Press Releases – Page 5

Posted on May 2, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Microsoft announces general availability of Microsoft Defender for Business designed to boost small and medium business (SMB) security

One in four small to medium-sized businesses has experienced a security breach¹ in the past year and lacks the resources of large enterprises to protect themselves

REDMOND, Wash. — May 2, 2022 — On Monday, Microsoft Corp. announced the general availability (GA) of the stand-alone version of Microsoft Defender for Business. Defender for Business brings enterprise-grade endpoint security to SMBs, including endpoint detection and response capabilities to protect against ransomware and other sophisticated cyberthreats.

In April 2022, Microsoft surveyed more than 150 small and medium businesses in an online quantitative survey in the U.S. to better understand changing SMB security needs. The survey found that more than 70% of SMBs think cyberthreats are becoming more of a business risk. That concern is well-founded — nearly one in four SMBs surveyed reported experiencing a security breach in the past year.

Despite facing similar risks as enterprises, SMBs often lack access to the right resources and tools, including specialized security staff. Many SMBs still rely on traditional antivirus solutions for their security. Although 80% of SMBs state they have some form of antivirus solution, 93% continue to have concerns about increasing and evolving cyberattacks.

“Microsoft believes in security for all,” said Vasu Jakkal, CVP, security, compliance & identity at Microsoft. “We are proud to further deliver on that vision today. With the GA of Defender for Business, SMBs will get greater protection with simplified security to help them better protect, detect and respond to threats.”

With Defender for Business, SMBs get multilayered protection, detection and response, spanning the five phases of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework — identify, protect, detect, respond and recover — to protect and remediate against known and unknown threats.

Defender for Business comes with built-in policies to get customers up and running quickly. The automated investigation and remediation capabilities in Defender for Business help automate the type of work handled by dedicated SecOps teams, by continuously detecting and automatically remediating various threats.

“Automated investigation and remediation are a huge part of the product,” said Adam Atwell, cloud solutions architect at consulting firm Kite Technology Group. “It’s just happening in the background. Defender for Business makes our security so simple.”

Defender for Business is also included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, our comprehensive security and productivity solution for businesses with up to 300 employees. Customers can also choose to buy it stand-alone for $3 per user, per month. Additional support for servers is planned later this calendar year with an add-on solution.

Microsoft Defender for Business product features:

Threat and vulnerability management helps prioritize and focus on weaknesses that pose the most urgent and highest risk to business. Proactively build a secure foundation for your environment by discovering, prioritizing and remediating software vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
Attack surface reduction options help minimize attack surface (i.e., places where your company is vulnerable to cyberattacks across your devices and applications), leaving bad actors with fewer ways to execute attacks.
Next-generation protection helps prevent and protect against threats with antimalware and antivirus protection on devices and in the cloud.
Endpoint detection and response provides behavioral-based detection and response alerts so that you can identify persistent threats and remove them from your environment.
Auto-investigation and remediation help scale security operations by examining alerts and taking immediate action to resolve attacks for customers. By reducing alert volume and remediating threats, Microsoft Defender for Business enables customers to prioritize tasks and focus on more sophisticated threats.

Defender for Business and Microsoft 365 Business Premium give partners new opportunities to help secure customers at scale with value-add managed services. Both solutions integrate with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse, which was made generally available on March 1, 2022, so Microsoft cloud service providers can view security incidents across tenants in a unified portal.

Additional resources

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

¹In April 2022, Microsoft surveyed more than 150 small and medium businesses in an online quantitative survey in the U.S. to better understand changing SMB security needs.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, We Communications, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at https://news.microsoft.com/microsoft-public-relations-contacts.

Posted on April 27, 2022 by — Leave a comment

The Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable and nonprofit Disability:IN are launching the Neurodiversity Career Connector, a job search portal for neurodivergent candidates

Companies including CAI, Dell Technologies, EY, Freddie Mac, Google, HP, Microsoft, SAP, Spectrum Designs Foundation reaffirm commitment to neurodivergent candidates, an untapped talent pool that can help close record-high job openings.

SEATTLE, April 27, 2022 – To address the lack of neurodiverse talent hiring, member companies of the Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable are launching the Neurodiversity Career Connector (NDCC), a career portal dedicated to neurodivergent jobseekers.

This new job marketplace connects neurodivergent people with companies already committed to neurodiversity hiring programs. Currently, the Neurodiversity Career Connector features job listings by U.S. employers seeking applicants who are neurodivergent. This commonly includes but is not limited to autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and/or Tourette Syndrome.

“It’s a phenomenal resource,” says Jason Ross, who recently landed a cybersecurity job through NDCC. “It’s made for us, by us. That level of understanding, baked in from the jump, is a meaningful distinction for this platform versus going on any general job platform and throwing your resume into the world.”

The Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable includes a group of nearly 50 companies with neurodiversity hiring programs and support systems in place for new employees. The goal of the group is to decrease job barriers and increase neurodiversity hiring in the workplace.

“Neurodiverse individuals possess key competencies that are increasingly valuable to companies, such as strong problem-solving skills and unconventional thinking,” says Jill Houghton, President and CEO, Disability:IN. “A growing number of companies are seeing the value that diversity and inclusiveness brings to a company, and that’s why Disability:IN is proud to support the Neurodiversity @ Work Roundtable and help companies activate programs that work to hire neurodivergent candidates.”

According to the Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable there are ways to increase support for neurodivergent candidates such as:

Assign job coaches/mentors.
Allott time weekly for employees to connect with other employees to share feedback on their lived experience. This is especially important for those who are in a remote work environment.
Take advantage of the trainings offered through the Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable for managers of employees hired through the Neurodiversity Career Connector.

ABOUT
The Employer Roundtable is powered by Disability:IN to help close the disability employment gap. The Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable started in 2017 with six founding members: DXC Technology, EY, Ford, JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, and SAP. Since 2017, over 40 additional employers have joined the Roundtable – all with a commitment to and experience in hiring and supporting neurodivergent talent. You can find the complete list of employers here. The Roundtable employers have collectively hired 1,400 neurodivergent employees through their dedicated neurodiversity hiring programs, spanning across industries and company size. This includes, but not limited to, those identifying as autistic as well as those with ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and/or Tourette Syndrome.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

Disability:IN, Suzanne Robitaille, [email protected]

Posted on April 26, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Microsoft Cloud strength fuels third quarter results

REDMOND, Wash. — April 26, 2022 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:

Revenue was $49.4 billion and increased 18%
Operating income was $20.4 billion and increased 19%
Net income was $16.7 billion and increased 8% GAAP (up 13% non-GAAP)
Diluted earnings per share was $2.22 and increased 9% GAAP (up 14% non-GAAP)

Revenue and diluted earnings per share results include $(302) million and $(0.03) of additional impact from unfavorable foreign exchange rate movement within the quarter and $111 million and $(0.01) from Nuance, which closed on March 4, 2022, neither of which were included in the forward-looking guidance provided on January 25, 2022. Additional details are provided in the Earnings Call Slides.

“Going forward, digital technology will be the key input that powers the world’s economic output,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Across the tech stack, we are expanding our opportunity and taking share as we help customers differentiate, build resilience, and do more with less.”

“Continued customer commitment to our cloud platform and strong sales execution drove better than expected commercial bookings growth of 28% and Microsoft Cloud revenue of $23.4 billion, up 32% year over year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft.

The following table reconciles our financial results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to non-GAAP financial results. Additional information regarding our non-GAAP definition is provided below. All growth comparisons relate to the corresponding period in the last fiscal year.

	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions, except per share amounts)		Revenue	Operating Income	Net Income	Diluted Earnings per Share
2021 As Reported (GAAP)		$41,706	$17,048	$15,457	$2.03
Net income tax benefit related to India Supreme Court decision on withholding taxes		–	–	(620)	(0.08)
2021 As Adjusted (non-GAAP)		$41,706	$17,048	$14,837	$1.95
2022 As Reported (GAAP)		$49,360	$20,364	$16,728	$2.22
Percentage Change Y/Y (GAAP)		18%	19%	8%	9%
Percentage Change Y/Y (non-GAAP)		18%	19%	13%	14%
Percentage Change Y/Y (non-GAAP) Constant Currency		21%	23%	17%	18%

Business Highlights

Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $15.8 billion and increased 17%, with the following business highlights:

Office Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 12% (up 14% CC) driven by Office 365 Commercial revenue growth of 17% (up 20% CC)
Office Consumer products and cloud services revenue increased 11% (up 12% CC) and Microsoft 365 Consumer subscribers grew to 58.4 million
LinkedIn revenue increased 34% (up 35% CC)
Dynamics products and cloud services revenue increased 22% (up 25% CC) driven by Dynamics 365 revenue growth of 35% (up 38% CC)

Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was $19.1 billion and increased 26%, with the following business highlights:

Server products and cloud services revenue increased 29% (up 32% CC) driven by Azure and other cloud services revenue growth of 46% (up 49% CC)

Revenue in More Personal Computing was $14.5 billion and increased 11%, with the following business highlights:

Windows OEM revenue increased 11%
Windows Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 14% (up 19% CC)
Xbox content and services revenue increased 4% (up 6% CC)
Search and news advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 23% (up 25% CC)
Surface revenue increased 13% (up 18% CC)

Microsoft returned $12.4 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends in the third quarter of fiscal year 2022, an increase of 25% compared to the third quarter of fiscal year 2021.

Business Outlook

Microsoft will provide forward-looking guidance in connection with this quarterly earnings announcement on its earnings conference call and webcast.

Quarterly Highlights, Product Releases, and Enhancements

Every quarter Microsoft delivers hundreds of products, either as new releases, services, or enhancements to current products and services. These releases are a result of significant research and development investments, made over multiple years, designed to help customers be more productive and secure and to deliver differentiated value across the cloud and the edge.

Here are the major product releases and other highlights for the quarter, organized by product categories, to help illustrate how we are accelerating innovation across our businesses while expanding our market opportunities.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

To better execute Microsoft’s mission, we focus our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts where we can have the most positive impact. To learn more about our latest initiatives and priorities, please visit our investor relations ESG website.

Webcast Details

Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer, Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Alice Jolla, chief accounting officer, Keith Dolliver, deputy general counsel, and Brett Iversen, general manager of investor relations, will host a conference call and webcast at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time (5:30 p.m. Eastern time) today to discuss details of the company’s performance for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. The session may be accessed at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor. The webcast will be available for replay through the close of business on April 26, 2023.

Non-GAAP Definition

The India Supreme Court Decision Impact. In March 2021, the India Supreme Court issued a decision on withholding taxes in the case of Engineering Analysis Centre of Excellence Private Limited vs The Commissioner of Income Tax. Microsoft has historically paid India withholding taxes on software sales through distributor withholding and tax audit assessments in India. The India Supreme Court ruled favorably for companies in 86 separate appeals, some dating back to 2012, holding that software sales are not subject to India withholding taxes. Although Microsoft was not a party to the appeals, Microsoft’s software sales in India were determined to be not subject to withholding taxes. Therefore, Microsoft recorded a net income tax benefit of $620 million in the third quarter of fiscal year 2021 to reflect the results of the India Supreme Court decision impacting fiscal year 1996 through fiscal year 2016.

Microsoft has provided non-GAAP financial measures related to the India Supreme Court decision to aid investors in better understanding our performance. Microsoft believes these non-GAAP measures assist investors by providing additional insight into its operational performance and help clarify trends affecting its business. For comparability of reporting, management considers non-GAAP measures in conjunction with GAAP financial results in evaluating business performance. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Constant Currency

Microsoft presents constant currency information to provide a framework for assessing how our underlying businesses performed excluding the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations. To present this information, current and comparative prior period results for entities reporting in currencies other than United States dollars are converted into United States dollars using the average exchange rates from the comparative period rather than the actual exchange rates in effect during the respective periods. All growth comparisons relate to the corresponding period in the last fiscal year. Microsoft has provided this non-GAAP financial information to aid investors in better understanding our performance. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, the measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Financial Performance Constant Currency Reconciliation

	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions, except per share amounts)	Revenue	Operating Income	Net Income	Diluted Earnings per Share
2021 As Reported (GAAP)	$41,706	$17,048	$15,457	$2.03
2021 As Adjusted (non-GAAP)	$41,706	$17,048	$14,837	$1.95
2022 As Reported (GAAP)	$49,360	$20,364	$16,728	$2.22
Percentage Change Y/Y (GAAP)	18%	19%	8%	9%
Percentage Change Y/Y (non-GAAP)	18%	19%	13%	14%
Constant Currency Impact	$(1,003)	$(677)	$(577)	$(0.08)
Percentage Change Y/Y (non-GAAP) Constant Currency	21%	23%	17%	18%

Segment Revenue Constant Currency Reconciliation

	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions)	Productivity and Business Processes	Intelligent Cloud	More Personal Computing
2021 As Reported (GAAP)	$13,552	$15,118	$13,036
2022 As Reported (GAAP)	$15,789	$19,051	$14,520
Percentage Change Y/Y (GAAP)	17%	26%	11%
Constant Currency Impact	$(332)	$(418)	$(253)
Percentage Change Y/Y (non-GAAP) Constant Currency	19%	29%	13%

Selected Product and Service Revenue Constant Currency Reconciliation

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2022
	Percentage Change Y/Y (GAAP)	Constant Currency Impact	Percentage Change Y/Y (non-GAAP) Constant Currency
Office Commercial products and cloud services	12%	2%	14%
Office 365 Commercial	17%	3%	20%
Office Consumer products and cloud services	11%	1%	12%
LinkedIn	34%	1%	35%
Dynamics products and cloud services	22%	3%	25%
Dynamics 365	35%	3%	38%
Server products and cloud services	29%	3%	32%
Azure and other cloud services	46%	3%	49%
Windows OEM	11%	0%	11%
Windows Commercial products and cloud services	14%	5%	19%
Xbox content and services	4%	2%	6%
Search and news advertising excluding traffic acquisition costs	23%	2%	25%
Surface	13%	5%	18%

About Microsoft

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as:

intense competition in all of our markets that may lead to lower revenue or operating margins;
increasing focus on cloud-based services presenting execution and competitive risks;
significant investments in products and services that may not achieve expected returns;
acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances that may have an adverse effect on our business;
impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a significant charge to earnings;
cyberattacks and security vulnerabilities that could lead to reduced revenue, increased costs, liability claims, or harm to our reputation or competitive position;
disclosure and misuse of personal data that could cause liability and harm to our reputation;
the possibility that we may not be able to protect information stored in our products and services from use by others;
abuse of our advertising or social platforms that may harm our reputation or user engagement;
the development of the internet of things presenting security, privacy, and execution risks;
issues about the use of artificial intelligence in our offerings that may result in competitive harm, legal liability, or reputational harm;
excessive outages, data losses, and disruptions of our online services if we fail to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;
quality or supply problems;
government litigation and regulatory activity relating to competition rules that may limit how we design and market our products;
potential consequences under trade, anti-corruption, and other laws resulting from our global operations;
laws and regulations relating to the handling of personal data that may impede the adoption of our services or result in increased costs, legal claims, fines, or reputational damage;
claims against us that may result in adverse outcomes in legal disputes;
uncertainties relating to our business with government customers;
additional tax liabilities;
the possibility that we may fail to protect our source code;
legal changes, our evolving business model, piracy, and other factors may decrease the value of our intellectual property;
claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;
damage to our reputation or our brands that may harm our business and operating results;
adverse economic or market conditions that may harm our business;
catastrophic events or geo-political conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that may disrupt our business;
exposure to increased economic and operational uncertainties from operating a global business, including the effects of foreign currency exchange and
the dependence of our business on our ability to attract and retain talented employees.

For more information about risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft’s business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Microsoft’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft’s Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft’s Investor Relations website at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

All information in this release is as of March 31, 2022. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company’s expectations.

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

For more information, financial analysts and investors only:

Brett Iversen, General Manager, Investor Relations, (425) 706-4400

Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers, and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. Shareholder and financial information, as well as today’s 2:30 p.m. Pacific time conference call with investors and analysts, is available at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor.

Posted on April 25, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Mastercard launches next-generation identity technology with Microsoft to help more consumers shop online safely

• New “trust” tool improves online experience and helps tackle digital fraud
• Microsoft named as first partner for new technology

PURCHASE, N.Y., and REDMOND, Wash. — April 25, 2022 — Mastercard on Monday announced the launch of an enhanced identity solution designed to improve the online shopping experience and tackle digital fraud in a new collaboration with Microsoft Corp.

Now more than ever, delivering a frictionless shopping experience is critical as retailers look to shift window shopping and price comparison visits to confirmed sales. And, while consumers enjoy the convenience of shopping online, fraudsters also seek to develop new methods to use these same channels for ill-gotten gains. One of the growing types of digital fraud is first-party fraud, where a legitimate purchase is made online but later disputed. First-party fraud is estimated to be a $50 billion global issue.

Mastercard has directly addressed these needs by enhancing its Digital Transaction Insights solution with next-generation authentication and real-time decisioning intelligence capabilities. The solution pairs Mastercard’s network insights with the merchant’s own data to confirm the consumer is who they claim to be, providing financial institutions with the additional intelligence needed to optimize their authorization decisions and approve more genuine transactions. Digital Transaction Insights is used across a wide range of online checkout instances, from click-to-pay functionality and wearables to digital wallets and in-app purchases.

“Shopping online should be simple, quick and secure. But that isn’t always the case. We’re committed to developing advanced identity and fraud technology to help enhance the real-time intelligence we provide to financial institutions around the globe. This builds on our longstanding commitment of working across the industry to provide advanced technologies that enable trust, and help build a safe and thriving digital ecosystem for all.”

Ajay Bhalla, president, Cyber and Intelligence at Mastercard, said, “Shopping online should be simple, quick and secure. But that isn’t always the case. We’re committed to developing advanced identity and fraud technology to help enhance the real-time intelligence we provide to financial institutions around the globe. This builds on our longstanding commitment of working across the industry to provide advanced technologies that enable trust, and help build a safe and thriving digital ecosystem for all.”

Microsoft will be the first partner to share its insights and integrate with the new Digital Transaction Insights solution across several lines of business. Building on a long history of cross-collaboration, Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection’s proprietary risk assessment, which leverages adaptive AI to assist in real-time fraud detection by identifying risky behaviors across purchase, account and in-store activities, has been integrated with Mastercard’s Digital Transaction Insights to better enable real-time intelligence sharing in an easily consumable and actionable format. This will enable issuers to enhance their decision-making processes for authorizations, chargebacks and refunds. Moreover, organizations can improve transaction acceptance rates with insights that help them balance profitability and revenue opportunities against fraud loss and checkout friction.

“We are excited to partner with Mastercard to leverage our cloud-native, cutting-edge fraud assessment tools to empower issuers and merchants to prevent more fraud and approve more genuine users. This partnership lays the foundation for the future of global fraud prevention where data silos are no longer a barrier to security.”

Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president of Business Applications and Platforms at Microsoft, said, “We are excited to partner with Mastercard to leverage our cloud-native, cutting-edge fraud assessment tools to empower issuers and merchants to prevent more fraud and approve more genuine users. This partnership lays the foundation for the future of global fraud prevention where data silos are no longer a barrier to security.”

Digital Transaction Insights is enabled by EMV 3-D Secure and Mastercard Identity Check, a global authentication solution built on the enhanced industry standard. Both elements support GDPR requirements and other related regulations. In 2021 alone, Mastercard Identity Check delivered a 14% uplift in transaction approval rates across billions of transactions.

Additional resources

For more information about Microsoft Security solutions, visit Microsoft Security. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow @msftsecurity for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com

About Microsoft

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

Dania Saidam, [email protected]

Posted on April 21, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Kraft Heinz and Microsoft join forces to accelerate supply chain innovation as part of broader digital transformation

Multiyear cloud and AI agreement will focus on joint innovations across Kraft Heinz operations and product portfolio, representing one of the company’s largest technology investments to date

PITTSBURGH, CHICAGO, and REDMOND, Wash. — April 21, 2022 — On Thursday, The Kraft Heinz Company (“Kraft Heinz” or the “company”) and Microsoft Corp. announced they are joining forces to develop solutions designed to accelerate the consumer goods giant’s transformation and enable a more resilient supply chain. The initiative is one of Kraft Heinz’s largest technology investments to date and a key driver of the company’s ambitious [email protected] approach.

With Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform, Kraft Heinz will migrate the majority of its global datacenter assets to Azure and its enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to SAP on Azure. Through this transformation, Kraft Heinz expects to reimagine its day-to-day operations, create a more collaborative supply chain, and enhance consumer experiences by using real-time predictive analytics to improve inventory transparency and anticipate consumer and channel demand. At the same time, the efficiencies created through the adoption of digital tools from Microsoft are expected to allow the food and beverage leader to continually reinvest into its business.

“Our collaboration with Microsoft is a critical piece of our transformation strategy, providing us with the machine learning and advanced analytics to drive innovation and efficiencies across the supply chain so we can get products into the market faster, better serve our customers and, ultimately, deliver on the sustained and growing consumer demand our iconic brands continue to experience.”

Extreme pressures on end-to-end supply chains during the past two years have exposed the need for more connected and collaborative networks between suppliers, buyers, retailers and other parties along the value chain. As part of its desire to better address supply chain disruptions, Kraft Heinz is leaning heavily into a digitized approach to shift the company to a more predictive strategy and rapid response model.

“As part of our [email protected] transformation, we are building a leading tech ecosystem to benefit the entire value chain,” said Carlos Abrams-Rivera, executive vice president and president, North America, Kraft Heinz. “Our collaboration with Microsoft is a critical piece of our transformation strategy, providing us with the machine learning and advanced analytics to drive innovation and efficiencies across the supply chain so we can get products into the market faster, better serve our customers and, ultimately, deliver on the sustained and growing consumer demand our iconic brands continue to experience.”

“The past two years have highlighted the urgent need for digital-first supply chain solutions across every industry,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Microsoft. “Through this collaboration, we’re working shoulder to shoulder with Kraft Heinz, applying the power of Azure, data analytics and the industrial metaverse to co-innovate and create hybrid experiences that will ultimately put goods in the hands of retailers and consumers when they need and want them.”

A primary example of how the companies will collaborate is the creation of a “Supply Chain Control Tower” for Kraft Heinz. By serving as air traffic control across the company’s full product portfolio, the Control Tower will provide real-time visibility into plant operations and automation of its supply chain distribution across Kraft Heinz’s 85 product categories. This innovation — powered by Azure’s AI, IoT and data analytics capabilities — enables the company to get its products in the hands of its more than 2,500 U.S. retailer and food service customers and millions of consumers as fast and cost-effective as possible.

Furthermore, Kraft Heinz will create “digital twins” for its 34 owned manufacturing facilities in North America to help test and perfect solutions and processes before applying them on the plant floor. For example, the technology, fueled by Azure Digital Twins, will help predict outcomes that identify optimal product capacity and reduce mechanical interruptions by proactively addressing issues before they occur, with the goal of ensuring the products that reach retail shelves and consumer hands are the highest possible quality.

Finally, as part of the collaboration, Kraft Heinz and Microsoft will create a joint Digital Innovation Office to co-engineer new solutions that will help the company reimagine digital manufacturing and drive efficiencies with the help of hybrid experiences powered by Microsoft AI, machine learning and IoT.

Additional resources

About The Kraft Heinz Company

We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC), inspired by our Purpose, Let’s Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2021 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of six consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we’re dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Microsoft

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

Stephanie Peterson, Kraft Heinz Media, [email protected]

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements. Words such as “accelerate,” “build,” “create,” “deliver,” “develop,” “drive,” “make,” “enable,” “expect,” “help,” “plan,” “predict,” “result,” “serve,” “shift,” “solve,” “transform,” “will” and variations of such words and similar future or conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts and are based on Kraft Heinz’s current beliefs, expectations, estimates, and projections. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond Kraft Heinz’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to, Kraft Heinz’s ability to achieve intended benefits of the collaboration and the risk factors set forth in Kraft Heinz’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Kraft Heinz’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Kraft Heinz disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update, revise, or withdraw any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

Posted on April 7, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Microsoft announces next step in Atlanta campus development

ATLANTA — April 7, 2022 — On Thursday, Microsoft Corp. announced the planning team that will help ensure community feedback is incorporated at the start of the company’s 90-acre land development on the west side of Atlanta. As part of the company’s commitment to building enduring foundations in the region, this is the next step in a multiyear project that will generate sustainable, positive impact through the creation of new office space, public amenities and infrastructure.

Microsoft will partner with local architecture firm Cooper Carry in conjunction with urban planning consulting firm APD Urban Planning and Management, sustainability consultants Transsolar, and market research consultants Noell Consulting Group. Community developers at the Integral Group will consult on real estate impact projects for the community, and JLL will lead program management. To ensure the plan addresses business and community needs while still aligning with the local culture, Microsoft will also stand up a community advisory council alongside its planning team. This group will be engaged at regular planning milestones and represent the following local stakeholder groups:

Center Hill Neighborhood Association
Councilmember Dustin Hillis
Councilmember Byron Amos
Local Education Partners
Grove Park Community Church
Grove Park Foundation
Grove Park Neighborhood Association
Grove Park Renewal
Bankhead/Historic Westin Heights Neighborhood
Historic Howell Station Neighborhood Association
Northwest Business Association (NWBA)
NPU-J
NPU-K
Paradise Baptist Church
PAWKids

“Our priority is positive, local impact. From the inclusive hiring of local vendors to jobs and affordable housing created for the region, sustainable building solutions, and much more,” said Michael Lawings, senior director of Americas Real Estate Operations for Microsoft. “We are excited at the opportunity ahead of us and look forward to playing a larger role in empowering the local community and growing with the city of Atlanta.”

The project planning team will conduct community listening and visioning sessions starting in April, and will be joining the meetings of local neighborhood associations (Grove Park, Center Hill, Howell Station, etc.) and Neighborhood Planning Unit (D, G, J, K, etc.) meetings to connect with residents to create an informed site design. Microsoft will host three open town hall events this year for residents to help ensure transparency and understanding around how feedback is being used to inform campus plans. The first town hall will be held in June. Additional details will be made available at https://news.microsoft.com/Microsoft-Atlanta/.

Since the company’s initial announcement to grow in and with the city of Atlanta over a year ago, it continues to invest in the local community for an immediate, positive impact. Learn more via our Microsoft in Atlanta fact sheet.

For more information:

Press only – Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

Community only – Organizations looking to partner with Microsoft or wanting to be part of this site plan must complete the form at aka.ms/community_requests to contact our community engagement committee.

Posted on April 6, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Boeing and Microsoft deepen partnership in digital aviation

As part of a significant investment in the company’s digital future, Boeing will leverage the Microsoft Cloud and its AI capabilities to update its critical infrastructure, streamline business processes and accelerate new innovations in digital aviation.

REDMOND, Wash. — April 6, 2022 — Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) on Wednesday announced they are deepening their strategic partnership to accelerate Boeing’s digital transformation. Through the expanded collaboration, Boeing will leverage the Microsoft Cloud and its AI capabilities to update its technology infrastructure and mission-critical applications with intelligent new solutions that are data driven, further opening new ways of working, operating and doing business.

“Today’s announcement represents a significant investment in Boeing’s digital future. Our strategic partnership with Microsoft will help us realize our cloud strategy by removing infrastructure restraints, properly scaling to unlock innovation and further strengthening our commitment to sustainable operations,” said Susan Doniz, Boeing chief information officer and senior vice president of Information Technology & Data Analytics. “Microsoft’s demonstrated partnership approach, trusted cloud technologies and deep industry experience will help us achieve our transformation goals and strengthen Boeing’s digital foundation.”

“Boeing and Microsoft have been working together for more than two decades, and this partnership builds on that history to support Boeing’s digital future by helping it optimize operations and develop digital solutions that will benefit the global aviation industry,” said Judson Althoff, EVP and chief commercial officer at Microsoft. “The power of the Microsoft Cloud and its AI capabilities will serve as the core component to Boeing’s digital aviation strategy by providing flexible, agile and scalable solutions that are intelligent and data driven on a secure and compliant platform.”

This partnership builds on a long history of the companies working together. As a leader in aerospace, Boeing was among the first to leverage the Microsoft Cloud, centralizing many of its market-leading digital aviation applications on Microsoft Azure and using artificial intelligence to drive customer outcomes and streamline operations. Today’s announcement will enable Boeing to unlock tangible and sustainable value held within its vast data estate and reinforces our mutual commitment to lead aerospace innovation for decades to come.

About Boeing

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more at www.boeing.com.

About Microsoft

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

Posted on March 31, 2022 by — Leave a comment

First Women’s Bank announces new partners Microsoft and United Airlines to support the women’s economy

Spotlights client stories

CHICAGO — March 31, 2022 — First Women’s Bank (FWB) on Thursday announced that Microsoft Corp. and United Airlines are the Bank’s newest Mission Partners. The companies join a growing list of FWB Mission Partners that includes Aon, Wendy’s, Comcast Corp., William Blair and the Western Golf Association, as well as other supporters, including investors Billie Jean King, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America and strategic advisors Sophia Bush and Nia Batts. In addition, FWB is spotlighting some of the small businesses it has financed since its grand opening last fall.

“Closing the gender lending gap is a critical step toward achieving gender equality, and First Women’s Bank is the bank to do it,” said Marianne Markowitz, president and CEO, First Women’s Bank. “Together with our Mission Partners and supporters, First Women’s Bank will help bridge that gap, elevate small businesses and the communities they serve, and promote more inclusive economic growth.”

FWB’s innovative strategy combines national Small Business Administration lending with deposits from mission-aligned individuals, corporations and organizations to create accessible financing for small businesses with a strategic focus on the women’s economy. The support of FWB’s Mission Partners, through FDIC-insured mission deposits, helps expand economic opportunity for the women’s economy.

“We’re excited to partner with First Women’s Bank and continue to invest in the women’s economy,” said Anita Mehra, corporate vice president of global treasury & financial services at Microsoft. “Microsoft strives to create environments where people of a diverse range of backgrounds, especially women and women of color, have the resources and support they need to thrive.”

“Women and women-led businesses are critical to growing and strengthening our economy and our communities,” said Pam Hendry, vice president and treasurer at United. “That’s why United is proud to partner with First Women’s Bank as a force for good in the communities we serve to help build a robust economic environment where women and women-led businesses have access to the opportunities and resources they need to flourish.”

In addition to Mission deposits, Microsoft plans to provide training and resources from its global skills initiative to small businesses through the FWB Collective. The FWB Collective is a community of resources, support and inspiration to help small businesses grow and thrive.

Client spotlight

Just six months after its grand opening, First Women’s Bank is delivering on its mission to grow the economy and elevate the role of women within it.

“Our clients come to us with their dreams of owning and building their businesses,” said Markowitz. “With the support of our Mission Partners, shareholders, advisors and deeply committed team, First Women’s Bank is providing the capital, resources and community to help our clients and their businesses grow and thrive.”

Aisha and Ruth Miller, owners/operators, Tropical Smoothie, Burbank, Illinois

“As two Black women forging our own path, it was important for my mother and me to align with an organization that truly believed in us,” said Aisha Miller, owner/operator of Tropical Smoothie. “From the first interaction, First Women’s Bank treated us like family and was truly invested in our personal success. We could not have asked for a better partner on this journey.”

Lauret and Tosin Odesanya, owners/operators, Scooter’s Coffee, Texas

“From day one, the First Women’s Bank team was collaborative and transparent,” said Lauret Odesanya, owner/operator of Scooter’s Coffee. “They genuinely had our best interests at heart — our problem was their problem; our success was their success. We have a trusted partner in making our aims a reality.”

About First Women’s Bank

First Women’s Bank is the only women-founded, women-owned and women-led commercial bank in the country on a mission to grow the economy and elevate the role of women within it. The Bank serves a national lending and deposit market from its flagship location in Chicago.

FWBank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.

For more information, visit www.FirstWomens.Bank.

About United Airlines

United’s shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” In 2019, United and United Express® carriers operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 162 million customers. United has the most comprehensive route network among North American carriers, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL.”

About Microsoft

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

First Women’s Bank Media Relations, Colleen Ryan, [email protected]

United Airlines Media Relations, [email protected]

Posted on March 16, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Microsoft announces new research and technology to make hybrid work work

Second annual Microsoft Work Trend Index report finds employees have a new “worth it” equation, and there’s no going back

REDMOND, Wash. — March 16, 2022 — On Wednesday, Microsoft Corp. released its second annual Work Trend Index report, “Great Expectations: Making Hybrid Work Work.” The company also announced new features across Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, Surface Hub and Microsoft Viva to empower hybrid work and address employees’ new expectations for the workplace.

After sitting on the cusp of hybrid work for more than a year, many companies are at a long-awaited inflection point: the lived experience of hybrid work.

One thing from the research is clear: We are not the same people who went home to work in early 2020. The past two years have left a lasting imprint, fundamentally changing how people define the role of work in their lives. The challenge ahead for every organization is to meet employees’ great new expectations head on while balancing business outcomes in an unpredictable economy.

To help leaders navigate the shift, the 2022 Work Trend Index outlines five urgent trends from an external study of 31,000 people in 31 countries along with an analysis of trillions of productivity signals in Microsoft 365 and labor trends on LinkedIn:

Employees have a new “worth it” equation. Fifty-three percent of employees say they’re more likely to prioritize their health and well-being over work than they were before the pandemic. And the Great Reshuffle isn’t over: Fifty-two percent of Generation Z and millennials are likely to consider changing employers in the year ahead, up 3% year over year.
Managers feel wedged between leadership and employee Fifty percent of leaders say their companies are planning a return to full-time in-person work in the year ahead. Fifty-four percent of managers say leadership at their companies is out of touch with employee expectations, and 74% of managers say they don’t have the influence or resources to drive change for their teams.
Leaders need to make the office worth the commute. Thirty-eight percent of hybrid employees say their biggest challenge is knowing when and why to come into the office, yet only 28% of leaders have created team agreements to define these new norms.
Flexible work doesn’t have to mean “always on.” After two years, weekly meeting time for the average Teams user is up 252%, and chats sent per person each week is up 32% — and still climbing. While workday span has increased by 46 minutes, after-hours and weekend work are up 28% and 14%, respectively.
Rebuilding social capital looks different in a hybrid world. With 51% of hybrid workers considering a shift to full remote work in the year ahead, companies cannot rely solely on the office to recoup the social capital we’ve lost over the past two years. Forty-three percent of leaders say relationship-building is the greatest challenge of having employees work in a hybrid or remote environment.

“There’s no erasing the lived experience and lasting impact of the past two years, as flexibility and well-being have become non-negotiables for employees,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president, Modern Work, Microsoft. “By embracing and adapting to these new expectations, organizations can set their people and their business up for long-term success.”

As the company marks five years since the launch of Teams, more than 270 million people rely on Teams for hybrid work.

Making hybrid work work for everyone will require intentional leadership around how, when and where to work — and technology has a key role to play. Today the company is introducing new product innovation designed to improve the hybrid work experience.

Available in public preview at the end of the month, Teams Connect shared channels enable collaboration with people inside and outside the organization from a shared workspace.
To bridge the gap between digital and physical workspaces, a new meeting layout for Teams Rooms, front row, is now available in preview.
The new AI-powered Microsoft Surface Hub 2 Smart Camera uses automatic framing technology to dynamically adjust your Teams video feed to provide remote team members with a dynamic view of in-room interactions.
New touch-enabled display solutions for Teams Rooms from Neat and Yealink are in the process of being certified for Teams Rooms on Android. These devices combine audio, video, touch display and compute in a single unit — allowing easy deployment and enhanced collaboration experiences.
The language interpretation feature in Teams enables live interpreters to convert what the speaker says into another language in near real time. The meeting organizer can assign interpreters and select up to 16 source and target language combinations, while attendees will hear the translation.
Microsoft Whiteboard in Teams offers a rich set of new capabilities that bring visual collaboration to life, including collaboration cursors, more than 50 new templates, contextual reactions, and the ability to open existing boards and collaborate with external colleagues in Teams meetings.
To improve hybrid brainstorming, completion of action items and making decisions together without having to switch context or apps, Microsoft is introducing Loop components in Outlook mail. RSVPing for a meeting in Outlook now allows attendees to note whether they plan to join in person or virtually.
Microsoft is introducing a new offering in Microsoft Teams Phone called Operator Connect Mobile, in partnership with some of the world’s largest telecom operators. This assigns a single business-provided mobile phone number for desktop and mobile devices, making it seamless to move calls across networks and devices with no interruptions.
With vibrant and fun styling, over 1,800 new 3D fluent emojis can infuse expression and playfulness into messages. And with the skin tone selector, users have the option to pick emojis that better represents themselves.
To support flexible work styles, two PowerPoint experiences, cameo and recording studio, are being brought together. This will make it possible for presenters to deliver presentations with PowerPoint Live in Teams, whether or not they attend the meeting.
A new feature called the Inspiration library is coming to Microsoft Viva in public preview as part of the Viva Insights app in Teams. The library is designed to give employees, managers and leaders easy access to thought leadership and best practices from top sources such as “Harvard Business Review” and “Thrive.”

To learn more, visit the Official Microsoft Blog, Microsoft 365 Blog and the new Work Trend Index report.

For more information, press only:
Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications, (425) 638-7777,
[email protected]

Posted on March 15, 2022 by — Leave a comment

Atlanta Track Club and Microsoft create new programs to encourage healthy habits and STEM education

Microsoft Named as Club’s Official Technology Partner

ATLANTA — MARCH 15, 2022 — Young runners will have a chance to focus on fitness and their futures this spring, thanks to a multi-year collaboration between Atlanta Track Club and Microsoft. Microsoft will become the Official Technology Partner of Atlanta Track Club focusing on the Club’s youth programming and events.

Beginning this year, Microsoft will become the title sponsor of Peachtree Junior, Atlanta Track Club’s marquee youth event, which takes place July 3, the day before the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) Peachtree Road Race. Microsoft will integrate STEM activities into the Microsoft Peachtree Junior, the Peachtree Health & Fitness Expo presented by Publix, and the Club’s free-to-all Kilometer Kids Program in more than 40 schools in the Atlanta area. These activities are based on the Microsoft MakeCode platform, where kids will learn how to code a running-themed video game and use a micro:bit device to create their own personal step counters.

“Atlanta Track Club’s youth programming is the foundation of Running City USA,” said Rich Kenah, CEO of Atlanta Track Club. “The Club believes in the long-term impact running and walking have on a child’s future. The ability to integrate technology and valuable life skills with our mission of health and fitness is a testament to Microsoft’s commitment to the Atlanta community and its next generation.”

“It is very exciting to work with Atlanta Track Club to find ways of introducing STEM and computer science through running-themed activities to children around Atlanta,” said Jeff Hansen, general manager of strategic partnerships at Microsoft. “Beyond the youth experiences, Microsoft is also exploring how technology can empower the Atlanta Track Club to best serve its community.”

In addition to youth programming, Microsoft will work with Atlanta Track Club to streamline the Club’s technology operations through Microsoft’s wide range of products, such as Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams. The Club will have access to Microsoft Surface tablets at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race on July 4 to ensure efficient, reliable communication between staff and volunteers at the world’s largest 10K race.

About Atlanta Track Club

Atlanta Track Club is a nonprofit committed to creating an active and healthy Atlanta. Through running and walking, Atlanta Track Club motivates, inspires and engages the community to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

With more than 30,000 members, Atlanta Track Club is the second-largest running organization in the United States. In addition to the AJC Peachtree Road Race (peachtreeroadrace.org) — the largest 10K running event in the world — the Publix Atlanta Marathon, PNC Atlanta 10 Miler and Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, Atlanta Track Club directs more than 30 events per year. Through the support of its members and volunteers, Atlanta Track Club also maintains a number of community initiatives, including organizing and promoting the Kilometer Kids youth running program to metro Atlanta youth, honoring high school cross country and track and field athletes through Atlanta Track Club’s All-Metro Banquets, and supporting the Grady Bicycle EMT program. For more information on Atlanta Track Club, visit atlantatrackclub.org.

About Microsoft

For more information, press only:

Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425) 638-7777, [email protected]

One in four small to medium-sized businesses has experienced a security breach1 in the past year and lacks the resources of large enterprises to protect themselves

Companies including CAI, Dell Technologies, EY, Freddie Mac, Google, HP, Microsoft, SAP, Spectrum Designs Foundation reaffirm commitment to neurodivergent candidates, an untapped talent pool that can help close record-high job openings.

• New “trust” tool improves online experience and helps tackle digital fraud• Microsoft named as first partner for new technology

Multiyear cloud and AI agreement will focus on joint innovations across Kraft Heinz operations and product portfolio, representing one of the company’s largest technology investments to date

As part of a significant investment in the company’s digital future, Boeing will leverage the Microsoft Cloud and its AI capabilities to update its critical infrastructure, streamline business processes and accelerate new innovations in digital aviation.

Spotlights client stories

Second annual Microsoft Work Trend Index report finds employees have a new “worth it” equation, and there’s no going back

Microsoft Named as Club’s Official Technology Partner

One in four small to medium-sized businesses has experienced a security breach¹ in the past year and lacks the resources of large enterprises to protect themselves

• New “trust” tool improves online experience and helps tackle digital fraud
• Microsoft named as first partner for new technology