microsoft Cloud Germany provides a new, differentiated option to the Microsoft Cloud services already available across Europe. Customer data in the two new German datacenters is managed under the control of a data trustee, T-Systems International, an independent German company and subsidiary of Deutsche … Read more »

Microsoft researchers explore using computer science to help ‘solve’ cancer

- Athima Chansanchai
Sketch of a man's face with a microscope in front of it

At Microsoft’s research labs around the world, computer scientists, programmers, engineers and other experts are trying to crack some of the computer industry’s toughest problems, from system design and security to quantum computing and data visualization. A subset of those scientists, engineers and programmers have a different goal: They’re trying to use computer science to solve one of the most complex and deadly challenges humans face: cancer. “We’re in a … Read more »

The future of automotive: Scenarios driving the digital transformation of an industry

- Anand Eswaran - Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Services, Microsoft
automotive2

We are at the threshold of unprecedented value creation for industry and society, driven by the accelerating pace of change enabled through digital technology. Whether it is about bringing together patient records so they can be shared quickly for better patient outcomes, or changing the focus from disease management to wellness in healthcare, digital transformation is changing how we work and live. Called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this significant disruption … Read more »

Microsoft HoloLens speeds service for thyssenkrupp Elevator, researchers achieve speech recognition milestone and Old Glory Relay kicks off — Weekend Reading: Sept.16 edition

- Athima Chansanchai
Man wearing HoloLens looks at hologram of elevator system in front of an open elevator shaft

In this edition of Weekend Reading, we have stories on how Microsoft HoloLens is helping thyssenkrupp Elevator service technicians make quicker fixes, how researchers achieved a major milestone in speech recognition and the beginning of the more than 4,200-mile Old Glory Relay, sponsored by Microsoft. Stairs are great for a workout and a necessity during emergencies. But when you need to get up several floors fast, nothing beats an elevator. … Read more »

Lending a robotic ‘hand’ to fight prostate cancer, and a human hand to mentor employees – Weekend Reading: Sept. 9 edition

- Suzanne Choney - Microsoft News Center Staff
robotics, surgery, Micosoft Azure, Azure Media Services

This week, we’ve got some inspiring footage to share of robotic surgery that is helping those with prostate cancer, a look at how Microsoft’s mentors help their coworkers, and a story from a proud Marine who is now a proud Microsoft employee. Robotic surgeons worldwide lend a ‘hand’ to fight prostate cancer: Doctors around the world have made huge strides in prostate cancer treatment and recovery by using cutting-edge technology … Read more »

Microsoft Azure and Office 365 now available from United Kingdom datacenters

- Takeshi Numoto - Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Cloud + Enterprise

Today, we’ve taken a significant step forward to empower businesses to achieve more with the first complete cloud offering delivered from a global provider within the U.K. Built to power their digital transformation, Microsoft Azure and Office 365 are now generally available from new datacenter regions. Each new region adheres to our Trusted Cloud principles, including security, privacy, compliance and transparency. These new Microsoft Cloud regions will help businesses in … Read more »

Getting everyone in the game at Xbox, helping football coaches with smart mouthguards — Weekend Reading: Sept. 2 edition

- Vanessa Ho
A high school football player wears a mouth guard while standing next to a trainer on a football field.

It may have been the final days of August, but Microsoft was buzzing all week with interesting news and noteworthy stories. So before you take off for the summer’s last camping trip or get the kids ready for another school year, check out what happened at Microsoft this week. With football starting up again, i1Biometrics, a software company in Kirkland, Washington, has teamed up with Microsoft Azure to create smart … Read more »