Monday, 13 November 2017

Microsoft is on a hiring spree at US business schools

Safiya Miller had her selection of job vacancies from large technology companies after obtaining an MBA from the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management in New York State.

In the end, she chose Microsoft, becoming an account executive at her Bay Area offices in 2015. Her decision was secured by the company's legacy and the long and varied experience of her colleagues. "If I had to move west, I wanted a team where I could learn and grow," says Ms. Miller, who had previously worked on the East Coast of the United States. UU And Brazil. "I wanted to learn together with [people] that not only have they been in the industry for years, but they were also experiencing this renewal and the rebirth of the company," he says.

Few technology companies have the staying power of Microsoft. Founded in 1975 before many of today's technology founders were born, the company is among the top five MBA students at leading business schools, such as Insead, the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.


It attracts graduates like Ms. Miller because it's good to reinvent yourself. It is no longer considered to be tied to the fate of the PC market, under Satya Nadella, its CEO since 2014, the company has focused on offering broader services, such as cloud platforms, business software and artificial intelligence.


That means a wider selection of jobs for business school graduates, says Chuck Edward, head of global talent acquisition at Microsoft. MBAs are usually ambitious, technologically competent and trained in data and analysis. They also tend to have some experience in working life, all valuable to the ever-changing Microsoft.

"With MBAs, we know what we're going to get," says Mr. Edward. "Our demand [for MBA talent] has increased significantly in the last two or three years."

The company says it hires several hundred MBAs per year from nearly 150 different schools in 40 countries. About two thirds are from the US UU And Canada. They are sent around the world to work in divisions from commercial development and finance to marketing and human resources.

The average starting salaries and signature bonuses for MBA graduates at Redmond, Washington headquarters are more than $ 160,000 for finance managers, product marketing managers and strategy managers and business programs, according to Transparent Career, a Emerging company that collects MBA graduates. - informed salary information.


The reinvention of Microsoft has also led to redundancies. This year, the company fired between 3,000 and 4,000 employees, mostly sales personnel outside the US. UU., According to the New York Times. This came after the loss of jobs three years earlier, following the acquisition by Microsoft of Nokia's mobile business. Then, Microsoft dismissed 18,000 employees, 14 percent of its workforce, the deepest cuts in the company's history.

Edward says the recent job losses do not affect the demand for MBA talent. This year, Microsoft hired approximately 30% more MBA than the previous one, and plans to hire more. Many will be recruited from their summer internship program. "Our goal is to convert," says Mr. Edward. "When we bring an intern, [we want him] to become a full-time employee."

Those who want to stand out in the interview should reflect Microsoft's leadership principles: create clarity, generate energy and achieve success, says Edward. That process begins with a telephone interview and those who do the next round are invited to the company's headquarters or to another of its large offices. They meet with current employees and have a full day of interviews.

The process usually lasts three to four weeks, according to Microsoft, although it can vary to meet the recruitment deadlines of business schools.

The company visits the campuses in the second year of students to recruit additional full-time employees, a move that not all big recruiters do, says Michelle Hopping, director of MBA career management at Wharton School. Ms. Hopping says that Microsoft not only searches for Wharton students at recruitment events, but also offers extracurricular activities, such as competitions and educational opportunities in the classroom.

Once MBA graduates have joined the company, most participate in the Microsoft Academy for college rentals. Ms. Miller was assigned two mentors through this program when she joined. In addition to two or three major training events per year, members and alumni of Mach MBA

Thursday, 2 November 2017

Microsoft is working on AI chips across its different devices, top exec says

Microsoft is working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip for its next-generation HoloLens helmet.

And the American technology giant could take it to other products in its range of equipment, Panos Panay, vice president of devices at Microsoft, said on CNBC on Tuesday.

In July, Microsoft revealed that it was working on a processor for the second generation of HoloLens, a handset that allows users to interact and touch digital images superimposed in the real world. Microsoft calls this "mixed reality." The AI ​​chip will allow HoloLens to do things like recognizing objects in the line of sight.

It marks the first incursion of Microsoft in Artificial Intelligence chips because it seems to take rivals like Apple and Google.

The software giant is also looking to expand its offer. When CNBC asked if Microsoft would introduce AI chips into the entire device, Panay said "yes."

"We need to continue to find these pieces of silicon, those sets of chips that must be developed to give life to the sensors, to connect people with each other and with their products," Panay told CNBC in a television interview.

Microsoft now has a range of devices. It has expanded its range of Surface tablets, launched in 2012, to include a laptop and a desktop computer. It also has the Xbox game console and the HoloLens headphones.

There is an arms race in Artificial Intelligence tokens at this time. Huawei has introduced its own AI chip called Kirin 970 that has been included in the Mate 10 smartphone launched earlier this year. The new Apple iPhones also incorporate the company's A11 bionic chip.
Panos Panay, vice president of the unit at Microsoft, talks about the new Laptop Surface at a launch event on May 2, 2017 in New York.

The chips on the devices allow these devices to use "AI on the device". This means that devices do not need to communicate with the cloud to perform complex AI tasks, making them more efficient.

Mr. Panay said he was working with partners and doing internal developments to bring the chips to the market. Microsoft also has a number of hardware partners. For example, Huawei and Lenovo manufacture tablets and keyboards with Windows, Microsoft's operating system. Panay said the company will look to shoot its chips at partners.

"I think one of the most important things we do in Surface and in the development of our chips is the possibility of creating the technology within Surface and multiplying it with our partners to give everyone the opportunity to use it," Panay told CNBC.

Wednesday, 25 October 2017

Microsoft's Earnings Expectations

Introducation

Microsoft (MSFT) is a household name and one of the largest companies in terms of market capitalization in the world. The company is trading at a record high of $ 78.81 thanks to major successes such as Azure and the commercial model that has become the subscription services and recurring revenue we talked about in June. On Thursday, Microsoft will release its first quarter earnings report. Today, we will discuss what to look for in the results of results, future perspectives and we will provide an evaluation model that we can use to compare results after the announcement.

Overview

Microsoft develops, licenses, and supports software products, services, and peripherals around the world. The company is divided into three segments. Productivity and Business Processes offers Office 365 products and services for businesses and consumers, as well as LinkedIn's professional online network. Its Intelligent Cloud segment licenses server products and services in the cloud, such as Microsoft SQL Server, Windows Server and Azure, which now holds the second largest portion of the public cloud. The most personal computing segment of Windows includes OEM Windows, volume and other non-volume operating system Windows licenses, including Microsoft Surface and phones, as well as search advertising, including Bing and Bing Ads. This segment also provides gaming platforms, including the Xbox brand.

In its latest earnings report, Microsoft exceeded market expectations due to the extremely strong performance of Azure and the cloud. It achieved non-GAAP income of $ 24.7 billion and GAAP earnings per share of $ 0.83, exceeding expectations of $ 24.3 billion and $ 0.71, respectively.

Sunday, 1 October 2017

The Amazing Ways Microsoft Uses AI To Drive Business Success

Microsoft plans AI

The adoption of AI in business and society is encouraged by technology giants with resources to design, build and deploy affordable services and simple enough for daily use. Microsoft is one of those in the vanguard. This year, the words "artificial intelligence" appear for the first time in a vision statement, reaffirming that intelligent and learning machines are considered essential in everything they do.

Although it's all about shouting, Microsoft has developed smart features in many of its products and services for quite some time. If you use Skype, Office 365, Cortana or Bing, you probably know it.

Machine learning - what most people hear at the moment, when using the term AI - helps to equalize research with useful results, and gives the Cortana Virtual Assistant the opportunity to improve and become more useful over time . Thanks to Skype, it allows chatbots to operate on their communication platform, where they can be used for customer services or access services such as weather information or travel information.

In its Office Enterprise Productivity Suite, as well as Cortana's support, Microsoft implemented interface-assisted functionality designed to provide assistance with daily tasks, such as live voice translation of recorded voice.

These are great examples of how specialized AI - designed to perform a single task and be more and more good - is already integrated into our lives. However, Microsoft has noted that its ambition goes further. Work towards the goal of generalized AI intelligent machines that can turn your talents into any task.

Harry Shum, executive vice president of his AI and research group, said: "Today's computers can perform specific tasks very well, but with regard to general tasks, AI can not compete with a human child."

The Research and AI group was founded in 2016 as the fourth engineering division of Microsoft, along with Office, Windows and Cloud teams. In less than a year, it has grown to 8,000 employees. It is safe to say that after losing the last seismic change in the technological landscape - the jump to the mobile - does not want to delay the output block.

Apart from the services it provides to end users, Microsoft's backbone services are available to organizations that want to create their own smart tools. The global framework is known as Microsoft's Platform AI, which includes a series of more specialized packages, such as Microsoft Cognitive Services, Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit and Microsoft Bot Framework. This work allows AI algorithms to be used on Azure's powerful and popular cloud computing platform, with users only paying for processing and storage as needed. Eliminating the need for organizations to host their own costly and rapidly aging infrastructure is key to CEO Satya Nadella's vision of "democratizing AI."

The technology giant is also interested in the development of stand-alone vehicle technology. This year, he announced that he is partnering with the leading Chinese search engine Baidu to develop a platform for self-driving cars. These vehicles rely heavily on artificial intelligence to interpret sensor data on board and respond appropriately to driving hazards.

More recently, Microsoft announced a new technology designed to accelerate real-time machine learning algorithms. Known as Project Brainwave, it uses programmable processors known as FPGAs to execute sophisticated and distorted algorithms. Essentially, it is software that can be programmed directly on a programmable chip, allowing the core hardware to function as specialized deep neuronal network processing units. Microsoft is able to capitalize on this because of the investment it has made in installing FPGA in its worldwide data centers over the past few years.

Microsoft also develops industry-specific AI applications. The company has just announced a new division of health based on artificial intelligence in order to develop predictive analytical tools that can alert people about medical problems, help diagnose diseases and recommend the right treatments and interventions.

These projects represent the culmination of a goal declared by the most famous figurehead of society, the founder Bill Gates, in 1991, when he said he believed that computers would see, hear, and learn one day like humans.

Bernard Marr is the best-selling author and keynote speaker on business, technology and large data. His new book is Data Strategy. To read his future publications, just join his network here.

Today, the level of available computing power has reached a threshold where intelligent and self-teaching machines are beginning to become a viable reality. If we imagine the task of creating the AI ​​as if we were Dr. Frankenstein in his lab, our creation might not be on his feet and walk around, but it opened his eyes, and we can see that the lights are on .

Advances such as those made by Microsoft put this kind of technology - and with it, the opportunity to build a better world - at the fingertips of millions of people every day. However, it is still early, and everything is to be gained. If Microsoft continues to leverage its strong technology infrastructure and extensive user base, it can prove to be the winner of the race to establish leaders in the AI ​​.

Sunday, 10 September 2017

Microsoft Made A Custom, Light-Up Xbox One With The Chainsmokers

Microsoft and the DJ duo The Chainsmokers have teamed up for a special edition of Xbox One S coming. This is part of a larger initiative that will allow Microsoft to create custom Xbox One S consoles with "celebrities and brands".

As explained on Xbox Live, Xbox One S Chainmokers uses a small USB processor that turns sound into a changing light show. There are 60 pixels that light up that not only looks good, but also creates what Microsoft says is a 3D effect. You can view the custom console and drivers in the video below.

"We have been really pumped to work with Xbox on this project and help us improve our lives by combining it with the best gaming console in the world," Chain Chain said in a statement (via Rolling Stone). "We knew the team would do something incredible, but when we first saw the custom Xbox One S, we were thrilled by the quality of the design."

For its part, Xbox marketing director Aaron Greenberg said that this console is different from any custom console that Microsoft has done. He also called it "true art".

Microsoft distributes the console. You can try to win one by following The Chainsmokers on Twitter and responding to a message about why you like the design of the console. You can see the rules of the contest here.

As for the other custom Xbox One consoles made by Microsoft, they will be produced in collaboration with "the most important personalities of music, sports, television, fashion, art and Hollywood." At least some of them are expected to be announced later this year.

Although you can never get these consoles, Microsoft launches Xbox One X in November. It is described as the most powerful console ever made, and is also the smallest system Microsoft has ever produced. It will live next to Xbox One S, which costs less (about $ 250) compared to $ 500 for Xbox One X. The Xbox One games and the drivers you already own will work on Xbox One X.

Tuesday, 18 July 2017

Microsoft set to cut 'thousands' of jobs

Microsoft said it cut thousands of sales personnel while focusing on cloud computing.

The company reported a jolt in its traditional sales focus primarily on office software licenses, as it confirmed that notices of dismissal were sent.

However, he declined to say where they were carrying out most of the cuts.

It is understood that Microsoft has not denied that 3,000 employees have left - some were redistributed - especially outside the United States.

Microsoft employs several thousand people in the UK, its main activities in reading focuses on cloud services.

The company is conducting a race against rivals such as Amazon and Google to sell subscriptions to access software on multiple devices, especially for businesses.

Its cloud business, including its Azure platform are underway to generate annual revenues of 15 billion dollars (11 billion).

Wednesday, 7 June 2017

Kaspersky files antitrust complaints against Microsoft in Europe

Kaspersky Lab has filed antitrust complaints against Microsoft in Europe, accusing the company to make it more difficult to run Kaspersky antivirus on Windows 10 and Microsoft promote alternative.

Eugene Kaspersky, a co-founder of Russia's cyber security firm, announced Tuesday that the company had recently filed antitrust complaints with the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office. Kaspersky had raised the issue with Russia's antitrust regulator in November.

"We see clearly - and we are ready to demonstrate - that Microsoft uses its dominant position in the computer operating systems market to vigorously promote its own lower security software," Kaspersky said.

In many cases, according to Kaspersky, customers upgrade their operating system to Windows 10 from previous versions to find their Kaspersky antivirus tools have been deleted or disabled. The company also criticized Microsoft because it is impossible to remove Windows Defender, Microsoft's antivirus software, in some Windows editions.

In a statement, Microsoft said its goal was to protect Windows users and "we are convinced that the security features of Windows 10 comply with the competition laws."

Microsoft said it had expected Kaspersky a few months ago for a meeting among leaders to address concerns, but the rally did not take place.

Following the complaint by Kaspersky in Russia, regulators have held hearings on anti-virus policies from Microsoft in Windows 10. They have not come to a conclusion.

The latest complaints do not necessarily indicate that the European Union or the German regulatory authorities are conducting a study of Microsoft practices.

The EU was watching hard Microsoft over the years, which condemns the purchase of around 733 million in 2013 to break a promise to give Windows users a clear choice for the use of web browsers built by other companies.

This year one of the EU's data collection control body criticized what it said was a lack of transparency in Windows 10 data collection practices.

Sunday, 14 May 2017

Microsoft criticizes governments for stockpiling cyber weapons, says attack is 'wake-up call'

Microsoft has criticized governments for storing computer exploits secretly, calling the attack continues WannaCry ransomware to "wake up."

Ransomware, also called WannaCrypt, was first observed on Friday and affected at least 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries, including some in hospitals, blocking until their owners paid a rebate to Bitcoin attackers.

Some security experts expect a second wave of attacks began Monday morning, as employees and how to get to work and return on affected computers.

WannaCry software is particularly virulent, as it does not necessarily require users to take action, such as clicking a link or downloading software to propagate; It can also be propagated automatically using file sharing systems on networks.

WannaCry uses a vulnerability in earlier versions of Windows originally discovered and used by the US National Security Agency as an offensive cyber weapon.

"This attack is another example of why government storage vulnerabilities are a problem," Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote in a blog post Sunday.

"We have seen vulnerabilities stored by the CIA to appear on WikiLeaks, and customers now this stolen NSA vulnerability has hit the world. On several occasions, the exploits in the hands of governments have gone public and caused considerable damage ".

Smith's post destroyed Microsoft critics by pointing out that the company has released a patch for vulnerability earlier this year, but many organizations have not patched older computers. Smith also said Microsoft has been working all day to help affected customers, even older operating systems that are no longer supported.

But he also warns that similar attacks will recur unless governments stop stockpiling these kinds of vulnerabilities:

Tuesday, 2 May 2017

Surface Laptop images leak ahead of Microsoft's event


Microsoft seems to throw a laptop surface at an event in New York City tomorrow. Twitter user WalkingCat shared several photos of what is simply "Laptop size", and it looks like Microsoft's response to Google Chromebook Pixel. The laptop area should include a 13.5-inch PixelSense display and comes in four colors: platinum, burgundy, cobalt blue and gold graphite.





Microsoft laptop also includes a alcantara keyboard, the same material used in the top keyboard option Surface Pro 4. It is not clear what the CPU and other hardware power of the mobile area, but the pictures show that it will be a USB port Normal, a Mini DisplayPort and a conventional surface power connector. Microsoft does not seem to adopt USB type C ports for its portable surface.

The portable area should also weigh 2.76 pounds, with a thickness of 14.47 mm at the back and 9.9 mm at the front. Microsoft's display should include 3.4 million pixels, suggesting that the company uses a 1080p panel for what appears to be a 3: 2 aspect ratio to 13.5 inches.



WalkingCat also says that surface laptop also runs Windows 10 S, a common name for the alternative Chrome OS Microsoft. We expect Microsoft to introduce the new version of Windows 10 tomorrow, including its ability to run only Windows Store applications. We will have to wait until tomorrow for the complete details of Microsoft, but this portable surface is seen as a high quality alternative to the Chromebook Pixel. It is likely that Microsoft will place this material as the premium for its new efforts with Windows 10 S.

Monday, 24 April 2017

Microsoft earnings: Strength in Office expected to lead to a meet or beat Microsoft Inc.

Amazon Inc. AMZN + 0.99% Alphabet Inc. GOOG + 2.32% GOOGL, + 2.33% and Intel Corp. INTC + 1.18% should report simultaneously.




Earnings: Analysts expect Microsoft MSFT + 1.70%, earnings per share of 70 cents compared to 62 cents per share reported in the previous period.

The consensus estimate consists of estimates of analysts, academics and others, corresponding to earnings per share of 72 cents.

Microsoft outperformed earnings expectations in the past three quarters, but did not meet expectations for its third quarter earnings report.

Revenue: FactSet analysts expect Microsoft to report a turnover of 23.6 billion compared to 22.1 billion in the same period last year.

The consensus estimate of 23.3 billion.

Of the 36 ratings on FactSet, the average score is overweight with a target price of $ 70.13.

Stock reaction: Microsoft shares gained 6% in the last three months, compared to SPX S & P 500 gain + 0.08% to 4%. During the past month, Microsoft shares rose 4%, surpassing the 1% increase for the S & P 500.

What else to look for: The productivity segment and Microsoft business processes must bring the results of the company to meet at least, if not exceed, earnings expectations. This segment includes Microsoft Office 365, analysts of MKM Partners say that it is entrenched with its commercial offer.

LinkedIn, which Microsoft acquired a closed $ 26 billion transaction in December, is expected to contribute $ 950 million in this segment in the quarter, according to MKM Partners.

This is the first full quarter that LinkedIn has been part of Microsoft, but the company said earlier that it expected the acquisition to be diluted to 1% of its earnings per share segment in 2017 and 2018.

Stifel analysts also expect server transactional revenues better than expected for the quarter, thanks to the release of Microsoft Windows and SQL Server products. They see the smart cloud segment to grow by 8% thanks to the Azure cloud computing platform, Microsoft.

The peripheral part, which includes the Microsoft Surface laptop computer may have tougher comparisons on the consumer side, but analysts see the output of the commercial device segment. There are also rumors that Microsoft may introduce new products at a hardware event in May.

While all of these elements should be positive for action, MKM Partners said that "two jokers" could affect post-earnings action: fiscal year 2018 to 606 guidelines, a new fiscal standard developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board makes recovery difficult compared to previous quarters and guidance for gross margins, which could be weighed by the legacy of the company's business.

Microsoft has consistently returned capital to its shareholders, and analysts expect this to continue, which could help increase the stock.

Thursday, 30 March 2017

This Microsoft app vastly improves Android

Microsoft has its own failed attempt to sell smartphones, but it's not entirely out of the game smartphone.

In fact, a free application called "Arrow" from Microsoft, available for Android smartphones, is just one example of how Microsoft continues to operate in the mobile space. Maybe you have not heard of it. Do not worry, you will be an expert at Minute Arrow.

Arrow is an Android launcher or a completely custom skin that changes the way you interact with the main screen and its main functions. Arrow was first developed and launched several years ago by Microsoft Garage, a small part of the company that builds and launches new experimental products. You recently received a major update that you would like more than the default settings of your Android smartphone.


Thursday, 2 March 2017

Microsoft Admits High Cost Of Windows 10 Upgrades


I have long argued that when making Windows 10 free Microsoft MSFT -1.43% actually hit users with a high price when it comes to control and privacy, but now it seems that the company started to see the light ...

In a new official blog, Microsoft has admitted that Windows 10 has to improve in these areas and that the big changes are under way:



"Before the creators of the update, Windows 10 took most of the decisions on their behalf about the changes would be installed and did not provide the way to adapt the program to their specific needs," said John Cable, Microsoft director Management of Windows Maintenance and Delivery (WSD) programs. "What we have heard again explicitly is that you want to have more control over Windows 10 install updates. We also hear that unexpected reboots are harmful if they occur at the wrong time."

Confession cable is commendable. Windows 10 has had several high level bugs when reboots occur at the wrong time with their enthusiastic attitude of reboots and I have also been contacted by many users affected by this, including a scientist who lost thousands of data value after Windows 10 is restarted with an update while still being processed.

Cable solution? With the update of the creators of Windows 10 (Next month) users will get many more options:



"For example, you can specify exactly when you want an update to occur (including the ability to reschedule an update if your original choice ends up being less convenient than expected), or" press repeat button. You must interrupt the upgrade process completely for three days when you need uninterrupted time on your device. In addition, we are extending the time of "hours of activity" so that Windows does not install update when you want the device is ready to use.

This is a good start, although Microsoft still has work to do here for upgrades themselves lack clear language so it is difficult to know what is installed for the first time. In addition, cable does not facilitate the upgrade of creators have more powerful controls hidden in Settings> Update and security> Advanced options. Here (at least in the current beta) consumers can delay installation of updates for up to 35 days - something previously limited to Pro editions.

But Microsoft confessions do not end here. In the same blog, Michael Fortin, CVP of the Windows kernel Quality and Devices Group, also stressed that "new features focused on privacy [are] coming in updating creators." This new feature will facilitate the selection of the Privacy settings and the collection of diagnostic data that are best for you. "



Again, this is commendable, but that kind of control should be from the beginning. And what motivated these eddies? Cynics point to the stagnation of the adoption of Windows 10 since Microsoft began charging for updates, but at least those who forgive will be delighted to see the platform slowly in the right direction.

Sunday, 26 February 2017

Will Microsoft make their own Nintendo Switch handheld?

Change Nintendo finally released this week and shows another portable gaming console of the Japanese giants.

However, even though Sony has had a portable gaming chip with PSP and PS Vita, Microsoft has strangely never entered the handheld race.

With Xbox boss Phil Spencer carving a bit of time to do some Q & A fans on Twitter, Spencer was asked. "I'm curious why the Xbox has never jumped in the notebook market to bring more competition to Sony and Nintendo."

"I'm curious why the Xbox has never jumped in the notebook market to bring more competition to Sony and Nintendo." Xbox users asked.

In response, Spencer explained why we never see any kind of portable Xbox platform and this is supposedly because Microsoft believes that "phones carry almost the entire market for mobile games."

With Nintendo once again pushing another handheld device into the market next week, it should be noted that Spencer certainly did not think the game is a fruitless efforts laptop and they are praised Nintendo, saying another fan:

"I like what Nintendo with its HW [hardware], provided the pressure on the agreements. It is good for the industry.

However, as it turns out, Microsoft has taken into account, finally, make a hand again.



A few months earlier, Robbie Bach, a former Xbox director, has shared some interesting ideas about Microsoft's main thinking process for mobile games.

In an interview with IGN, Bach said that Microsoft had made big plans for a portable device "on several occasions."

The idea was even taking into account the strange nickname 'Xboy'.

Supposedly, the planning unit reaches the early stages, with Bach IGN saying there were "definitely drawings" of an Xbox portable.

However, Microsoft has chosen not to push on the blueprints, but the reason had nothing to do with the "mobile phone market," as Phil Spencer suggested.

According to the former Xbox director, the reason the company has never entered the laptop market is because Microsoft "could not concentrate" when it is finished plans.

Sunday, 12 February 2017

Donald Trump 'Trigger Event' Could Send Microsoft Soaring

President of Tax Reform Donald Trump could allow US companies to have access to billions of dollars hidden abroad. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) could be the biggest winner in the reorganization.

The last quarter, the technology giant said it was sitting at $ 123 million in cash. Of this amount, 95% are abroad.

Shareholders expected the company to exploit those holdings, which generated a wave of dividends and repurchase of shares. The problem with this plan, however, has always been the tax bill would result in repatriation of cash from the IRS. Instead, he chose to keep money management overseas, returns lean winner in money market funds.

This may not be the case for a long time.

During the electoral race, Trump has proposed a tax-free bridge to foreign participation. He called the tax reduction companies pay on the repatriated money from 35% to 10%. This policy, he said, would create a wave of investment and job creation in the United States.

"The Donald J. Trump tax plan will grow the economy and create jobs of about $ 2 million, while the Hillary Clinton tax and reduce the economy will lose 300,000 jobs." Trump's campaign team wrote in a statement Press that describes its policy.

"In combination with the global economic reform program, the Trump economic plan will create at least 25 million jobs over the next 10 years."

Such a triggering event would be an important catalyst for Microsoft's population.

Currently, Microsoft is sitting at $ 117 billion in cash overseas. Investors, however, slap a big discount on that figure to explain the success of taxes. Based on current tax rates, holdings in the company from abroad are only worth $ 76 billion.

A holiday completely change those numbers. According to the proposed rates, Microsoft could save more than $ 29 million dollars. This would provide timely and immediate catalyst of up to six percent depending on the current market capitalization of the bond.

Part of this increase is probably anticipated already by investors Trump price a bridge without tax for a while, so a total of six percent pop is unlikely. But as an ad appears more likely, traders will apply an increasingly reduced discount to Microsoft's cash holdings.

Rental investors would also benefit. If the administration had to repatriate all its foreign money at the same time, it could pay a special dividend of 20%. This would probably be the largest distribution company in the history of the United States.

Leaders are more likely to pay the money for droppers. We would like to see a combination of dividend increases, repurchases and debt repayments. A great acquisition or two would also be on the table.

Microsoft is not the only winner in such a scenario, either.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has $ 216 billion in cash overseas. Under the proposed tax rate, the iPhone maker could save more than $ 50 billion in tax expenditures. CEO Tim Cook hinted at any reform, likely acquisitions during a recent conference call, but did not provide details until a clear bill was introduced.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) is another giant of heavy box technology. The company that gushes out cash flows and has over 28 billion dollars hidden abroad. If wages of the managers simultaneously all their investments abroad, this would imply a special dividend of 33%.

Meanwhile, investors are ahead of a tax moratorium are facing certain risks.

No one can guarantee that President Trump will keep his electoral promise. If a holiday is given the green light, any reform may not be exactly the same as what was said during the electoral race. Both scenarios could trigger the stock price.

Meanwhile, any change in Microsoft's core activity could hit stocks up or down. If there are holidays it was announced that investor dividends would remain in possession of the stock market.

I'm not too worried, though.

Conservative leaders, however, seem to adhere to their arms over tax reform. Last week, however, Trump's president promised a "phenomenal" tax notice in the coming weeks. This could bring the agenda to a bridge without taxes in 2017 or 2018.

If Trump is true to his promise, analysts start to sondonner

Monday, 9 January 2017

Microsoft explains its plan to win the 'battle for the future

Microsoft explains its plan to win the 'battle for the future' against Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant


This will be the year of Amazon Eco and its personal assistant Alexa, if the Consumer Electronics Show last week is any indication. However, Microsoft, another Washington-based titan technology, has its own master plan to conquer the market for upcoming helpers and voice applications.

Much of this strategy is the Personal Assistant Cortana of Windows 10. In December Microsoft announced a new set of tools for developers to start building Cortana in their own applications and materials, with a Harman Kardon announced Cortana's powerful propulsion speaker to take over The dominant Amazon Eco.

And at CES 2017, Microsoft announced a new set of services for automakers, with Nissan as the first all-in customers - meaning that its upcoming Nissan may have Cortana on the dashboard.

But as Microsoft CEO Ryan Gavin told me at CES 2017, the entire Microsoft ecosystem has a role to play in the "battle for the future" Cortana - Microsoft Office, Microsoft Azure cloud at $ 26.2 billion , To, yes, the dashboard of the car.

 The vision behind Cortana is simple, Gavin said: "Everyone deserves to have their own personal assistant."

And that means that Microsoft will take on Amazon, Google and other competitors in the emerging voice market and this "battle for the future," focusing on helping people to be productive, which is already the company's main goal.




Search Engines, LinkedIn, Outlook and Beyond

 While Amazon is so focused on using Alexa to conduct trading, and Google is focused on the search - its "strengths" - Gavin actually sees Cortana stand out among the crowd as a productivity tool.

Not that Cortana will be just so Gavin called "prosumer" he said. As Amazon Eco, Cortana will be able to control the selection of smart home equipment. And will continue to make predictions of the NFL and Oscar.

To this end, Microsoft considers commands as necessary the notion of voice, with the company to invest in China like Xiaoice beloved chatbots, the famous xenophobic Tay, or the most politically correct Zo. These robots, Microsoft learns more to help Cortana to maintain a human conversation, to serve better assistant.

 However, this type of so-called "natural language" is not "the defining part" of such systems, says Gavin. If Cortana is to be your assistant, it is not a novelty, you should know not only your life or smart home gadgets, but in your work. What, not by chance, is the sweet spot for Microsoft.

"She really knows my place of work," Gavin said.

With Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, Cortana has a view on email messages and calendars that users work with. With the cloud service in Microsoft Office 365, little by little you get the power to search for files and display relevant documents.

And, sooner rather than later, they will begin feeding Cortana LinkedIn more general information about the people they meet. In addition, Microsoft provides developers with the tools not only to hang their applications to Cortana, but also to use Microsoft Azure cognitive services to give similar levels of artificial intelligence.