Microsoft Corporation

Quite a major slimming exercise, a 14% cut in its workforce...

Microsoft says to cut up to 18,000 jobs

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it would cut up to 18,000 jobs, or about 14 percent of its workforce, as it halves the size of its recent Nokia acquisition and trims down other operations.

The company said it will take pre-tax charges of $1.1 billion to $1.6 billion for the costs of the layoffs over the next four quarters. REUTERS
http://www.todayonline.com/business/micr...18000-jobs

(16-07-2014, 09:03 PM)CityFarmer Wrote: A typical restructuring corporate action after an M&A, and new CEO on board...

(not vested)

Microsoft set to announce biggest round of job cuts

SEATTLE — Microsoft is planning its biggest round of job cuts in five years, as the software maker looks to slim down and integrate Nokia’s handset unit, sources have said.

The reductions — which may be unveiled this week — will probably affect Nokia and divisions of Microsoft that overlap with that business, as well as marketing and engineering, said the sources.

The restructuring may end up being the biggest in Microsoft history, topping the 5,800 jobs cut in 2009, although some details are still being worked out, the sources added.
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/microsof...d-job-cuts

It sounds good, might want to own one to try it out.

(not vested)

Polishing the Surface

SINGAPORE — Microsoft has been trying to revive its flagging PC business with its Surface devices, though Android and iOS tablets continue to hog most of the limelight. With the release of the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft says it has a tablet that can replace laptops — and with a full-fledged PC stuffed into a tablet form factor, it looks like Microsoft is on to something.

The Surface Pro 3 is a 12-inch device that boasts a multi-touch screen with an extremely sharp 2160 x 1440 resolution. Colours and viewing angles are amazing, and unlike previous Surface devices that came in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, the Surface Pro 3 has a 3:2 ratio. It works better for a tablet and is definitely more balanced when holding with one hand, even for prolonged use.

By itself, the device weighs only 800g. With the optional Type Cover keyboard, it weighs in at 1.1kg — slightly more than an 11-inch MacBook Air and more than twice the weight of an iPad Air without an external keyboard. Still, it feels evenly weighted and is more comfortable to carry around in a bag than an iPad 2 with an external keyboard.

At only 9.1mm thick, the Surface Pro 3 packs a lot of power under the hood.
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/gadgets/...ng-surface

The job axing has started, and it will create more revenue for head-hunters...

Microsoft lays off 2,100, axes Silicon Valley research
19 Sep 2014 07:03
[SEATTLE] Microsoft Corp will close its Silicon Valley research-and-development operation as part of 2,100 layoffs announced on Thursday, as it moves toward its new CEO's goal of cutting 18,000 staff, or about 14 per cent of its workforce.

News of the closure of the Microsoft Research lab at the company's campus in Mountain View, California, was first made public on Twitter by employees. The company later confirmed the move and said it would involve the loss of 50 jobs.

A spokesman said Microsoft Research, which has over 1,000 scientists and engineers worldwide working on new product ideas, will consolidate its US work at Microsoft's main campus in Redmond, Washington, and in offices in New York and Boston.

After the cuts, Microsoft said it will still have 2,500 employees at its Mountain View campus, not far from rival Google Inc.
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Source: Business Times Breaking News

What is the new name? Well, looking forward for the naming ceremony...

(not vested)

Microsoft offers first look at new Windows — and gives it a name

SEATTLE — Microsoft will unveil a new name for its best-known product on Tuesday (Sept 30) when it offers the first official glimpse of its latest Windows operating system.

The project, known for the past few years as “Threshold” inside the software company and “Windows 9” outside it, will likely get an entirely new brand, or just be called Windows, analysts said, ahead of its full release early next year.

The name change is symbolic of a new direction and style for Microsoft, which is veering away from an aggressive focus on Windows and PCs, the hallmark of previous Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer. The new, quieter emphasis is on selling services across all devices and is championed by new boss Mr Satya Nadella.
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/microsof...es-it-name

The new name is 'Windows 10'...

Microsoft names next operating system 'Windows 10'
01 Oct 2014 06:34
[SAN FRANCISCO] Microsoft Corp announced its 'Windows 10' operating system on Tuesday to replace the largely unpopular Windows 8, skipping a number to mark a leap toward unifying the way people work on tablets, phones and traditional computers.

The next version of Microsoft's flagship product, which still runs the vast majority of personal computers and is used by 1.5 billion people worldwide, is aimed at recapturing the lucrative business market, which generally ignored the new-look Windows 8.

Windows 10 will be "our greatest enterprise platform ever,"said Terry Myerson, Microsoft's head of operating systems, at an event in San Francisco. Only 20 per cent of organizations migrated to Windows 8, which was released two years ago, according to tech research firm Forrester.

He said Windows 10, long known by the project name'Threshold' internally, represented a new type of system for the company, as it seeks to unify computing as mobile devices proliferate. The name represented that leap, he said. "Windows 10 adapts to the devices customers are using, from Xbox to PCs and phones to tablets and tiny gadgets," said Myerson.
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Source: Business Times Breaking News

(26-09-2014, 09:15 PM)CityFarmer Wrote: What is the new name? Well, looking forward for the naming ceremony...

(not vested)

Microsoft offers first look at new Windows — and gives it a name

SEATTLE — Microsoft will unveil a new name for its best-known product on Tuesday (Sept 30) when it offers the first official glimpse of its latest Windows operating system.

The project, known for the past few years as “Threshold” inside the software company and “Windows 9” outside it, will likely get an entirely new brand, or just be called Windows, analysts said, ahead of its full release early next year.

The name change is symbolic of a new direction and style for Microsoft, which is veering away from an aggressive focus on Windows and PCs, the hallmark of previous Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer. The new, quieter emphasis is on selling services across all devices and is championed by new boss Mr Satya Nadella.
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/microsof...es-it-name

Microsoft is catching up...

Microsoft plans to launch smartwatch within weeks: Forbes

NEW YORK - Microsoft Corp. is preparing to launch a smartwatch within the next few weeks that will passively track a user's heart rate and work across different mobile platforms, Forbes reported on Sunday.

The wearable gadget's battery life will exceed two days of regular use, Forbes reported, citing unnamed sources close to the project. It will arrive in stores soon after being unveiled in an effort to capture the holiday season, Forbes reported.

Microsoft declined to comment.
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http://www.todayonline.com/business/micr...eks-forbes

Cloud-based sale model seems working for Microsoft, similar is happening with Adobe. It might be a unstoppable trend of end-users. For those companies refuse to ride on the trend will become irrelevance over time...

(not vested)

Microsoft sales beat Street hopes, cloud profits up

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp reported higher-than-expected quarterly revenue, helped by stronger sales of its phones, Surface tablets and cloud-computing products for companies, while keeping its profit margins largely intact.

The results on Thursday allayed fears of investors in recent days that the industry shift toward lower-margin cloud services was proving hard for established technology leaders to master.

Microsoft shares, which have climbed 33 percent over the past year, rose another 3 percent in after-hours trading to $46.36.
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http://www.todayonline.com/business/micr...sales-jump

Common interest can bring partnership of competitors...

Microsoft is going stronger on its online software business.

Microsoft partners Dropbox in online storage services

SEATTLE — Microsoft, determined to get mobile users hooked on its Office software, is teaming up with online storage service Dropbox.

The two firms still compete for business users, with Dropbox seeking to expand into corporate environments and Microsoft pushing more people to adopt its OneDrive storage service.

Now, Office users will be able to access Dropbox from mobile applications and edit files in the service, said Mr Kirk Koenigsbauer, a Microsoft Office vice-president.
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/microsof...e-services

A major decision of the newly on-board CEO...

Microsoft tackles China piracy with free upgrade to Windows 10

SHENZHEN — United States software giant Microsoft is making its biggest push into the heavily-pirated Chinese consumer computing market this year by offering free upgrades to Windows 10 to all Windows users, regardless of whether they are running genuine copies of the operating system.

The move is an unprecedented attempt by the company to get legitimate versions of its software onto the machines of hundreds of millions of Windows users in China. Recent studies showed that three-quarters of all PC software is not properly licensed there.

Mr Terry Myerson, who runs Microsoft’s operating systems unit, announced the plan yesterday at the WinHEC technology conference in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. The plan is to re-engage Windows users in China, he said, without elaborating.

Mr Myerson added that Windows 10 — featuring a biometric log-in process called Windows Hello — would be released globally in the middle of this year. This is the first time Microsoft has put a time frame on the release, though it had been expected in the later half of the year, based on the company’s release history.
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http://www.todayonline.com/tech/microsof...windows-10

I have to wonder how the free upgrade to Windows 10 will affect sales. I also wonder how many will want to upgrade even if its free. I'm happy on Windows 7 at the moment and hate Windows 8.