Microsoft news recap is a weekly feature highlighting the top Microsoft news stories of the past week. Sit back, grab some coffee, and enjoy the read!
Microsoft announces final farewell to Cortana as it embraces new AI voice assistant services
Microsoft has officially ended support for its digital assistant, Cortana. The decision was implemented in the latest Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel build. Cortana never really found its way amongst competitors like Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Assistant, or Apple’s Siri.
Instead, Microsoft will push users towards AI-based assistance, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, Bing Chat, etc.
Microsoft and Activision could become one as soon as Friday the 13th
Microsoft’s bid to acquire Activision Blizzard is nearing its conclusion. According to reports, the company plans to announce the closure of the deal as early as Friday, October 13, 2023.
This comes after a 20-month long international approval process. Microsoft has received provisional approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and it is likely the regular will approve the deal.
Microsoft Teams launches new app for Windows and Mac with enhanced features
Microsoft has announced the general availability of a new version of Microsoft Teams for Windows and Mac. This updated version brings enhanced performance, a simplified user experience, and innovative features.
The new Teams app aims to offer a platform that is faster, simpler, and smarter. Performance improvements include up to twice the speed and 50% less memory usage compared to the previous version.
Users will begin receiving the updated version as it rolls out.
Cloud giants under fire: Microsoft and Amazon face antitrust investigation in the UK
Microsoft and Amazon are facing a new investigation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concerning their cloud services. The probe comes on the heels of the CMA’s near-conclusion of its inquiry into Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The new investigation will focus on Azure cloud offerings and Amazon Web Services (AWS) within the UK. The investigation follows a request from Ofcom, the UK’s telecoms regulator, to look further into the matter after it raised concerns over the ability for users to switch cloud providers and use multiple cloud providers.
That’s it for this week. We will be back next week with more Microsoft news.
