Author: Microsoft Stories

Data Masons Software, LLC, a leading provider of Integrated EDI and XML solutions for Microsoft Dynamics customers, announces its sponsorship of Microsoft Envision 2016. Microsoft’s Envision is designed to provide business leaders with the opportunity to discover business insights, gain technology expertise and learn successful strategies to help their businesses achieve more. Data Masons delivers a tightly-integrated EDI solution that enables customers to integrate their entire supply chain activities into the ERP without invasive customizations.

The number of local-language Internet users in India is growing at 47 percent on a year-on-year basis. Microsoft feels that its technology innovations will go a long way in making Hindi and 13 other languages more accessible to users. Alok B Lall, Director, Microsoft Office Division, said, “In our commitment to empower users to achieve more, we launched a suite of Hindi and Punjabi-compatible products and services that users can use at no extra cost. There is no doubt that in a country like India, localization will drive the next wave of computing by enabling access to technology for a broader section of society, thereby helping eliminate the current language divide.”

One in five Windows-powered devices, steered to a host of U.S. government websites, ran Windows 10 in March. For the first time, Windows 10 accounted for more than one-fifth of the visits to sites tracked by the Digital Analytics Program (DAP). DAP mines traffic to more than 4,000 websites on over 400 different domains maintained by U.S. government agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service and the National Weather Service. Windows 10 reportedly recorded 20.2% of visits in March by Windows PCs, smartphones and tablets, a one-percentage point increase from February and more than two percentage points above January’s.

In January 2015, Microsoft had announced about the Surface Hub. It is a huge, touch-based monitor that served as the “hub” for team-based business collaboration. Almost a year and a half later, the Surface Hub is finally shipping. Available in two sizes ($8,999 for a 55-inch version, and $21,999 for an 84-inch version), Microsoft’s Surface Hub is designed to replace the whiteboard and videoconferencing system currently found in conference rooms where teams meet. As for tech specs, the Surface Hub contains fourth-generation Intel Core processors (a Core i5 for the smaller model and i7 for the larger), either Intel HD 4600 or Nvidia Quadro K2200 graphics, 128GB of solid state storage, 8GB of RAM, four USB ports (USB 3.0 for two of them), Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and gigabit Ethernet.

Microsoft’s augmented reality tech, HoloLens, is about to deliver some pretty remarkable features – films that will follow users around the room and a version of Minecraft specifically built for block creation in AR/VR. Apart from these, the platform is getting another exciting addition – holographic communication. Entitled ‘Holoportation’, the concept uses a set of 3D cameras in a stable environment which capture the physical image of a caller from every angle. This data is then used to create a 3D render of the individual and is subsequently sent direct to the headset of the recipient.

The Build developer show, Microsoft’s part corporate vision statement delivered by Executives and part hard-core technical training on Microsoft tools, will begin in San Francisco. The three-day event will in all probability feature updates on Microsoft’s efforts to engage developers in Windows and position its Azure platform for Web-delivered software as a force in a competitive and mobile-obsessed market.

Microsoft added a new option in Office 2016 that allows administrators to block macros embedded automation scripts from running in Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents that originate from the Internet. Microsoft Office programs support macros written in Visual Basic for Applications. These can be used for malicious activities like installing malware. The new setting is called, “block macros from running in Office files from the Internet”.

Microsoft India recently announced that teams from the Indian Institute of Technology (Roorkee) bagged first and second positions while the Indian Institute of Technology (Mumbai) stood third in the national level hacking contest ‘Build The Shield 2016’. Microsoft hosts this annual event for universities and colleges across India to provide students a competitive hands-on hacking experience while furthering its commitment towards security. Joseph Lindstrom, Senior Director at Microsoft Corporation, said, “As security increasingly becomes top-of-mind for organizations around the world, Microsoft is focused on advancing the ways in which companies can protect themselves against cyber threats.”

Microsoft India announced the launch of SQL Server 2016, the data platform built with advanced predictive analytics capabilities. It is Microsoft’s biggest leap into the future of data platform. Karan Bajwa, Managing Director, Microsoft Corporation India, said, “Data is the new electricity for businesses today. It gives our customers the opportunity to catapult their growth. Microsoft’s SQL Server 2016 is built for this data driven world customer tested and battle ready. SQL 2016 supports encrypted query processing capabilities for advanced analytics, machine learning, mobile business intelligence, and data integration that addresses the security concerns of customers. It is today the world’s only relational database to be born ‘cloud-first’ with the majority of features first deployed and tested on Azure.”