Microsoft | Common News Update

Mar122021 by adminNo Comments

Microsoft hack: 3,000 UK email servers remain unsecured

Technology

BBC / Getty ImagesMore than 3,000 UK email servers remain at risk from the global Microsoft Exchange email flaw, officials believe.The National Cyber Security Centre said it estimated 7,000 servers had been affected by the flaw in the UK and only half had been secured.It said malicious software had been detected on 2,300 machines but it had helped businesses remove it.The agency said it was "vital" that all affected businesses took action to secure their email servers.The announcement reveals the scale of the problem among UK companies for the first time since the global security flaw emerged last week.Ransomware groups have begun using the flaw to install their malicious programs, the NCSC warned - though there was no evidence of widespread ransomware attacks on UK companies so far.Once i...

Feb42021 by adminNo Comments

Microsoft introduces Viva software for remote work market

Business

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Microsoft announced Thursday an employee experience platform called Viva aimed at improving work. The new Viva platform is designed to unify the employee experience across four key areas -- engagement, wellbeing, learning and knowledge, Microsoft said in a statement. Advertisement Viva was launched Thursday, with parts of the platform rolling out through 2021. It is designed to build on the Microsoft Teams communication platform, which is part of Microsoft 365 products. The need for employee experience platforms has grown as more people have shifted to remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysts estimate a $ 300 billion annual market for such platforms. "As the world of work changes, the next horizon of innovation will come from a focus on creativity, engagement and ...

Sep212020 by adminNo Comments

Microsoft snaps up Fallout and Elder Scrolls creator for $7.5bn

Technology

Microsoft has agreed to buy the company behind hit games such as Fallout, Doom and The Elder Scrolls in a $ 7.5bn (£5.8bn) deal.The acquisition of ZeniMax will help Microsoft strengthen its Xbox video game offering as competition with rival Sony heats up ahead of Christmas. Gaming has been boosted by growing demand at a time when consumers have been stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Image: The new Xbox models will hit shelves on 10 November. Pic: Microsoft Microsoft and PlayStation 5 maker Sony are launching their next-generation gaming devices in November, with pre-orders for the Xbox going live on Tuesday.ZeniMax is the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, whose titles include Wolfenstein and Dishonored. ...

Aug242020 by adminNo Comments

Microsoft backs Fortnite developer in legal battle with Apple

Technology

Microsoft is supporting Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, in its battle against Apple, according to a new legal declaration.Epic is engaged in a serious corporate dispute with Apple after the iPhone maker took action against it for slipping a new payment system into the iOS version of the hit online shooter. It is suing Apple to prevent it from revoking its access to iOS and MacOS development tools, which both Fortnite and even more crucially its Unreal Engine game engine depend on. In a new court filing, Epic states that many of the thousands of other game developers who use the Unreal Engine had been in touch to express their concerns about the impact Apple's actions would have on their games.Microsoft has now also filed a declaration in support of Epic, describing Unreal as "...

Aug32020 by adminNo Comments

Trump ‘backs’ Microsoft buyout of TikTok after threat to ban Chinese video app

Technology

The Chinese-owned short-video app TikTok could be sold to Microsoft after an apparent change of mind by US President Donald Trump.On Friday, Mr Trump said he intended to ban TikTok from the US because of concerns about the data of American users and he appeared to dismiss the idea of a takeover by a US company. America has repeatedly warned of a security threat from Beijing and accused it of billions of dollars' worth of intellectual property theft. China has denied the claims. Image: TikTok says 100 million Americans use the app But following a discussion between Mr Trump and Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella on Sunday, the tech giant said it had been given the go ahead to negotiate a complete buyout with TikTok's parent compan...