In 2006 Google’s acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion, and Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012. Many dismissed these purchases as indulgences of cash-rich tech behemoths, and federal regulators took no action. But, these acquisitions were far from frivolous. They shut out potential competitors, strengthening Google’s market dominance in search and Facebook’s in social media. And, now […]
Tag Archives: Microsoft
The Key IoT Security Questions You Need To Ask
An Internet of Things (IoT) solution offers a multitude of business benefits from decreased operational costs to new revenue streams. But it also comes with a host of security considerations, including an ever-changing array of regulatory compliance requirements, demanding expert navigation and acute attention to detail. Below I’ve listed some of the critical questions to […]
The Promise of Artificial Intelligence-Enabled IoT
The next technology revolution is underway. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning coupled with more robust and competent devices is driving transformation across industries and workstreams, from small farms in India to huge corporations in the United States. So what kinds of changes are underway and what does AI-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) […]
Distinguished Microsoft Engineer, James Whittaker, on IoT
There’s a lot of talk about the internet of things (IoT) these days and savvy businesses are jumping on the IoT bandwagon. And for good reason: IoT is a competitive differentiator that can add real value. But understanding what IoT is, what the opportunities are, and how to get started can be a stumbling block. […]
How to Get Started Building Your IoT Solution Today – Five Tips from Industry Leaders
At Microsoft, we’re committed to helping businesses capitalize on the enormous opportunity that The Internet of Things presents, but since the term “IoT” covers so much terrain, we understand it can be hard to know where to get started. There are often numerous questions about security, standards, and deployment, and the two big problems we […]
How Microsoft helps IoT pros take action to overcome challenges
As IoT becomes more pervasive across industries like retail, manufacturing, energy, security, and healthcare, many businesses are beginning to get a handle on the latest tools and platforms that help streamline the implementation of IoT into their business models and processes. Despite the excitement over IoT and what it can do, there are companies that […]
Microsoft to power Baidu’s self-driving project outside of China
Microsoft has agreed to power Baidu’s open source self-driving project outside of China, adding its Azure cloud infrastructure to the growing list of resources connected to the project. Baidu announced its intention to open source the project, named Apollo, in April. It has since signed up leading Chinese car manufacturers Chery Auto and Great Wall […]
Microsoft’s Cortana turns up heat with smart thermostat
Microsoft has unveiled the first smart thermostat that comes with integrated Cortana voice controls, built in partnership with Johnson Controls, an Irish manufacturing conglomerate. The thermostat, named GLAS, will run the Windows 10 IoT Core operating system, designed for Internet of Things devices like smart fridges, smoke detectors, and door locks. Users will be able […]
Is speech recognition software having a renaissance?
The past months have witnessed breakthrough announcements from Microsoft, IBM, and Google, all hitting new marks in speech recognition accuracy; they claim that the error rate has reached 5.1 percent — the word error rate of humans. Still, that doesn’t seem particularly accurate — the last time I spoke to a machine, I didn’t get the feeling […]
Is the Office closed? Microsoft announces new AI research incubator
Microsoft has created a new research incubator for scientists and engineers to work towards general-purpose artificial intelligence. The incubator will tackle the development of AI that can be deployed into all products, rather than narrow AI, which is built for a singular purpose. See Also: Microsoft likes self-driving cars, but won’t be building them This […]
HoloLens to launch in China at the end of this month
Microsoft HoloLens — the company’s advanced “mixed reality” headset — will finally launch in China at the end of this month, by May 24. The headset started shipping to developers in the United States and Canada in March 2016, it has gradually expanded its markets to different countries like Australia, England, Ireland, France, and Germany. See […]
How to socialize great smart cities strategies for all urban centers
The Smart Cities for All initiative, led by G3ict (Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs), with the support of Microsoft, has helped to produce a new toolkit to assist cities with implementing smart city programs that can help all community members. In a recent survey of more than 250 experts worldwide, research has found that 60 […]
Meet Emma, the wearable that helps people with Parkinson’s
Microsoft has unveiled a prototype watch that helps those suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disorder that affects over 10 million people worldwide. The wearable, codenamed Project Emma, is designed to reduce the uncontrollable shaking, one of the early Parkinson’s symptoms. Small vibration motors inside the wearable stop the brain from creating as many tremors. […]
Microsoft to turn Windows 10 PCs into smart home hubs
Microsoft is planning to turn Windows 10 PCs into smart home hubs in next major update, scheduled for September. According to internal documents seen by The Verge, HomeHub will support devices from Philips Hue, Nest, SmartThings, Insteon, and Wink. The update is aimed primarily at ‘kitchen-PCs’ that are used by all the family, and Microsoft […]
Microsoft not throwing in towel on wearables yet; introduces new smartwatch
Microsoft appears to have something new and exciting in the works. Looking to rejoin the wearables competition, after its Band 2 device didn’t go over so well last year, it has introduced plans for its successor, but with a twist. This TrekStor-designed watch, which doesn’t have a name at the moment, is directed at B2B […]
IoT Analytics report: The journey towards successful IoT solutions
The IoT Analytics team recently published an infographic highlighting the 5-step path towards successful implementation of IoT solutions. The insights are based on more than 30 expert interviews in IoT as well as recent research. For more information, you may refer to the Guide to IoT Solution Development. In this 31-page guide, you will find: […]
Microsoft unveils IoT Central to simplify Internet of Things development
Microsoft announced on Thursday a new “software-as-a-service” (SaaS) offering, called IoT Central, aimed at reducing the complexity of building Internet of Things solutions. IoT Central allows developers to create software and hardware without cloud expertise, a necessity for large-scale IoT solutions in the past. Microsoft does not say exactly how the service reduces the need […]
The bot invasion is on, powered by $24B in funding
While the manufacturing sector is increasingly using physical robots to improve industrial processes, the market for virtual bots or “chatbots” is also gaining serious traction in the space where humans and computers interact. Bots are essentially software technologies that automate tasks and enable effective human-computer interactions. Bots are increasingly taking over customer service operations in […]
Who wins the three-way cloud battle? Google vs. Azure vs. AWS
When choosing a cloud platform, newcomers may only look at the cost, but many different business needs should be taken care of before making the final call. We hope to help you get a clear perspective on three major cloud platforms. Right now, there are three main players in the market: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), […]
DC’s Gramercy District to become a $500m smart city test project
Global private equity firm 22 Capital Partners has chosen FedBid Inc. to help build its 22 CityLink smart city platform. FedBid is an online marketplace that facilitates businesses and educational institutes participating in government procurement of goods and services. The new smart city platform is focused on reducing the total lifecycle costs of smart city […]