AWS

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4445 (KB5046745) to the Beta Channel. Changes in Beta Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update*) and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post. Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on* [File Explorer] We’ve added a New Folder option in the context menu when right-clicking locations in the navigation pane. Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on* [Taskbar] Fixed a few issues impacting explorer.exe reliability in the latest flights related to the taskbar, including an issue impacting some Insiders which could cause explorer.exe to crash sometimes when right clicking apps in the taskbar. Fixed an issue on secondary monitors for left aligned taskbar users, where the widgets text in the taskbar might overlap the date and time. [File Explorer] We fixed an issue where the date/time properties of files were unexpectedly updated in some cases after copying them. We fixed an issue where the Details Pane icons weren’t responding correctly to theme changes, making it hard to see if you switched from dark to light or vice versa. We fixed a black flash in File Explorer that appeared when duplicating a tab. We made a change to help improve performance of context menu launch and File Explorer navigation. We fixed an issue where when you did a search it may unexpectedly trigger the search happening repeatedly. [Other] Fixed an underlying issue which could result in Snipping Tool screenshots being distorted on certain displays. Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx). Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel. For Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready. Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub. Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first. Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel. Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2222 (KB5046746) to the Dev Channel. Changes in Dev Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update*) and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Dev Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post. Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on* [General] If you hold Shift and CTRL when clicking on a jump list item in Start menu or taskbar, this will now launch that item as admin, just like if you were to do Shift + CTRL and click the app icon itself. For example, if you right-click on Windows Terminal, and hold Shift and CTRL when you click PowerShell, it would open a PowerShell window as admin. Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on* [File Explorer] Fixed an issue causing the See More (“…”) menu to open in the wrong direction (and potentially display offscreen as a result). [Input] Fixed an underlying issue which could cause the mouse to unlock from a game window on a system with multiple monitors after opening and closing Game Bar, so you couldn’t use it within the game. [Windowing] Fixed a recent issue causing windows to potentially unexpectedly move around after waking from sleep if you had multiple monitors. [Other] Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to Registry Editor going unresponsive if you pressed Alt after clicking on the license information in the About section. Known issues [Narrator] [NEW] [IMPORTANT] There is an issue in this build which will cause Narrator to crash on launch if you use one of the natural voices (like Jenny). If you are a Narrator user, we recommend pausing updates from Settings under Windows Update > “Pause Updates”. If you do install this update and encounter this issue, switching to another voice, like Microsoft David, in Settings under Accessibility > Narrator will stop the crashes. As Narrator is crashing, you will need to use a secondary screen reader, or have someone assist in order to do this. [Desktop] We’re working on the fix for an issue where your desktop background may not show correctly sometimes with multiple monitors (showing big black areas). Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx). Updates delivered to the Dev Channel are in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see https://aka.ms/CheckpointCumulativeUpdates. Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel. For Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready. Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub. Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first. Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel. Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Client apps are often the first interaction users have with your services, whether those are cloud native intelligent apps, web-hosted backends or business data. They set the tone for user experience and can offer personalized interactions right from the start. With over 1.5 billion Windows devices worldwide, you have an opportunity to build beautiful, responsive and engaging user experiences that target these devices. Regardless of whether you are a web developer or a native app developer, you likely want to reach the most client devices possible with great user experiences in the most efficient way possible. Developing great client apps helps you connect with users, scale your services and keep users coming back. To help you achieve these goals, Microsoft invests in a wide variety of client application frameworks and technologies for developers to build custom client experiences. Microsoft is actively investing across all these areas for client development, which includes multiple technologies for building Windows native, Cross-platform, Hybrid and Web client apps. This post outlines the native client application frameworks for Windows that we are investing in and features some of the incredible work we’ve been doing in those areas. WinUI WinUI, along with the two WinUI-based cross platform frameworks React Native for Desktop and .NET MAUI, are the three technologies we recommend for developing new applications that truly align with the Windows native experience. WinUI enables developers to create fast and polished apps with the same rich set of modern UI controls and styles that powers key experiences in Windows. Its powerful toolkit has been refined in the most recent Windows App SDK 1.6 release, offering developers new performance improvements and control updates. In WinAppSDK 1.6, WinUI adds Native Ahead-of-Time compilation support, one of the major new features in .NET development that results in apps with significantly reduced startup times and memory footprints. [caption id="attachment_57148" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Side-by-side comparison of Contoso Camera app launching with and without Native AOT[/caption] In addition, the TabView control now features a new tab tear-out mode that lets users drag tabs out of a WinUI app just like they do in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome, creating a new window and enabling snapping or maximizing in one smooth motion as they drag. The PipsPager control also received a new wrapping mode, and RatingControl is now more customizable through theme resources. [caption id="attachment_57149" align="aligncenter" width="504"] A mouse cursor tearing out a tab from a multi-tabbed window and forming a new window from the tab[/caption] To learn more about Windows App SDK 1.6, including WinUI and other features, check out our blog post. You can also try the always up-to-date WinUI Gallery app that showcases all the controls and styles available to make a WinUI 3 app with the Windows App SDK (source code available on GitHub at https://github.com/microsoft/WinUI-Gallery). [caption id="attachment_57153" align="aligncenter" width="1008"] The WinUI 3 Gallery app showcased in dark mode[/caption] As a sneak peek for what’s coming to WinUI in the upcoming Windows App SDK 1.7-experimental1 release, developers can look forward to the reintroduction of the highly anticipated TitleBar control with a fresh set of community-driven feedback improvements, as well as windowing enhancements and convenience APIs for controlling window size, remembering position and more. React Native for Desktop React Native lets you use your React and JavaScript skills and tools to create native applications that target iOS, Android, Windows (via WinAppSDK and WinUI), macOS, TVs and more. Over the last several years, Meta has been working towards enabling the “new architecture” which includes new capabilities such as synchronous layout and effects, the concurrent renderer and better JS to native interfacing. At Microsoft, we’ve partnered with Meta to bring the new architecture to Windows and macOS. In React Native for Desktop version 0.76 (Fall 2024), new apps can optionally opt into the new architecture preview when creating new apps from the CLI. On Windows, the new architecture unlocks new capabilities like deep integration with the Windows App SDK (including the Scene Graph and Windows Copilot Library), as well as support for Win32-based applications. v0.76 also provides a template for library authors to write modules that simultaneously target both the old and new architectures. Although the new architecture is still in preview, several of our key apps are validating the updated React Native for Desktop platform and are beginning to flight experiences on top of the new architecture. If you’re interested in seeing the capabilities of React Native for Desktop, you can download the React Native Gallery from the Microsoft Store. [caption id="attachment_57154" align="aligncenter" width="975"] The React Native Gallery app includes samples of React Native components and modules that you can use in React Native for Windows apps.[/caption] If you’re curious about how you can use your React and JavaScript skills to build native apps for desktop, you can learn more at https://aka.ms/reactnative. Finally, if you want to try out the preview version of the new architecture, please visit https://aka.ms/rnw-new-arch. .NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) .NET MAUI continues to push the boundaries of cross-platform development for .NET developers, offering a unified framework for building native applications. With a single C# codebase and .NET project system you can build apps that run on Windows (via WinUI3), Mac (via MacCatalyst), iOS and Android. The latest release for .NET 9 contains many quality improvements as well as new features and enhancements. New features that may be of interest to Windows developers are the addition of the TitleBar control, enhancements to Multi-window to bring a window to the forefront with ActivateWindow, and supporting Unpackaged Windows apps by default to help developers with quicker debug and deploy times. There are many other features that benefit all device platforms like the addition of the HybridWebView control that enables hosting arbitrary HTML/JS/CSS content in a web view and communicate between the JavaScript code in the web view and the C# code in the .NET MAUI app. There are also many other control enhancements, new solution templates to help you also target the web, Visual Studio and VS Code tooling updates, inner-loop performance increases and a whole lot more in .NET 9. In addition to the .NET MAUI built-in controls, the team is collaborating with Syncfusion who released the Syncfusion Toolkit for .NET MAUI containing 14 of their popular .NET MAUI controls as free and open source. They also announced their dedication to the .NET MAUI project. Syncfusion is investing their expertise as control builders into .NET MAUI by openly contributing on issues and submitting PRs in the dotnet/maui repository on GitHub to increase the velocity of .NET MAUI development. The .NET MAUI team is very excited to showcase all of the amazing work they have done with the community (including a few surprises) at .NET Conf on Nov. 12-14. Be sure to tune in! [caption id="attachment_57155" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The new project template for .NET MAUI showcases best practices and new open-source controls from Syncfusion to create a full-featured ToDo app that runs on desktop and mobile devices.[/caption] WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) Modern Apps As part of the ongoing modernization of the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), applications built on WPF and running on Windows 10 or later can now take advantage of cutting-edge design elements and behaviors. Key enhancements include: Support for light and dark themes Rounded corners for controls Compliance with Windows 11 design guidelines Accent color support for controls The introduction of the new Fluent theme delivers a fresh, modern Windows 11 aesthetic to WPF applications. With integrated Light/Dark mode and system accent color support, this update is set to enhance user engagement by giving WPF applications a contemporary, polished appearance. First showcased at Build 2024, the Fluent theme is now generally available as part of the official .NET 9 release for Windows 10, Windows 11 and also Windows Server 2019. WPF Gallery App is a sample tool that demonstrates WPF controls and styles to a WPF application in .NET 9 and onwards. The source code for this app is available on GitHub: https://github.com/microsoft/WPF-Samples. [caption id="attachment_57156" align="aligncenter" width="624"] WPF Gallery app showcased in Light mode[/caption] [caption id="attachment_57157" align="aligncenter" width="624"] WPF Gallery app showcased in Dark mode[/caption] Hyphen based ligature support in WPF Based on valuable feedback from the WPF community (Issue#109), we’ve addressed a longstanding issue with hyphen-based ligatures not working in WPF. This improvement is aimed at enhancing the developer experience by ensuring better text rendering and more polished typography in WPF applications. WinForms (Windows Forms) Windows Forms has long been a favorite technology for lightweight desktop applications built on Win32 APIs, particularly within the enterprise Line of Business space. Beloved for the ease of use, now the latest updates to WinForms allow developers to start leveraging modern technology in their existing applications. Over the course of .NET 9, WinForms has modernized thousands of lines of code to leverage modern C# capabilities. In response to operating system enhancements WinForms has added multi-select support for the FolderBrowserDialog, click-through capabilities to the ToolStrip control, and more than 100 new and updated System.Drawing APIs to leverage more GDI+ capabilities than before. In response to overwhelming demand, WinForms also added a Dark Mode detection feature (in experimental mode)! For the first time, with .NET 9, developers are able to quickly and easily leverage the async capabilities of Windows and .NET. In this release, WinForms has introduced Control.InvokeAsync. This new API allows WinForms applications to more easily leverage Web APIs, Semantic Kernel, AI and more! These enhancements ensure that WinForms remains a powerful and versatile tool for modern desktop application development, bridging the gap between legacy systems and the cutting-edge technology of today. What’s next? Tune in at .NET Conf (Nov. 12-14) and then at Ignite (Nov. 19-22) to learn more about these technologies via the following sessions. You can check the full agenda for .NET Conf and for Ignite. For more guidance and documentation about how to develop apps for Windows using those technologies, head to https://aka.ms/windev. Sessions at .NET Conf Session title Date What's New in .NET MAUI in .NET 9 Nov 12, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM PST Build hybrid apps with .NET MAUI Nov 12, 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM PST .NET MAUI Performance Optimizations with NativeAOT and Trimming Nov 13, 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM PST What's new in WinUI and Windows App SDK 1.6 Nov 13, 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM PST Modern WinForms Development with .NET 9 Nov 13, 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM PST Empowering WPF Developers: A Journey Through .NET 9 and the Road Ahead Nov 14, 4:00 AM - 4:30 AM PST WPF Reborn: Avalonia's Cross-Platform Magic Nov 14, 4:30 AM - 5:00 AM PST Community Toolkit Roundup Nov 14, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM PST .NET Cross-Platform Development Supercharged with .NET 9, and Uno Platform. Our friends at Uno Platform* are preparing a special announcement for .NET Conf! If you’d like to be among the first to receive the beta invite, join their waitlist. Nov 14, 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM PST "Intelligenize" your WinForms Apps for an amazing new customer experience! Nov 15, 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM PST Boosting WPF Performance - Upcoming Improvements Nov 15, 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM PST Create great MIDI 2.0 apps using Windows MIDI Services and C# Nov 15, 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM PST Infuse AI in your Windows apps with .NET Nov 15, 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM PST MVVM Building Blocks for WinUI and WPF Development Nov 15, 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM PST Session at Ignite Session title Date Modernize commercial apps with Win32 and the Windows App Nov 21, 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM PST *For those new to Uno Platform – it enables the creation of pixel-perfect, single-source C# and XAML apps that run natively on Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, Linux and the web via WebAssembly. Uno Platform offers Figma integration for design-to-development handoff, along with a set of extensions to bootstrap your projects. It’s free, open-source (Apache 2.0) and available on GitHub.

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27744 to the Canary Channel. We are also not planning to release SDKs for 27xxx series builds for the time being. What’s new with Build 27744 New Processor Feature Support in Prism In today’s Canary Channel Insider Preview build, we're previewing a major feature update to Prism, our emulator for Windows on Arm, that will make it possible for more 64-bit x86 (x64) applications to run under emulation by adding support for more CPU features under emulation. This new support in Prism is already in limited use today in the retail version of Windows 11, version 24H2, where it enables the ability to run Adobe Premiere Pro 25 on Arm. Starting with Build 27744, the support is being opened to any x64 application under emulation. You may find some games or creative apps that were blocked due to CPU requirements before will be able to run using Prism on this build of Windows. At a technical level, the virtual CPU used by x64 emulated applications through Prism will now have support for additional extensions to the x86 instruction set architecture. These extensions include AVX and AVX2, as well as BMI, FMA, F16C, and others, that are not required to run Windows but have become sufficiently commonplace that some apps expect them to be present. You can see some of the new features in the output of a tool like Coreinfo64.exe. [caption id="attachment_177409" align="alignnone" width="784"] You can see some of the new features in the output of a tool like Coreinfo64.exe with newly exposed CPU features are highlighted above in green.[/caption] Note that in today’s preview, only x64 applications can use these new CPU features. If you have a 32-bit app or a 64-bit app that uses a 32-bit helper to detect CPU feature support, that app won't detect the new features in Prism. We welcome any feedback from Insiders who are interested in trying out apps and games using this early preview of Prism. Please submit any feedback on compatibility issues or performance regressions through the Feedback Hub (Win + F) under Apps and the specific app you’re seeing issues with (if you don’t see the app listed, use "All other apps") to help us to ensure that this updated Prism provides a great experience. Thanks for helping us improve emulation on Windows. We're excited to see customers able to run more apps and games that they care about on Windows on Arm! Changes and Improvements [Start menu] “All apps” is now just “All” on the Start menu. [Input] We’re beginning to roll out a new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 that supports the ability to use your Xbox controller to navigate and type. This includes button accelerators (example: X button for backspace, Y button for spacebar) additionally the keyboard keys have been vertically aligned for better controller navigation patterns. [caption id="attachment_177283" align="alignnone" width="861"] New Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 that supports the ability to use your Xbox controller to navigate and type.[/caption] [Task Manager] We’ve updated the design of the Disconnect and Logoff dialogs in Task Manager to now support dark mode and text scaling. In the Performance section we now label listed disks with their type. [Settings] The detach virtual hard disk (VHD/VHDx) button we added under Settings > System > Storage > Disks & Volumes introduced with Build 27686 is now back with this build after being temporarily disabled starting with Build 27718. Fixes [General] We fixed the issue causing some Insiders with PCs that have older NVIDIA GPUs (like the GTX 970, Quadro K620, etc.) to experience issues where their displays appear stuck at a black screen and unresponsive or seeing their GPUs showing errors in Device Manager and not working correctly. [Input] Fixed an underlying issue causing the Emoji Panel and Clipboard History to not open in certain surfaces anymore, including in Registry Editor. Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to clipboard history not displaying items you’d copied. [Windows Sandbox] Fixed an issue impacting performance of Windows Sandbox for some Insiders after the latest updates. [Graphics] Fixed an which could lead dynamic refresh rate to get stuck at 60Hz on first boot. [Other] Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see a bugcheck with error PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA starting in Build 27723. Fixed an issue causing remote desktop connection (mstsc.exe) to crash in the previous flight. Fixed a msmpeg2vdec.dll related issue in the last couple flights which was leading to some apps crashing. Fixed an issue where rotation info about JPGs couldn’t be queried via APIs (for example, via PowerShell). Fixed an underlying issue which was causing the Get-WindowsCapability command to get into a state sometimes where it would fail unexpectedly until rebooting your PC. Fixed an issue causing mica to not work correctly when using a slideshow for your desktop background. Fixed an issue which could lead to certain apps not detecting a scanner, although one was connected. Known issues [General] [IMPORTANT NOTE FOR COPILOT+ PCs] If you are joining the Canary Channel on a new Copilot+ PC from the Dev Channel, Release Preview Channel or retail, you will lose Windows Hello pin and biometrics to sign into your PC with error 0xd0000225 and error message “Something went wrong, and your PIN isn’t available”. You should be able to re-create your PIN by clicking “Set up my PIN”. We’re investigating reports that some Insiders are still experiencing rollbacks (with error code 0xc190010) when attempting to install the latest Canary builds. [Desktop] [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue where your desktop background may not show correctly sometimes with multiple monitors (showing big black areas). Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel The builds we release to the Canary Channel represent the latest platform changes early in the development cycle and should not be seen as matched to any specific release of Windowsand features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready. Many features in the Canary Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel. Some features may show up in the Dev and Beta Channels first before showing up in the Canary Channel. Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub. To get off the Canary Channel, a clean install of Windows 11 will be required. As a reminder - Insiders can’t switch to a channel that is receiving builds with lower build numbers without doing a clean installation of Windows 11 due to technical setup requirements. The desktop watermark shown at the lower right corner of the desktop is normal for these pre-release builds. Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel. Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are beginning to roll out updates to Paint and Notepad to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels on Windows 11. Paint (version 11.2410.28.0) Generative fill In this update, we are introducing generative fill, a powerful new creation tool designed to help you make your artistic process more fun and intuitive. With generative fill, you can make edits and additions with just a few words while maintaining the existing art style of your project. Whether you’re a seasoned artist looking to add intricate details or a hobbyist experimenting with new ideas, generative fill helps you fine-tune your digital art, with just enough AI to assist you in realizing your creative vision while remaining in full control of the output. [caption id="attachment_177403" align="alignnone" width="900"] Paint app open with generative fill dialog open.[/caption] To get started, use the Selection tool in Paint toolbar to make a Rectangle or Free-form selection. Upon selecting the area, you will see a small menu pop up anchored to your selection. Select the Generative fill option on the menu, use the text box to describe what you want to add to your selection, and hit Create. If you don’t like what was generated, simply press the Try again button. You can also try refining your selection or text prompt. Use the arrow buttons to cycle through the generated options, and once you are satisfied with one of the generated images, press the Keep button to apply it to your Paint canvas. You can learn about generative fill in Paint here. Generative fill will initially be available on Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs. To use generative fill, you will need to sign in with your Microsoft account. This feature is only available for Windows Insiders in supported markets, where availability may vary based on regional criteria. Generative erase We are also introducing generative erase, a new AI-powered tool that helps you remove unwanted objects from the canvas, filling in the empty space left behind to make it look like the object was never there. [caption id="attachment_177404" align="alignnone" width="901"] Paint app open with generative erase active.[/caption] To get started, select Generative erase on the left side of the canvas while using the eraser tool. With the generative erase brush, you can manually brush over one or multiple areas of the canvas to select the content you want to remove. “Add area to erase” lets you select more and “Reduce area to erase” lets you reduce your selection. After you are satisfied with your selection, click Apply to remove the object! You can also use rectangular or free-from selection tools to specify an area that you want to remove with the Generative erase command in the small menu pop up anchored to your selection or the right-click menu. Generative erase is available to users on all Windows 11 PCs. Update to Cocreator With this update, we have improved the underlying diffusion-based model for Cocreator to deliver better results faster, and with built-in moderation, it’s a creative experience you can trust. Cocreator is available on Snapdragon powered Copilot+ PCs. You can learn more about Paint Cocreator here. Update to Image Creator We launched Image Creator in Paint last year in preview, and we hope you have been enjoying the creative possibilities of AI image creation. We are excited to be expanding the preview to additional markets. Image Creator in Paint is available in preview to all Windows 11 users in the following regions: United States, France, UK, Canada, Italy, and Germany. To use Image Creator, you need to sign in with your Microsoft account. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family and Copilot Pro subscribers in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand will also now be able to use AI credits to use Image Creator in Paint. Learn more about AI credits. You can learn more about Image Creator in Paint here. FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Paint. Notepad (version 11.2410.15.0) With this update, we are introducing the ability to rewrite content in Notepad with the help of generative AI. You can rephrase sentences, adjust the tone, and modify the length of your content based on your preferences to refine your text. [caption id="attachment_177405" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Notepad app with rewrite dialog open.[/caption] To get started, select the text you want to rewrite, then right-click and choose the Rewrite option, select Rewrite from the menu bar, or use the Ctrl + I keyboard shortcut. Notepad will generate three variations of the rewritten text for you to choose from. Select one, or if you want to further refine the output, you can customize rewrite settings and click Retry to generate additional versions. Options to make your content longer or shorter and modifying the tone or format let you easily adjust your content for specific goals. The previous versions are still preserved in the current dialog, so you can easily revert to earlier versions if needed. If you prefer, you can disable the rewrite feature in app settings. Rewrite in Notepad is available in preview to all users on Windows 11 in the following regions: United States, France, UK, Canada, Italy, and Germany. To use rewrite, you need to sign in with your Microsoft account. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family and Copilot Pro subscribers in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand will also be able to use AI credits to use rewrite in Notepad. Learn more about AI credits. You can learn more about Rewrite in Notepad here. We have also continued to improve Notepad launch performance. With this update, most users will see app launch time improve by more than 35%, with some users seeing improvements of 55% or more. FEEDBACK: Please share your feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Apps > Notepad. [These features in Paint and Notepad are beginning to rollout in these updates, so it may not be available to all Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing them out to everyone.] As always, we love getting feedback from the community and we will be looking out for your thoughts and suggestions on these updates! Thanks, Dave Grochocki, Principal Group Product Manager – Windows Inbox Apps

"The Joker: Part Deux" is the anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed "Joker" (2019). While specific details about the plot and themes may vary, here’s a general review based on expectations and early insights: Review of "The Joker: Part Deux"Plot Overview: Set against the backdrop of Gotham City, "Part Deux" continues the story of Arthur Fleck, exploring his further descent into madness and his complex relationship with society. The sequel promises to delve deeper into the psychological aspects of the character while expanding on the chaos he creates. Performance: Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as the Joker, and early reactions suggest that his performance is once again haunting and compelling. His ability to embody the character's pain and unpredictability adds depth to the narrative. Direction and Cinematography: Todd Phillips returns as director, and his vision for the film is expected to maintain the gritty, atmospheric style of the first installment. The cinematography is likely to enhance the emotional weight of the story, capturing Gotham's dark essence. Themes: The sequel is expected to tackle even more complex themes, such as mental health, societal division, and the nature of villainy. It may also explore the impact of Arthur's actions on those around him, particularly in relation to the rise of chaos in Gotham. Expectations: Fans are eager to see how the sequel builds upon the foundation laid by the first film. There’s a strong anticipation for the character development and the potential introduction of new characters that could further complicate Arthur's journey. ConclusionWhile specific details are still under wraps, "The Joker: Part Deux" is shaping up to be a thought-provoking continuation of Arthur Fleck's story. With strong performances and a focus on deep psychological themes, it aims to resonate with audiences just as powerfully as its predecessor. For the latest reviews and ratings, keep an eye on platforms like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes once the film is released.

Here are some tips for creating a new topic on a forum: Choose a Relevant Subject: Ensure your topic aligns with the forum's focus or theme. Check existing threads to see what’s currently being discussed. Be Clear and Specific: Clearly define your topic in the title. A specific title helps attract the right audience and encourages engagement. Provide Context: In your post, give background information or context about the topic. Explain why it’s important or interesting. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage discussion by asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer. Use Proper Formatting: Break up your text with paragraphs, bullet points, or headings to make it easier to read. Engage with the Community: Introduce yourself if appropriate, and express your interest in hearing others' opinions. Check for Similar Topics: Before posting, search the forum to see if a similar topic already exists. If it does, consider contributing to that thread instead. Be Respectful and Polite: Maintain a respectful tone, even if discussing controversial topics. This fosters a positive environment. Follow Forum Rules: Familiarize yourself with the forum's guidelines to ensure your post complies with their standards. Be Patient: After posting, give it some time for others to see and respond. Not all posts receive immediate attention. Using these tips can help you create engaging and meaningful topics that encourage participation and discussion.

Of testing forum software.

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Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2213 (KB5045885) to the Dev Channel. Changes in Dev Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update*) and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Dev Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post. Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on* [Input] We are beginning to roll out a change where we now hide the IME toolbar when apps are in full screen mode for those who have the IME toolbar enabled and type in Chinese or Japanese. We have temporarily disabled the new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 that began rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel with Build 26120.2130 to address some issues. This feature will roll out again in a future flight. Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Dev Channel with toggle on* [Start menu] Fixed an issue impacting Start menu reliability. Fixed an issue causing some Insiders to see an unexpected amount of spacing between items in the Start menu apps list. Fixed an issue where ability to pin / unpin apps to and from Start menu was unexpectedly unavailable for some people. [File Explorer] Fixed an issue which was causing the items in the navigation pane to become very spread out (with unexpected padding between each item) for some people. Fixed an underlying issue which was causing RAW images taken in portrait mode to unexpectedly display in landscape mode thumbnails. [Taskbar] Made a change so you will now see a search box if the taskbar auto-hides when the setting for search on the taskbar is set to “Search box” (rather than an icon). Made a fix for WIN + <# associated with position on taskbar> not working in some cases in the latest flights. Fixed an issue where the X button to close an app window from the taskbar wasn’t working for some Insiders. Fixed an issue on secondary monitors for left aligned taskbar users, where the widgets text in the taskbar might overlap the date and time. [Dev Drive] Fixed an underlying issue leading to Dev Drives potentially not being accessible within WSL after the latest flights. [Other] Fixed an underlying issue which could potentially lead to not being able to join a domain. Fixed an underlying issue which could lead to DISM /StartComponentCleanup not working properly, getting stuck at 71% and showing error 6842. Fixed an underlying issue which was causing the Get-WindowsCapability command to get into a state sometimes where it would fail unexpectedly until rebooting your PC. Fixed an issue where rotation info about JPGs couldn't be queried via APIs (for example, via PowerShell). Fixes for everyone in the Dev Channel [General] Fixed an underlying issue leading to some games not launching in the previous flight. [Task Manager] Fixed an issue causing Task Manager to show a 0 count for apps and processes. [Network] Fixed an underlying issue impacting DHCP where unexpected duplicate options would fail lease acquisition, which could cause DHCP to not get an IP address, leading to Wi-Fi not working. Fixed an issue where DirectAccess wasn’t working and might stay stuck in a connecting state. Known issues [Desktop] [NEW] We’re working on the fix for an issue where your desktop background may not show correctly sometimes with multiple monitors (showing big black areas). Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel receive updates based on Windows 11, version 24H2 via an enablement package (Build 26120.xxxx). Updates delivered to the Dev Channel are in a format that offers a preview of enhancements to servicing technology on Windows 11, version 24H2. To learn more, see https://aka.ms/CheckpointCumulativeUpdates. Many features in the Dev Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel. For Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready. Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub. Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first. Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel. Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

As Halo 2 celebrates its 20th anniversary in November, Halo Studios is paying homage to its legacy, including revisiting faithful recreations of Halo 2 multiplayer maps and gameplay in Halo Infinite’s Delta Arena Playlist. This milestone also comes with a fully playable version of the demo shown at E3 2003, featuring gameplay that didn’t make it into the final version of the game, which will be added to the Steam Workshop as a mod for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection for fans to play for the first time ever. Danielle Partis also chatted with some core Halo Studios members. They share some nostalgic memories and revisit the importance of this groundbreaking title and the legacy it shoulders like a Brute Gravity Hammer. Head over to Xbox Wire to read all about it.

Want to try StarCraft II but unsure where to begin your journey? Xbox Wire has got what you need, as Blizzard’s Cat Smedley leads readers through different modes, each of the playable races and some gameplay basics. StarCraft II: Campaign Collection and StarCraft: Remastered are both launching on PC Game Pass Nov. 5. Experience versatile gameplay that caters to players of all levels, bolstered by a large and welcoming community and a storied esports scene. Head over to Xbox Wire to learn more about the experience that awaits you before diving in.

Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4440 (KB5045889) to the Beta Channel. Changes in Beta Channel builds and updates are documented in two buckets: new features, improvements, and fixes that are being gradually rolled out for Insiders who have turned on the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available (via Settings > Windows Update*) and then new features, improvements, and fixes rolling out to everyone in the Beta Channel. For more information, see the Reminders section at the bottom of this blog post. New features gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on* Modernized Windows Hello At Microsoft, we are committed to security and enhancing user experiences. As part of this commitment, we launched enhanced passkey features in September 2023 and are now revamping the Windows Hello user experience. This represents a significant update to Windows Hello, aligning it with contemporary Windows visual design standards. The primary focus is on making authentication intuitive and seamless. [caption id="attachment_177394" align="alignnone" width="591"] Image showing new Windows Hello iconography.[/caption] Modernized Windows Hello Visual Communication: The updated Windows Hello visuals are designed to facilitate fast and clear communication and appear on the Windows Sign-in screen as well as other authentication flows such as passkey, Microsoft Store and many more. [caption id="attachment_177396" align="alignnone" width="721"] Image of the Windows 11 login screen depicting new Windows Hello iconography.[/caption] Revamped Windows Hello credential user experience for passkeys and the new administrator protection experience: We redesigned Windows security credential user experiences for passkey creating a cleaner experience that supports secured and quick authentication. Users will now be able to switch between authentication options and select passkey/devices more intuitively. [caption id="attachment_177397" align="alignnone" width="744"] Image of new passkey sign-in flow screens.[/caption] This experience will also apply for the new administrator protection feature coming to Windows 11, version 24H2 and higher and currently in preview with Windows Insiders in the Canary Channel. FEEDBACK: Please file feedback in Feedback Hub (WIN + F) under Security and Privacy > Passwordless experience. Changes and Improvements gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on* [General] This update includes a small set of general improvements and fixes that improve the overall experience for Insiders running this build on their PCs. [Input] We have temporarily disabled the new Gamepad keyboard layout for the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 that began rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel with Build 22635.4145 to address some issues. This feature will be roll out again in a future flight. Fixes gradually being rolled out to the Beta Channel with toggle on* [Input] Fixed an underlying issue causing touch keyboard crashes and the IME candidate window to not appear for some Insiders in the previous flight. Reminders for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel will receive updates based on Windows 11, version 23H2 via an enablement package (Build 22635.xxxx). Many features in the Beta Channel are rolled out using Control Feature Rollout technology, starting with a subset of Insiders and ramping up over time as we monitor feedback to see how they land before pushing them out to everyone in this channel. For Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who want to be the first to get features gradually rolled out to you, you can turn ON the toggle to get the latest updates as they are available via Settings > Windows Update*. Over time, we will increase the rollouts of features to everyone with the toggle turned on. Should you keep this toggle off, new features will gradually be rolled out to your device over time once they are ready. Features and experiences included in these builds may never get released as we try out different concepts and get feedback. Features may change over time, be removed, or replaced and never get released beyond Windows Insiders. Some of these features and experiences could show up in future Windows releases when they’re ready. Some features in active development we preview with Windows Insiders may not be fully localized and localization will happen over time as features are finalized. As you see issues with localization in your language, please report those issues to us via Feedback Hub. Because the Dev and Beta Channels represent parallel development paths from our engineers, there may be cases where features and experiences show up in the Beta Channel first. Check out Flight Hub for a complete look at what build is in which Insider channel. Thanks, Amanda & Brandon

Windows is an open platform that enables all categories of applications to thrive. From individual developers to distributed projects, open-source initiatives and large companies, the vibrant developer community is building innovative, engaging and practical apps for Windows users around the world. And the best place for users to discover that content is through the Microsoft Store on Windows. You can find more information on our commitment to developers, and how to onboard into the Microsoft Store. We are delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Microsoft Store Awards! This year, we invited nominations from our developer community and selected winners across 14 categories. It is absolutely energizing for us to see our community flourishing, and that is reflected in overwhelming number of nominations we received. Please join us in congratulating the following winners... AI category Winner : dJay Pro Algoriddim by Algoriddim djay Pro offers flawless beat matching and an intuitive interface, ensuring a seamless experience for users. Its wide range of features and compatibility with various streaming services make it a versatile tool for any DJ. One of the standout features of djay Pro is its NeuralMix technology, which leverages the extra processing power of the Snapdragon X Elite NPU. This allows the AI model to be twice as large and more complex than those used on other platforms, resulting in better sound quality and cleaner music stem separation. Performance benchmarks have shown that djay Pro performs significantly faster on an NPU compared to traditional CPUs. Lifestyle category Winner: Diarium Journal & Diary by T. Parti Diarium Journal & Diary offers an easy-to-use and visually stunning interface, making it highly recommended for anyone looking to keep a digital journal. Users have praised its flexibility and the wide range of features it provides, including customizable templates, password protection and media integration. Lastly, users love Diarium’s cross-platform functionality and seamless cloud sync, making it the journal that follows you everywhere! Personal Finance category Winner: TradingView by TradingView, Inc. TradingView combines powerful charting tools, real-time data and a user-friendly interface, making it easy for both beginners and experienced investors to track their portfolios, analyze markets and make informed trading decisions. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools, customizable watchlists and social networking for users interested in learning from others. Users have praised TradingView for its reliability, accuracy and extensive range of indicators and drawing tools, which allow them to tailor their experience to their specific needs. Business category Winner: Gamma by Gamma Gamma stands out for its ability to offer users AI-powered content creation, a user-friendly interface and versatile formats. Its intuitive design, real-time collaboration features and interactive elements make it a favorite among businesses. By automating design and formatting tasks, Gamma saves valuable time, allowing users to focus on what truly matters. Education category Winner: Typing Land by higopage Typing Land has redefined learning through its engaging approach to mastering typing skills. With interactive lessons, fun exercises and a user-friendly interface, it’s perfect for learners of all ages. The app stands out for its innovative curriculum, making typing practice enjoyable and learning effectiveness. Productivity category Winner: Todoist: To-Do List & Planner by Doist Inc. Todoist offers a beautiful user experience for managing workflows, with plentiful and versatile templates. Users love its ease of use, high performance and cross-platform compatibility, making it the best to-do list app. It's the perfect planner for school or work, loved for its functionality and sleek design. Music category Winner: Apple Music by Apple Inc. Apple Music has received user accolades for great performance, pricing, sound quality and tailored music recommendations. It has helped users on Windows stream their favorite songs and discover new ones. Users love the app for its user-friendly interface and lossless audio quality, making it a favorite for streaming music. Health & Fitness category Winner: F.lux by F.lux Software LLC F.lux offers unparalleled flexibility and smooth transitioning between blue light filter states, ensuring a comfortable and healthy viewing experience. Users have praised its well-built UI and the extensive range of customizable features, making it highly recommended for anyone looking to improve their digital well-being. F.lux provides beautiful visualizations that keep users engaged and informed about the impact on their health. Medical category Winner: Complete Anatomy 2024 by 3D4Medical Complete Anatomy 2024 has garnered appreciation from our users for its detailed and precise references, convenient user interface and easy-to-understand tools. It has proven to be an invaluable resource for studying anatomy and is particularly valuable for medical professionals when explaining structural skeletal imbalances to patients. Medical students find it of great value, and it stands out as a cost-effective alternative for learning. Developer Tools category Winner: oh-my posh by jandedobbeleer Whether someone is a tech enthusiast or a developer, Oh My Posh serves as a versatile prompt theme engine for Windows Terminal and other shells. It merges style with functionality, boosting productivity by offering clear directory information at a glance while maintaining a visually appealing interface. With an extensive array of themes and customization options, it ensures users feel comfortable and efficient in their terminal environment. Social category Winner: Pinterest by Pinterest Inc. Pinterest has become an essential tool for users seeking inspiration and ideas for various aspects of their lives. Its user-friendly interface, vast array of pins, and the ability to create and share boards make it a go-to platform for discovering new ideas, planning projects and finding inspiration for everything from home decor to fashion. Creativity category Winner: Adobe Express by Adobe Adobe Express is a design tool that's offers users many free templates and logo designs –suitable for the novice or expert creator! The app is praised for being intuitive, easy to use and plentiful with its offerings. Lastly, users can generate extraordinary effects and images powered by Adobe Firefly. Game category Winner: Asphalt Legends Unite by Gameloft Asphalt Legends Unite sets a benchmark with its high-quality graphics and engaging gameplay. Asphalt Legends Unite offers stunning graphics and a thrilling racing experience with a variety of cars and tracks, making it a favorite among gamers. Asphalt Legends Unite also showcases a cross-device experience, utilizing Xbox services for identity and continuity. Rising Star category – new to Microsoft Store Winner: Endel Music : Focus, Sleep, Relax by Endel Sound Endel stands out for its personalized, real-time soundscapes that enhance focus, relaxation and sleep. Leveraging scientific principles and AI technology, it crafts sound environments tailored to individual preferences. Compatible with various devices, Endel utilizes data such as weather, time of day and heart rate to generate customized soundscapes for specific tasks. Additionally, collaborations with renowned artists bring unique and diverse sound experiences to users. Congratulations to all the winners! All winners will be designated in the Microsoft Store on Windows via a Store Award Winner badge. The above list is subject to final confirmation by the winners.

This is a test link posts https://bash.zone

Used to test various software products. If you want to play with and abuse what is installed be my guest.

Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, shared the below communication with Microsoft employees this morning. When I look to the next phase of Microsoft, both in terms of our scale and our massive opportunity ahead, it’s clear that we need to continue adding exceptional talent at every level of the organization to increase our depth and capability across our business priorities – spanning security, quality, and AI innovation. With that context, I’m excited to share that Jay Parikh is joining Microsoft as a member of the senior leadership team (SLT), reporting to me. Jay was the global head of engineering at Facebook (now Meta) and most recently was CEO of Lacework. He has an impressive track record, with a unique combination of experiences building and scaling technical teams that serve both commercial customers and consumers. His deep connections across the start-up and VC ecosystems, coupled with his leadership roles at Akamai and Ning, will bring valuable perspective to Microsoft. Over the years I’ve known Jay, I’ve admired him as a technology leader and respected engineer with a deep commitment to driving innovation and striving for operational excellence. His focus extends beyond technology, with his passion for and dedication to developing people, fostering a strong culture, and building world-class talent, all in service of delivering faster value to customers and driving business growth. In fact, there are very few leaders in our industry with Jay’s experience in leading teams through the rapid growth and scale required to support today’s largest internet businesses. As he onboards, Jay will immerse himself in learning about our company priorities and our culture and will spend time connecting with our senior leaders and meeting with customers, partners, and employees around the world. We will share more on his role and focus in the next few months. Please join me in welcoming Jay to Microsoft. Satya The post Microsoft names Jay Parikh as a member of the senior leadership team appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

As we approach the end of support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 20251, we want to ensure you are well-prepared for the transition to Windows 11. This milestone marks an important step in our mission to provide the most modern and secure computing experience possible for everyone whether at work, school, or home, and our commitment to continually improving Windows security as part of Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative (SFI). We are incredibly grateful for your loyalty and passion for Windows 10, and we are working hard to make it easy to move to Windows 11. This blog post is intended to help you prepare for Windows 10 end of support by outlining considerations for moving to Windows 11 today. Including: Benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 Checking if your current Windows 10 PC can upgrade to Windows 11 Resources for purchasing a new Windows 11 PC Information on the purchase of Extended Security Updates (ESU) for organizations of all sizes as previously announced in April of this year and, for the first time, an ESU option for consumers, available for a one-year option for $30. Benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 Windows 11 builds upon the strengths and familiarity of Windows, offering you a modern, secure and highly efficient computing experience that meets the current demands for heightened security by default and by design. With integrated and enhanced security features, high customer satisfaction and notable productivity improvements — be it for work, school or play — new Windows 11 PCs are more secure, more productive and higher performing than Windows 10 PCs. And Copilot+ PCs, our fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever, take this capability a step further, embodying the ultimate Windows 11 experience with cutting-edge security measures, optimized performance and innovative AI-powered features that redefine what’s possible on a PC. Windows 11 features include: Even more secure by default: Modernizing to Windows 11 provides a secure environment with advanced security features like TPM 2.0, virtualization-based security and the vulnerable driver block list enabled by default, as well as Smart App Control which is available on new installations of Windows 11 on any PC. New Windows 11 PCs are more secure, with a reported 62% drop in security incidents and 3x reported reduction in firmware attacks.4 At a premium price, Copilot+ PCs deliver even more protection, including memory-based integrity, Secured-core PC capabilities, Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security and the built-in Microsoft Pluton Security processor. Trusted Windows experience: Windows 11 maintains a familiar user experience from Windows 10, with a consistent layout and functionality, while introducing a more modern and streamlined UI design. Key elements like the Start menu and taskbar have been updated for a cleaner look, but the overall navigation and usability remain intuitive and user-friendly, like Windows 10. Optimized for speed and efficiency: Enhanced response time when in sleep mode, faster web browsing, intuitive navigation and improved, updated fundamentals all contribute to better performance on Windows 11. Leveraging the performance of Windows 11, Copilot+ PCs offer even more power and efficiency, and lightning speed when performing AI-powered productivity and creativity tasks. In fact, Copilot+ PCs are up to 5x faster than the most popular five-year old Windows PCs.3 Better multitasking: Features like Snap Layouts and Multiple desktops help you stay organized and productive. With Snap Layouts, you can organize your open windows and optimize your screen space, making multitasking easier and more efficient. Multiple desktops are great for keeping unrelated, ongoing projects organized — or for quickly switching desktops before a meeting. Built-in accessibility features: Windows 11 is the most inclusively designed and most accessible version of Windows yet. Windows 11 includes a host of accessibility improvements designed for and with people with disabilities: calmer, more appealing sound schemes; beautiful new contrast themes and closed caption customizations; and, a more responsive and flexible experience for working with assistive technologies. Designed with energy efficiency in mind: Featuring energy saver capabilities and carbon-aware Windows Updates. Copilot, your AI companion: With Copilot, you can get straightforward answers, learn, grow and gain confidence. Copilot breaks down complex concepts and helps you make sense of it all. Easily accessible right from the Windows taskbar or the Copilot key on new Windows 11 PCs. [caption id="attachment_179178" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Snap Layouts in Windows 11[/caption] Modern security starts with hardware Starting Oct. 14, 2025, Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates. As security threats evolve and adapt, so must our operating systems and hardware. Because of this, we designed Windows 11 to be the most secure version of Windows ever — by default and design — to help you stay ahead of those risks. Advanced security features include hardware-based protection through TPM 2.0, enhanced authentication methods and virtualization-based security fully enabled by default. Windows 11 also includes phishing protection, offering robust defense mechanisms, and provides an extra layer of security against common and persistent cyberattacks, like attempts to compromise login credentials or install malware. [caption id="attachment_179179" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Smart App Control in Windows 11[/caption] Notable Windows 11 security benefits include: Microsoft Pluton security processor: Designed by Microsoft and our silicon partners, Pluton is embedded in the PC’s processor, enhancing many Windows 11 and all Copilot+ PCs with protection for user identity, data and apps accompanied by reliable updates from Microsoft distributed with safe deployment best practices. Hardware and software integration: Features like secure boot, virtualization-based security, memory integrity, Secured-core PC, the vulnerable driver block list, Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security and the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) defaults contribute to the additional security as compared with Windows 10 devices. A safer app experience: Smart App Control in Windows 11 enhances security by automatically blocking untrusted or potentially harmful applications, ensuring a safer and more reliable computing experience. This proactive feature helps protect you from malware and other threats without compromising performance. Windows Hello extended to protect passkeys: Passkeys are another secure step towards eliminating passwords entirely, making it much harder for hackers to exploit stolen passwords through phishing attacks. [caption id="attachment_179180" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Passkeys in Windows 11[/caption] Moving to Windows 11 is simple, here’s how We've created a straightforward and secure migration process to Windows 11, beginning with checking whether your current Windows 10 PC can upgrade to Windows 11 or if a new, more secure PC is necessary. Check if your PC can be upgraded to Windows 11 Check if your Windows 10 PC is eligible to upgrade for free to Windows 11 by selecting the Start button, then going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. To take advantage of the enhanced security Windows 11 provides, some customers may need a new PC. You can learn more about Windows 11 system requirements. Windows 10 PCs will receive new in-product notifications to educate you about Windows 10 End of Support coming in October 2025. You will be able to learn more about options available and actions you can take to prepare for the move to Windows 11. If you determine you need a new Windows 11 PC, there are tools available to help you prepare for your next device: Reduce downtime and ensure that your personal files, settings and applications are securely moved from Windows 10 to Windows 11 exactly as you had them saved with Windows Backup. Learn more. OneDrive enables offline file access and the ability to work with synced files in File Explorer, automatically updating once you're online again. For Microsoft 365 customers, File Explorer also has significant improvements like Tabs, along with new improved views like an home page powered by the Microsoft graph for quick file access (e.g. recommendations (AAD only)), favorites and enriched Microsoft 365 file activity. You can also use the new and modern Gallery view to access your pictures, camera roll and other images like screenshots. Learn more. Purchasing a new Windows 11 PC If you find your current Windows 10 PC is ineligible to upgrade to Windows 11, we have a broad array of choices in new PCs you can purchase. With new Copilot+ PCs and continued innovation on Windows 11 at every price, we invite you to see what’s new from top brands like Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Surface and more. Finding the right Windows 11 PC for you is easy with Help me Choose, a simple tool to help you find the right new PC for you. When you are ready to purchase a new Windows 11 PC, we encourage you to leverage trade-in5 and recycling6 programs available at many of our Windows ecosystem partners including, OEMs such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and global retailers like Best Buy, Boulanger, Costco, Currys, Elkjøp, Fnac, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, MediaMarkt & SATURN, officeworks, Sharaf DG and Walmart. Our business customers have access to programs available through resellers such as Bechtle, CDW, ComputaCenter, Connection, SHI and more. In addition, you can find your nearest Microsoft recycling program here. Accelerate business success with Windows 11 For organizations of every size, Windows 11 is built for game-changing AI, faster performance and layers of security enabled by default – with a 250% return on investment2. Designed to support any work environment and every employee, offering features that enhance multitasking and facilitate 50% faster workflows than Windows 104. It also introduces a multitude of new management controls, making it easier for organizations to move away from older systems, like Group Policy as well as new tools and policies to enable more secure corporate environments reducing the number of IT helpdesk tickets7. Features like Windows Autopilot for device setup, Intune for device management with Config Refresh, and Windows Hello for Business and other MFA authentication methods supported by Entra ID are available to our commercial customers. We invite our commercial customers to join us in-person in Chicago or remotely on Nov. 19 at Ignite to learn even more about how Windows is empowering organization of all sizes. Moving to Windows 11 is simple for organizations too As we approach the end of support for Windows 10, we want to ensure organizations experience an easy and seamless transition to Windows 11. With 99.7% compatibility with Windows 10 apps8 the move is familiar to IT using the same tools and processes you use today which means organizations have been deploying Windows 11 25% faster2. A range of tools are available and designed to support this upgrade, ensuring minimal disruption to their operations and maximizing the benefits of Windows 11. Microsoft offers App Assure, a service to help with any Windows 11 software or browser application compatibility issue that you may discover. We’ll assist in remediating custom apps, ISV applications or Microsoft products; learn more at https://aka.ms/appassure. The Windows Pro PC Help me Choose tool can guide organizations to find the best Windows 11 computers. The new Forrester EOS calculator can help build a business case and prepare for the transition by estimating the potential costs and savings associated with upgrading your organization to Windows 11, allowing ITDMs to make informed decisions about their upgrade timelines. The Windows 11 Security Book is an essential resource that provides a detailed exploration of the security enhancements that make Windows 11 our most secure OS, and offers insights into how businesses can protect their organizations effectively. To help our SMB customers migrate to Windows 11, we have created an assessment tool to communicate the steps they need to take to mitigate the risks of Windows 10 End of Support as well as resources to help. Education customers can use the tools summarized above, and we are excited to support our students and teachers on Windows 11 with easy-to-use, secure and accessible tools in Windows 11, enabling educators to personalize learning for all students. Learn more about the options available. Extended security updates for individuals and organizations of all sizes We understand that some of you may require additional time while moving to a new Windows 11 PC or Copilot+ PC. During this period, you may wish to take steps to help secure your existing PC. As previously announced, we will offer our Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. Enrolled PCs will continue to receive Critical and Important security updates for Windows 10; however, new features, bug fixes and technical support will no longer be available from Microsoft. And for the first time ever, we’re introducing an ESU program for personal use as well. The ESU program for consumers will be a one-year option available for $30. Program enrollment will be available closer to the end of support in 2025. Learn more about the Commercial ESU option. Learn more about the option for our Education customers. Microsoft will also continue to provide Security Intelligence Updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus through at least October 2028. Moving to a modern computing experience with confidence We are committed to protecting you and your PC with the most advanced security possible. With Windows 11 we took a significant step forward across silicon, hardware and software to significantly raise the security, performance and productivity of Windows PCs. With the Windows 10 End of Support moment, now is the time to move to Windows 11 with confidence. We understand change is never easy, but we are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible. Thank you for your passion and loyalty for Windows. Learn more about Windows 10 End of Support. 1 Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) and Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) releases are subject to different lifecycle support policies. Check out the Microsoft lifecycle website for more information. 2 Microsoft-commissioned study delivered by Forrester Consulting: “The Total Economic Impact™ of Windows 11 Pro Devices”, December 2022. Note, quantified benefits reflect results over three years combined into a single composite organization that generates $1 billion in annual revenue, has 2,000 employees, refreshes hardware on a four-year cycle and migrates the entirety of its workforce to Windows 11 devices. 3 Windows Copilot+ PC Performance Claims – May 2024 - Copilot+ PC performance details | Microsoft Learn. 4 Windows 11 Survey Report. Techaisle LLC, September 2024. Commissioned by Microsoft. Windows 11 results are in comparison with Windows 10 devices. 5 Trade-in available only through the Microsoft Store in the U.S. See site for details. 6 Available in select countries only. See site for details. 7 Microsoft-commissioned study: “Improve your day-to-day experience with Windows 11 Pro laptops,” Principled Technologies, February 2023. 8 Microsoft App Assure program data from October 2018 to February 2022.

The pace of AI innovation today continues to be extraordinary, and at Microsoft we are focused on helping organizations embrace it. By providing our customers with the most advanced AI technology across every product we build — combined with our unparalleled partner ecosystem and co-innovation approach — we are helping them make real progress in ways that matter. I am proud to share over 100 customer stories from this quarter alone showing how we are helping customers accelerate AI Transformation — no matter where they are on their journey. Recently during the Microsoft AI Tour, I spoke with customers who shared ways they are adopting Copilots to empower human achievement, democratize intelligence and realize significant business value. I also discussed the concept of an AI-first business process and the differentiation you can drive when bringing together the power of Copilots and human ambition with the autonomous capabilities of an agent. I was inspired by the outcomes our customers have achieved through pragmatic innovation and the progress they are making to evolve the future of industry. I am pleased to share ten stories from the past quarter that illustrate how Copilots have yielded results for our customers, while highlighting AI Transformation experiences in their own words. Accenture and Avanade have a long history of helping customers implement cutting-edge solutions, with internal testing a key factor in their ability to deliver customizable Microsoft solutions with deep expertise. Putting Microsoft 365 Copilot into the hands of employees helped them realize ways to increase productivity, with 52% of employees seeing a positive impact on the quality of their work, 31% reporting less cognitive fatigue and 84% finding Copilot’s suggestions fair, respectful and non-biased. Accenture also piloted GitHub Copilot to help build better solutions faster with developers spending less time debugging, resulting in 95% of developers reporting they enjoyed coding more. “Using our extensive Microsoft technology expertise and practical learnings from our own experience implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot, our solutions empower clients to fully tap into Microsoft AI capabilities.” Veit Siegenheim, Global Future of Work Lead at Avanade Nigerian multinational financial services group Access Holdings Plc. serves more than 56 million customers across 18 countries. As the business grew and transitioned from a small bank to a major holding company, it adopted Microsoft 365 Copilot to address challenges in data management, meeting productivity and software development. With the integration of Copilot into daily tools, the company significantly enhanced efficiency and engagement across the business. Writing code now takes two hours instead of eight, chatbots can be launched in 10 days instead of three months and presentations can be prepared in 45 minutes instead of six hours. Copilot has also driven a 25% increase in staff engagement during meetings. “To inspire everyone in the organization to take advantage of AI, we knew we had to integrate AI into the tools people use every day. Microsoft 365 Copilot made the most sense and was a natural fit for us.” Lanre Bamisebi, Executive Director IT and Digitalization at Access Holdings, Plc. To improve resident services and reinvent customer engagement, the City of Burlington, Ontario, embraced AI and low-code tools to develop new online services that transform and automate internal processes. In just eight weeks, the city utilized Copilot Studio to develop and launch a custom copilot designed to help residents quickly find answers to frequently asked questions. The city also developed a portal that streamlines building permit reviews and enables customers to track the status of their own applications. As a result, the average time it takes to process a permit approval decreased from 15 weeks to 5-7 weeks, allowing more time for city employees to evaluate complex submissions. “Our staff and citizens do not have to worry about mundane tasks as much anymore. Now they’re able to have rich, collaborative conversations about how to creatively solve problems, making for a much more fulfilling and rewarding work and customer experience.” Chad MacDonald, Executive Director and Chief Information Officer at the City of Burlington Finastra empowers financial institutions with leading software for lending, payments, treasury, capital markets and universal banking. To transform its marketing processes, the company used Microsoft 365 Copilot to automate tasks, enhance content creation, improve analytics and personalize customer interactions. Since integrating Copilot, the team reduced time-to-market for campaigns from three months to less than one. Copilot also significantly reduced the time marketers spend generating and gathering insights from each campaign, with employees citing a 20%-50% time savings across tasks like full-funnel analysis, supply management analysis and budget management. “Copilot makes you more effective because you get better insights, and it makes you more efficient because you can produce results faster. It also makes work more meaningful and fun because your team can focus on what matters — strategy, creativity and everything that sets you apart from the competition.” Joerg Klueckmann, Head of Corporate Marketing and Communications at Finastra GoTo Group provides technology infrastructure and solutions across Indonesia. It is bending the curve on innovation by significantly enhancing productivity and code quality across its engineering teams by adopting GitHub Copilot. With real-time code suggestions, chat assistance and the ability to break down complex coding concepts, the company has saved over seven hours per week and achieved a 30% code acceptance rate within the first month. With 1,000 engineers already using GitHub Copilot, the tool allows them to innovate faster, reduce errors and focus more time on complex tasks to deliver greater value to their users. “GitHub Copilot has significantly reduced syntax errors and provided helpful autocomplete features, eliminating repetitive tasks and making coding more efficient. This has allowed me to focus on the more complex elements in building great software.” Nayana Hodi, Engineering Manager at GoTo Group South Africa’s Milpark Education faced operational challenges when shifting to online learning due to legacy systems slowing down student interactions and support. Through close collaboration with Enterprisecloud, Milpark migrated its back-office infrastructure to Azure within three months, replacing its legacy student admissions system with an extensible, integrated digital platform powered by technologies such as Microsoft Copilot and Copilot Studio. In just four months, the educational institution improved efficiency and accuracy of student support, decreasing the average resolution time by 50% and escalations by more than 30%. “Using Copilot, agents are now able to use generative AI to rapidly get up to speed on case details and respond to students using standardized templates that help them provide more personalized and professional responses. The results speak for themselves.” Shaun Dale, Managing Director at Enterprisecloud For over two decades, Teladoc Health has been offering a broad spectrum of services to patients using virtual care services — from primary care to chronic condition management. After the rapid growth of telehealth adoption post-pandemic, operational efficiency was instrumental in managing internal processes and external client interactions. By deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot and using Copilot in Power Automate, the company has reshaped business processes to help employees realize greater time savings while enhancing the client experience. The Copilots and agents helped employees save five hours per week and thousands of enterprise hours annually by eliminating mundane daily processes and fostering better cross-department communications, while also helping new employees get set up to run their workflows 20% faster. “Copilot is changing the way we work. It’s not just about saving time; it’s about enhancing the quality of our work, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional care to our members.” Heather Underhill, SVP Client Experience & Operations at Teladoc Health International energy company Uniper adopted a single-cloud strategy with Azure as its foundation to drive rapid AI innovation. To help its employees focus on using core competencies, the company implemented Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce time spent on manual and repetitive tasks, and help workers focus on more pressing work, such as developing enhanced solutions to speed up the energy transition. Its in-house auditors have already increased productivity by 80% by using Copilot to create plans and checklists. Uniper is also using Copilot for Security to help identify risks twice as fast and take appropriate action sooner. “As an operator of critical infrastructure, we have to contend with a growing number of reports of phishing and attacks by hackers. AI can help us implement a sensible way of managing the sheer number of threats.” Damian Bunyan, CIO at Uniper British telecommunications company Vodafone has transformed its workplace productivity with Microsoft 365 Copilot, already seeing strong ROI from its adoption. In early trials, Copilot saved employees an average of three hours per week by using the tool to draft emails, summarize meetings and search for information. Copilot is also enriching the employee experience, with 90% of users reporting they are eager to continue using Copilot and 60% citing improved work quality. For Vodafone’s legal and compliance team, Copilot has significantly accelerated the processes of drafting new contracts, reducing the time required to complete this work by one hour. As a result of these efficiency gains, Vodafone is rolling out Copilot to 68,000 employees. “Our AI journey is focusing on three areas: operational efficiency inside the organization; rewiring the business to provide an enhanced customer experience; and unlocking growth opportunities through new products and services that we can create around generative AI. Copilot will help drive all three.” Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a global leader in roll-on/roll-off shipping and vehicle logistics, is empowering better decision-making while fostering a culture of innovation and inclusion with AI tools. After participating in an early access program, the company broadly adopted Microsoft Copilot 365 to help streamline processes, enhance data management and improve communication across its 28 countries. To help strengthen Copilot immersion and realize value faster, they introduced a seven-week Microsoft Viva campaign to teach, communicate and measure Copilot adoption. The campaign resulted in 80% of employees using Copilot, with some teams realizing time savings of at least 30 minutes per day. The company also uses Copilot Dashboard to manage usage and gather user feedback, helping demonstrate ROI and measure results outside of time savings alone. “Copilot changes the way we think and work while keeping us curious and open to embracing opportunities. I think that is the sort of benefit that is not so measurable, but important. So, my time management and structured approach to my everyday work life has been enhanced with Copilot and Viva.” Martin Hvatum, Senior Global Cash Manager at Wallenius Wilhelmsen I believe that no other company has a better foundation to facilitate your AI Transformation than Microsoft. As we look ahead to Microsoft Ignite, I am excited by the latest innovation we will announce as a company, and the customer and partner experiences we will share. We remain committed to driving innovation that creates value in ways that matter most to our customers, and believe we are at our best when we serve others. There has never been a better opportunity for us to accomplish our mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more than now, and I look forward to the ways we will partner together to help you achieve more with AI. AI Customer Stories from FY25 Q1 Accelleron: Accelleron turbocharges IT support solutions and resolution times with Power Platform Agnostic Intelligence: Agnostic Intelligence transforms risk management with Azure OpenAI Service, achieving up to 80% time savings Alaska Airlines: How Alaska Airlines uses technology to ensure its passengers have a seamless journey from ticket purchase to baggage pickup Allgeier: Allgeier empowers organizations to own and expand data operations ANZ Group: ANZ launches first-of-its-kind AI Immersion Centre in partnership with Microsoft Asahi Europe & International: Asahi Europe & International charts new paths in employee productivity with Microsoft Copilot Auburn University: Auburn University empowers thousands of students, faculty and staff to explore new ways of using AI with Microsoft Copilot Avanade: Avanade equips 10,000 employees with Microsoft Fabric skills to help customers become AI-driven and future-ready Azerbaijan Airlines: Azerbaijan Airlines expands data access to increase efficiency by 70% with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Aztec Group: Aztec Group uses Copilot for Microsoft 365 to enhance the client experience whilst powering efficiencies Bader Sultan: Bader Sultan uses Microsoft Copilot to boost productivity and serve clients faster BaptistCare: BaptistCare supports aging Australians and tackles workforce shortages through Microsoft 365 Copilot Barbeque Mania!: Barbecue Mania! centralizes your data with Microsoft Azure and saves $3.5 million over 5 years Bank of Montreal: Bank of Montreal reduces costs by 30% with Azure BlackRock: How BlackRock’s ‘flight crew’ helped Copilot for Microsoft 365 take off Capita: Capita uses GitHub Copilot to free developers and deliver faster for customers Cassidy: Cassidy and Azure OpenAI Service: Making AI simple for all Cdiscount: Cdiscount, Azure OpenAI Service and GitHub Copilot join forces for e-commerce Celebal: Celebal drives custom business transformations with Microsoft Fabric Chalhoub Group: Chalhoub Group’s People Analytics team speeds reporting with Microsoft Fabric ClearBank: ClearBank processes 20 million payments a month — up from 8,000 — with platform built on Azure Cloud Services: Faster with Fabric: Cloud Services breaks new ground with Microsoft Coles Supermarkets: Coles Supermarkets embraces AI, cloud applications in 500-plus stores with Azure Stack HCI​ Commercial Bank of Dubai: Commercial Bank of Dubai: innovating a future proof banking platform with Microsoft Azure CPFL: CPFL expands its data repository by 1500% with Mega Lake project on Microsoft Azure Cummins: Cummins uses Microsoft Purview to automate information governance more efficiently in the age of AI Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA): DEWA pioneers the use of Azure AI Services in delivering utility services Digi Rogaland: Digi Rogaland prioritizes student safety with Bouvet and Microsoft Fabric Eastman: Eastman catalyzes cybersecurity defenses with Copilot for Security E.ON: A modern workspace in transition: E.ON relies on generative AI to manage data floods with Copilot for Microsoft 365 EPAM Systems: Efficiency inside and out: EPAM streamlines communications for teams and clients with Copilot for Microsoft 365 EY: EY redefines sustainability performance management with Microsoft Fast Shop: Fast Shop consolidated its data platform on Microsoft Azure and is now ready for the era of AI FIDO Tech: AI tool uses sound to pinpoint leaky pipes, saving precious drinking water Florida Crystals Corporation: Telecom expenses for Florida Crystals dropped 78% with Teams Phone and Teams Rooms Four Agency: Four Agency innovates with Microsoft 365 Copilot to deliver better work faster Fractal: Fractal builds innovative retail and consumer goods solutions with Microsoft’s AI offerings including Azure OpenAI Service GE Aerospace: GE Aerospace launches company-wide generative AI platform for employees Georgia Tech Institute for Data Engineering and Science: Georgia Tech is accelerating the future of electric vehicles using Azure OpenAI Service Hitachi Solutions: Hitachi Solutions transforms internal operations with Microsoft Fabric IBM Consulting: How IBM Consulting drives AI-powered innovation with Fabric expertise iLink Digital: Transforming user-driven analytics with Microsoft Fabric Insight Enterprises: Insight Enterprises achieves 93% Microsoft Copilot use rate, streamlining business operations to pave the way for customer success Intesa Sanpaolo: Intesa Sanpaolo accrues big cybersecurity dividends with Microsoft Sentinel, Copilot for Security ITOCHU Corporation: ITOCHU uses Microsoft Fabric and Azure AI Studio to evolve its data analytics dashboard into a service delivering instant recommendations IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU): IU revolutionizes learning for its students with the AI study buddy Syntea and Azure OpenAI Service John Cockerill: John Cockerill engages pro developers to build enterprise-wide apps with Power Platform Kaya Limited: Kaya Limited elevates customer experience and operational efficiency with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power BI LexisNexis: LexisNexis elevates legal work with AI using Copilot for Microsoft 365 Lionbridge: Lionbridge disrupts localization industry using Azure OpenAI Service and reduces turnaround times by up to 30% Lotte Hotels & Resorts: Hotelier becomes a citizen developer, building a smart work culture based on Power Platform and hyper-automated work environment Lumen Technologies: Microsoft and Lumen Technologies partner to power the future of AI and enable digital transformation to benefit hundreds of millions of customers LS ELECTRIC: LS ELECTRIC uses data to optimize power consumption with Sight Machine and Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing MAIRE: MAIRE, transforming the energy sector and an entire company culture with Microsoft 365 Copilot Mandelbulb Technologies: Early-adopter Mandelbulb Technologies finds success with Fabric McKnight Foundation: McKnight Foundation accelerates its mission and supports community partners with Microsoft 365 Copilot MISO: MISO undergoes a digital transformation with Microsoft Industry Solutions Delivery Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI): Recognizing the essence of AI and building the future with clients: MHI’s DI to create proprietary architecture using Azure OpenAI Service Molslinjen: Molslinjen develops an AI-powered dynamic pricing strategy with Azure Databricks National Australia Bank: National Australia Bank invests in an efficient, cloud-managed future with Windows 11 Enterprise Nagel-Group: Works agreements and contracts: Nagel-Group uses Azure OpenAI Service to help employees find information NC Fusion: Elevating experiences with AI, from productivity to personalization National Football League Players Association: The National Football League Players Association and Xoriant use Azure AI Services to provide protection to players across 32 teams Northwestern Medicine: Northwestern Medicine deploys DAX Copilot embedded in Epic within its enterprise to improve patient and physician experiences Oncoclínicas: Oncoclínicas creates web portal and mobile app to store clinical and medical procedures with Azure Cognitive Services PA Consulting: PA Consulting saves hours a week with Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Copilot for Sales Parexel: Parexel speeds operational insights by 70% using Microsoft Azure, accelerating data product delivery and reducing manual work Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC): From weeks to days, hours to seconds: PIC automates work processes to save time with Microsoft 365 Copilot PKSHA Technology: PKSHA leans on Copilot for Microsoft 365 as part of their team Planted: Planted combines economic growth and environmental sustainability — with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Profisee: Profisee eliminates data siloes within Microsoft Fabric Programa De Atención Domiciliaria: The Home Care Program in Panama helped more than 17,000 people with the power of Microsoft Power Automate PwC: PwC scales GenAI for enterprise with Microsoft Azure AI QNET: QNET increases security response efficiency 60 percent with Microsoft Security Solutions RTI International: Research nonprofit RTI International improves the human condition with Microsoft 365 Copilot Rijksmuseum: Rijksmuseum transforms how art lovers engage with the museum, with Dynamics 365 Sandvik Coromant: Sandvik Coromant hones sales experience with Microsoft Copilot for Sales Share.Market: Share.Market redefines the investment experience with Microsoft Azure Simpson Associates: Simpson Associates spurs justice for at-risk communities with Azure AI Softchoice: Softchoice harnesses Microsoft Copilot and reduces content creation time by up to 70%, accelerating customer AI journeys with its experience Sonata Software: Sonata Software goes from early adopter to market leader with Fabric Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS): SWISS targets 30% cost savings, increased passenger satisfaction with Azure SymphonyAI: SymphonyAI is solving real problems across industries with Azure AI Syndigo: Syndigo accelerates digital commerce for its customers by more than 40% with Azure TAL: TAL and Microsoft join forces on strategic technology deal Tecnológico de Monterrey: Tecnológico de Monterrey university pioneers ambitious AI-powered learning ecosystem Telstra: Telstra and Microsoft expand strategic partnership to power Australia’s AI future The University of Sydney: The University of Sydney utilizes the power of Azure OpenAI to allow professors to create their own AI assistants Torfaen County Borough: Torfaen County Borough Council streamlines organizational support for Social Care using Copilot for Microsoft 365 Trace3: Trace3 expands the realm of clients’ possibilities with Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Copilot Unilever: Unilever is reinventing the fundamentals of research and development with Azure Quantum Elements University of Wisconsin: Microsoft collaborates with Mass General Brigham and University of Wisconsin–Madison to further advance AI foundation models for medical imaging Via: Marketplace, online support, and remote work: Via embraces the digital world supported by Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Azure Virgin Atlantic: How Virgin Atlantic is flying higher with Copilot Virgin Money: Redi, set, go: Virgin Money delivers exceptional customer experiences with Microsoft Copilot Studio Visier: Visier achieves performance improvements of up to five times using Azure OpenAI Service World2Meet (W2M): World2Meet, the travel company providing a better customer experience and operations with a new virtual assistant powered by Microsoft Azure Xavier College: Xavier College begins a process of modernizing its student information systems on Dynamics 365 and AI, unlocking powerful insights ZEISS: More time for research: ZEISS supports businesses and researchers with ZEISS arivis Cloud based on Microsoft Azure ZF Friedrichshafen AG (ZF Group): ZF Group builds manufacturing efficiency with over 25,000 apps on Power Platform The post How Copilots are helping customers and partners drive pragmatic innovation to achieve business results that matter appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

Today, I am sharing Microsoft’s 2024 Diversity & Inclusion Report, our most global and transparent report to date. This marks our sixth consecutive annual report and the eleventh year sharing our global workforce data, highlighting our progress and areas of opportunity. Our ongoing focus on diversity and inclusion is directly tied to our inherently inclusive mission — to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, enabling us to innovate in the era of AI. As we approach our company’s 50th anniversary, we remain deeply committed to D&I because it is what creates transformational solutions to the most complex challenges for customers, partners and the world. Key data We gather a range of data, which is presented in specific ways throughout the report. In the following section, it is important to understand the distinction between our *Broader Microsoft business and our **Core Microsoft business. New and expanded data Datacenters: As we lead the AI platform shift, our workforce continues to expand to include employees with varied backgrounds and roles, and we are sharing new data this year on a growing employee population in datacenter roles. The population of datacenter employees grew 23.9% globally and 28.9% in the US in 2024, more than tripling since 2020. In our most global report to date, we expanded new global Self-ID data to include Indigenous and military employees, as well as those with disabilities. For example, 5.7% of global employees in our core Microsoft business self-identified as having a disability, an increase of 0.2 percentage points year over year. We continue to have pay equity. For median unadjusted pay analysis, the data shows we have made progress in narrowing the gaps. This year we expanded pay equity analysis and median unadjusted pay analysis to not only include women inside and outside the US, but also include a combined view of women globally. Increasing representation for women and racial and ethnic minority groups at more senior levels, combined with maintaining pay equity for all, will continue to reduce the median unadjusted pay gap. Representation Representation of women in our core Microsoft workforce is 31.6%, an increase of 0.4 percentage points year over year. Additionally, the representation of women in technical roles is 27.2%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points year over year. Representation of women in our core Microsoft workforce rose year over year at all leadership levels except Executive. Leadership representation in our core Microsoft workforce of Black and African American employees at the Partner + Executive level grew to 4.3%, an increase of 0.5 percentage points year over year. Leadership representation in our core Microsoft workforce of Hispanic and Latinx employees at the Executive level rose to 4.6%, an increase of 0.8 percentage points year over year. In our broader Microsoft workforce, representation of racial and ethnic minority groups is 53.9%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points year over year. Culture and inclusion in focus Employee sentiment and engagement Our semi-annual Employee Signals survey focuses on employee experience and helps us deepen our understanding so we can adjust our efforts where needed. These insights show that employees continue to feel like they are thriving, with a global and US score of 76. Within Employee Signals, we focus on thriving, which we define as “being energized and empowered to do meaningful work.” This is designed to measure employees’ sense of purpose, which is important to personal and professional fulfillment. We survey employees on three dimensions of thriving: Feeling energized, feeling empowered and doing meaningful work. Our Daily Signals survey results indicate employee perceptions around Microsoft’s commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace increased two points year over year to an average score of 79. Since introducing the concept of allyship to employees in 2018, we have inspired and led a positive impact on our culture. As of June 2024, 95.6% of employees reported some level of awareness of the concept of allyship, up from 65.0% in 2019 when we first started asking employees about their awareness. A commitment that spans decades Our annual D&I report not only reviews our data, but also illuminates the intentional strategy and actions that have helped us make progress across our company’s journey. Examples include: Being one of the first Fortune 500 companies to expand antidiscrimination policy and benefits to LGBTQIA+ employees in 1989. Announcing our Racial Equity Initiative in June 2020, outlining actions and progress we expect to make by 2025 to help address racial injustice and inequity in the US for Black and African American communities. Launching immersive D&I learning simulations in 2021, allowing employees to practice crucial D&I skills, such as recognizing and addressing bias, responding to microaggressions and demonstrating effective allyship. Building on more than a decade of helping to reskill military service members through our Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA), and this year expanding this skilling opportunity to train military spouses for portable, in-demand IT roles. Introducing pronouns and self-expression features in Microsoft 365, an innovation brought directly to fruition because we listened to, and collaborated with, customers, partners and employees who asked for these features. A mission as bold as ours At Microsoft, we’re guided by our mission, worldview and culture. Our mission is the why; it drives our actions. Our worldview is the what, shaping our strategy and products. Culture is the how, influencing everything with a focus on growth and innovation. Culture is also the who: Who makes up the workforce, who services our customers, who innovates the future of tech. The diversity of the workforce, combined with inclusion, unlocks individual and collective potential. This is what is necessary to stay relevant, compete at scale and win. Every person. Every organization. Every day. Everywhere. Here’s to making progress for the next 50 years. Lindsay-Rae Notes * Broader Microsoft business: Includes the core Microsoft business, plus minimally integrated companies. Employees of joint ventures and newly acquired companies are not included in the data, including Activision, Blizzard, and King. LinkedIn was acquired in December 2016, GitHub was acquired in June 2018, and Activision, Blizzard, and King were acquired in October 2023. We provide standalone data for these three acquisitions. Nuance Communications was acquired in March 2022 and fully integrated in August 2023. **Core Microsoft business: Represents 88.4% of the worldwide broader Microsoft workforce. The post Microsoft’s 2024 Global Diversity & Inclusion Report: Our most global, transparent report yet appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

Already, 60 percent of the Fortune 500 are using Microsoft 365 Copilot to accelerate business results and empower their teams. With Copilot supporting sales associates, Lumen Technologies projects $50 million dollars in savings annually. Honeywell(1) equates productivity gains to adding 187 full-time employees and Finastra is reducing creative production time from seven months to seven weeks. Today, we’re announcing new agentic capabilities that will accelerate these gains and bring AI-first business process to every organization. First, the ability to create autonomous agents with Copilot Studio will be in public preview next month. Second, we’re introducing ten new autonomous agents in Dynamics 365 to build capacity for every sales, service, finance and supply chain team. Copilot is your AI assistant — it works for you — and Copilot Studio enables you to easily create, manage and connect agents to Copilot. Think of agents as the new apps for an AI-powered world. Every organization will have a constellation of agents — ranging from simple prompt-and-response to fully autonomous. They will work on behalf of an individual, team or function to execute and orchestrate businesses process. Copilot is how you’ll interact with these agents, and they’ll do everything from accelerating lead generation and processing sales orders to automating your supply chain. Empowering more customers to build autonomous agents in Copilot Studio Earlier this year, we announced a host of powerful new capabilities in Copilot Studio, including the ability to create autonomous agents. Next month, these capabilities are shifting from private to public preview, allowing more customers to reimagine critical business processes with AI. Agents draw on the context of your work data in Microsoft 365 Graph, systems of record, Dataverse and Fabric, and can support everything from your IT help desk to employee onboarding and act as a personal concierge for sales and service. Organizations like Clifford Chance, McKinsey & Company, Pets at Home and Thomson Reuters are already creating autonomous agents to increase revenue, reduce costs and scale impact. Pets at Home, the U.K.’s leading pet care business, created an agent for its profit protection team to more efficiently compile cases for skilled human review, which could have the potential to drive a seven-figure annual savings. McKinsey & Company is creating an agent that will speed up the client onboarding process. The pilot showed lead time could be reduced by 90% and administrative work reduced by 30%. Thomson Reuters built a professional-grade agent to speed up the legal due diligence workflow, with initial testing showing some tasks could be done in half the time. This agent can help Thomson Reuters increase the efficiency of work for clients and boost its new business pipeline. Scaling your teams with 10 new autonomous agents in Dynamics 365 New autonomous agents enable customers to move from legacy lines of business applications to AI-first business process. AI is today’s ROI and tomorrow’s competitive edge. These new agents are designed to help every sales, service, finance and supply chain team drive business value — and are just the start. We will create many more agents in the coming year that will give customers the competitive advantage they need to future-proof their organization. Today, we’re introducing ten of these autonomous agents. Here are a few examples: Sales Qualification Agent: In a profession where time literally equals money, this agent enables sellers to focus their time on the highest priority sales opportunities while the agent researches leads, helps prioritize opportunities and guides customer outreach with personalized emails and responses. Supplier Communications Agent: This agent enables customers to optimize their supply chain and minimize costly disruptions by autonomously tracking supplier performance, detecting delays and responding accordingly — freeing procurement teams from time consuming manual monitoring and firefighting. Customer Intent and Customer Knowledge Management Agents: A business gets one chance to make a first impression, and these two agents are game changers for customer care teams facing high call volumes, talent shortages and heightened customer expectations. These agents work hand in hand with a customer service representative by learning how to resolve customer issues and autonomously adding knowledge-based articles to scale best practices across the care team. As agents become more prevalent in the enterprise, customers want to be confident that they have robust data governance and security. The agents coming to Dynamics 365 follow our core security, privacy and responsible AI commitments. Agents built in Copilot Studio include guardrails and controls established by maker-defined instructions, knowledge and actions. The data sources linked to the agent adhere to stringent security measures and controls — all managed in Copilot Studio. These include data loss prevention, robust authentication protocols and more. Once these agents are created, IT administrators can apply a comprehensive set of features to govern their use. Microsoft’s own transformation At Microsoft, we’re using Copilot and agents to reimagine business process across every function while empowering employees to scale their impact. Using Copilot, one sales team has achieved 9.4% higher revenue per seller and closed 20% more deals(2). And thanks to Copilot, one team is resolving customer cases nearly 12% faster(3). Our Marketing team is seeing a 21.5% increase in conversion rate on Azure.com with a custom agent designed to assist buyers(4). And in Human Resources, our employee self-service agent is helping answer questions with 42% greater accuracy(5).  With Copilot and agents, the possibilities are endless — we can’t wait to see what you create. Start building agents in Copilot Studio today. Read more about autonomous agent capabilities on the Copilot Studio and Dynamics 365 blogs. Head to WorkLab for more insights on Microsoft’s own AI transformation. YouTube Video Click here to load media YouTube Video Click here to load media NOTES Statistics are from an internal Honeywell survey of 5,000 employees where 611 employees responded. Internal Microsoft Sales Team data based on 687 sellers of Microsoft 365 Copilot, Jan. – June 2024, as compared with sellers with low usage of Copilot. Regular usage of Copilot means sellers who use Copilot daily at least 50% of the time during the testing period. Internal CSS experiment conducted by Microsoft, 600 participants using Copilot Q&A function, Azure Core team, Nov. – Dec. 2023. These results are statistically significant at the 95th% confidence interval. Internal Microsoft Marketing team data, June – Sept. 2024. Conversion means initiating the free account sign-up process on Azure.com. Internal HR experiment conducted by Microsoft, 33 participants, Oct. 2024. These results are statistically significant at the 95th% confidence interval. The post New autonomous agents scale your team like never before appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

We’re living through a technological paradigm shift. In a few short years, our computers have learned to speak our languages, see what we see and hear what we hear. Yet technology for its own sake counts for nothing. What matters is how it feels to people and what impact it has on societies. It’s about how it changes lives, opens doors, expands minds and relieves pressure. It is perhaps the greatest amplifier of human well-being in history, one of the most effective ways to create tangible and lasting benefits for billions of people. And yet technology is, and must always remain, in service to humanity: an enabler and a path to deepening our common bonds and shared understanding, our energy and imagination, our creativity and our capacity for everything from invention to forming relationships. In the field of AI, we often get caught up in the technical details. We spend our time talking about parameters and compute. The focus is on training runs, datacenters and the latest techniques. This is natural and inevitable when operating on the frontiers of something new, where the details do really matter. But I think it’s important that in doing all of this, getting stuck right in the technical weeds, we don’t lose sight of not only what we are building, but why we are building it. At Microsoft AI, we are creating an AI companion for everyone. I truly believe we can create a calmer, more helpful and supportive era of technology, quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. Great technology experiences are about how you feel, not what’s under the hood. It should be about what you experience, not what we are building. Copilot will be there for you, in your corner, by your side and always strongly aligned with your interests. It understands the context of your life, while safeguarding your privacy, data and security, remembering the details that are most helpful in any situation. It gives you access to a universe of knowledge, simplifying and decluttering the daily barrage of information, and offering support and encouragement when you want it. Over time it’ll adapt to your mannerisms and develop capabilities built around your preferences and needs. We are not creating a static tool so much as establishing a dynamic, emergent and evolving interaction. It will provide you with unwavering support to help you show up the way you really want in your everyday life, a new means of facilitating human connections and accomplishments alike. With your permission, Copilot will ultimately be able to act on your behalf, smoothing life’s complexities and giving you more time to focus on what matters to you. It’ll be an advocate for you in many of life’s most important moments. It’ll accompany you to that doctor’s appointment, take notes and follow up at the right time. It’ll share the load of planning and preparing for your child’s birthday party. And it’ll be there at the end of the day to help you think through a tricky life decision. Some people worry that AI will diminish what makes us unique as humans. My life’s work has been to ensure it does precisely the opposite. We choose what we create. This is something we must do together. Our task is to ensure AI always enriches people’s lives and strengthens our bonds with others, while supporting our uniqueness and endlessly complex humanity. This is a new era of technology that doesn’t just “solve problems,” it’s there to support you, teach you and help you. In this sense, Copilot really is different from that last wave of the web and mobile. This is the beginning of a fundamental shift in what’s possible for all of us. It’s a long journey that will take years. With our latest updates to Copilot, you are seeing only the first careful steps in this direction. Patience and care with our deployments are at the very foundation of our approach. My commitment is to be accountable at every stage, work with you and listen to you. Respect and deep compassion for our users and for society is the core purpose behind everything we do. It comes first. This is a journey we promise to take together. I couldn’t be more excited to embark on it with you. Mustafa Suleyman, Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft AI __________ From the Copilot Team Our refreshed Copilot is focused on delivering a more intuitive design with more digestible, speedy and fluent answers. It now adapts to you with a warm tone and a distinct style, providing not only information but encouragement, feedback and advice as you navigate life’s everyday challenges — no matter how big or small. For example, in addition to helping you plan that big trip, it can also offer tips on how to keep your composure when, say, the back of your seat is getting kicked by a small child. And we’re adding advanced capabilities like Voice and Vision that make it both more useful and feel more natural. These modalities change how we connect with technology, enabling people to seamlessly reflect with, learn from and work with their Copilot companions. YouTube Video Click here to load media Copilot’s next phase Today, we’re beginning to roll out the updated Copilot, including new and enhanced features: Copilot Voice: We’re making it easier than ever to connect with your companion using Copilot Voice. This is the most intuitive and natural way to brainstorm on the go, ask a quick question or even just vent at the end of a tough day. Your companion will be personal to you, with four voice options to choose from. YouTube Video Click here to load media Copilot Daily: Copilot Daily helps you kick off your morning with a summary of news and weather, all read in your favorite Copilot Voice, with more options like reminders of what’s coming soon. It’s an antidote for that familiar feeling of information overload. Clean, simple and easy to digest. Copilot Daily will only pull from authorized content sources. We are working with partners such as Reuters, Axel Springer, Hearst Magazines, USA TODAY Network and Financial Times, and plan to add more sources over time. We’ll also add additional personalization and controls in Copilot Daily over time. Personalized Discover: Not sure where to start? Copilot Discover helps you get going, offering both a handy guide to its useful features and conversation starters, making jumping in simpler than ever. With your permission, these jumping off points are customized based on your interactions with other Microsoft services and will be further personalized over time according to your conversation history. YouTube Video Click here to load media Copilot in Microsoft Edge: Copilot has been built right into your Microsoft Edge browser, quickly helping answer questions, summarize page content, translate text or rewrite a sentence. Now it’s even easier to access Copilot directly from the Microsoft Edge browser by simply typing @copilot into the address bar. Copilot Labs: Copilot Labs gives people the opportunity to test out our experimental features that are still in development. It’s a chance to give feedback and help shape the experiences we create. We have two features we’re bringing to Labs initially, Copilot Vision and Think Deeper. Copilot Vision: This is a profoundly new way of interacting with a computer. Copilot Vision sees what you see and can talk to you about it in real time. It understands the web page you’re viewing, both text and images, and can answer questions about its content, suggest next steps and help you without disrupting your workflow. Imagine you’re trying to furnish a new apartment, Copilot Vision can help you search for furniture, find the right color palette, think through your options on everything from rugs to throws and even suggest ways of arranging what you’re looking at. YouTube Video Click here to load media Safety and security are our top priority here: Copilot Vision sessions are entirely opt-in and ephemeral. None of the content Copilot Vision engages with is stored or used for training — the moment you end your session, data is permanently discarded. The experience won’t work on all websites because we’ve taken important steps to put boundaries on the types of websites Copilot Vision can engage. We’re starting with a limited list of popular websites to help ensure it’s a safe experience for everyone. Copilot Vision won’t work on paywalled and sensitive content for this preview. We’ve created it with both users’ and creators’ interests top of mind. There is no specific processing of the content of a website you are browsing, nor any AI training. Copilot Vision simply reads and interprets the images and text it sees on the page for the first time along with you. Before we launch broadly, we’ll continue to take feedback on all the above from early users in Copilot Labs, refine our safety measures and keep privacy and responsibility at the center of everything we do. Let us know what you think! Think Deeper: Copilot can now reason through more complex questions. Think Deeper takes more time before responding, allowing Copilot to deliver detailed and step-by-step answers to challenging questions. We’ve designed it to be helpful for all kinds of practical and everyday challenges, like comparing two complex options side by side. Should I move to this city or that? What type of car best suits my needs? And so on. It’s an early Copilot Skill that’s still undergoing development, so we’ve placed it in our experimental Copilot Labs to test and get feedback. We’re also making sure Copilot is easily available on all our platforms. On Copilot+ PCs and Windows we’re putting Copilot just a click away, unlocking new ways to interact with your PC. Check out today’s announcement on the latest with Copilot+ PCs and Windows. Our work toward creating these kinds of experiences goes much further than just Copilot. Bing, Edge and MSN will also be more personalized, visual, cohesive and useful experiences than ever. For example, Bing generative search goes beyond simply finding an answer. Instead, it understands the search query, reviews millions of sources of information, dynamically matches content and generates search results on the fly. While still under development, you’ll notice generative search rolling out across Bing starting today. To explore generative search in the U.S., simply search “Bing generative search” to choose from a selection of demo queries. We are also launching a new experience where users can more easily trigger Bing generative search for informational queries. The refreshed Copilot is rolling out today on iOS and Android, through the Copilot web experience at copilot.microsoft.com and in Windows. We’re also excited to start rolling out Copilot to WhatsApp to help users there experience natural and engaging interactions with Copilot. Learn more here. Notes: Copilot Voice is initially available in English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Copilot Voice will expand to more regions and languages soon. Copilot Daily is rolling out from today starting in the United States and the United Kingdom with more countries coming soon. Personalization in Copilot follows our Microsoft Privacy Statement, and people can opt out at any time in Settings. We’re still finalizing options for offering personalization to users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. Copilot Vision is rolling out to Copilot Labs soon and will be available to a limited number of Copilot Pro subscribers in the United States. Think Deeper starts to roll out this week through Copilot Labs to a limited number of Copilot Pro users in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The post An AI companion for everyone appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

In 2012, a child’s drawing of her appointment with a physician was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In the brightly colored sketch, the girl is sitting on the exam table accompanied by her mother and siblings. To those of us working in healthcare, her doctor is the most notable part of the image. He is sitting at his desk, typing on the computer — with his back to the patient. This drawing, published alongside an article titled “The Cost of Technology,” is emblematic of the unintended consequences of healthcare innovation. With more tools for physicians to use and greater demands on their time, technology can easily become a barrier between the clinician and the patient. For example, in 2023 approximately 53% of physicians surveyed by Medscape reported feeling burned out, and 23% reported feeling depressed. Long working hours, bureaucratic demands and loss of work-life balance due to administrative requirements are leading causes. Our mission has always been to help clinicians turn their chairs around by providing the support they need to fully focus their attention on delivering care. Fast-forward to today, and we’ve translated that goal into reality. After establishing the ambient technology category, we introduced DAX Copilot, the first generative AI voice-enabled solution, which has been generally available for one year, and we’re seeing remarkable momentum. Part of a proven and extensible platform, DAX Copilot leverages health systems’ existing investments in the trusted family of Dragon Medical solutions, which is used by more than 600,000 clinicians worldwide. DAX Copilot combines proven conversational and ambient AI with generative AI to automatically convert multiparty conversations into specialty-specific standardized draft clinical summaries that integrate with existing workflows. DAX Copilot was the first ambient solution to be integrated into the Epic electronic health record (EHR) workflow and allows clinicians to seamlessly document patient visits directly within the EHR. Across the country, more than 400 organizations have already embraced its revolutionary capabilities, streamlining administrative tasks and lightening clinicians’ documentation workloads. This transformative year has highlighted many of the ways we’re helping empower healthcare teams today and bringing joy back to practicing medicine for thousands of clinicians. Improving Access to Care — and Enhancing Documentation Quality DAX Copilot is helping Northwestern Medicine in Chicago improve patient access to care, with physicians using the solution in at least 50% of patient encounters and able to see an average of 11.3 additional patients per month. DAX Copilot users at Northwestern Medicine also report spending an average of 24% less time on notes and a 17% decrease in “pajama time,” working on administrative tasks late into the night. “Northwestern Medicine is committed to providing a superior work environment that promotes well-being, and implementing DAX Copilot will allow our physicians to spend more quality time with our patients, focusing on their needs rather than on paperwork and data entry,” says Dr. Gaurava Agarwal, chief wellness executive, Northwestern Medicine. Overlake Medical Center & Clinics in Bellevue, Washington, deployed DAX Copilot to help reduce after-hours documentation time and equip its clinicians with tools to manage escalating demands. A pilot with 30 Overlake clinicians saw a significant reduction in time spent on notes outside of scheduled hours. Users also reported other important benefits: 81% said DAX Copilot had reduced their cognitive burden and 77% said the solution had improved the quality of their documentation. At Atrium Health, “DAX Copilot is enabling a better clinician experience,” says Dr. Matthew Anderson, senior medical director of primary care at Atrium Health. “Most of our surveyed users are reporting a positive impact on their day-to-day schedule, being able to increase the number of patients they are able to see and even spending more time with them.” Enhancing Clinician Well-being Atrium Health isn’t alone in finding that the time saved on documentation with DAX Copilot is having a positive impact on clinicians’ quality of life. “I finally have weekends back,” says Dr. Christy Chan, a family medicine physician at Overlake. “I used to always have to worry that there was something I had to do — get back onto the EMR, log back in — but I actually have some weekends back.” Clinicians at Novant Health are experiencing similar benefits. “DAX Copilot has done an amazing thing for the physicians and clinicians who are currently using it,” says Dr. Aram Alexanian, a family physician at Novant Health. “When you hear a comment like ‘I am now able to do things with my daughter in the evenings and weekends that I couldn’t do before,’ nothing satisfies us more than knowing the impact DAX is having on our clinicians.” Community Health Network places a major focus on clinician well-being and implementing DAX Copilot has had a major impact on its clinicians’ ability to close notes before they leave for the day. “Since we have implemented DAX Copilot, I have not left clinic with an open note,” says Dr. Patrick McGill, chief transformation officer for Community Health Network. “We have seen improved access, improved numbers of patients, but overall, it’s really the clinician satisfaction that we’ve seen. In one word, DAX Copilot is transformative. It transforms how we’re able to deliver care and how we’re able to document it. It also transforms the patient experience.” “DAX Copilot has made my professional life easier. My patients have also benefited from my using Nuance DAX during our appointments. I can be right there with the patient and not furiously writing notes. I cannot thank you enough,” said Anita M. Kelsey, M.D., Duke Health. Transforming the Patient Experience Dr. Dominick Lanzo, an orthopedic surgeon at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, agrees. “Once I introduced the DAX Copilot program, it completely transformed the patient experience, and it’s turned out to be incredibly accurate with regards to the history of present illness and the physical exam,” he says. “It’s made my practice much more efficient. I can see more patients, my notes are more accurate, and they’re done in a timely fashion by the end of the afternoon.” For Dr. Alison Pomykala, an internal medicine specialist at Baptist Medical Group, the integration of DAX Copilot with the Epic EHR is particularly valuable. “The thing I like most about DAX Copilot embedded in the Epic workflow is I’m able to focus more on the patient and I’m spending less time in the exam room typing on the computer,” she says. “I think the interface is wonderful with Epic. It has been great to see the notes coming up basically in real time on the Epic system. That’s also helped with other things: where we needed to generate a note quickly for referrals, for insurance pre-certifications, for imaging studies, or to have a complete note ready for a patient that we’re sending to the hospital.” “At our academic health system, integrating DAX Copilot has revolutionized patient care,” says Dr. Anthony Mazzarelli, co-president and CEO at Cooper University Health Care. “By automating clinical documentation through ambient voice technology, it has significantly reduced administrative workloads. This allows our physicians to focus on real-time patient interactions, leading to better care outcomes and increased job satisfaction. DAX Copilot has not only improved efficiency but has also empowered our team to spend more time where it matters most — caring for patients.” It’s a privilege to see this industry-leading solution make a meaningful difference for the clinicians who are already on board — but the work never stops. The Microsoft healthcare team is determined to continue solving some of the industry’s most complex challenges, and harnessing the power and potential of AI is how we’ll achieve that. We will continue to be leaders in innovation, collaborating across our ecosystem of incredible customers, partners and Microsoft researchers to bring real impact to clinical settings. DAX Copilot is an innovative solution that goes beyond documentation, offering unique features such as orders, problem-based charting and pre-charting capabilities. For example, recent updates to DAX Copilot include a robust set of features, such as the ability to customize documentation style and formatting, as well as automatically create referral letters, diagnostic evidence, after-visit summaries and encounter summaries. The solution also now offers AI coaching to help users improve the quality and completeness of their notes. Also, the new Summarized Evidence capability offers a comprehensive and sophisticated approach that helps clinicians validate and trust the note output by combining insights that go beyond evidence linking, helping clinicians validate the note. Importantly, when creating technologies that can change the world, Microsoft believes organizations need to ensure that the technology is used responsibly. Microsoft is committed to creating responsible AI by design that is guided by a core set of principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. DAX Copilot is helping restore the human connection at the heart of medicine. We’re excited to drive this solution forward and expand its reach to more clinicians over the coming year and beyond. Today, the solution can be used across ambulatory specialties, in-office primary care and urgent care, telehealth and emergency medicine. And we are scaling the solution’s availability and capabilities to even more care settings, such as nursing and geographies. If you’d like to learn how DAX Copilot can help transform healthcare at your organization, please visit: the DAX Copilot website. The post A year of DAX Copilot: Healthcare innovation that refocuses on the clinician-patient connection appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

YouTube Video Click here to load media As AI advances, we all have a role to play to unlock AI’s positive impact for organizations and communities around the world. That’s why we’re focused on helping customers use and build AI that is trustworthy, meaning AI that is secure, safe and private. At Microsoft, we have commitments to ensure Trustworthy AI and are building industry-leading supporting technology. Our commitments and capabilities go hand in hand to make sure our customers and developers are protected at every layer. Building on our commitments, today we are announcing new product capabilities to strengthen the security, safety and privacy of AI systems. Security. Security is our top priority at Microsoft, and our expanded Secure Future Initiative (SFI) underscores the company-wide commitments and the responsibility we feel to make our customers more secure. This week we announced our first SFI Progress Report, highlighting updates spanning culture, governance, technology and operations. This delivers on our pledge to prioritize security above all else and is guided by three principles: secure by design, secure by default and secure operations. In addition to our first party offerings, Microsoft Defender and Purview, our AI services come with foundational security controls, such as built-in functions to help prevent prompt injections and copyright violations. Building on those, today we’re announcing two new capabilities: Evaluations in Azure AI Studio to support proactive risk assessments. Microsoft 365 Copilot will provide transparency into web queries to help admins and users better understand how web search enhances the Copilot response. Coming soon. Our security capabilities are already being used by customers. Cummins, a 105-year-old company known for its engine manufacturing and development of clean energy technologies, turned to Microsoft Purview to strengthen their data security and governance by automating the classification, tagging and labeling of data. EPAM Systems, a software engineering and business consulting company, deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot for 300 users because of the data protection they get from Microsoft. J.T. Sodano, Senior Director of IT, shared that “we were a lot more confident with Copilot for Microsoft 365, compared to other large language models (LLMs), because we know that the same information and data protection policies that we’ve configured in Microsoft Purview apply to Copilot.” Safety. Inclusive of both security and privacy, Microsoft’s broader Responsible AI principles, established in 2018, continue to guide how we build and deploy AI safely across the company. In practice this means properly building, testing and monitoring systems to avoid undesirable behaviors, such as harmful content, bias, misuse and other unintended risks. Over the years, we have made significant investments in building out the necessary governance structure, policies, tools and processes to uphold these principles and build and deploy AI safely. At Microsoft, we are committed to sharing our learnings on this journey of upholding our Responsible AI principles with our customers. We use our own best practices and learnings to provide people and organizations with capabilities and tools to build AI applications that share the same high standards we strive for. Today, we are sharing new capabilities to help customers pursue the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks: A Correction capability in Microsoft Azure AI Content Safety’s Groundedness detection feature that helps fix hallucination issues in real time before users see them. Embedded Content Safety, which allows customers to embed Azure AI Content Safety on devices. This is important for on-device scenarios where cloud connectivity might be intermittent or unavailable. New evaluations in Azure AI Studio to help customers assess the quality and relevancy of outputs and how often their AI application outputs protected material. Protected Material Detection for Code is now in preview in Azure AI Content Safety to help detect pre-existing content and code. This feature helps developers explore public source code in GitHub repositories, fostering collaboration and transparency, while enabling more informed coding decisions. It’s amazing to see how customers across industries are already using Microsoft solutions to build more secure and trustworthy AI applications. For example, Unity, a platform for 3D games, used Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to build Muse Chat, an AI assistant that makes game development easier. Muse Chat uses content-filtering models in Azure AI Content Safety to ensure responsible use of the software. Additionally, ASOS, a UK-based fashion retailer with nearly 900 brand partners, used the same built-in content filters in Azure AI Content Safety to support top-quality interactions through an AI app that helps customers find new looks. We’re seeing the impact in the education space too. New York City Public Schools partnered with Microsoft to develop a chat system that is safe and appropriate for the education context, which they are now piloting in schools. The South Australia Department for Education similarly brought generative AI into the classroom with EdChat, relying on the same infrastructure to ensure safe use for students and teachers. Privacy. Data is at the foundation of AI, and Microsoft’s priority is to help ensure customer data is protected and compliant through our long-standing privacy principles, which include user control, transparency and legal and regulatory protections. To build on this, today we’re announcing: Confidential inferencing in preview in our Azure OpenAI Service Whisper model, so customers can develop generative AI applications that support verifiable end-to-end privacy. Confidential inferencing ensures that sensitive customer data remains secure and private during the inferencing process, which is when a trained AI model makes predictions or decisions based on new data. This is especially important for highly regulated industries, such as healthcare, financial services, retail, manufacturing and energy. The general availability of Azure Confidential VMs with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, which allow customers to secure data directly on the GPU. This builds on our confidential computing solutions, which ensure customer data stays encrypted and protected in a secure environment so that no one gains access to the information or system without permission. Azure OpenAI Data Zones for the EU and U.S. are coming soon and build on the existing data residency provided by Azure OpenAI Service by making it easier to manage the data processing and storage of generative AI applications. This new functionality offers customers the flexibility of scaling generative AI applications across all Azure regions within a geography, while giving them the control of data processing and storage within the EU or U.S. We’ve seen increasing customer interest in confidential computing and excitement for confidential GPUs, including from application security provider F5, which is using Azure Confidential VMs with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs to build advanced AI-powered security solutions, while ensuring confidentiality of the data its models are analyzing. And multinational banking corporation Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has integrated Azure confidential computing into their own platform to analyze encrypted data while preserving customer privacy. With the general availability of Azure Confidential VMs with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, RBC can now use these advanced AI tools to work more efficiently and develop more powerful AI models. Achieve more with Trustworthy AI We all need and expect AI we can trust. We’ve seen what’s possible when people are empowered to use AI in a trusted way, from enriching employee experiences and reshaping business processes to reinventing customer engagement and reimagining our everyday lives. With new capabilities that improve security, safety and privacy, we continue to enable customers to use and build trustworthy AI solutions that help every person and organization on the planet achieve more. Ultimately, Trustworthy AI encompasses all that we do at Microsoft and it’s essential to our mission as we work to expand opportunity, earn trust, protect fundamental rights and advance sustainability across everything we do. Related: Commitments Security: Secure Future Initiative Privacy: Trust Center Safety: Responsible AI Principles Capabilities Security: Security for AI Privacy: Azure Confidential Computing Safety: Azure AI Content Safety The post Microsoft Trustworthy AI: Unlocking human potential starts with trust appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.

Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, shared the below communication with Microsoft employees this morning. As we mark our 50th year, I’ve been reflecting on how we have remained a consequential company decade after decade in an industry where there is no franchise value. And it is because — time and time again when tech paradigms have shifted — we have seized the opportunity to reinvent ourselves. And that’s what we are doing again today in this AI platform shift. To continue thriving as a company, we need to raise the bar on our operational excellence, continually improving security, quality, and delivery to our customers, as well as the rigor with which we operate the business. Building this capability is essential, and I want each of us to take as much pride in exceeding customer expectations in our fundamentals as we do in our product innovation. After all, both are mission critical to our customers and our future. In this context, I’m thrilled to share that Carolina Dybeck Happe is joining Microsoft as EVP and Chief Operations Officer. In this newly created role, she will join the senior leadership team (SLT), reporting to me. I’ve come to admire Carolina through her work as a global business leader, including most recently her role in leading GE’s historic turnaround. She is recognized for her ability to drive transformational change at scale while delivering improved customer experiences and faster time to value. Carolina will partner with the SLT to help us drive continuous business process improvement across all our organizations and accelerate our company-wide AI transformation, increasing value to customers and partners. As part of this transition, the Commerce + Ecosystems organization in Cloud + AI, the Microsoft Digital organization in Experiences + Devices, and the Microsoft Business Operations organization in Finance will move to report to Carolina. These teams are doing mission-critical work for us with high ambition plans on how to empower our partners, customers, and employees with world class technology and experiences. I look forward to seeing the progress we will achieve together as we embrace continuous improvement in all we do. Please join me in welcoming Carolina to Microsoft. Satya The post Microsoft names new Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer appeared first on The Official Microsoft Blog.