Microsoft Windows software
Microsoft Windows is the most successful and ubiquitous enterprise software product ever created, and its future developments affect nearly every IT manager in some way. Browse all the latest news and analysis about Microsoft Windows software and the issues around buying, implementing and delivering benefits from Windows.
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News
04 Aug 2020
Nordic enterprises look for SAP price reductions as they navigate Covid-19
Businesses in the Nordics are using SAP Cloud Platform to address Covid-19 challenges and are also seeking price reductions Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2024
March Patch Tuesday throws up two critical Hyper-V flaws
Two critical vulnerabilities in Windows Hyper-V stand out on an otherwise unremarkable Patch Tuesday Continue Reading
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Podcast
28 Jan 2020
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 44
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Cliff Saran to discuss the end of support for Windows 7, the latest developments in IR35 in the private sector, Will Carling and AWS in respect of the Six Nations, data literacy, and IT at Davos Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2020
Travelex hackers shut down German car parts company Gedia in massive ‘cyber attack’
Car parts manufacturer says cyber attack will have far-reaching consequences for its business, and it has put emergency plans in place to continue deliveries Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2020
Internal error left Microsoft customer service data exposed
Customer service and support records of nearly 250 million Microsoft customers left exposed after database misconfiguration Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2020
Windows 7: The pieces are coming together for a PC rethink
As organisations migrate off the unsupported Microsoft Windows 7 operating system to Windows 10, CIOs must assess their hardware refresh strategy Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Jan 2020
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 43
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about the loan charge review that is bearing down on IT contractors, the Tech Talent Charter, Windows 7, and combating loneliness among remote workers Continue Reading
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20 Jan 2020
Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware
With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
20 Jan 2020
How to avoid becoming the next Travelex
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the lessons learned from the ransomware attack on Travelex and how other firms can avoid the same fate. As Microsoft ends support for Windows 7, we examine the issues for the many remaining users of the operating system. And healthcare CIOs explain the tech challenges facing the NHS. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
Lloyds Banking Group to create digital workplace with Microsoft
Bank is transforming how its staff work as part of a multibillion-pound digital transformation Continue Reading
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Blog Post
16 Jan 2020
Windows 7: Don’t cry for me
It may have gone unnoticed with the January 14 end of support deadline for Windows 7, but Microsoft’s 10 year old OS, had one last Patch Tuesday update. And , surprise, surprise, this included a ... Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Last Windows 7 patch updates critical remote desktop flaw
It is no longer being supported with free updates, but Microsoft's final Patch Tuesday for Windows 7 fixes a major flaw in the 10-year-old operating system Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
NSA Windows 10 security disclosure raises questions
In an unprecedented move, the NSA has got out in front of a critical cryptographic flaw in Windows 10, but in doing so has raised multiple questions Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Gartner: Windows 7 will continue to drive 2020 business PC sales
With end of support, businesses are rushing to upgrade their desktop PC estate to Windows 10, driving growth in the PC market Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Turn the end of Windows 7 support into a security advantage
CISOs can take advantage of the end of support for Microsoft Windows 7 by making the case for more investment in cyber security Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Windows 7: Dead or alive?
Far from being dead and buried, Windows 7 is set to remain alive and kicking in many organisations as they struggle with complex migration challenges Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2020
Microsoft led enterprise IT pack in revenue growth terms over past decade, research shows
In the final despatch from Synergy Research Group's look back at the IT trends that shaped the past decade, Microsoft emerges as the tech firm that managed to grow its enterprise revenue share the most throughout the 2010s Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2019
Top 10 end-user computing stories of 2019
The Windows desktop and laptop are not going away, but desktop IT is changing. Computer Weekly looks at the top trends in end-user computing Continue Reading
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17 Dec 2019
How Intel has put the brakes on Windows 10 refresh
IT departments have until 14 January 2020 to update their PCs to Windows 10, but a shortage of Intel chips may scupper their plans Continue Reading
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E-Zine
17 Dec 2019
How data analytics is improving the world’s greatest tennis players
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the organisation that runs men’s tennis worldwide to find out how data analytics is transforming the sport. Intel processors delays will affect Windows 10 upgrades – we examine the implications. And we ask if AI is living up to the hype in enterprise IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
11 Dec 2019
Intel delay: Update an old Windows 7 PC, or buy AMD
The shortage of Intel processors is having a knock-on effect on IT’s ability to upgrade whatever legacy Windows 7 PCs still remain in the organisation onto new Windows 10 hardware. At the time of ... Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
China bans foreign computing kit from government contracts
All government offices and public institutions must eliminate foreign hardware and software within three years, according to a leaked directive dubbed 3-5-2 Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2019
How Intel has put the brakes on Windows 10 refresh
IT departments have until 14 January 2020 to update their PCs to Windows 10, but a shortage of Intel chips may scupper their plans Continue Reading
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Blog Post
28 Nov 2019
Taming Windows As A Service - Making The Incompatible Compatible...
With so much IT focus on the cloudy landscape, it's easy to forget that what is happening at the desktop is still the touchy-feely point of IT contact for the users themselves. And much of that ... Continue Reading
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Blog Post
28 Nov 2019
Intel delays means Windows 7 support deadline needs extending
In the last few days Hewlett Packard Inc and Dell have posted results, in which their respective chief financial officers have spoken about the issues their businesses face with the supply of Intel ... Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Nov 2019
Microsoft's history and future strategy beyond 2020
Microsoft's history over the past 20 years is marked by the pivot from closed software models to support for open source and cloud. Quantum computing will shape the next decades. Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2019
Dell admits Intel chip delay could impact Windows refresh
In the earnings call for Dell’s Q3 2019 results, the company admitted that up to one-third of Windows PC refresh orders may not be fulfilled until 2020 Continue Reading
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E-Zine
12 Nov 2019
The importance of digital accessibility
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine what retailers need to do to make their digital channels accessible for disabled people. We look at the rise of alternative desktop productivity tools to Microsoft Office. And our new buyer’s guide covers next-generation programming tools such as no-code/low-code development. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2019
Security pros urged to get ahead of incoming BlueKeep exploits
The BlueKeep RDP vulnerability is beginning to be exploited in the wild, and security teams have no excuse for not trying to get in front of it, says Microsoft Continue Reading
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News
05 Nov 2019
Ransomware authors seeking new ways to avoid being spotted
Sector analysis from Sophos has revealed some insight into how malware authors are adapting to thwart cyber security controls Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2019
How to break free from traditional desktop productivity
Over the last few years, the acceptance of cloud platforms in business has opened up opportunities for employees to work differently. We investigate Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2019
Executive interview: Why the times are a changin’ in collaboration
Companies are aware that the next wave of talent wants to work collaboratively, but how do you collaborate and what policies discourage collaboration? Continue Reading
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Blog Post
28 Oct 2019
Time to unplug PowerPoint
Can a corporate piece of software change the culture of an organisation. It happened in 1983 when Mitch Kapor developed Lotus 1-2-3 for the IBM PC, the PC’s first killer application. Aldus ... Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2019
Windows 7 upgrade haunts health service tech vision
Windows 7 issues at the NHS are making headlines, 15 months after the release of the review of how legacy IT was exploited by the WannaCry attack Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2019
The Security Interviews: Applying AI to Lego, and security
Ann Johnson, Microsoft corporate vice-president of cyber security, is on a mission to prove that artificial intelligence holds great promise for the security sector, and she has the analogies to back it up Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2019
Microsoft delivers Surface with benefits for enterprise IT
It may not be headline-grabbing news, but the Surface Pro has screws – it can be taken apart and components such as disk drives can be swapped out Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2019
Nodersok malware campaign is infecting thousands, Microsoft warns
Thousands of Windows endpoints in the US and Europe have been infected by a new fileless malware campaign in the past few weeks Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2019
Aberdeen Standard Investment deploys Igel for VDI
The investment management group is rolling out virtual desktop infrastructure globally and will use the secure Linux platform Igel to manage the VDI environment Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2019
Warwickshire county council deploys Microsoft cloud productivity suite
Teams, Office 365 and other cloud-based tools are being rolled out to give council staff greater flexibility Continue Reading
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News
15 Aug 2019
Google vs Microsoft: Digging into the public cloud email market duopoly
The public cloud email sector is a veritable two-horse race, with Microsoft and Google being the ones to beat, but it is unlikely ever to become a “winner takes all” market, says Gartner Continue Reading
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E-Zine
13 Aug 2019
How tech experts could earn millions as whistleblowers
In this week’s Computer Weekly, a tech expert is set to earn millions after successfully blowing the whistle on vulnerabilities in Cisco’s video surveillance software. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the issues around big data architecture. And we look at how the end of Windows 7 could spark a new era for desktop productivity. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
06 Aug 2019
CircleCI offers single-workflow (multiple-platform) CI/CD for Microsoft Windows
Developer-centric automation software company CircleCI has launched general availability of support for Windows in its product set. CircleCI (the clue is in the name) has a specialism in Continuous ... Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
Use Windows 7 end of life to update desktop productivity
The end of support for Windows 7 should be seen as the end of an era for traditional desktop IT. So what does 21st century desktop productivity look like? Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
Microsoft gets boost in SaaS revenue and pushes Teams platform
It is still a long way behind AWS, but the Microsoft cloud is the company’s big money-maker. It is also seeing Teams establish itself as a platform Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
Suspected malicious MS Office tool maker arrested
Dutch police have arrested a man suspected of producing and selling toolkits to create malicious Microsoft Office documents Continue Reading
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News
12 Jul 2019
Windows 10 to enable passwordless sign-in
Windows 10 users will soon be able to sign in to devices without using a password to encourage the use of two-factor authentication methods to improve security Continue Reading
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News
12 Jul 2019
European PC business boosted by Windows 10 refresh
With Windows 7 support due to end on 14 January 2020, European organisations are refreshing their PCs as part of their Windows 10 upgrade Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2019
Sodin ransomware exploiting Windows zero-day, Kaspersky warns
Security researchers are warning that a recently discovered type of ransomware is now exploiting a zero-day Windows vulnerability, and does not require user interaction to trigger an infection Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2019
NHS Wales provides 100,000 staff with Microsoft 365
Cloud-based suite will help Welsh healthcare service drive digitisation initiatives and support greater collaboration and video-based consultations Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jun 2019
Microsoft’s road to multicloud support
From Microsoft’s perspective, multicloud is more about portability than resiliency Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2019
Chef demos Windows Server 2008 migration
Windows Server 2008 R2 reaches end of support in January 2020. Businesses using older Windows server software have little time to redevelop code Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Jun 2019
Microsoft’s modern desktop management
How cloud services make the critical business of keeping Windows 10 patched and up to date easier for administrators Continue Reading
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Feature
28 May 2019
Serving up managed desktops
Microsoft is dropping its table d’hôte-like Windows 7 menu in favour of a more tapas-style offering, in the form of Windows 10. This will mean big changes for sysadmins Continue Reading
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Feature
21 May 2019
Winning ways with Windows 10 updates
We look at how IT leaders can effectively manage the major changes Windows 10 imposes on businesses Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2019
Cloud uptake drives third-quarter sales for Microsoft
Demand for Microsoft’s cloud offerings spiked again during the firm’s third quarter, reports Redmond Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2019
With the new Windows 10 OS update, trust but verify
The latest Windows 10 update, scheduled for late May, will give installation controls back to IT admins. In this Q&A, Dave Sobel talks about why that's important. Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2019
PC industry suffers as Microsoft severs link between Windows and hardware refreshes
If Microsoft succeeds, a Windows upgrade will no longer mean that businesses need to refresh their PC estate Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2019
Welsh government buys Microsoft Office 365 for teachers and pupils
The Welsh government will provide Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus across 1,521 maintained schools in Wales Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2019
Windows 10 security breach highlights third-party vulnerabilities
The recent Windows 10 PC security breach brought on by third-party software from a Chinese tech company raises concern about the security strength of third-party providers. Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2019
Middle East countries accelerate quantum computing research
Gulf countries must invest in quantum computing research to ensure they continue to to remain digital pioneers Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2019
Leading PC makers set to expand product range to target existing customers
With little growth forecast, PC manufacturers are trying to tie in additional services with their hardware to lock in customers Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2019
IT Priorities 2019: IT professionals plan a big push to migrate off Windows 7
With the clock ticking to Windows 7 end of support, more than half of the IT professionals who took part in a survey have a Windows 10 migration as their top IT project this year Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2019
Microsoft cloud powers earnings boost
CEO Satya Nadella claims Azure compute services are the starting point for digitisation, as businesses add higher value services like AI Continue Reading
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29 Jan 2019
Why CIOs need to reshape desktop IT for Windows 7 end of support
With a year to go before Windows 7 reaches end of life, IT departments have more than just the operating system upgrade to consider. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
29 Jan 2019
A vintage digital transformation for Majestic Wines
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the digital transformation of retailer Majestic Wines, and find out how buying online rival Naked Wines led to a cloud-led overhaul of the firm’s IT. We look at the challenges for IT managers as they prepare for the end of Windows 7 support in January 2020. And our latest buyer’s guide discusses deep learning technology. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
24 Jan 2019
Windows 7: Don't expect Microsoft to handle all Windows 10 issues
It does not seem that long ago that IT departments were battling with upgrading PCs from Windows XP to Windows 7, as Microsoft finally pulled the plug for support on the legacy operating system. ... Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Jan 2019
How can attacks bypass Windows Driver Signature Enforcement?
Security researchers demonstrated how a new fileless attack technique can bypass a Windows kernel protection feature at Black Hat 2018. Find out how the technique works. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2019
Why CIOs need to reshape desktop IT for Windows 7 end of support
With a year to go before Windows 7 reaches end of life, IT departments have more than just the operating system upgrade to consider Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2018
How Docker plans to help businesses get around Windows Server 2008
Microsoft will end support for Windows Server 2008 in 2020. Many applications will fail to upgrade to the latest server OS. But Docker has a plan Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2018
CIO interview: Stephen Docherty on NHS data sharing
The Cambridge Analytica scandal raised awareness about privacy. Stephen Docherty, CIO of South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, explains why Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Nov 2018
Tips for minimising the impact of the Microsoft Office price rise
Microsoft has “adjusted” prices with Office 2019, making it more expensive to buy on-premise versions of its products Continue Reading
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News
20 Nov 2018
Dutch audit finds Microsoft Office leaks confidential data
The diagnostics Microsoft Office collects from users should be a source of concern for any government CISO, according to a DPIA audit Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2018
Microsoft forces price hike on budget-constrained councils
The October 2018 price hike for Microsoft Office 2019 will badly affect local governments, leading Socitm to urge Microsoft to reconsider Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2018
Office 365 users locked out by authentication failure
Multifactor authentication aims to protect users’ security, but many woke up this morning to find they could no longer access Microsoft 365 Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Nov 2018
Is Azure ready to go cloud-native?
We look at the suitability of Microsoft’s Azure platform for deploying cloud-native applications Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2018
AWS retains cloud market leader status in Q3, as Microsoft and Google post gains
AWS retains its title as the world's biggest cloud provider, but the position is not going unchallenged by the likes Microsoft and Google, Synergy Research Group's third quarter market analysis shows Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2018
Microsoft results show hybrid benefit to Azure growth
The software company continues to push the benefits of on-premise Windows Server infrastructure alongside Azure PaaS Continue Reading
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Blog Post
22 Oct 2018
All Things Migration
So, in recent blogs I've talked about all things migration-wise; Windows migration issues and the testing thereof, migrating to the cloud, even migrating the cloud back to OnPrem, from OnPrem to ... Continue Reading
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News
17 Oct 2018
Microsoft signs pledge to assist people with dyslexia
Tech giant Microsoft has signed the Made by Diversity pledge to help more people with dyslexia use technology as part of their education Continue Reading
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News
16 Oct 2018
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies, aged 65
Computer programmer who helped propel Microsoft to become one of the world’s largest businesses will be remembered for his generosity Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2018
Windows 10 update pulled after file losses
Microsoft has been forced to stop the October 2018 release of Windows 10 because users have complained it deletes files Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Oct 2018
Windows Virtual Desktops: Microsoft takes virtual Windows mainstream on Azure
Microsoft is fleshing out its virtual desktop proposition by allowing enterprises to access Windows via its Azure platform, but what does this mean for its competitors? Continue Reading
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Blog Post
02 Oct 2018
Parallel Universe Windows Migration as a Service
Rewind a few years and I was carrying out a series of test projects for a UK-based ISV client, AppDNA, whose focus was the analysis of application compatibility when migrating between different ... Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Sep 2018
How is Google taking on Microsoft Office in retail?
Carrefour represents a big-name contract win for Google’s G Suite, but will Microsoft Office still be dominant across retail? Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2018
Councils at risk from unsupported Windows Server and SQL Server
Some local authorities are using unsupported server software, while others are not paying for extended support Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2018
Microsoft dominates SaaS thanks to collaboration software
Microsoft’s software-as-a-service business is growing at 45% a year, well ahead of the rest of the market, reports Synergy Research Group Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2018
Microsoft looks at a Windows VM to sandbox rogue code
A feature revealed in the Windows Insider programme may appear in a future Windows 10 update for enterprises Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2018
Ramp up security to mitigate Office 365 attacks
Public clouds tend to be more secure, but Office 365 has become a major target for attacks, which means internal IT security needs tightening Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2018
Cloud sales stoke Microsoft’s strong growth
Microsoft says cloud-based Office products made a huge contribution to sales growth Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2018
ITPS expands datacentre to support Azure Stack and HPC
Datacentre company ITPS expands its County Durham facility to meet client needs for high performance computing and security Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2018
Microsoft warns if an email is being sent out of office hours
When Blackberry introduced mobile email, it made everyone permanently connected to work. Now, Microsoft wants to curb this Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2018
Windows 7 migration powers PC uptick
PC sales in the enterprise have increased as businesses roll out Windows 10 before Microsoft ends support for Windows 7 Continue Reading
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Photo Story
27 Jun 2018
Surface 2 family reboots desktop
Microsoft's latest range of Surface 2 devices provide tight integration with Windows 10, PowerBI and Office 365, giving users a new approach to working Continue Reading
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19 Jun 2018
Making sense of Microsoft’s cloud developer platform
We assess how Microsoft is aligning its development tools to support Linux and open source, in light of its acquisition of GitHub. Continue Reading
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Blog Post
18 Jun 2018
Your PC is rooted and jailbroken: deal with it!
One of the defining characteristics of the modern digital workplace is a Windows PC on every desk and a smartphone in every pocket. The ability to centrally discover, provision, deploy, update, and ... Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Jun 2018
Making sense of Microsoft’s cloud developer platform
We assess how Microsoft is aligning its development tools to support Linux and open source, in light of its acquisition of GitHub Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2018
After GitHub acquisition, Microsoft will need to up its game in the enterprise
Microsoft’s $7.6bn acquisition of GitHub propels the company that is loved and hated for Windows to the very heart of open source. Can it be trusted? Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2018
Microsoft takes over GitHub as it expands its open source plan
Microsoft is a major contributor to open source. It has now acquired the largest open source repository Continue Reading
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News
31 May 2018
Retail sector flagged as slow to adopt cloud technologies in Bitglass research
The fourth annual Bitglass cloud adoption survey reveals enterprise appetite for off-premise technologies is continuing to rise, but some industries are moving more slowly than others Continue Reading
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Photo Story
30 May 2018
Build 2018: How Microsoft is embracing cross-platform development
Microsoft has realised the world is moving on from Windows. Azure supports Linux and Xamarin enables .Net developers to target IoS and Android devices Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2018
Save the Children International uses Microsoft Azure to bolster cross-border charity work
Graham Kent, director of IT shared services at Save the Children International, talks about using Microsoft Azure to boost cross-border collaboration between the charity’s member organisations and present a more united front to the world Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2018
Why Microsoft's AI is about helping anyone's intelligent agent
Microsoft believes businesses need to be connected to AI innovation. The way it wants to achieve this is through its AI platform for developers Continue Reading