In the News

Microsoft was welcomed at a high-profile media event to show off software tailored for a new iPad. Apple chief executive Tim Cook offered the surprise introduction by saying, “Who knows more about productivity than Microsoft?”

Twitter for Windows has added group messaging, multi-account support, lists and other improvements in its Window 10 app. Twitter has added a new ‘Happening Now’ section which keeps the users up on whatever is trending at all times.

Microsoft unveiled new capabilities it will deliver later this calendar year with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016, the latest release of its customer engagement solution. The most comprehensive upgrade ever for Dynamics CRM includes advancements in intelligence, mobility and service, with significant productivity enhancements to help businesses and workers achieve more. “Microsoft’s obsession with customer success is rooted in our ambition to reinvent productivity and business processes,” said Bob Stutz, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

According to a report by Research and Markets, the global application virtualization market is expected to grow from USD 1.3 Billion in 2015 to USD 2.6 Billion by 2020, at an estimated Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.9% from 2015 to 2020. The key players of this market are Microsoft Corporation, Symantec Corporation, VMware, Inc., Citrix Systems, Inc., and Red Hat, Inc.

Walt Disney Co’s studio unit said customers of Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp’s video services will get access to the collection on its cloud-based movie storage service from Tuesday. Studios like Disney, which has made blockbuster films like “Frozen” and Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” have been attempting to steer movie fans towards digital purchases as sales of DVDs decline.

ternational healthcare group Columbia Asia has partnered with Microsoft to evolve a next-generation cloud-ready hospital management system (HMS) to meet its emerging enterprise needs. Preeti Das, Director, Microsoft Services, said, “Our association with Columbia Asia will result in building advanced healthcare solutions that are capable of further enhancing patient safety and driving overall operational efficiency.”

Email, as we know it, is changing—and so is Microsoft’s strategy for its cornerstone product, Outlook. Recently, the company announced partnerships with third-party companies to integrate additional functionalities—including those from Uber, Yelp, Evernote, PayPal, and Boomerang—into Outlook email. This announcement suggests a shift towards a platform strategy, whereby Microsoft acts as an intermediary connecting third parties with Outlook users.

FIFA 16 will be exclusive to Amazon India, according to a banner on the retailer’s website. The game will be available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, and should hit the country on release date at Rs. 3,999 for the standard edition, and Rs. 4,499 for the deluxe edition of the game on Xbox One and PS4. The standard edition of the game will be Rs. 3,499 and Rs. 3,999 for the deluxe edition on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Microsoft launched the 105 dual-SIM feature phone priced at Rs.1,419 aimed at the first time mobile buyer, claiming that the phone was the “most affordable” in the feature phones vertical.The 105 dual-SIM is an improvement over the single-SIM variant in terms of functionality, features and replacement guarantee, it said. “With handsets like the new Nokia 105 dual-SIM, Microsoft brings very affordable mobile opportunities to more people,” said Ravi Kunwar, Director, Mobile Devices, Microsoft.

Microsoft is making a new Mail feature available on Windows 10. With the latest Insider Preview build, you can now turn off conversation view in the Mail app. Given that the feature is being tested by Windows Insiders, it could eventually make it into the next big Windows 10 release. Microsoft has a planned OS update for November, and this could introduce conversation view into Mail for all users.