Microsoft Ignite 2024: all the news from Microsoft’s IT pro event – The Verge

Windows 11’s taskbar is getting contacts, files, and calendar ‘companions’

2024-11-19T11:24:01-05:00

Microsoft is creating a new companions experience for the Windows 11 taskbar that will surface important data with just a click. Microsoft 365 Companions will include contacts and people, files, or calendar appointments integrated into the taskbar of Windows 11.

"We will bring Microsoft 365 People, Files, and Calendar to your taskbar so your Graph data is just a click away," said Windows chief Pavan Davuluri on stage at Microsoft Ignite 2024 today.

Microsoft hasn't detailed this new Companions experience fully, but it looks very similar to what exists for the Phone Link app on Windows 11. Microsoft introduced a similar companion experience …

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Microsoft Teams will help you speak in a foreign language during meetings

2024-11-19T08:30:00-05:00

Microsoft Teams meetings are getting a new interpreter feature that lets each participant speak or listen in the language of their choosing. Interpreter in Teams uses real-time AI-powered speech-to-speech translation to simulate your speaking voice during meetings.

A preview will be available in early 2025 that will include up to nine languages and the ability for the interpreter feature to simulate your personal voice in a different language.

It's part of a series of AI-powered changes coming to Microsoft Teams. Meeting transcription will soon support multilingual meetings so that up to 31 translation languages will be supported for a mee …

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Microsoft’s new Windows Resiliency Initiative aims to avoid another CrowdStrike incident

2024-11-19T08:30:00-05:00

The CrowdStrike catastrophe that took down 8.5 million Windows PCs and servers in July has left many of Microsoft's biggest customers looking for answers to make sure that such an event never happens again. Now, Microsoft has some answers in the form of a new Windows Resiliency Initiative that's designed to improve Windows security and reliability.

The Windows Resiliency Initiative includes core changes to Windows that will make it easier for Microsoft's customers to recover Windows-based machines if there's ever another CrowdStrike-like incident. There are also some new Windows platform improvements to provide stronger controls over what a …

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Microsoft announces its own Black Hat-like hacking event with big rewards for AI security

2024-11-19T08:30:00-05:00

Microsoft is creating an in-person hacking event, Zero Day Quest, which it says will be the largest of its kind. The event will build upon Microsoft's existing bug bounty program and incentivize research into high-impact security flaws that can affect the software powering cloud and AI workloads.

"This new hacking event will be the largest of its kind, with an additional $4 million in potential awards for research into high-impact areas, specifically cloud and AI," explains Tom Gallagher, VP of engineering at Microsoft's security response center. "Zero Day Quest will provide new opportunities for the security community to work hand in hand …

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Microsoft’s new Copilot Actions use AI to automate repetitive tasks

2024-11-19T08:30:00-05:00

At Microsoft's Ignite conference today the software giant is introducing Copilot Actions, a new way for Microsoft 365 Copilot users to automate repetitive tasks. Microsoft is also adding AI agents to SharePoint, allowing PowerPoint to translate entire presentations and improving how Copilot works in Outlook to find the best time for meetings.

Copilot Actions, now in private preview, enable anyone to automate repetitive everyday tasks. That could include automating a summary of meeting actions from Teams meetings, generating weekly reports, or even automating meeting prep. Copilot Actions is designed to be something you set and forget, much …

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Windows 365 Link is a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud

2024-11-19T08:30:00-05:00

Microsoft is planning to launch a new purpose-built miniature PC for its Windows 365 cloud service next year. Windows 365 Link is a $349 device that acts like a thin client PC to connect to the cloud and stream a version of Windows 11.

The Link device is designed to be a compact, fanless, and easy-to-use cloud PC for your local monitors and peripherals. It's meant to be the ideal companion to Microsoft's Windows 365 service, which lets businesses transition employees over to virtual machines that exist in the cloud and can be streamed securely to multiple devices.

"We want the focus of Link to be the Windows 365 part of it," explains Pavan …

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