Three years after an employee revolt forced Google to abandon work on a Pentagon program that used artificial intelligence, the company is aggressively pursuing a major contract to provide its technology to the military.

The company’s plan to land the potentially lucrative contract, known as the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability, could raise a furor among its outspoken workforce and test the resolve of management to resist employee demands.

In 2018, thousands of Google employees signed a letter protesting the company’s involvement in Project Maven, a military program that uses artificial intelligence to interpret video images and could be used to refine the targeting of drone strikes. Google management caved and agreed to not renew the contract once it expired.

The outcry led Google to create guidelines for the ethical use of artificial intelligence, which prohibit the use of its technology for weapons or surveillance, and hastened a shake-up of its cloud computing business. Now, as Google positions cloud computing as a key part of its future, the bid for the new Pentagon contract could test the boundaries of those AI principles, which have set it apart from other tech giants that routinely seek military and intelligence work.

The military’s initiative, which aims to modernize the Pentagon’s cloud technology and support the use of artificial intelligence to gain an advantage on the battlefield, is a replacement for a contract with Microsoft that was canceled this summer amid a lengthy legal battle with Amazon. Google did not compete against Microsoft for that contract after the uproar over Project Maven.

The Pentagon’s restart of its cloud computing project has given Google a chance to jump back into the bidding, and the company has raced to prepare a proposal to present to Defense officials, according to four people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly. In September, Google’s cloud unit made it a priority, declaring an emergency “Code Yellow,” an internal designation of importance that allowed the company to pull engineers off other assignments and focus them on the military project, two of those people said.

On Tuesday, the Google cloud unit’s chief executive, Thomas Kurian, met with Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., the chief of staff of the Air Force, and other top Pentagon officials to make the case for his company, two people said.

Google, in a written statement, said it is “firmly committed to serving our public sector customers,” including the Defense Department, and that it “will evaluate any future bid opportunities accordingly.”

The contract replaces the now-scrapped Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, the Pentagon cloud computing contract that was estimated to be worth $10 billion over 10 years. The exact size of the new contract is unknown, although it is half the duration and will be awarded to more than one company, not to a single provider like JEDI.

It is unclear whether the work, which would provide the Defense Department access to Google’s cloud products, would violate Google’s AI principles, although the Defense Department has said the technology is expected to support the military in combat. But Pentagon rules about outside access to sensitive or classified data could prevent Google from seeing exactly how its technology is being used.

The Defense Department said it would seek proposals from a limited set of companies that could meet its requirements. “As this is an active acquisition, we cannot provide any additional information related to this effort,” said Russell Goemaere, a spokesperson for the department.

After a late start in selling its cloud computing technology to other organizations, Google has struggled to close the gap with Amazon and Microsoft, which have the two biggest cloud computing businesses. To bring in more big customers, Google hired Kurian, a longtime executive at the software company Oracle, to take over the business in 2018. He has beefed up the size of Google’s sales staff and pushed the company to compete aggressively for new contracts, including military deals.

But Google employees have continued to resist some work pursued by the cloud unit. In 2019, they protested the use of artificial intelligence tools for the oil and gas industry. A year later, the company said it would not build custom AI software for the extraction of fossil fuels.

Google started working on Project Maven in 2017 and prepared to bid for JEDI. Many Google employees believed Project Maven represented a potentially lethal use of artificial intelligence, and more than 4,000 workers signed a letter demanding that Google withdraw from the project.

Soon after, Google announced a set of ethical principles that would govern its use of artificial intelligence. Google would not allow its AI to be used for weapons or surveillance, said Sundar Pichai, its chief executive, but would continue to accept military contracts for cybersecurity and search and rescue.

Several months later, Google said it would not bid on the JEDI contract, although it was unlikely that the company had a shot at landing the deal; the Maven experience had soured the relationship between Google and the military, and Google lacked some of the security certifications needed to handle classified data.

Google’s cloud business recently has done other work with the military. Since last year, Google has signed contracts with the U.S. Air Force for using cloud computing for aircraft maintenance and pilot training, as well as a U.S. Navy contract for using artificial intelligence to detect and predict the maintenance needs of facilities and vessels.

Some Google workers believed the new contract would not violate the principles, a person familiar with the decision said, because the contract would enable generic uses of its cloud technology and artificial intelligence. The principles specifically state Google will not pursue AI that can be applied in “weapons or those that direct injury.”

Lucy Suchman, a professor of anthropology of science and technology at Lancaster University whose research focuses on the use of technology in war, said that with so much money at stake, it is no surprise Google might waver on its commitment.

“It demonstrates the fragility of Google’s commitment to staying outside the major merger that’s happening between the DOD and Silicon Valley,” Suchman said.

Google’s efforts come as its employees are already pushing the company to cancel a cloud computing contract with the Israeli military, called Project Nimbus, that provides Google’s services to government entities throughout Israel. In an open letter published last month by The Guardian, Google employees called on their employer to cancel the contract.

The Defense Department’s effort to transition to cloud technology has been mired in legal battles. The military operates on outdated computer systems and has spent billions of dollars on modernization. It turned to U.S. internet giants in the hope that the companies could quickly and securely move the Defense Department to the cloud.

In 2019, the Defense Department awarded the JEDI contract to Microsoft. Amazon sued to block the contract, claiming that Microsoft did not have the technical capabilities to fulfill the military’s needs and that former President Donald Trump had improperly influenced the decision because of animosity toward Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s executive chair and the owner of The Washington Post.

In July, the Defense Department announced that it could no longer wait for the legal fight with Amazon to resolve. It scrapped the JEDI contract and said it would be replaced with the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability.

The Pentagon also noted that Amazon and Microsoft were the only companies that likely had the technology to meet its needs but said it would conduct market research before ruling out other competitors. The Defense Department said it planned to reach out to Google, Oracle and IBM.

But Google executives believe they have the capability to compete for the new contract, and the company expects the Defense Department to tell it whether it will qualify to make a bid in the coming weeks, two people familiar with the matter said.

The Defense Department has previously said it hopes to award a contract by April.

Three years after an employee revolt forced Google to abandon work on a Pentagon program that used artificial intelligence, the company is aggressively pursuing a major contract to provide its technology to the military.

Three years after an employee revolt forced Google to abandon work on a Pentagon program that used artificial intelligence, the company is aggressively pursuing a major contract to provide its technology to the military. The company’s plan to land the potentially lucrative contract, known as the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability, could raise a furor among its outspoken workforce and test the resolve of management to resist employee demands. In 2018, thousands of Google employees signed a letter protesting the company’s involvement in Project Maven, a military program that uses artificial intelligence to interpret video images and could be used to refine the targeting of drone strikes. Google management caved and agreed to not renew the contract once it expired. The outcry led Google to create guidelines for the ethical use of artificial intelligence, which prohibit the use of its technology for weapons or surveillance, and hastened a shake-up of its cloud computing business. Now, as Google positions cloud computing as a key part of its future, the bid for the new Pentagon contract could test the boundaries of those AI principles, which have set it apart from other tech giants that routinely seek military and intelligence work. The military’s initiative, which aims to modernize the Pentagon’s cloud technology and support the use of artificial intelligence to gain an advantage on the battlefield, is a replacement for a contract with Microsoft that was canceled this summer amid a lengthy legal battle with Amazon. Google did not compete against Microsoft for that contract after the uproar over Project Maven. The Pentagon’s restart of its cloud computing project has given Google a chance to jump back into the bidding, and the company has raced to prepare a proposal to present to Defense officials, according to four people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly. In September, Google’s cloud unit made it a priority, declaring an emergency “Code Yellow,” an internal designation of importance that allowed the company to pull engineers off other assignments and focus them on the military project, two of those people said. On Tuesday, the Google cloud unit’s chief executive, Thomas Kurian, met with Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., the chief of staff of the Air Force, and other top Pentagon officials to make the case for his company, two people said. Google, in a written statement, said it is “firmly committed to serving our public sector customers,” including the Defense Department, and that it “will evaluate any future bid opportunities accordingly.” The contract replaces the now-scrapped Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, the Pentagon cloud computing contract that was estimated to be worth $10 billion over 10 years. The exact size of the new contract is unknown, although it is half the duration and will be awarded to more than one company, not to a single provider like JEDI. It is unclear whether the work, which would provide the Defense Department access to Google’s cloud products, would violate Google’s AI principles, although the Defense Department has said the technology is expected to support the military in combat. But Pentagon rules about outside access to sensitive or classified data could prevent Google from seeing exactly how its technology is being used. The Defense Department said it would seek proposals from a limited set of companies that could meet its requirements. “As this is an active acquisition, we cannot provide any additional information related to this effort,” said Russell Goemaere, a spokesperson for the department. After a late start in selling its cloud computing technology to other organizations, Google has struggled to close the gap with Amazon and Microsoft, which have the two biggest cloud computing businesses. To bring in more big customers, Google hired Kurian, a longtime executive at the software company Oracle, to take over the business in 2018. He has beefed up the size of Google’s sales staff and pushed the company to compete aggressively for new contracts, including military deals. But Google employees have continued to resist some work pursued by the cloud unit. In 2019, they protested the use of artificial intelligence tools for the oil and gas industry. A year later, the company said it would not build custom AI software for the extraction of fossil fuels. Google started working on Project Maven in 2017 and prepared to bid for JEDI. Many Google employees believed Project Maven represented a potentially lethal use of artificial intelligence, and more than 4,000 workers signed a letter demanding that Google withdraw from the project. Soon after, Google announced a set of ethical principles that would govern its use of artificial intelligence. Google would not allow its AI to be used for weapons or surveillance, said Sundar Pichai, its chief executive, but would continue to accept military contracts for cybersecurity and search and rescue. Several months later, Google said it would not bid on the JEDI contract, although it was unlikely that the company had a shot at landing the deal; the Maven experience had soured the relationship between Google and the military, and Google lacked some of the security certifications needed to handle classified data. Google’s cloud business recently has done other work with the military. Since last year, Google has signed contracts with the U.S. Air Force for using cloud computing for aircraft maintenance and pilot training, as well as a U.S. Navy contract for using artificial intelligence to detect and predict the maintenance needs of facilities and vessels. Some Google workers believed the new contract would not violate the principles, a person familiar with the decision said, because the contract would enable generic uses of its cloud technology and artificial intelligence. The principles specifically state Google will not pursue AI that can be applied in “weapons or those that direct injury.” Lucy Suchman, a professor of anthropology of science and technology at Lancaster University whose research focuses on the use of technology in war, said that with so much money at stake, it is no surprise Google might waver on its commitment. “It demonstrates the fragility of Google’s commitment to staying outside the major merger that’s happening between the DOD and Silicon Valley,” Suchman said. Google’s efforts come as its employees are already pushing the company to cancel a cloud computing contract with the Israeli military, called Project Nimbus, that provides Google’s services to government entities throughout Israel. In an open letter published last month by The Guardian, Google employees called on their employer to cancel the contract. The Defense Department’s effort to transition to cloud technology has been mired in legal battles. The military operates on outdated computer systems and has spent billions of dollars on modernization. It turned to U.S. internet giants in the hope that the companies could quickly and securely move the Defense Department to the cloud. In 2019, the Defense Department awarded the JEDI contract to Microsoft. Amazon sued to block the contract, claiming that Microsoft did not have the technical capabilities to fulfill the military’s needs and that former President Donald Trump had improperly influenced the decision because of animosity toward Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s executive chair and the owner of The Washington Post. In July, the Defense Department announced that it could no longer wait for the legal fight with Amazon to resolve. It scrapped the JEDI contract and said it would be replaced with the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability. The Pentagon also noted that Amazon and Microsoft were the only companies that likely had the technology to meet its needs but said it would conduct market research before ruling out other competitors. The Defense Department said it planned to reach out to Google, Oracle and IBM. But Google executives believe they have the capability to compete for the new contract, and the company expects the Defense Department to tell it whether it will qualify to make a bid in the coming weeks, two people familiar with the matter said. The Defense Department has previously said it hopes to award a contract by April.

Google wants to work with the Pentagon again, despite employee concerns

Microsoft President Brad Smith has downplayed the metaverse 'hype' and said that it still requires a lot of work.

According to Smith, ''We're all talking about the metaverse as if we're entering some new dimension. This is not like dying and going to heaven. We're all going to be living in the real world with people.''

"I think (the metaverse) will be very big. Everyone is going to be entering this. We have to ensure that it protects privacy, digital safety and protects against disinformation, manipulation. We have a lot to clean up."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-launches-3d-avatars-enters-metaverse-race-426360" hreflang="en">Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella launches 3D avatars, enters metaverse race</a>

His statement comes a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled three-dimensional versions in the company's teams app and stepped into the world of metaverse.

Smith highlighted that metaverse needs Big Tech actors like Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Apple would likely each develop their own versions of metaverse.

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As Covid lockdown measures and work-from-home policies pushed more people online for both business and pleasure, the concept has surged in popularity during the pandemic.

During an interview he sidelines of Lisbon's Web Summit, he also said that ''Tech is going to have to lean in...with real concrete ideas...even make concessions, so that we can all compromise and build a common platform that better protects people than ... the internet as a whole has in recent past.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/what-is-metaverse-the-new-buzzword-in-internet-technology-412364">Also read |&nbsp;What is metaverse, the new buzzword in internet technology?</a>

"Government (will) see through that, and it's not going to bode well for the sector...We sort of need to get real."

Mark Zuckerberg renamed&nbsp;Facebook Inc. to&nbsp; Meta Platforms Inc. or Meta for short.&nbsp;

Facebook as 'Meta' in a strategic rebranding move that experts believed was a distraction from its privacy violations.

In a stinging rebuke,&nbsp;whistleblower Frances Haugen had accused&nbsp;the company of yet again prioritising expansion over people's safety.

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft President Brad Smith has downplayed the metaverse 'hype' and said that it still requires a lot of work. According to Smith, ''We're all talking about the metaverse as if we're entering some new dimension.

Microsoft President Brad Smith has downplayed the metaverse 'hype' and said that it still requires a lot of work. According to Smith, ''We're all talking about the metaverse as if we're entering some new dimension. This is not like dying and going to heaven. We're all going to be living in the real world with people.'' "I think (the metaverse) will be very big. Everyone is going to be entering this. We have to ensure that it protects privacy, digital safety and protects against disinformation, manipulation. We have a lot to clean up." Also read | Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella launches 3D avatars, enters metaverse race His statement comes a day after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella unveiled three-dimensional versions in the company's teams app and stepped into the world of metaverse. Smith highlighted that metaverse needs Big Tech actors like Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Apple would likely each develop their own versions of metaverse. As Covid lockdown measures and work-from-home policies pushed more people online for both business and pleasure, the concept has surged in popularity during the pandemic. During an interview he sidelines of Lisbon's Web Summit, he also said that ''Tech is going to have to lean in...with real concrete ideas...even make concessions, so that we can all compromise and build a common platform that better protects people than ... the internet as a whole has in recent past.'' Also read | What is metaverse, the new buzzword in internet technology? "Government (will) see through that, and it's not going to bode well for the sector...We sort of need to get real." Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook Inc. to Meta Platforms Inc. or Meta for short. Facebook as 'Meta' in a strategic rebranding move that experts believed was a distraction from its privacy violations. In a stinging rebuke, whistleblower Frances Haugen had accused the company of yet again prioritising expansion over people's safety. (With inputs from agencies)

'Requires lot of work': Microsoft President Brad Smith downplays metaverse 'hype'

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has launched three-dimensional avatars and immersive meetings in a bid to enter the metaverse race.

The company is going to roll out a collaborative platform for virtual experiences that will combine HoloLens meetings with mixed reality.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it – from the factory floor to the meeting room. Take a look. <a href="https://t.co/h5tsdYMXRD">pic.twitter.com/h5tsdYMXRD</a>
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1455624165201887234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The metaverse broadly refers to the idea of a shared virtual platform that people can access through different devices and where they can move through digital environments.

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According to Nadella, ''As the digital and physical worlds come together, we are creating an entirely new platform layer, which is the metaverse.''

''In a sense the metaverse enables us to embed computing into the real world and embed the real world into computing, bringing real presence to any digital space,'' he added.

Microsoft will update its Teams app to push towards metaverse environment that will ''transform how we see the world but how we participate in it.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/what-is-metaverse-the-new-buzzword-in-internet-technology-412364">Also read |&nbsp;What is metaverse, the new buzzword in internet technology?</a>

It comes after Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook's name to Meta Platforms Inc to reflect its focus on building the ''metaverse.''

As Covid lockdown measures and work-from-home policies pushed more people online for both business and pleasure, the concept has surged in popularity during the pandemic.

Microsoft, which owns Xbox and the world-building game Minecraft, is also a key player in the gaming world.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/facebook-is-now-meta-but-another-company-pocketted-money-from-all-the-buzz-425058">Also read |&nbsp;Facebook is now Meta, but another company pocketted money from all the buzz</a>

Recently, metaverse has become one of the tech sector's hottest buzzwords, with companies pouring millions of dollars into its development.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has talked about planning for "a metaverse or mixed-reality construct."

Fortnite's owners Epic Games said in April that $1 billion of funding raised recently would be used to support its "vision for the metaverse".

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has launched three-dimensional avatars and immersive meetings in a bid to enter the metaverse race. The company is going to roll out a collaborative platform for virtual experiences that will combine HoloLens meetings with mixed reality.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has launched three-dimensional avatars and immersive meetings in a bid to enter the metaverse race. The company is going to roll out a collaborative platform for virtual experiences that will combine HoloLens meetings with mixed reality. The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it – from the factory floor to the meeting room. Take a look. pic.twitter.com/h5tsdYMXRD — Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 2, 2021 × The metaverse broadly refers to the idea of a shared virtual platform that people can access through different devices and where they can move through digital environments. According to Nadella, ''As the digital and physical worlds come together, we are creating an entirely new platform layer, which is the metaverse.'' ''In a sense the metaverse enables us to embed computing into the real world and embed the real world into computing, bringing real presence to any digital space,'' he added. Microsoft will update its Teams app to push towards metaverse environment that will ''transform how we see the world but how we participate in it.'' Also read | What is metaverse, the new buzzword in internet technology? It comes after Mark Zuckerberg changed Facebook's name to Meta Platforms Inc to reflect its focus on building the ''metaverse.'' As Covid lockdown measures and work-from-home policies pushed more people online for both business and pleasure, the concept has surged in popularity during the pandemic. Microsoft, which owns Xbox and the world-building game Minecraft, is also a key player in the gaming world. Also read | Facebook is now Meta, but another company pocketted money from all the buzz Recently, metaverse has become one of the tech sector's hottest buzzwords, with companies pouring millions of dollars into its development. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has talked about planning for "a metaverse or mixed-reality construct." Fortnite's owners Epic Games said in April that $1 billion of funding raised recently would be used to support its "vision for the metaverse". (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella launches 3D avatars, enters metaverse race

The Russian-based agency behind last year's massive SolarWinds cyber attack has targeted hundreds more companies and organisations as a part of its latest attacks on US-based computer systems, reveals Microsoft in a blog post.

In a blog post dated October 24, Microsoft said that Nobelium's latest wave targeted "resellers and other technology service providers" of cloud services. The attacks come as a part of a broader campaign over the summer, Microsoft said. It further added that it had notified 609 customers between July 1 and October 19 that they had been attacked.

The software giant's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), described the cyberattack as "nation-state activity."

MSTIC said that it "shares the hallmarks" of the assault on SolarWinds, a Texas-based software company targeted as its 300,000-strong customer base gave the hackers access to a huge number of companies.&nbsp;

The latest attack has been underway since at least May, MSTIC said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/woman-finds-her-dad-on-facebook-after-58-years-423786">Also read |&nbsp;Woman finds her dad on Facebook after 58 years</a>

In April, Washington imposed sanctions and expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation for Moscow's alleged involvement in the SolarWinds attack, election interference and other hostile activity.

The software company urged its customers to check on their security arrangements using multi-factor authentification.

This is not the first time that Nobelium has mounted a comeback since SolarWinds, with Microsoft announcing in May that it had again detected a series of attacks by the group on government agencies.

In May, the effort targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organisations, at least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work.

This time, Burt said the speed of the attacks was escalating. While the success rate was only "in the low single digits", this compares to "attacks from all nation-state actors 20,500 times over the past three years".

The Russian-based agency behind last year's massive SolarWinds cyber attack has targeted hundreds more companies and organisations as a part of its latest attacks on US-based computer systems, reveals Microsoft in a blog post.

The Russian-based agency behind last year's massive SolarWinds cyber attack has targeted hundreds more companies and organisations as a part of its latest attacks on US-based computer systems, reveals Microsoft in a blog post. In a blog post dated October 24, Microsoft said that Nobelium's latest wave targeted "resellers and other technology service providers" of cloud services. The attacks come as a part of a broader campaign over the summer, Microsoft said. It further added that it had notified 609 customers between July 1 and October 19 that they had been attacked. The software giant's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), described the cyberattack as "nation-state activity." MSTIC said that it "shares the hallmarks" of the assault on SolarWinds, a Texas-based software company targeted as its 300,000-strong customer base gave the hackers access to a huge number of companies. The latest attack has been underway since at least May, MSTIC said. Also read | Woman finds her dad on Facebook after 58 years In April, Washington imposed sanctions and expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation for Moscow's alleged involvement in the SolarWinds attack, election interference and other hostile activity. The software company urged its customers to check on their security arrangements using multi-factor authentification. This is not the first time that Nobelium has mounted a comeback since SolarWinds, with Microsoft announcing in May that it had again detected a series of attacks by the group on government agencies. In May, the effort targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organisations, at least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work. This time, Burt said the speed of the attacks was escalating. While the success rate was only "in the low single digits", this compares to "attacks from all nation-state actors 20,500 times over the past three years".

Russian cyberattack targeting hundreds of US networks, reveals Microsoft

The letter from a Microsoft Corporation engineer claiming an affair with Bill Gates that precipitated his departure from the board in 2019 wasn't the first time some Microsoft directors were confronted with the billionaire's improper behaviour with female workers.

According to sources familiar with the case, Microsoft management found emails between Gates and a midlevel female employee at the firm more than a decade ago, while Gates was still an employee at Microsoft and chairman of the board.

According to the sources, the then-married Gates was flirty and propositioned the female employee in the communication.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Bill and Melinda Gates split up after 27 years of marriage

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In 2007, Gates, then a full-time employee and Microsoft president, flirted with a female staffer via email and asked her to a meeting outside of work.

The firm became aware of the emails the next year, and executives from the group informed Gates that they were improper and had to be stopped. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Bill Gates quit Microsoft amid probe into affair with staffer

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According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates accepted the facts and stated that he would not do it again.

The board, which was made aware of these connections, took no action.&nbsp;

"Microsoft has nothing to share other than verifying the veracity of the WSJ article," a Microsoft representative said on Monday.

Gates stepped down as Microsoft's president in 2008, although he remained on the company's board of directors until March 2020.

After 27 years of marriage, the former Microsoft CEO and one of the world's wealthiest men announced their divorce in May.

(With inputs from agencies)

The letter from a Microsoft Corporation engineer claiming an affair with Bill Gates that precipitated his departure from the board in 2019 wasn't the first time some Microsoft directors were confronted with the billionaire's improper behaviour with female workers.

The letter from a Microsoft Corporation engineer claiming an affair with Bill Gates that precipitated his departure from the board in 2019 wasn't the first time some Microsoft directors were confronted with the billionaire's improper behaviour with female workers. According to sources familiar with the case, Microsoft management found emails between Gates and a midlevel female employee at the firm more than a decade ago, while Gates was still an employee at Microsoft and chairman of the board. According to the sources, the then-married Gates was flirty and propositioned the female employee in the communication. Watch | Bill and Melinda Gates split up after 27 years of marriage In 2007, Gates, then a full-time employee and Microsoft president, flirted with a female staffer via email and asked her to a meeting outside of work. The firm became aware of the emails the next year, and executives from the group informed Gates that they were improper and had to be stopped. Watch | Gravitas: Bill Gates quit Microsoft amid probe into affair with staffer According to the Wall Street Journal, Gates accepted the facts and stated that he would not do it again. The board, which was made aware of these connections, took no action. "Microsoft has nothing to share other than verifying the veracity of the WSJ article," a Microsoft representative said on Monday. Gates stepped down as Microsoft's president in 2008, although he remained on the company's board of directors until March 2020. After 27 years of marriage, the former Microsoft CEO and one of the world's wealthiest men announced their divorce in May. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft warned Bill Gates over flirtatious emails to female colleague in 2008: Report

Microsoft executives warned Bill Gates in 2008 about inappropriate emails he had sent to a female employee, a Microsoft spokesman said Monday.

The warning involved messages in which Gates, who at the time was a full-time employee and the company’s chair, asked an employee out on a date. Senior Microsoft executives learned of the emails in 2008, according to Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesperson.

“These emails proposed meeting outside of work and off campus,” Shaw said. “While flirtatious, they were not overtly sexual but were deemed to be inappropriate.”

After they discovered the messages, executives warned Gates that his behaviour was inappropriate and notified a small group of board members about the incident, Shaw said. Gates told the board members that he agreed that what he had done was inappropriate, and the board took no further action.

Gates left the company shortly thereafter in a long-planned departure, though he remained a member of its board until last year. The executives’ warnings to Gates were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.

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Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Journal quoted her as saying, “These claims are false, recycled rumours from sources who have no direct knowledge, and in some cases have significant conflicts of interest.”

In 2019, after The New York Times reported on Gates’s long-running relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Microsoft’s board began looking into a report that Gates had, years earlier, had a sexual relationship with a subordinate at Microsoft.

Gates and his wife, Melinda French Gates, announced earlier this year that they were ending their 27-year marriage.

The Times reported in May that Gates had developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings. The article described Gates making an overture to a female Microsoft employee after having attended a presentation by her while he was the company’s chair. Gates left the meeting and immediately emailed the woman to ask her out to dinner, the Times reported.

“If this makes you uncomfortable, pretend it never happened,” Gates wrote in an email, according to a person who read it to the Times.

Shaw said Monday that it was Gates’ emails to that female employee that triggered executives’ warnings to Gates in 2008.

Microsoft executives warned Bill Gates in 2008 about inappropriate emails he had sent to a female employee, a Microsoft spokesman said Monday. The warning involved messages in which Gates, who at the time was a full-time employee and the company’s chair, asked an employee out on a date.

Microsoft executives warned Bill Gates in 2008 about inappropriate emails he had sent to a female employee, a Microsoft spokesman said Monday. The warning involved messages in which Gates, who at the time was a full-time employee and the company’s chair, asked an employee out on a date. Senior Microsoft executives learned of the emails in 2008, according to Frank Shaw, a Microsoft spokesperson. “These emails proposed meeting outside of work and off campus,” Shaw said. “While flirtatious, they were not overtly sexual but were deemed to be inappropriate.” After they discovered the messages, executives warned Gates that his behaviour was inappropriate and notified a small group of board members about the incident, Shaw said. Gates told the board members that he agreed that what he had done was inappropriate, and the board took no further action. Gates left the company shortly thereafter in a long-planned departure, though he remained a member of its board until last year. The executives’ warnings to Gates were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. Also read | Facebook plans on hiring 10,000 people in EU to work on metaverse Bridgitt Arnold, a spokesperson for Gates, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Journal quoted her as saying, “These claims are false, recycled rumours from sources who have no direct knowledge, and in some cases have significant conflicts of interest.” In 2019, after The New York Times reported on Gates’s long-running relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Microsoft’s board began looking into a report that Gates had, years earlier, had a sexual relationship with a subordinate at Microsoft. Gates and his wife, Melinda French Gates, announced earlier this year that they were ending their 27-year marriage. The Times reported in May that Gates had developed a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings. The article described Gates making an overture to a female Microsoft employee after having attended a presentation by her while he was the company’s chair. Gates left the meeting and immediately emailed the woman to ask her out to dinner, the Times reported. “If this makes you uncomfortable, pretend it never happened,” Gates wrote in an email, according to a person who read it to the Times. Shaw said Monday that it was Gates’ emails to that female employee that triggered executives’ warnings to Gates in 2008.

Microsoft leaders warned Bill Gates over ‘inappropriate’ emails

Nearly seven years after its launch Microsoft is pulling the plug on LinkedIn in China and will replace it with a stripped-down version of the platform that would focus only on jobs.

Microsoft pulls the plug on LinkedIn in China, to replace it with a stripped-down version

Microsoft on Thursday said it will shut down career-oriented social network LinkedIn in China, citing a "challenging operating environment" as Beijing tightens control over tech firms.

The US-based company will replace LinkedIn in China with an application dedicated to applying for jobs but without the networking features, according to senior vice president of engineering Mohak Shroff.

"We're... facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China," Shroff said in a blog post.

According to the Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn was given a deadline by Chinese internet regulators to better oversee content on the site.

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LinkedIn, which launched in China in 2014, lets people use personal and professional relationships to find job opportunities.

Chinese authorities have been targeting a range of homegrown tech behemoths for alleged monopolistic practices and aggressive harvesting of consumer data.

The drive is part of a wider policy by the government to tighten its grip on the world's number two economy, including targeting private education, property and casinos.

Microsoft will "sunset" the China version of LinkedIn and launch an InJobs application dedicated to connected professionals in that country with companies seeking employees, according to Shroff.

Microsoft bought LinkedIn for slightly more than $26 billion in 2016, and has worked to build a presence in China despite concerns about online censorship.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/study-says-drinking-warm-milk-can-make-one-sleepy-here-is-how-420786">Also read |&nbsp;Study says drinking warm milk can make one sleepy, here is how</a>

Facebook and Twitter have been banned in China for more than a decade.

Google left the country in 2010 in response to a hacking attack and censorship.

The website of e-commerce giant Amazon is accessible in China, but the market there is dominated by local players such as Alibaba and JD.com.

Microsoft on Thursday said it will shut down career-oriented social network LinkedIn in China, citing a "challenging operating environment" as Beijing tightens control over tech firms.

Microsoft on Thursday said it will shut down career-oriented social network LinkedIn in China, citing a "challenging operating environment" as Beijing tightens control over tech firms. The US-based company will replace LinkedIn in China with an application dedicated to applying for jobs but without the networking features, according to senior vice president of engineering Mohak Shroff. "We're... facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China," Shroff said in a blog post. According to the Wall Street Journal, LinkedIn was given a deadline by Chinese internet regulators to better oversee content on the site. Also read | Turkey’s 24-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi titled as tallest woman living LinkedIn, which launched in China in 2014, lets people use personal and professional relationships to find job opportunities. Chinese authorities have been targeting a range of homegrown tech behemoths for alleged monopolistic practices and aggressive harvesting of consumer data. The drive is part of a wider policy by the government to tighten its grip on the world's number two economy, including targeting private education, property and casinos. Microsoft will "sunset" the China version of LinkedIn and launch an InJobs application dedicated to connected professionals in that country with companies seeking employees, according to Shroff. Microsoft bought LinkedIn for slightly more than $26 billion in 2016, and has worked to build a presence in China despite concerns about online censorship. Also read | Study says drinking warm milk can make one sleepy, here is how Facebook and Twitter have been banned in China for more than a decade. Google left the country in 2010 in response to a hacking attack and censorship. The website of e-commerce giant Amazon is accessible in China, but the market there is dominated by local players such as Alibaba and JD.com.

Microsoft shuttering LinkedIn in China as rules tighten

Microsoft on Tuesday started rolling out its new operating system Windows 11. The OS is now available as a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs as well as on new PCs that come pre-installed with windows 11 worldwide.

New pre-installed Windows 11 devices have begun rolling out from partners including ASUS, HP, and Lenovo with more coming soon from partners like Acer and Dell.

"With Windows 11, we reimagined the entire user experience to bring you closer to what you love, empower you to produce, and inspire you to create. Windows 11 will provide users a sense of calm and openness while keeping everything that they do secure. We are pleased to bring the new Windows 11 to India," said Rajiv Sodhi, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft India. He was quoted by IANS.

The company says Windows 11 features powerful new experiences whether users are working on a school project, collaborating on a presentation for work, building a new app or creating your next big idea.

The OS comes with redesigned Taskbar icons and Start menu It also adds rounded corners for all program windows and built-in Teams chat.

Windows 11 also includes support for DirectStorage, a feature first introduced on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles.

Introduced in July, Windows 11 comes with a sleeker look and layouts for snapping applications to the screen, more detailed widgets, a revamped Microsoft Store, and support for Android apps.

Microsoft has already revealed basic requirements for running Windows 11 on a PC. It will need a processor that has two or more cores and a clock speed of 1GHz or higher along with 4GB RAM and at least 64GB storage.

The firm recently announced Windows 11 will officially support Intel Core X-series, Xeon W-series, and the Intel Core 7820HQ.

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft on Tuesday started rolling out its new operating system Windows 11. The OS is now available as a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs as well as on new PCs that come pre-installed with windows 11 worldwide.

Microsoft on Tuesday started rolling out its new operating system Windows 11. The OS is now available as a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs as well as on new PCs that come pre-installed with windows 11 worldwide. New pre-installed Windows 11 devices have begun rolling out from partners including ASUS, HP, and Lenovo with more coming soon from partners like Acer and Dell. "With Windows 11, we reimagined the entire user experience to bring you closer to what you love, empower you to produce, and inspire you to create. Windows 11 will provide users a sense of calm and openness while keeping everything that they do secure. We are pleased to bring the new Windows 11 to India," said Rajiv Sodhi, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft India. He was quoted by IANS. The company says Windows 11 features powerful new experiences whether users are working on a school project, collaborating on a presentation for work, building a new app or creating your next big idea. The OS comes with redesigned Taskbar icons and Start menu It also adds rounded corners for all program windows and built-in Teams chat. Windows 11 also includes support for DirectStorage, a feature first introduced on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. Introduced in July, Windows 11 comes with a sleeker look and layouts for snapping applications to the screen, more detailed widgets, a revamped Microsoft Store, and support for Android apps. Microsoft has already revealed basic requirements for running Windows 11 on a PC. It will need a processor that has two or more cores and a clock speed of 1GHz or higher along with 4GB RAM and at least 64GB storage. The firm recently announced Windows 11 will officially support Intel Core X-series, Xeon W-series, and the Intel Core 7820HQ. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft starts rolling out Windows 11 to PCs across the world

Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said on Monday that the company's near acquisition of social media app TikTok was the "strangest thing" he had "ever worked on"

Former US President Donald Trump had ordered TikTok to separate its US version from Chinese parent company ByteDance over concerns of data security of US users. Microsoft had begun acquisition talks in August 2020 but the deal collapsed by September.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/microsoft-co-founder-bill-gates-offers-15-billion-in-climate-help-if-us-takes-legislative-action-405062">Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates offers $1.5 billion in climate help if US takes legislative action</a>

Trump's divestment push ended by the time he left office in January and no potential suitor ending up acquiring TikTok.

Nadella was speaking at the Code Conference in Beverly Hills, California. He said that he was looking forward to bringing Microsoft's security, child safety and cloud expertise to TikTok.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/safe-and-easy-microsoft-announces-passwordless-account-for-users-413771">Safe and easy: Microsoft announces 'passwordless account' for users</a>

"It's unbelievable," Nadella said of the experience during an on-stage interview. "I learned so many things about so much and so many people. First of all, TikTok came to us. We didn't go to TikTok."

"TikTok was caught in between a lot of things happening across two capitals," Nadella continued. "President Trump had a particular point of view of what he was trying to get done there, and then it just dropped off. The [U.S. government] had a particular set of requirements and then it just disappeared."

Nadella said Microsoft's services related to content moderation and child safety was what had attracted TikTOk CEO Zhang Yiming to Microsoft.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amazon-microsoft-cisco-among-tech-giants-to-utilise-data-from-indias-farmers-413747">Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco among tech giants to utilise data from India’s farmers</a>

ByteDance did not immediately respond to Reuter's request for comment.

Nadella said he has no idea whether the US is still pushing for a deal under President Joe Biden. The Biden administration has said it is reviewing the national security concerns&nbsp;

"At this point, I'm happy with what I have," Nadella said.

He also expressed support for greater government regulation of cryptocurrency rules, which could stifle ransomware attacks since the ransoms often flow through opaque systems.

Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said on Monday that the company's near acquisition of social media app TikTok was the "strangest thing" he had "ever worked on" Former US President Donald Trump had ordered TikTok to separate its US version from Chinese parent company ByteDance over concerns of data security of US users.

Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said on Monday that the company's near acquisition of social media app TikTok was the "strangest thing" he had "ever worked on" Former US President Donald Trump had ordered TikTok to separate its US version from Chinese parent company ByteDance over concerns of data security of US users. Microsoft had begun acquisition talks in August 2020 but the deal collapsed by September. Also Read | Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates offers $1.5 billion in climate help if US takes legislative action Trump's divestment push ended by the time he left office in January and no potential suitor ending up acquiring TikTok. Nadella was speaking at the Code Conference in Beverly Hills, California. He said that he was looking forward to bringing Microsoft's security, child safety and cloud expertise to TikTok. Also Read | Safe and easy: Microsoft announces 'passwordless account' for users "It's unbelievable," Nadella said of the experience during an on-stage interview. "I learned so many things about so much and so many people. First of all, TikTok came to us. We didn't go to TikTok." "TikTok was caught in between a lot of things happening across two capitals," Nadella continued. "President Trump had a particular point of view of what he was trying to get done there, and then it just dropped off. The [U.S. government] had a particular set of requirements and then it just disappeared." Nadella said Microsoft's services related to content moderation and child safety was what had attracted TikTOk CEO Zhang Yiming to Microsoft. Also Read | Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco among tech giants to utilise data from India’s farmers ByteDance did not immediately respond to Reuter's request for comment. Nadella said he has no idea whether the US is still pushing for a deal under President Joe Biden. The Biden administration has said it is reviewing the national security concerns "At this point, I'm happy with what I have," Nadella said. He also expressed support for greater government regulation of cryptocurrency rules, which could stifle ransomware attacks since the ransoms often flow through opaque systems.

Failed TikTok deal 'strangest thing I've worked on', says Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

Do you have trouble remembering your passwords? Microsoft may have the solution. They are offering password-less authentication for millions of users around the world. Can biometrics & OTPs replace passwords? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: A world without passwords?

Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. are among technology giants which are lining up to utilise data from India’s farmers in an ambitious government-led productivity drive. It is aimed at transforming an outmoded agricultural industry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, which is seeking to ensure food security in the world’s second-most populous nation, has signed preliminary agreements with the three US titans and a slew of local businesses.&nbsp;

Modi is betting the private sector can help farmers boost yields with apps and tools built from information such as crop output, soil quality and landholdings.

As per the government, io Platforms Ltd, which is controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., and tobacco giant ITC Ltd are among local powerhouses that have signed up for the programme.

With the project, the Modi government seeks to usher in long-due reforms to makeover a farm sector that employs almost half of the nation’s 1.3 billion people and contributes about a fifth of Asia’s third-biggest economy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-pm-modi-inaugurates-new-defence-offices-slams-central-vista-critics-413481">Also read |&nbsp;Indian PM Modi inaugurates new defence offices, slams Central Vista critics</a>

Ankur Pahwa, a partner at consultancy EY India, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying, "This is a high impact industry and private players are sensing the opportunity and want to be a large part of it".

He further added, "India has a very high amount of food wastage because of lack of technology and infrastructure. So there’s a huge upside to the program.”

The idea is to seed all the information such as crop pattern, soil health, insurance, credit, and weather patterns into a single database and then analyse it through AI and data analytics.&nbsp;

After that, the goal is to develop personalised services for a sector replete with challenges such as peaking yields, water stress, degrading soil and lack of infrastructure including temperature-controlled warehouses and refrigerated trucks.

As of now, the government has seeded publicly available data for more than 50 million farmers of the 120 million identified land-holding growers. Some of the local companies that have signed up include Star Agribazaar Technology, ESRI India

Technologies, yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Organic Research Institute and Ninjacart. However, the success rate is far from guaranteed.&nbsp;

The plan to rope in big corporations is already drawing criticisms from critics.&nbsp;

As per the critics, the move comes as another attempt by the government to give the private sector a greater sway.

Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. are among technology giants which are lining up to utilise data from India’s farmers in an ambitious government-led productivity drive.

Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Cisco Systems Inc. are among technology giants which are lining up to utilise data from India’s farmers in an ambitious government-led productivity drive. It is aimed at transforming an outmoded agricultural industry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, which is seeking to ensure food security in the world’s second-most populous nation, has signed preliminary agreements with the three US titans and a slew of local businesses. Modi is betting the private sector can help farmers boost yields with apps and tools built from information such as crop output, soil quality and landholdings. As per the government, io Platforms Ltd, which is controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., and tobacco giant ITC Ltd are among local powerhouses that have signed up for the programme. With the project, the Modi government seeks to usher in long-due reforms to makeover a farm sector that employs almost half of the nation’s 1.3 billion people and contributes about a fifth of Asia’s third-biggest economy. Also read | Indian PM Modi inaugurates new defence offices, slams Central Vista critics Ankur Pahwa, a partner at consultancy EY India, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying, "This is a high impact industry and private players are sensing the opportunity and want to be a large part of it". He further added, "India has a very high amount of food wastage because of lack of technology and infrastructure. So there’s a huge upside to the program.” The idea is to seed all the information such as crop pattern, soil health, insurance, credit, and weather patterns into a single database and then analyse it through AI and data analytics. After that, the goal is to develop personalised services for a sector replete with challenges such as peaking yields, water stress, degrading soil and lack of infrastructure including temperature-controlled warehouses and refrigerated trucks. As of now, the government has seeded publicly available data for more than 50 million farmers of the 120 million identified land-holding growers. Some of the local companies that have signed up include Star Agribazaar Technology, ESRI India Technologies, yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Organic Research Institute and Ninjacart. However, the success rate is far from guaranteed. The plan to rope in big corporations is already drawing criticisms from critics. As per the critics, the move comes as another attempt by the government to give the private sector a greater sway.

Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco among tech giants to utilise data from India’s farmers

Recently internet users have been joking about having to remember too many passwords. Microsoft, however, has found a solution for their users.

The popular tech company has decided to abandon password system to let its users have a ‘passwordless account’ for easy and quick access.

Users of all popular services such as Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive and more will be given the option of creating ‘passwordless accounts’ in the coming weeks.

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The option was available for corporate users of Microsoft in March, but has now decided to extend this option for private users too.

"You can now completely remove the password from your Microsoft account," Vasu Jakkal, the company's corporate vice president of security, compliance and identity, wrote in a&nbsp;blog post&nbsp;Wednesday.

However, security will now be compromised for these accounts. Microsoft will allow users to access their personal accounts through the famous Authenticator app that will generate a ‘One Time Password’ (OTP) (unique numbered login code). Users can put in this code and enter their account.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whats-the-difference-netizens-wonder-as-new-iphone-13-is-almost-like-iphone-12-413210" hreflang="en">What's the difference? Netizens wonder as new iPhone 13 is almost like iPhone 12</a>

Another option will be through ‘Windows Hello’ that will let users sign in through facial recognition or fingerprint.

Users are also allowed to own an external security key — which looks like a USB drive — that will have security and login information pre-loaded in it.

Microsoft has taken this decision after it observed an alarming spike in cyberattacks in the past year, caused by lack of password strength, especially for people who have been working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Recently internet users have been joking about having to remember too many passwords. Microsoft, however, has found a solution for their users. The popular tech company has decided to abandon password system to let its users have a ‘passwordless account’ for easy and quick access.

Recently internet users have been joking about having to remember too many passwords. Microsoft, however, has found a solution for their users. The popular tech company has decided to abandon password system to let its users have a ‘passwordless account’ for easy and quick access. Users of all popular services such as Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive and more will be given the option of creating ‘passwordless accounts’ in the coming weeks. Also read | Facebook documents show how toxic Instagram is for teens: Reports The option was available for corporate users of Microsoft in March, but has now decided to extend this option for private users too. "You can now completely remove the password from your Microsoft account," Vasu Jakkal, the company's corporate vice president of security, compliance and identity, wrote in a blog post Wednesday. However, security will now be compromised for these accounts. Microsoft will allow users to access their personal accounts through the famous Authenticator app that will generate a ‘One Time Password’ (OTP) (unique numbered login code). Users can put in this code and enter their account. Also read | What's the difference? Netizens wonder as new iPhone 13 is almost like iPhone 12 Another option will be through ‘Windows Hello’ that will let users sign in through facial recognition or fingerprint. Users are also allowed to own an external security key — which looks like a USB drive — that will have security and login information pre-loaded in it. Microsoft has taken this decision after it observed an alarming spike in cyberattacks in the past year, caused by lack of password strength, especially for people who have been working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Safe and easy: Microsoft announces 'passwordless account' for users

Google on Wednesday ramped up cloud collaboration tools for businesses, expecting "hybrid" work routines to remain even after the pandemic has ended.

The internet titan competes with Microsoft, Zoom, Facebook and others with online services that employees can use to collaborate remotely.

Tech giants turned to their own tools after abandoning campuses early in the pandemic, which fueled a fierce remote work trend.

"We've seen a radical transformation, and a lot of that transformation is here to stay," Google product management director Dave Citron said during a briefing on new Workspace offerings.

"But I think it is too early to say that the 40-hour work week in a cubicle is permanently dead across all industries and regions."

Major tech companies themselves have postponed workers returning to offices and expect the new norm to become "hybrid" routines that mix being on-site with working remotely.

Google said it has created a hybrid work handbook for how to take advantage of tools, as well as software for employees to conduct efficient meetings no matter where they are working from.

"We're really excited to bring this to our customers to give them some best practices as they're working to redesign their offices," Citron said.

Google also announced enhancements to its Workspace portfolio that integrate the tech giant's apps for meetings, email, calendars, documents, chat and more.

"As some people return to the office, teams need that ability to flexibly collaborate from anywhere, anytime,” said Workspace senior director of product management Sanaz Ahari.

"The innovations we're bringing to customers today help bridge the gaps of virtual and in-person collaboration."

Workspace added a dedicated online venue for working on projects, and unveiled interactive Series One displays designed specifically for conferencing.

An all-in-one desktop model of Series One was priced at $2,000, while a larger model designed for conference rooms was priced at $7,000.

"Based on the price points, we think the vast amount of the customers will be companies buying it for their employees," Citron said.

Google on Wednesday ramped up cloud collaboration tools for businesses, expecting "hybrid" work routines to remain even after the pandemic has ended. The internet titan competes with Microsoft, Zoom, Facebook and others with online services that employees can use to collaborate remotely.

Google on Wednesday ramped up cloud collaboration tools for businesses, expecting "hybrid" work routines to remain even after the pandemic has ended. The internet titan competes with Microsoft, Zoom, Facebook and others with online services that employees can use to collaborate remotely. Tech giants turned to their own tools after abandoning campuses early in the pandemic, which fueled a fierce remote work trend. "We've seen a radical transformation, and a lot of that transformation is here to stay," Google product management director Dave Citron said during a briefing on new Workspace offerings. "But I think it is too early to say that the 40-hour work week in a cubicle is permanently dead across all industries and regions." Major tech companies themselves have postponed workers returning to offices and expect the new norm to become "hybrid" routines that mix being on-site with working remotely. Google said it has created a hybrid work handbook for how to take advantage of tools, as well as software for employees to conduct efficient meetings no matter where they are working from. "We're really excited to bring this to our customers to give them some best practices as they're working to redesign their offices," Citron said. Google also announced enhancements to its Workspace portfolio that integrate the tech giant's apps for meetings, email, calendars, documents, chat and more. "As some people return to the office, teams need that ability to flexibly collaborate from anywhere, anytime,” said Workspace senior director of product management Sanaz Ahari. "The innovations we're bringing to customers today help bridge the gaps of virtual and in-person collaboration." Workspace added a dedicated online venue for working on projects, and unveiled interactive Series One displays designed specifically for conferencing. An all-in-one desktop model of Series One was priced at $2,000, while a larger model designed for conference rooms was priced at $7,000. "Based on the price points, we think the vast amount of the customers will be companies buying it for their employees," Citron said.

Google see the future of work as 'hybrid'

Microsoft on Thursday warned thousands of its cloud computing customers, including some of the world's largest companies, that intruders could have the ability to read, change or even delete their main databases, according to a copy of the email and a cyber security researcher.

The vulnerability is in Microsoft Azure's flagship Cosmos DB database. A research team at security company Wiz discovered it was able to access keys that control access to databases held by thousands of companies. Wiz Chief Technology Officer Ami Luttwak is a former chief technology officer at Microsoft's Cloud Security Group.

Because Microsoft cannot change those keys by itself, it emailed the customers Thursday telling them to create new ones. Microsoft agreed to pay Wiz $40,000 for finding the flaw and reporting it, according to an email it sent to Wiz.

"We fixed this issue immediately to keep our customers safe and protected. We thank the security researchers for working under coordinated vulnerability disclosure," Microsoft told Reuters.

Microsoft's email to customers said there was no evidence the flaw had been exploited. "We have no indication that external entities outside the researcher (Wiz) had access to the primary read-write key," the email said.

“This is the worst cloud vulnerability you can imagine. It is a long-lasting secret,” Luttwak told Reuters. “This is the central database of Azure, and we were able to get access to any customer database that we wanted.”

Luttwak's team found the problem, dubbed ChaosDB, on Aug. 9 and notified Microsoft Aug. 12, Luttwak said.

The flaw was in a visualization tool called Jupyter Notebook, which has been available for years but was enabled by default in Cosmos beginning in February. After Reuters reported on the flaw, Wiz detailed the issue https://www.wiz.io/blog/chaosdb-how-we-hacked-thousands-of-azure-customers-databases in a blog post.

Luttwak said even customers who have not been notified by Microsoft could have had their keys swiped by attackers, giving them access until those keys are changed. Microsoft only told customers whose keys were visible this month, when Wiz was working on the issue.

Microsoft told Reuters that "customers who may have been impacted received a notification from us," without elaborating.

The disclosure comes after months of bad security news for Microsoft. The company was breached by the same suspected Russian government hackers that infiltrated SolarWinds, who stole Microsoft source code https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-solarwinds-microsoft-idUSKBN2AI2Q0. Then a wide number of hackers broke into Exchange email servers while a patch was being developed.

A recent fix for a printer flaw that allowed computer takeovers had to be redone repeatedly. Another Exchange flaw last week prompted an urgent U.S. government warning https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/current-activity/2021/08/21/urgent-protect-against-active-exploitation-proxyshell that customers need to install patches issued months ago because ransomware gangs are now exploiting it.

Problems with Azure are especially troubling, because Microsoft and outside security experts have been pushing companies to abandon most of their own infrastructure and rely on the cloud for more security.

But though cloud attacks are more rare, they can be more devastating when they occur. What's more, some are never publicized.

A federally contracted research lab tracks all known security flaws in software and rates them by severity. But there is no equivalent system for holes in cloud architecture, so many critical vulnerabilities remain undisclosed to users, Luttwak said.

Microsoft on Thursday warned thousands of its cloud computing customers, including some of the world's largest companies, that intruders could have the ability to read, change or even delete their main databases, according to a copy of the email and a cyber security researcher.

Microsoft on Thursday warned thousands of its cloud computing customers, including some of the world's largest companies, that intruders could have the ability to read, change or even delete their main databases, according to a copy of the email and a cyber security researcher. The vulnerability is in Microsoft Azure's flagship Cosmos DB database. A research team at security company Wiz discovered it was able to access keys that control access to databases held by thousands of companies. Wiz Chief Technology Officer Ami Luttwak is a former chief technology officer at Microsoft's Cloud Security Group. Because Microsoft cannot change those keys by itself, it emailed the customers Thursday telling them to create new ones. Microsoft agreed to pay Wiz $40,000 for finding the flaw and reporting it, according to an email it sent to Wiz. "We fixed this issue immediately to keep our customers safe and protected. We thank the security researchers for working under coordinated vulnerability disclosure," Microsoft told Reuters. Microsoft's email to customers said there was no evidence the flaw had been exploited. "We have no indication that external entities outside the researcher (Wiz) had access to the primary read-write key," the email said. “This is the worst cloud vulnerability you can imagine. It is a long-lasting secret,” Luttwak told Reuters. “This is the central database of Azure, and we were able to get access to any customer database that we wanted.” Luttwak's team found the problem, dubbed ChaosDB, on Aug. 9 and notified Microsoft Aug. 12, Luttwak said. The flaw was in a visualization tool called Jupyter Notebook, which has been available for years but was enabled by default in Cosmos beginning in February. After Reuters reported on the flaw, Wiz detailed the issue https://www.wiz.io/blog/chaosdb-how-we-hacked-thousands-of-azure-customers-databases in a blog post. Luttwak said even customers who have not been notified by Microsoft could have had their keys swiped by attackers, giving them access until those keys are changed. Microsoft only told customers whose keys were visible this month, when Wiz was working on the issue. Microsoft told Reuters that "customers who may have been impacted received a notification from us," without elaborating. The disclosure comes after months of bad security news for Microsoft. The company was breached by the same suspected Russian government hackers that infiltrated SolarWinds, who stole Microsoft source code https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-solarwinds-microsoft-idUSKBN2AI2Q0. Then a wide number of hackers broke into Exchange email servers while a patch was being developed. A recent fix for a printer flaw that allowed computer takeovers had to be redone repeatedly. Another Exchange flaw last week prompted an urgent U.S. government warning https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/current-activity/2021/08/21/urgent-protect-against-active-exploitation-proxyshell that customers need to install patches issued months ago because ransomware gangs are now exploiting it. Problems with Azure are especially troubling, because Microsoft and outside security experts have been pushing companies to abandon most of their own infrastructure and rely on the cloud for more security. But though cloud attacks are more rare, they can be more devastating when they occur. What's more, some are never publicized. A federally contracted research lab tracks all known security flaws in software and rates them by severity. But there is no equivalent system for holes in cloud architecture, so many critical vulnerabilities remain undisclosed to users, Luttwak said.

Microsoft warns thousands of cloud customers of exposed databases

Apple&nbsp;Inc on Thursday said it will implement a system that checks photos on iPhones in the United States before they are uploaded to its iCloud storage services to ensure the upload does not match known images of child sexual abuse.

Detection of child abuse image uploads sufficient to guard against false positives will trigger a human review of and report of the user to law enforcement,&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;said. It said the system is designed to reduce false positives to one in one trillion.

Apple's new system seeks to address requests from law enforcement to help stem child sexual abuse while also respecting privacy and security practices that are a core tenet of the company's brand. But some privacy advocates said the system could open the door to monitoring of political speech or other content on iPhones.

Most other major technology providers - including Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc and Microsoft Corp - are already checking images against a database of known child sexual abuse imagery.

"With so many people using&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;products, these new safety measures have lifesaving potential for children who are being enticed online and whose horrific images are being circulated in child sexual abuse material," John Clark, chief executive of the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children, said in a statement. "The reality is that privacy and child protection can co-exist."

Here is how&nbsp;Apple's system works. Law enforcement officials maintain a database of known child sexual abuse images and translate those images into "hashes" - numerical codes that positively identify the image but cannot be used to reconstruct them.

Apple&nbsp;has implemented that database using a technology called "NeuralHash", designed to also catch edited images similar to the originals. That database will be stored on iPhones.

When a user uploads an image to&nbsp;Apple's iCloud storage service, the iPhone will create a hash of the image to be uploaded and compare it against the database.

Photos stored only on the phone are not checked,&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;said, and human review before reporting an account to law enforcement is meant to ensure any matches are genuine before suspending an account.

Apple&nbsp;said users who feel their account was improperly suspended can appeal to have it reinstated.

The Financial Times earlier reported some aspects of the program.

One feature that sets&nbsp;Apple's system apart is that it checks photos stored on phones before they are uploaded, rather than checking the photos after they arrive on the company's servers.

On Twitter, some privacy and security experts expressed concerns the system could eventually be expanded to scan phones more generally for prohibited content or political speech.

Apple&nbsp;has "sent a very clear signal. In their (very influential) opinion, it is safe to build systems that scan users’ phones for prohibited content," Matthew Green, a security researcher at Johns Hopkins University, warned.

"This will break the dam — governments will demand it from everyone."

Other privacy researchers such as India McKinney and Erica Portnoy of the Electronic Frontier Foundation wrote in a blog post that it may be impossible for outside researchers to double check whether&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;keeps its promises to check only a small set of on-device content.

The move is "a shocking about-face for users who have relied on the company’s leadership in privacy and security," the pair wrote.

"At the end of the day, even a thoroughly documented, carefully thought-out, and narrowly-scoped backdoor is still a backdoor," McKinney and Portnoy wrote.

Apple Inc on Thursday said it will implement a system that checks photos on iPhones in the United States before they are uploaded to its iCloud storage services to ensure the upload does not match known images of child sexual abuse.

Apple Inc on Thursday said it will implement a system that checks photos on iPhones in the United States before they are uploaded to its iCloud storage services to ensure the upload does not match known images of child sexual abuse. Detection of child abuse image uploads sufficient to guard against false positives will trigger a human review of and report of the user to law enforcement, Apple said. It said the system is designed to reduce false positives to one in one trillion. Apple's new system seeks to address requests from law enforcement to help stem child sexual abuse while also respecting privacy and security practices that are a core tenet of the company's brand. But some privacy advocates said the system could open the door to monitoring of political speech or other content on iPhones. Most other major technology providers - including Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc and Microsoft Corp - are already checking images against a database of known child sexual abuse imagery. "With so many people using Apple products, these new safety measures have lifesaving potential for children who are being enticed online and whose horrific images are being circulated in child sexual abuse material," John Clark, chief executive of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, said in a statement. "The reality is that privacy and child protection can co-exist." Here is how Apple's system works. Law enforcement officials maintain a database of known child sexual abuse images and translate those images into "hashes" - numerical codes that positively identify the image but cannot be used to reconstruct them. Apple has implemented that database using a technology called "NeuralHash", designed to also catch edited images similar to the originals. That database will be stored on iPhones. When a user uploads an image to Apple's iCloud storage service, the iPhone will create a hash of the image to be uploaded and compare it against the database. Photos stored only on the phone are not checked, Apple said, and human review before reporting an account to law enforcement is meant to ensure any matches are genuine before suspending an account. Apple said users who feel their account was improperly suspended can appeal to have it reinstated. The Financial Times earlier reported some aspects of the program. One feature that sets Apple's system apart is that it checks photos stored on phones before they are uploaded, rather than checking the photos after they arrive on the company's servers. On Twitter, some privacy and security experts expressed concerns the system could eventually be expanded to scan phones more generally for prohibited content or political speech. Apple has "sent a very clear signal. In their (very influential) opinion, it is safe to build systems that scan users’ phones for prohibited content," Matthew Green, a security researcher at Johns Hopkins University, warned. "This will break the dam — governments will demand it from everyone." Other privacy researchers such as India McKinney and Erica Portnoy of the Electronic Frontier Foundation wrote in a blog post that it may be impossible for outside researchers to double check whether Apple keeps its promises to check only a small set of on-device content. The move is "a shocking about-face for users who have relied on the company’s leadership in privacy and security," the pair wrote. "At the end of the day, even a thoroughly documented, carefully thought-out, and narrowly-scoped backdoor is still a backdoor," McKinney and Portnoy wrote.

Apple to check iCloud photo uploads for child abuse images

It’s official now, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and philanthropist wife Melinda French Gates are divorced. A US judge approved their split on Monday, a CNN Business report said.&nbsp;

The divorce agreement of the couple was pursuant to a separation contract, which has not been made public. According to court documents filed, neither person will pay spousal support. No other financial details were divulged in documents. According to the documents, Melinda also does not plan to change her name.&nbsp;

Earlier, Bill and Melinda had announced they are filing for divorce after a 27-year marriage. Melinda had filed the petition for divorce in King County, Washington. &nbsp;

With a joint net worth of around $152 billion, they were one of the world's wealthiest couples. The Gates have channelled billions into charitable work around the globe via their hugely influential foundation.&nbsp;

While announcing their split on Twitter, the couple said they would continue their joint work on the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds programmes in global health, gender equality, education and other causes.&nbsp;

"After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," they had said in a joint statement, posted on each of their official accounts.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

It’s official now, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and philanthropist wife Melinda French Gates are divorced. A US judge approved their split on Monday, a CNN Business report said.

It’s official now, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and philanthropist wife Melinda French Gates are divorced. A US judge approved their split on Monday, a CNN Business report said. The divorce agreement of the couple was pursuant to a separation contract, which has not been made public. According to court documents filed, neither person will pay spousal support. No other financial details were divulged in documents. According to the documents, Melinda also does not plan to change her name. Earlier, Bill and Melinda had announced they are filing for divorce after a 27-year marriage. Melinda had filed the petition for divorce in King County, Washington. With a joint net worth of around $152 billion, they were one of the world's wealthiest couples. The Gates have channelled billions into charitable work around the globe via their hugely influential foundation. While announcing their split on Twitter, the couple said they would continue their joint work on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds programmes in global health, gender equality, education and other causes. "After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage," they had said in a joint statement, posted on each of their official accounts. (With inputs from agencies)

Bill Gates, Melinda finalise divorce, court documents show 

Four Chinese nationals have been charged for targeting dozens of companies, universities and government agencies in the United States and abroad. This action comes right in the heels of the United States and its allies publicly accusing China of a global cyber espionage campaign.

4 Chinese nationals charged for hacking US companies

The Biden administration and Western allies blamed China for a massive hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software and accused Beijing of working with criminal hackers in ransomware attacks and other cyber operations.

US & allies condemn China for malicious cyber activity

Putting several rumours to rest, the US has formally accused China of hacking into the servers of Microsoft. On Monday, the White House condemned the Chinese government for leading "malicious cyber activity".

"The compromise and exploitation of the Microsoft Exchange server undermined the security and integrity of thousands of computers and networks worldwide," the Council of the European Union said in a published statement Monday. "This irresponsible and harmful behaviour resulted in security risks and significant economic loss for our government institutions and private companies, and has shown significant spill-over and systemic effects for our security, economy and society at large."

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/technology/windows-11-is-now-official-here-is-all-you-need-to-know-393867" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/technology/windows-11-is-now-official-here-is-all-you-need-to-know-393867&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjZ1NuJle_xAhXczzgGHXHpDB4QFjAIegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0y340PLl3YK-PY_kiEXH_N" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/windows-11-is-now-official-here-is-all-you-need-to-know-393867" target="_blank">Windows 11 is now official. Here is all you need to know</a>

Experts claim that the hackers who penetrated the systems of Microsoft were identified by the US government, and it was revealed that these criminals had ties to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).

White House claims that these hackers with ties to MSS started manipulating the flaw in Microsoft’s Exchange Software in January, and used it to hack into the software. The hack is believed to be a part of China’s larger conventional spying operations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-says-new-breach-discovered-in-probe-of-suspected-solarwinds-hackers-394118">Microsoft says new breach discovered in probe of suspected SolarWinds hackers</a>

"In some cases, we’re aware where [People’s Republic of China] government-affiliated cyber operators have conducted ransomware operations against private companies that have included ransom demands of millions of dollars," the official told local media on condition of anonymity.

While China has not yet commented on the issue, Microsoft has praised the joint statements. "Attributions like these will help the international community ensure those behind indiscriminate attacks are held accountable,"&nbsp;Tom Burt said. "Transparency is critical if we’re to combat the rising cyberattacks we see across the planet against individuals, organizations and nations."

Putting several rumours to rest, the US has formally accused China of hacking into the servers of Microsoft. On Monday, the White House condemned the Chinese government for leading "malicious cyber activity".

Putting several rumours to rest, the US has formally accused China of hacking into the servers of Microsoft. On Monday, the White House condemned the Chinese government for leading "malicious cyber activity". "The compromise and exploitation of the Microsoft Exchange server undermined the security and integrity of thousands of computers and networks worldwide," the Council of the European Union said in a published statement Monday. "This irresponsible and harmful behaviour resulted in security risks and significant economic loss for our government institutions and private companies, and has shown significant spill-over and systemic effects for our security, economy and society at large." Also read | Windows 11 is now official. Here is all you need to know Experts claim that the hackers who penetrated the systems of Microsoft were identified by the US government, and it was revealed that these criminals had ties to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). White House claims that these hackers with ties to MSS started manipulating the flaw in Microsoft’s Exchange Software in January, and used it to hack into the software. The hack is believed to be a part of China’s larger conventional spying operations. Also read | Microsoft says new breach discovered in probe of suspected SolarWinds hackers "In some cases, we’re aware where [People’s Republic of China] government-affiliated cyber operators have conducted ransomware operations against private companies that have included ransom demands of millions of dollars," the official told local media on condition of anonymity. While China has not yet commented on the issue, Microsoft has praised the joint statements. "Attributions like these will help the international community ensure those behind indiscriminate attacks are held accountable," Tom Burt said. "Transparency is critical if we’re to combat the rising cyberattacks we see across the planet against individuals, organizations and nations."

US formally accuses China of hacking Microsoft

Microsoft believes malware used to infect PCs running its Windows operating system was created by an Israeli organisation.

Microsoft is taking a new effort to reduce internet security issues.

The company has also been looking for government-backed hackers, such as the Chinese organisation Hafnium, which it believes is responsible for attacks on its Exchange Server email software.&nbsp;

The problem was only recently rectified by Microsoft, and it took them a long time to resolve, with several people claiming that it was ineffective for their experience.

The threat actors were revealed to be from the private sector, and the company launched an inquiry to learn more about their genuine motives.&nbsp;

Microsoft's investigation into their latest breach and zero-day vulnerability came from an Israeli private sector business called "Sourgum," according to the company's blog post. 
 
Watch: India rolls out new education policy, teams up with Microsoft

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-rolls-out-new-education-policy-teams-up-with-microsoft-389629/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The company in question is a PSOA, or private sector offensive actor, intending to sell "cyberweapons" to its clients to hack them.&nbsp;

Another group discovered in the investigation is known as "Candiru," and they have been related to Sourgum with regards to the recent Microsoft attack.

While the motives of Candiru are unknown, it poses a direct threat to Microsoft and would be subject to an inquiry in the hopes of apprehending the perpetrator.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft believes malware used to infect PCs running its Windows operating system was created by an Israeli organisation. Microsoft is taking a new effort to reduce internet security issues.

Microsoft believes malware used to infect PCs running its Windows operating system was created by an Israeli organisation. Microsoft is taking a new effort to reduce internet security issues. The company has also been looking for government-backed hackers, such as the Chinese organisation Hafnium, which it believes is responsible for attacks on its Exchange Server email software. The problem was only recently rectified by Microsoft, and it took them a long time to resolve, with several people claiming that it was ineffective for their experience. The threat actors were revealed to be from the private sector, and the company launched an inquiry to learn more about their genuine motives. Microsoft's investigation into their latest breach and zero-day vulnerability came from an Israeli private sector business called "Sourgum," according to the company's blog post. Watch: India rolls out new education policy, teams up with Microsoft The company in question is a PSOA, or private sector offensive actor, intending to sell "cyberweapons" to its clients to hack them. Another group discovered in the investigation is known as "Candiru," and they have been related to Sourgum with regards to the recent Microsoft attack. While the motives of Candiru are unknown, it poses a direct threat to Microsoft and would be subject to an inquiry in the hopes of apprehending the perpetrator. (With inputs from agencies)

Israeli company is behind malware that affected Windows PCs: Microsoft

The Pentagon said Tuesday it has scrapped a massive $10 billion cloud computing contract, sidestepping a bitter dispute between Amazon and Microsoft over allegations of political bias that swayed the bidding.

Microsoft had beaten favourite Amazon in November 2019, for the contract, called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud, or JEDI, which is part of a broad modernisation of the Pentagon's information&nbsp;technology&nbsp;systems.

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Officials said that instead of going forward with the deal in the face of litigation, the government would start over with the aim of getting the most up-to-date technology.

"JEDI, conceived with noble intent, was developed at a time when the department's needs were different," Defense Department spokesman John Sherman said during a press briefing.

"Now, we want to leverage multiple cloud environments."

Sherman equated arming US "war fighters" with cutting-edge, 21st century cloud computing capabilities to providing top armor or weaponry, saying the technology landscape has shifted since the JEDI contract was stalled by litigation.

A statement said the Pentagon would seek proposals from Amazon and Microsoft on a new contract, noting that the two vendors appear at the moment to be the only cloud service providers capable of meeting the department's requirements.

The 10-year JEDI program was designed see all military branches sharing information in a cloud-based system boosted by artificial intelligence.&nbsp;

Amazon alleged it was shut out of the deal because of what it called Trump's vendetta against the company and its chief executive Jeff Bezos.&nbsp;

Sherman maintained that it was urgent to move ahead and that "the overriding factor is not what may have happened in previous administrations; what was said or not said, the litigation."

Amazon had been considered the lead contender to provide technology for JEDI, with Amazon Web Services dominating the cloud computing arena and the company already providing classified servers for other government agencies including the CIA.

Amazon argued in court documents that the Pentagon's choice of Microsoft was mystifying if not for Trump's repeated "expressed determination to, in the words of the president himself, 'screw Amazon.'"

US defense officials will reach out to Amazon and Microsoft to solicit bids for parts of the new cloud contract, which Sherman said will have an overall value in the billions, without specifying an amount.

"We understand and agree with the DoD's decision," Amazon said in response to an AFP inquiry.

"Unfortunately, the (JEDI) contract award was not based on the merits of the proposals and instead was the result of outside influence that has no place in government procurement."

Microsoft president of US regulated industries Toni Townes-Whitley said in a post that the technology giant "respects and accepts" the decision.

"The DoD faced a difficult choice: Continue with what could be a years-long litigation battle or find another path forward," Townes-Whitley said in a post.

"What matters now is the way forward."

The defense department move "ends a multi-year soap opera that has put the JEDI deal on pause," according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.

"For Microsoft this went from a lottery deal to a court nightmare with Amazon and others," Ives said.

"The cloud shift is not slowing down so the Pentagon had to make this move."

Amazon shares climbed nearly 5 percent in trading that followed the announcement, which comes as the head of the internet giant's cloud unit took over the role of chief executive from founder Jeff Bezos.

Defense officials planned to also reach out to Google, Oracle, IBM and other computing titans to assess whether they are will and able to enter the bidding for some of the jobs.

The department aimed to begin awarding contracts early next year with a hope of having systems starting to deploy by 2025.

Microsoft will be able to submit a bill to the government for terminating the JEDI contract, the amount of which has not been determined, according to Sherman.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Pentagon said Tuesday it has scrapped a massive $10 billion cloud computing contract, sidestepping a bitter dispute between Amazon and Microsoft over allegations of political bias that swayed the bidding.

The Pentagon said Tuesday it has scrapped a massive $10 billion cloud computing contract, sidestepping a bitter dispute between Amazon and Microsoft over allegations of political bias that swayed the bidding. Microsoft had beaten favourite Amazon in November 2019, for the contract, called the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud, or JEDI, which is part of a broad modernisation of the Pentagon's information technology systems. Officials said that instead of going forward with the deal in the face of litigation, the government would start over with the aim of getting the most up-to-date technology. "JEDI, conceived with noble intent, was developed at a time when the department's needs were different," Defense Department spokesman John Sherman said during a press briefing. "Now, we want to leverage multiple cloud environments." Sherman equated arming US "war fighters" with cutting-edge, 21st century cloud computing capabilities to providing top armor or weaponry, saying the technology landscape has shifted since the JEDI contract was stalled by litigation. A statement said the Pentagon would seek proposals from Amazon and Microsoft on a new contract, noting that the two vendors appear at the moment to be the only cloud service providers capable of meeting the department's requirements. The 10-year JEDI program was designed see all military branches sharing information in a cloud-based system boosted by artificial intelligence. Amazon alleged it was shut out of the deal because of what it called Trump's vendetta against the company and its chief executive Jeff Bezos. Sherman maintained that it was urgent to move ahead and that "the overriding factor is not what may have happened in previous administrations; what was said or not said, the litigation." Amazon had been considered the lead contender to provide technology for JEDI, with Amazon Web Services dominating the cloud computing arena and the company already providing classified servers for other government agencies including the CIA. Amazon argued in court documents that the Pentagon's choice of Microsoft was mystifying if not for Trump's repeated "expressed determination to, in the words of the president himself, 'screw Amazon.'" US defense officials will reach out to Amazon and Microsoft to solicit bids for parts of the new cloud contract, which Sherman said will have an overall value in the billions, without specifying an amount. "We understand and agree with the DoD's decision," Amazon said in response to an AFP inquiry. "Unfortunately, the (JEDI) contract award was not based on the merits of the proposals and instead was the result of outside influence that has no place in government procurement." Microsoft president of US regulated industries Toni Townes-Whitley said in a post that the technology giant "respects and accepts" the decision. "The DoD faced a difficult choice: Continue with what could be a years-long litigation battle or find another path forward," Townes-Whitley said in a post. "What matters now is the way forward." The defense department move "ends a multi-year soap opera that has put the JEDI deal on pause," according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. "For Microsoft this went from a lottery deal to a court nightmare with Amazon and others," Ives said. "The cloud shift is not slowing down so the Pentagon had to make this move." Amazon shares climbed nearly 5 percent in trading that followed the announcement, which comes as the head of the internet giant's cloud unit took over the role of chief executive from founder Jeff Bezos. Defense officials planned to also reach out to Google, Oracle, IBM and other computing titans to assess whether they are will and able to enter the bidding for some of the jobs. The department aimed to begin awarding contracts early next year with a hope of having systems starting to deploy by 2025. Microsoft will be able to submit a bill to the government for terminating the JEDI contract, the amount of which has not been determined, according to Sherman. (With inputs from agencies)

Pentagon scraps $10 billlion 'Jedi' cloud contract amid Amazon-Microsoft dispute

Microsoft said on Friday an attacker had won access to one of its customer-service agents and then used information from that to launch hacking attempts against customers. 
 
The company said it had found the compromise during its response to hacks by a team it identifies as responsible for earlier major breaches at SolarWinds and Microsoft. 
 
Microsoft said it had warned the affected customers. A copy of one warning seen by Reuters said the attacker belonged to the group Microsoft calls Nobelium and that it had access during the second half of May. 
 
"A sophisticated Nation-State associated actor that Microsoft identifies as NOBELLIUM accessed Microsoft customer support tools to review information regarding your Microsoft Services subscriptions," the warning reads in part. The US&nbsp;government has publicly attributed the earlier attacks to the Russian government, which denies involvement. 
 
When Reuters asked about that warning, Microsoft announced the breach publicly. 
 
After commenting on a broader phishing campaign it said had compromised a small number of entities, Microsoft said it had also found the breach of its own agent, who it said had limited powers. 
 
The agent could see billing contact information and what services the customers pay for, among other things. 
 
"The actor used this information in some cases to launch highly-targeted attacks as part of their broader campaign," Microsoft said. 
 
Microsoft warned affected customers to be careful about communications to their billing contacts and consider changing those usernames and email addresses, as well as barring old usernames from logging in. 
 
Microsoft said it was aware of three entities that had been compromised in the phishing campaign. 
 
It did not immediately clarify whether any had been among those whose data was viewed through the support agent, or if the agent had been tricked by the broader campaign. 
 
Microsoft did not say whether the agent was at a contractor or a direct employee. 
 
A spokesman said the latest breach by the threat actor was not part of Nobelium`s previous successful attack on Microsoft, in which it obtained some source code. 
 
In the SolarWinds attack, the group altered code at that company to access SolarWinds customers, including nine U.S. federal agencies. 
 
At the SolarWinds customers and others, the attackers also took advantage of weaknesses in the way Microsoft programs were configured, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 
 
Microsoft later said the group had compromised its own employee accounts and taken software instructions governing how Microsoft verifies user identities. 
 
A White House official said the latest intrusion and phishing campaign was far less serious than the SolarWinds fiasco. 
 
"This appears to be largely unsuccessful, run-of-the-mill espionage," the official said. 
 
Scott McConnell, a spokesman for Homeland Security`s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the defensive group “is working with Microsoft and our interagency partners to evaluate the impact. We stand ready to assist any affected entities.” 
 
A SolarWinds spokesperson said, "The latest cyberattack reported by Microsoft does not involve our company or our customers in any way."

Microsoft said on Friday an attacker had won access to one of its customer-service agents and then used information from that to launch hacking attempts against customers.

Microsoft said on Friday an attacker had won access to one of its customer-service agents and then used information from that to launch hacking attempts against customers. The company said it had found the compromise during its response to hacks by a team it identifies as responsible for earlier major breaches at SolarWinds and Microsoft. Microsoft said it had warned the affected customers. A copy of one warning seen by Reuters said the attacker belonged to the group Microsoft calls Nobelium and that it had access during the second half of May. "A sophisticated Nation-State associated actor that Microsoft identifies as NOBELLIUM accessed Microsoft customer support tools to review information regarding your Microsoft Services subscriptions," the warning reads in part. The US government has publicly attributed the earlier attacks to the Russian government, which denies involvement. When Reuters asked about that warning, Microsoft announced the breach publicly. After commenting on a broader phishing campaign it said had compromised a small number of entities, Microsoft said it had also found the breach of its own agent, who it said had limited powers. The agent could see billing contact information and what services the customers pay for, among other things. "The actor used this information in some cases to launch highly-targeted attacks as part of their broader campaign," Microsoft said. Microsoft warned affected customers to be careful about communications to their billing contacts and consider changing those usernames and email addresses, as well as barring old usernames from logging in. Microsoft said it was aware of three entities that had been compromised in the phishing campaign. It did not immediately clarify whether any had been among those whose data was viewed through the support agent, or if the agent had been tricked by the broader campaign. Microsoft did not say whether the agent was at a contractor or a direct employee. A spokesman said the latest breach by the threat actor was not part of Nobelium`s previous successful attack on Microsoft, in which it obtained some source code. In the SolarWinds attack, the group altered code at that company to access SolarWinds customers, including nine U.S. federal agencies. At the SolarWinds customers and others, the attackers also took advantage of weaknesses in the way Microsoft programs were configured, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Microsoft later said the group had compromised its own employee accounts and taken software instructions governing how Microsoft verifies user identities. A White House official said the latest intrusion and phishing campaign was far less serious than the SolarWinds fiasco. "This appears to be largely unsuccessful, run-of-the-mill espionage," the official said. Scott McConnell, a spokesman for Homeland Security`s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the defensive group “is working with Microsoft and our interagency partners to evaluate the impact. We stand ready to assist any affected entities.” A SolarWinds spokesperson said, "The latest cyberattack reported by Microsoft does not involve our company or our customers in any way."

Microsoft says new breach discovered in probe of suspected SolarWinds hackers

Microsoft&nbsp;said on Friday an attacker had won access to one of its customer-service agents and then used information from that to launch hacking attempts against customers.

The company said it had found the compromise during its response to hacks by a team it identifies as responsible for earlier major&nbsp;breaches at&nbsp;SolarWinds&nbsp;and&nbsp;Microsoft.

Microsoft&nbsp;said it had warned the affected customers. A copy of one warning seen by Reuters said that the attacker belonged to the group&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;calls Nobelium and that it had access during the second half of May.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chauvin-gets-22-12-years-in-prison-for-george-floyds-death-394037">Also Read |&nbsp;Chauvin gets 22 1/2 years in prison for George Floyd's death</a>

"A sophisticated Nation-State associated actor that&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;identifies as NOBELLIUM accessed&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;customer support tools to review information regarding your&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Services subscriptions," the warning reads in part.

After Reuters asked about that warning,&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;announced the&nbsp;breach&nbsp;publicly.

After commenting on a broader phishing campaign that it said had compromised a small number of entities,&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;said it had also found the&nbsp;breach&nbsp;of its own agent, who it said had limited powers.

The agent could see billing contact information and what services the customers pay for, among other things.

"The actor used this information in some cases to launch highly-targeted attacks as part of their broader campaign,"&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;said.

Microsoft said on Friday an attacker had won access to one of its customer-service agents and then used information from that to launch hacking attempts against customers. The company said it had found the compromise during its response to hacks by a team it identifies as responsible for earlier major breaches at SolarWinds and Microsoft. Microsoft said it had warned the affected customers. A copy of one warning seen by Reuters said that the attacker belonged to the group Microsoft calls Nobelium and that it had access during the second half of May. Also Read | Chauvin gets 22 1/2 years in prison for George Floyd's death "A sophisticated Nation-State associated actor that Microsoft identifies as NOBELLIUM accessed Microsoft customer support tools to review information regarding your Microsoft Services subscriptions," the warning reads in part. After Reuters asked about that warning, Microsoft announced the breach publicly. After commenting on a broader phishing campaign that it said had compromised a small number of entities, Microsoft said it had also found the breach of its own agent, who it said had limited powers. The agent could see billing contact information and what services the customers pay for, among other things. "The actor used this information in some cases to launch highly-targeted attacks as part of their broader campaign," Microsoft said.

Microsoft on Thursday unveiled the next generation of Windows operating system, Windows 11. With this change, Windows aims at giving its user a 'fresh perspective'.

Microsoft on Thursday unveiled the next generation of Windows operating system, Windows 11. With this change, Windows aims at giving its user a 'fresh perspective'. As per the official website, the new Windows provide a 'calm and creative' space where one can pursue passions through a fresh experience. "From a rejuvenated Start menu to new ways to connect to your favourite people, news, games, and content—Windows 11 is the place to think, express, and create in a natural way," stated the website. Maximising productivity The new version helps in being productive as the user can access all the apps and multitask with ease using tools like Snap layouts, Desktops, and a new, more intuitive redocking experience. New ways to connect There are also various new ways to socialise and connect using Microsoft teams. "Call or chat for free—no matter what device they’re on," read the website. Enhanced gaming Windows 11 gives a new gaming experience with graphic capabilities that rival reality. One can discover the next favourite game with Xbox Game Pass, which basically gives you access to over 100 high-quality games. The membership for the same is sold separately. The design is very much similar to macOS, but that is where the similarities end. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that Windows 11 is an 'open platform' where everybody is allowed to do whatever they want with their apps. He is referring to third-party payments solutions that will bolster developer’s businesses on Windows 11. When will it be available? Windows 11 will be available to download during the holiday season this year, which is somewhere around November. The rollout will move further into 2022. This way, there is going to be enough time for people to upgrade the platform. How to upgrade? The user needs to go to Settings on their PC or laptop that runs Windows 10. Navigate to Update and Security, and then click on Windows Update. Check for Updates by clicking on this button. If available, the user will see the update that says Feature update to Windows 11. Click Download and install. What will be the price? Windows 11 will be available as a 'free upgrade' to Windows 10 users. This means that the Windows 10 users will gain access to Windows 11 without having to pay anything extra. However, for fresh installations, Windows 11 may cost you.

Windows 11 is now official. Here is all you need to know

Windows operating system&nbsp;turned&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;into a household name and helped the company&nbsp;dominate&nbsp;personal computers for years,&nbsp;which market trackers say powers nearly three-quarters of the world's desktop computers.

Now, Windows is getting a revamp, likely to be named Windows 11.

It comes after the company&nbsp;named Chief Executive Satya Nadella as chair of its board, strengthening his grip on a pioneering US technology company he rejuvenated for a new age.

Microsoft&nbsp;built its empire on software such as Windows and Office,&nbsp;licensed to computer makers or sold in packages for installation on machines in homes or workplaces.

Under Nadella,&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;has put more focus on renting software and services hosted at data centres in the computing cloud, bulking up its Azure platform.

The era of the personal computer was rocked by the rise of smartphones and tablets but saw a revival of sorts during the pandemic as people geared up homes for remote work, school, and play.

Upgrading to a new Windows OS is always filled with questions, like which version of Windows is for me? How much does it cost? Should I even bother upgrading at all?

Here is a brief summary of the various versions of Windows:

Windows 10 S&nbsp;

Windows 10 S&nbsp;is a streamlined version of Microsoft&nbsp;Corp's popular operating system, geared toward low-cost laptops for students&nbsp;as it tried&nbsp;to take share from Google’s Chrome OS-run computers.&nbsp;The company said the Surface laptop integrated with Windows 10 S is priced from $999&nbsp;

It is compatible on mobiles and desktops, has a simple login app that allows schools to create logs on any devices in a few moments.

Windows 10

Windows 10 fixed&nbsp;most of the issues with Windows 8 and improves on Windows 7, Microsoft’s most popular OS in recent years.

It was equipped with 'Cortana', a digital assistant similar to Apple Inc's Siri and Google Inc's Now.

The launch was seen as critical for the company, particularly after the poor response to Windows 8, an ambitious redesign that confused many users by ditching the start button menu and introducing a new layout.

Windows 8

Windows 8 was designed as a flexible new system that would work equally well on desktops PCs and touchscreen tablets, but it ended up alienating many traditional users, while the company’s Surface tablet has not won over many Apple Inc iPad users.

More worryingly for Microsoft, the number of people actually using Windows 8 is persistently low. While many businesses technically have purchased Windows 8 licenses, few have installed the system on office machines.

Windows 7

It had user-friendly features, such as a new taskbar that previews all the open windows from a single application by hovering over the program’s icon.

Another new feature, called “Jump Lists,” provided&nbsp;updated lists of recently worked-on documents or often visited Web sites without first having to open Microsoft Word or an Internet browser.

The company also adopted a ‘simple is better’ philosophy, looking to remove complexity from an operating system that incorporated 50 million lines of programming code in Vista.

Vista

When Vista was released, it was clear that most users were going to need a new system to handle the OS.&nbsp;

Any Windows user knows you have to watch out for viruses, spyware, and worms, but Vista’s security features were widely panned for being annoying.&nbsp;

Windows Vista was so heavily criticized due to poor compatibility with devices and slow start speeds that it became the target of an effective marketing campaign by rival Apple Inc.

Windows XP

Microsoft Windows XP was introduced in 2001,&nbsp;addressed many issues of its predecessor, and added a number of other improvements as well.&nbsp;The name "XP" is short for "eXPerience", highlighting the enhanced user experience.

Windows XP was the first Windows NT kernel-based OS designed for both the business and general consumer markets, and are much more stable than the Windows 9x line of OS'&nbsp;due to the improved codebase (heavily based on Windows 2000). It was also the first version of Windows to implement product activation to prevent piracy.

Windows 2000

Also known as&nbsp;Windows 2k,&nbsp;Windows 2000&nbsp;is an operating system first released by&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;in February&nbsp;2000.

Code-named&nbsp;Janus&nbsp;during development, Windows 2000 is based on the&nbsp;Windows NT&nbsp;kernel and is sometimes referred to as Windows NT 5.0. Windows 2000 contains over 29 million lines of code, mainly written in C++ with over 8 million of those lines written for drivers. Windows 2000 is by far one of the largest commercial projects ever built.

Windows 98

It&nbsp;the second major release in the&nbsp;Windows 9x&nbsp;line of operating systems. It heavily relied&nbsp;on the HTML language.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most of the improvements are cosmetic or designed to improve the user experience, but there are a handful of features that enhance system functionality and capabilities. These include improved&nbsp;USB&nbsp;support and accessibility, as well as support for hardware advancements such as DVD players. It was the first Windows operating system to adopt the&nbsp;Windows Driver Model.&nbsp;

Windows 95

Windows 95 integrated Microsoft's formerly separate&nbsp;MS-DOS&nbsp;and&nbsp;Windows&nbsp;products. It featured significant improvements over its predecessor,&nbsp;Windows 3.1, most notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its relatively simplified "plug-n-play" features. There were also major changes made at lower levels of the operating system, such as moving from a mainly 16-bit architecture to a pre-emptively multitasked 32-bit architecture.

Windows 1.0 (1985)

Upon its debut, this operating system aimed at the general public had a new graphic interface that was relatively easy to use. It was the first foundation stone in the immense Windows edifice to come.

Although it was complicated to use because it operated via command lines, MS-DOS (short for Microsoft Disk Operating System) revolutionized computing as it was integrated into the first personal computers on the market manufactured by IBM. The system just needed to be made more accessible. And that's how Windows was born.

Initially known as Interface Manager, this new operating system was in the end called Windows, a name which describes the computing boxes which are fundamental to it. The project was announced in 1983, but it was two years before it became a reality.

Windows operating system turned Microsoft into a household name and helped the company dominate personal computers for years, which market trackers say powers nearly three-quarters of the world's desktop computers.

Windows operating system turned Microsoft into a household name and helped the company dominate personal computers for years, which market trackers say powers nearly three-quarters of the world's desktop computers. Now, Windows is getting a revamp, likely to be named Windows 11. It comes after the company named Chief Executive Satya Nadella as chair of its board, strengthening his grip on a pioneering US technology company he rejuvenated for a new age. Microsoft built its empire on software such as Windows and Office, licensed to computer makers or sold in packages for installation on machines in homes or workplaces. Under Nadella, Microsoft has put more focus on renting software and services hosted at data centres in the computing cloud, bulking up its Azure platform. The era of the personal computer was rocked by the rise of smartphones and tablets but saw a revival of sorts during the pandemic as people geared up homes for remote work, school, and play. Upgrading to a new Windows OS is always filled with questions, like which version of Windows is for me? How much does it cost? Should I even bother upgrading at all? Here is a brief summary of the various versions of Windows: Windows 10 S Windows 10 S is a streamlined version of Microsoft Corp's popular operating system, geared toward low-cost laptops for students as it tried to take share from Google’s Chrome OS-run computers. The company said the Surface laptop integrated with Windows 10 S is priced from $999 It is compatible on mobiles and desktops, has a simple login app that allows schools to create logs on any devices in a few moments. Windows 10 Windows 10 fixed most of the issues with Windows 8 and improves on Windows 7, Microsoft’s most popular OS in recent years. It was equipped with 'Cortana', a digital assistant similar to Apple Inc's Siri and Google Inc's Now. The launch was seen as critical for the company, particularly after the poor response to Windows 8, an ambitious redesign that confused many users by ditching the start button menu and introducing a new layout. Windows 8 Windows 8 was designed as a flexible new system that would work equally well on desktops PCs and touchscreen tablets, but it ended up alienating many traditional users, while the company’s Surface tablet has not won over many Apple Inc iPad users. More worryingly for Microsoft, the number of people actually using Windows 8 is persistently low. While many businesses technically have purchased Windows 8 licenses, few have installed the system on office machines. Windows 7 It had user-friendly features, such as a new taskbar that previews all the open windows from a single application by hovering over the program’s icon. Another new feature, called “Jump Lists,” provided updated lists of recently worked-on documents or often visited Web sites without first having to open Microsoft Word or an Internet browser. The company also adopted a ‘simple is better’ philosophy, looking to remove complexity from an operating system that incorporated 50 million lines of programming code in Vista. Vista When Vista was released, it was clear that most users were going to need a new system to handle the OS. Any Windows user knows you have to watch out for viruses, spyware, and worms, but Vista’s security features were widely panned for being annoying. Windows Vista was so heavily criticized due to poor compatibility with devices and slow start speeds that it became the target of an effective marketing campaign by rival Apple Inc. Windows XP Microsoft Windows XP was introduced in 2001, addressed many issues of its predecessor, and added a number of other improvements as well. The name "XP" is short for "eXPerience", highlighting the enhanced user experience. Windows XP was the first Windows NT kernel-based OS designed for both the business and general consumer markets, and are much more stable than the Windows 9x line of OS' due to the improved codebase (heavily based on Windows 2000). It was also the first version of Windows to implement product activation to prevent piracy. Windows 2000 Also known as Windows 2k, Windows 2000 is an operating system first released by Microsoft in February 2000. Code-named Janus during development, Windows 2000 is based on the Windows NT kernel and is sometimes referred to as Windows NT 5.0. Windows 2000 contains over 29 million lines of code, mainly written in C++ with over 8 million of those lines written for drivers. Windows 2000 is by far one of the largest commercial projects ever built. Windows 98 It the second major release in the Windows 9x line of operating systems. It heavily relied on the HTML language. Most of the improvements are cosmetic or designed to improve the user experience, but there are a handful of features that enhance system functionality and capabilities. These include improved USB support and accessibility, as well as support for hardware advancements such as DVD players. It was the first Windows operating system to adopt the Windows Driver Model. Windows 95 Windows 95 integrated Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Windows products. It featured significant improvements over its predecessor, Windows 3.1, most notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its relatively simplified "plug-n-play" features. There were also major changes made at lower levels of the operating system, such as moving from a mainly 16-bit architecture to a pre-emptively multitasked 32-bit architecture. Windows 1.0 (1985) Upon its debut, this operating system aimed at the general public had a new graphic interface that was relatively easy to use. It was the first foundation stone in the immense Windows edifice to come. Although it was complicated to use because it operated via command lines, MS-DOS (short for Microsoft Disk Operating System) revolutionized computing as it was integrated into the first personal computers on the market manufactured by IBM. The system just needed to be made more accessible. And that's how Windows was born. Initially known as Interface Manager, this new operating system was in the end called Windows, a name which describes the computing boxes which are fundamental to it. The project was announced in 1983, but it was two years before it became a reality.

As Microsoft announces new Windows OS, let us take a look at previous versions of Windows

In&nbsp;the first major revamp since 2015,&nbsp;Microsoft Corp has announced that it is all set to unveil the ''next-generation operating system'' in a virtual event on Thursday.

The National Security Agency had&nbsp;discovered a major security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system that could let hackers intercept seemingly secure communications.&nbsp;But rather than exploit the flaw for its own intelligence needs, the NSA tipped off Microsoft so that it can fix the system for everyone.

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The software that turned Microsoft into a household name and dominated personal computers for years has been overtaken in popularity by devices using Apple and Google software, but it is still core to Microsoft's strength in the corporate market.

And the upgraded operating system may also appeal to individuals, who have helped drive sales of PCs sharply higher over the past year due to work-from-home practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysts expect the successor to Windows 10 to be called Windows 11 and to contain updates for business users that could make it easier to use with dual-monitor setups. It may also hold updates for PC gamers, another important customer base for Microsoft, including an Xbox app.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/in-focus-big-tech-firms-facing-antitrust-investigations-across-world-393413" hreflang="en">In focus: Big Tech firms facing antitrust investigations across world</a>

Microsoft may also give more details at Thursday's online launch event on its plans for a revamped Windows Store.

In 2015,&nbsp;a developer evangelist speaking at a technical session during a company event dropped an eyebrow-raising statement. “Windows 10 is the last version of Windows,” he said.

However, it appears the company changed its mind after enduring huge losses due to the coronavirus pandemic which adversely affected Microsoft's&nbsp;revenue from Windows licenses and its Surface devices.

About a third of Microsoft’s revenue comes from its&nbsp;personal computing division, which houses the company’s Windows operating system, its line of Surface laptops and tablets, its Xbox gaming hardware and software and its Bing search service.

The company recently cut commissions on games sold through the store to 12 per cent, lower than the 15 per cent&nbsp;it takes on regular apps, and has been a vocal critic of Apple Inc's App Store, which charges 30 per cent&nbsp;commissions and requires developers to use Apple's in-app payments systems.

Windows-powered Microsoft's rise in the 1990s as PCs became a fixture among businesses and consumers. But the operating system took a back seat to Apple's iOS and Alphabet Inc's Google as mobile phones displaced PCs as the primary computing device for billions of users.

Windows remains one of the biggest platforms in the technology world, with Microsoft's personal computing segment, which includes Windows revenue from businesses and consumers, accounting for $48.2 billion of its $143 billion in revenue in its most recent fiscal year.

Windows 10, the most recent version, has 1.3 billion users, nearly as many as Apple's total installed device base of 1.65 billion users but less than half of Alphabet's 3 billion Android users.

Among PCs and laptops, Windows lost some market share in 2020 to Google's Chromebooks as schools opted for cheaper devices for online learning but still retained greater than 80 per cent&nbsp;market share, according to data firm IDC.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the first major revamp since 2015, Microsoft Corp has announced that it is all set to unveil the ''next-generation operating system'' in a virtual event on Thursday.

In the first major revamp since 2015, Microsoft Corp has announced that it is all set to unveil the ''next-generation operating system'' in a virtual event on Thursday. The National Security Agency had discovered a major security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system that could let hackers intercept seemingly secure communications. But rather than exploit the flaw for its own intelligence needs, the NSA tipped off Microsoft so that it can fix the system for everyone. The software that turned Microsoft into a household name and dominated personal computers for years has been overtaken in popularity by devices using Apple and Google software, but it is still core to Microsoft's strength in the corporate market. And the upgraded operating system may also appeal to individuals, who have helped drive sales of PCs sharply higher over the past year due to work-from-home practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysts expect the successor to Windows 10 to be called Windows 11 and to contain updates for business users that could make it easier to use with dual-monitor setups. It may also hold updates for PC gamers, another important customer base for Microsoft, including an Xbox app. Also read| In focus: Big Tech firms facing antitrust investigations across world Microsoft may also give more details at Thursday's online launch event on its plans for a revamped Windows Store. In 2015, a developer evangelist speaking at a technical session during a company event dropped an eyebrow-raising statement. “Windows 10 is the last version of Windows,” he said. However, it appears the company changed its mind after enduring huge losses due to the coronavirus pandemic which adversely affected Microsoft's revenue from Windows licenses and its Surface devices. About a third of Microsoft’s revenue comes from its personal computing division, which houses the company’s Windows operating system, its line of Surface laptops and tablets, its Xbox gaming hardware and software and its Bing search service. The company recently cut commissions on games sold through the store to 12 per cent, lower than the 15 per cent it takes on regular apps, and has been a vocal critic of Apple Inc's App Store, which charges 30 per cent commissions and requires developers to use Apple's in-app payments systems. Windows-powered Microsoft's rise in the 1990s as PCs became a fixture among businesses and consumers. But the operating system took a back seat to Apple's iOS and Alphabet Inc's Google as mobile phones displaced PCs as the primary computing device for billions of users. Windows remains one of the biggest platforms in the technology world, with Microsoft's personal computing segment, which includes Windows revenue from businesses and consumers, accounting for $48.2 billion of its $143 billion in revenue in its most recent fiscal year. Windows 10, the most recent version, has 1.3 billion users, nearly as many as Apple's total installed device base of 1.65 billion users but less than half of Alphabet's 3 billion Android users. Among PCs and laptops, Windows lost some market share in 2020 to Google's Chromebooks as schools opted for cheaper devices for online learning but still retained greater than 80 per cent market share, according to data firm IDC. (With inputs from agencies)

Windows 11: Microsoft's first 'next generation' operating system in six years

Microsoft Corporation on Tuesday became the second US public company to hit $2 trillion in&nbsp; market value, briefly joining the league of Apple Inc. The company’s value was elevated due to its dominance in cloud computing and enterprise software, which is expected to keep improving in the post-Covid world.

In New York, Microsoft’s shares rose by as much as 1.2 per cent on Tuesday, allowing the company to sit on the elite table with Apple. But before closing, the company fell short of the mark at $265.51. In December 2019, Saudi Aramco almost touched that threshold and currently boasts a market value of $1.9 trillion.

Microsoft’s resurgence to glory has largely been credited to its Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella who took over in 2014. Under his watch, the company has become the largest seller of cloud-computing software taking into account both is Office application and infrastructure cloud units.

Interestingly enough, Microsoft is perhaps the only giant technology company in the US to have escaped the watchful eye of American antitrust regulators, due to which the company has been able to acquire and expand on its own terms. This year, Microsoft has clocked in 19 per cent, much higher than Apple and Amazon (dot) com Inc.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/unable-to-travel-home-microsoft-staff-slept-in-data-centres-during-covid-19-lockdown-executive-391530" hreflang="en">Unable to travel home, Microsoft staff slept in data centres during COVID-19 lockdown: Executive</a>

Microsoft is doing it all - be it gaming through its Xbox offerings, cloud services, automation, artificial intelligence and even analytics.

The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 and is largely credit for creating the computer software industry as we know today. But it has not always had a smooth sailing. In 1998, the company was hit with an antitrust lawsuit by the US government for bundling its product with Microsoft software in a bid to rival browsers like Netscape.&nbsp; In 2000, a federal judge found the company guilty.

To reach $1 trillion value, the company took 33 years from its IPO. For the next trillion, it only took two years! Apple, too made history by reaching $2 trillion last year. Amazon has a market cap of $1.8 trillion while Google’s parent company Alphabet has a valuation of $1.6 trillion.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/microsoft-names-ceo-satya-nadella-as-chairman-of-the-board-392058" hreflang="en">Microsoft names CEO Satya Nadella as chairman of the board</a>

Microsoft Corporation on Tuesday became the second US public company to hit $2 trillion in market value, briefly joining the league of Apple Inc. The company’s value was elevated due to its dominance in cloud computing and enterprise software, which is expected to keep improving in the post-Covid world.

Microsoft Corporation on Tuesday became the second US public company to hit $2 trillion in market value, briefly joining the league of Apple Inc. The company’s value was elevated due to its dominance in cloud computing and enterprise software, which is expected to keep improving in the post-Covid world. In New York, Microsoft’s shares rose by as much as 1.2 per cent on Tuesday, allowing the company to sit on the elite table with Apple. But before closing, the company fell short of the mark at $265.51. In December 2019, Saudi Aramco almost touched that threshold and currently boasts a market value of $1.9 trillion. Microsoft’s resurgence to glory has largely been credited to its Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella who took over in 2014. Under his watch, the company has become the largest seller of cloud-computing software taking into account both is Office application and infrastructure cloud units. Interestingly enough, Microsoft is perhaps the only giant technology company in the US to have escaped the watchful eye of American antitrust regulators, due to which the company has been able to acquire and expand on its own terms. This year, Microsoft has clocked in 19 per cent, much higher than Apple and Amazon (dot) com Inc. Also read: Unable to travel home, Microsoft staff slept in data centres during COVID-19 lockdown: Executive Microsoft is doing it all - be it gaming through its Xbox offerings, cloud services, automation, artificial intelligence and even analytics. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 and is largely credit for creating the computer software industry as we know today. But it has not always had a smooth sailing. In 1998, the company was hit with an antitrust lawsuit by the US government for bundling its product with Microsoft software in a bid to rival browsers like Netscape. In 2000, a federal judge found the company guilty. To reach $1 trillion value, the company took 33 years from its IPO. For the next trillion, it only took two years! Apple, too made history by reaching $2 trillion last year. Amazon has a market cap of $1.8 trillion while Google’s parent company Alphabet has a valuation of $1.6 trillion. Also read: Microsoft names CEO Satya Nadella as chairman of the board

Microsoft becomes second US company after Apple to touch $2 trillion market value

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday named Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella as its new chairman, in place of John Thompson.

Nadella, who took over as CEO in 2014 from Steve Ballmer, has been instrumental in scaling up its business including billion-dollar acquisitions like LinkedIn, Nuance Communications and ZeniMax. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/google-microsofts-indian-american-ceos-pledge-support-in-indias-fight-against-covid-19-380513">Also read | Google, Microsoft's Indian-American CEOs pledge support in India's fight against COVID-19</a> 
 
The company said Thompson, who took over as chairman of the software giant's co-founder Bill Gates in 2014, will serve as a lead independent director.

The top-level executive change comes just over a year after Gates stepped down from the board, saying he would focus on philanthropic works of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's biggest charities.

The company had last month said it conducted a probe into Gates' involvement with an employee almost 20 years ago after it was told in 2019 that he had tried to start a romantic relationship with the person.

Microsoft had declined to comment on whether its board had decided Gates should go.

The company also declared a quarterly dividend of 56 cents per share payable on September 9.

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday named Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella as its new chairman, in place of John Thompson. Nadella, who took over as CEO in 2014 from Steve Ballmer, has been instrumental in scaling up its business including billion-dollar acquisitions like LinkedIn, Nuance Communications and ZeniMax.

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday named Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella as its new chairman, in place of John Thompson. Nadella, who took over as CEO in 2014 from Steve Ballmer, has been instrumental in scaling up its business including billion-dollar acquisitions like LinkedIn, Nuance Communications and ZeniMax. Also read | Google, Microsoft's Indian-American CEOs pledge support in India's fight against COVID-19 The company said Thompson, who took over as chairman of the software giant's co-founder Bill Gates in 2014, will serve as a lead independent director. The top-level executive change comes just over a year after Gates stepped down from the board, saying he would focus on philanthropic works of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's biggest charities. The company had last month said it conducted a probe into Gates' involvement with an employee almost 20 years ago after it was told in 2019 that he had tried to start a romantic relationship with the person. Microsoft had declined to comment on whether its board had decided Gates should go. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of 56 cents per share payable on September 9.

Microsoft names CEO Satya Nadella as chairman of the board

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft employees slept in the company's data centres, according to Kristen Roby Dimlow, a Microsoft Human Resources Executive.&nbsp;

"In certain countries, there was huge lockdown...so we'd have our employees choose to sleep in the data centre," she said. "They were worried they'd get stuck at a roadblock, trying to go home," she said.

Remote working was impossible for some Microsoft employees in technical roles. Some employees at sites that house servers for Microsoft's online services, such as Microsoft Teams, were among those affected, CNBC reported.&nbsp;

If data-centre staff didn't want to come on-site during the epidemic, the corporation allowed them to work from home as much as possible.

Data centres, on the whole, are not locations where people sleep. Aisles can be hot from the air coming off servers and cold from the air conditioning used to keep the machines from overheating.&nbsp;

Greenpeace published a report in 2011 that ranked the top 10 cloud computing companies based on the sources of electricity used in their data centres.

Data centres consumed up to 2% of all worldwide electricity at the time, and this figure was expected to rise.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft employees slept in the company's data centres, according to Kristen Roby Dimlow, a Microsoft Human Resources Executive.

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft employees slept in the company's data centres, according to Kristen Roby Dimlow, a Microsoft Human Resources Executive. "In certain countries, there was huge lockdown...so we'd have our employees choose to sleep in the data centre," she said. "They were worried they'd get stuck at a roadblock, trying to go home," she said. Remote working was impossible for some Microsoft employees in technical roles. Some employees at sites that house servers for Microsoft's online services, such as Microsoft Teams, were among those affected, CNBC reported. If data-centre staff didn't want to come on-site during the epidemic, the corporation allowed them to work from home as much as possible. Data centres, on the whole, are not locations where people sleep. Aisles can be hot from the air coming off servers and cold from the air conditioning used to keep the machines from overheating. Greenpeace published a report in 2011 that ranked the top 10 cloud computing companies based on the sources of electricity used in their data centres. Data centres consumed up to 2% of all worldwide electricity at the time, and this figure was expected to rise. (With inputs from agencies)

Unable to travel home, Microsoft staff slept in data centres during COVID-19 lockdown: Executive

Microsoft unveiled Sunday a batch of new titles for Xbox at the world's premier video game trade show, including award-winning sensation "Hades" and long-time hit "Halo".

The company said it would launch&nbsp;new games on Game Pass every month through the end of the year, including titles such as PC strategy series "Age of Empires IV" and racing game "Forza Horizon&nbsp;5."

The Xbox maker showed off 30 new games coming to its console, which in November will celebrate two decades on the market.

"Our team strives to make Xbox a place where you'll find the greatest games, the most dedicated developers, and the most passionate community," unit chief Phil Spencer said during a streamed event on the second day of a virtual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

Microsoft revealed a coming take of beloved "Halo", along with new creations such as&nbsp;science-fiction action title "Starfield" and a vampire-battling adventure called "Redfall" from Bethesda Softworks.

Microsoft recently-acquired Bethesda Softworks, the maker of hits including "Fallout" and "Elder Scrolls."

As trailers depicted tense battles and the games' rich graphics, Microsoft stressed that all but a few would be available for play at its subscription Xbox Game Pass service.

The company also highlighted titles that will be exclusive to Xbox, which competes with rival consoles Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

Award-winning "Hades" from San Francisco-based Supergiant is coming to Xbox as well as PlayStation, the independent studio said Sunday.

"Hades" has so far only been available for play on personal computers and Switch.

"Hades", which snagged five honors this year at Britain's prestigious BAFTA Games Awards, is a "dungeon crawler" that challenges players to fight their way through the underworld.

The line-up of new titles comes as Microsoft works on software and a plug-in device to let people play Xbox video games on internet-linked televisions without need of consoles.

"As a company, Microsoft is all-in on gaming," chief executive Satya Nadella said in introducing the plan last week.

Microsoft has been playing on the strength of its Xbox unit as it vies with Luna and Stadia cloud gaming services run, respectively, by Amazon and Google.

In coming weeks, cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will be possible through internet browsers Chrome, Edge and Safari, according to Microsoft.

Many are expected to tune in on the closing day of E3 on Tuesday for a Nintendo streamed event at which it may reveal a new version of its coveted Switch consoles along with showing off new games.

Microsoft has also been developing its cloud gaming service to attract casual gamers and its own streaming devices.

Game Pass has hundreds of games playable on&nbsp;Xbox&nbsp;consoles, Android devices and PCs with a $9.99 monthly fee.

"What makes us different from a service like Netflix is that we give players both options, a subscription package and also a full retail store," said Phil Spencer, head of&nbsp;Xbox.

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft unveiled Sunday a batch of new titles for Xbox at the world's premier video game trade show, including award-winning sensation "Hades" and long-time hit "Halo".

Microsoft unveiled Sunday a batch of new titles for Xbox at the world's premier video game trade show, including award-winning sensation "Hades" and long-time hit "Halo". The company said it would launch new games on Game Pass every month through the end of the year, including titles such as PC strategy series "Age of Empires IV" and racing game "Forza Horizon 5." The Xbox maker showed off 30 new games coming to its console, which in November will celebrate two decades on the market. "Our team strives to make Xbox a place where you'll find the greatest games, the most dedicated developers, and the most passionate community," unit chief Phil Spencer said during a streamed event on the second day of a virtual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Microsoft revealed a coming take of beloved "Halo", along with new creations such as science-fiction action title "Starfield" and a vampire-battling adventure called "Redfall" from Bethesda Softworks. Microsoft recently-acquired Bethesda Softworks, the maker of hits including "Fallout" and "Elder Scrolls." As trailers depicted tense battles and the games' rich graphics, Microsoft stressed that all but a few would be available for play at its subscription Xbox Game Pass service. The company also highlighted titles that will be exclusive to Xbox, which competes with rival consoles Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Award-winning "Hades" from San Francisco-based Supergiant is coming to Xbox as well as PlayStation, the independent studio said Sunday. "Hades" has so far only been available for play on personal computers and Switch. "Hades", which snagged five honors this year at Britain's prestigious BAFTA Games Awards, is a "dungeon crawler" that challenges players to fight their way through the underworld. The line-up of new titles comes as Microsoft works on software and a plug-in device to let people play Xbox video games on internet-linked televisions without need of consoles. "As a company, Microsoft is all-in on gaming," chief executive Satya Nadella said in introducing the plan last week. Microsoft has been playing on the strength of its Xbox unit as it vies with Luna and Stadia cloud gaming services run, respectively, by Amazon and Google. In coming weeks, cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will be possible through internet browsers Chrome, Edge and Safari, according to Microsoft. Many are expected to tune in on the closing day of E3 on Tuesday for a Nintendo streamed event at which it may reveal a new version of its coveted Switch consoles along with showing off new games. Microsoft has also been developing its cloud gaming service to attract casual gamers and its own streaming devices. Game Pass has hundreds of games playable on Xbox consoles, Android devices and PCs with a $9.99 monthly fee. "What makes us different from a service like Netflix is that we give players both options, a subscription package and also a full retail store," said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft showcases upcoming games as Xbox turns 20

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