In the News

Microsoft’s video and chat app Skype will now let Indian users buy Skype credits using Indian cards and net banking. Previously, Indian users could do this only with international credit cards; they can now use the Indian currency to pay for the service, instead of US Dollars. Skype has partnered with Indian Internet and IT firm Sify to make this come true.

The advent of ‘Internet of Things’ has not only changed the role of IT in business but also allowed companies to access large amounts of data and enabled smarter business operations and smarter decisions. Microsoft in association with The Economic Times will soon hold the Internet of Things Summit 2016. This one-day conference led by industry stalwarts will have world class speakers and panelists dissect the true nature of Internet of Things, its impact, expected trends and challenges in the industry.

Microsoft told the United Nations that technology companies can do more to combat digital terror, but warned there was no single solution to prevent terrorists from using the web. Microsoft’s Vice President Steven Crown, told a special Security Council debate on counter-terrorism, that “There is no silver bullet that will stop terrorist use of the Internet. Microsoft and other ICT companies are taking part in a new initiative under the UN’s counter-terrorism committee to agree on ways to address the threats. Microsoft services and Microsoft the company are different from Google, which is different from Facebook, which is different from Twitter.”

Jason Mackay, General Manager of COMPAREX Canada, is thrilled with Microsoft’s recent announcement of new datacenters’ general availability across Canada. The launch of these datacenters enables more Canadian organizations to capitalize on the local accessibility and security of the Microsoft Cloud, as well as cloud-based solutions like Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online. COMPAREX offers Unified Cloud Management for Azure and for Office 365, two programs that focus on the management and optimization of an organization’s cloud usage and investment. Proprietary reporting tools allow IT teams to streamline the management of identities, storage, backup, and growth in the cloud.

The OVH Partners Program gets enriched. The European cloud leader has joined a circle of Microsoft partners able to distribute the Microsoft Office 365 desktop software suite to its own resellers. This is an opportunity without precedence for them to exploit the massive adoption of SaaS collaborative work solutions. Aziz Benmalek, Vice President, Worldwide Hosting and Cloud Services, Microsoft, said, “We’re excited to work with OVH to enable even more partners to take advantage of new opportunities for growth with Office 365 and help drive their businesses forward.”

Cazena announced Big Data as a Service offering data marts and data lakes on Microsoft Azure. Steve Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President and Chief Evangelist, Developer Experience, Microsoft Corporation, said, “Cazena will help accelerate customers’ ability to migrate big data workloads to Microsoft Azure. The combination of trusted infrastructure and price-performance leadership of Azure, with Cazena’s service, will help simplify big data processing for organizations looking to utilize the cloud.”

Microsoft has confirmed that it will be removing a Wi-Fi network sharing feature from Windows 10 with an upcoming update. The feature allows you to share Wi-Fi login information with friends automatically via contacts. It seems that was the general response from users too, so that option will be removed in the upcoming Windows 10 Insider Preview update, Microsoft says. Public Wi-Fi login info will remain in the app though.

Add-ins have been an important part of the Microsoft Office suite as they allow users and third party developers to extend the capabilities and functionalities of Office. Users can spruce up Microsoft Office, and add custom commands and new features to Office programs that help increase productivity by using add-ins. Further, users can develop own custom add-ins to give the documents distinct style and class.

Facebook has made its WhatsApp instant messaging smartphone service available on Mac and Windows desktops. The app runs on Windows 8 and above and Mac OS 10.9 and above. To sync the newly-launched Facebook-owned desktop app with smartphone, open the app and scan the QR code with phone. The new app has built-in desktop notifications feature and a user can pin a new Facebook Live Tile that will show the user latest updates from friends, family and Pages.

iBall launched two CompBook laptops on Windows 10 OS, starting from Rs 9,999. The launch is aimed at bridging the gap between consumer needs and the devices currently available in the market. Priyadarshi Mohapatra, Country General Manager, Consumer Channel Group, Microsoft India, said, “We are making an effort to bring new users into the fold of Windows10 by offering them the latest and most powerful computing experience at a much more affordable price point.”