Daily Archives: May 4, 2020

The concept of smart cities has long-been seen as the epitome of human civilisation: collecting data about citizens their shopping choices, the way they travel and how they think communities could be improved and using it to improve public sector services. Organisations like Microsoft are realising this kind of innovation.

There are many challenges that smart cities could help to solve, says Kirk Arthur, senior director of business development for government at Microsoft. They range from reducing congestion through data-enabled transportation systems and managing urban waste more efficiently, to caring for vulnerable populations and improving cybersecurity for citizens and governments.

Many technologies can be employed to create this type of hyper-aware urban infrastructure, including the internet of things (IoT), according to Arthur.

IoT solutions can help connect infrastructures to better regulate traffic, make emergency systems more efficient and reduce emergency response times, he explains. Microsoft gives its customers access to a comprehensive portfolio of products, services and solutions to make the most of those IoT opportunities across devices, cloud, analytics and back-end systems. We make it possible for governments to bring IoT to any device and any platform so they can use their existing infrastructure and have a flexible and scalable solution that adapts to their needs and processes.

Having worked with various governments and public sector organisations for over 40 years, Microsoft has a wealth of experience in providing smart technologies to solve problems facing communities, including public safety in emergency situations. In partnership with IT solution provider Insight, Microsoft deployed an IoT-enabled alert and emergency response system built on the Microsoft Azure platform called ActiveShield in the Aldine Independent School District in Texas, USA.

Combined with data from cameras, motion sensors and alarms, Insight Connected Safety enables two-way communication and real-time alerts designed to protect students, staff and first responders in the event of an emergency, says Arthur. This is just one of the ways that we are using our solutions to realise smart cities based on data-enabled decisions.

IoT can also transform urban transportation by reducing congestion and emissions. The Belgian city of Antwerp employed the expertise of Microsoft and mobility expert Be-Mobile to enhance the citys transportation network with smart technology.

The city was facing increasing congestion, aggravated by the need for roadway repairs, explains Arthur. To head off gridlock, Be-Mobile designed a solution based on Microsoft Azure that guides traffic to off-street parking, provides mobility insights and suggests alternative transport modes. As a result, there are fewer cars entering the city centre, improved mobility flow and an increase in the use of active transport modes.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also rising in popularity as it enables improved decision-making and accelerated operations through automation and instant business insights. However, according to Martin Neale, CEO of AI solution provider ICS.AI, public sector uptake of the technology has been much slower than the private sector. This is partly a result of a lack of awareness about what AI can do for local authorities.

Most people have an Alexa and know what it does, or have seen Terminator, he says. Anything between and beyond those extremes is alien. People, including those leading public sector organisations, simply arent aware of what they can do with AI and how it can be used to create a smart city.

But resources are also a consideration. Money is a critical factor for local government and while AI can ultimately improve how resources are prioritised, the potential cost of its implementation often inhibits further consideration.

Attitudes are changing though, with the help of companies like ICS.AI and Microsoft, and smart city solutions are on the rise.

We have deployed citizen assistants with many of our public sector customers, says Neale. These are AI bots that can answer peoples local government queries quickly and around the clock. It is a really good example of how councils can use AI to reduce costs and improve customer service in one fell swoop.

The benefits of IoT and AI for smart cities are not limited to reduced costs, increased efficiency and more informed decisions. These technologies are also essential to ensure civilised society operates as usual in times of global uncertainty, such as the current Covid-19 outbreak.

Online communication becomes not only desirable, but critical while people self-isolate to prevent the spread of the disease, says Neale. In situations like these online access is likely to play a major part in how people will continue to be relevant and knowledgeable in the workplace, and ensure that government, education and healthcare services continue to operate effectively.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of The Record. Subscribe for FREE here to get the next issues delivered directly to your inbox.

Excerpt from:

Microsoft technology is realising the smart city (r)evolution - Technology Record

Microsoft delayed its new Surface Earbuds from a 2019 release to spring 2020 in November, and although were still waiting to hear exactly when theyll finally come out, the user manual for the earbuds has hit the FCC. That indicates the wireless earbuds could be coming out soon.

Whats interesting in the manual are the details about the swipe gestures for the big circular touch pads on the Surface Earbuds:

And if you were curious about what the differently sized earbud tips looked like, the manual gives a closer look at those:

The manual also says that the Surface Earbuds will have eight hours of music playback, the charging case can hold up to 16 hours of battery life, and the case will charge over USB-C.

New photos of the Surface Earbuds also appeared from the FCC. Weve collected a few of those in the gallery below, if you want to take a closer look:

The Surface Earbuds will also have dictation for Office apps. Theyll cost $249.99 when they launch. My colleague Dan Seifert got to try the Surface Earbuds when Microsoft announced them in October, and you can check out his impressions in this video:

In addition to the Surface Earbuds, Microsoft appears to be preparing to launch an updated version of the Surface Headphones with 20 hours of battery life, up from 18 hours on the current model, as well as support for Bluetooth 5.0 and the aptX codec for high-definition audio. The Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2 could also be unveiled soon.

Go here to see the original:

Microsofts Surface Earbuds user manual hits the FCC, hinting the launch may be soon - The Verge

Microsoft has a range of Microsoft Teams-certified headphones from its partners, and now, some are getting the ability to integrate more deeply into the chat app. A new button feature will allow headset owners to bring Teams to the front on a Windows PC, join a meeting, or check missed calls and voicemail. Some existing headsets are getting firmware upgrades for the button support, and there are also new devices that are launching with dedicated buttons.

Its up to headset manufacturers to choose how the button interacts with Teams, and whether existing devices will get firmware updates to enable this functionality. Epos and Poly are both supplying firmware upgrades to enable the button support and integrate more deeply with Microsoft Teams.

Jabra is also introducing a new Evolve2 headset with a dedicated Microsoft Teams button that includes alerts for notifications. Logitechs Zone Wireless and Zone Wired headsets will let Teams users join a meeting from a button.

A button to launch your favorite corporate communications app might seem like something from the 1990s, but heavy users of Microsoft Teams will find this addition useful for managing meetings. The new button support comes just as Microsoft has revealed Teams usage has jumped again to 75 million daily active users.

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Microsoft Teams headphones now have a button to launch and control the chat app - The Verge

Zooms growth has exploded in recent weeks, leaving rivals like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook scrambling to respond. Millions of people have turned to Zoom to hold virtual get-togethers, birthday parties, and yoga classes during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This extra attention hasnt gone unnoticed among Zoom rivals, who are looking on enviously at Zooms growth: up from 10 million daily users in December to more than 300 million in April. While Zoom now battles security and privacy concerns, its rivals are starting to hit back.

Google is announcing today that its Meet video conferencing service, known previously as Hangouts Meet, is now free for anybody who wants to use it. Previously geared towards enterprise and educational use, Google Meet can now be used by anyone with a Google account, and supports meetings of any amount of time (at least until October when they might be limited to 60 minutes) for up to 100 people. Its a big move thats clearly designed to counter Zooms popularity.

Google is also seeing its own increase in demand for Meet, with more than 100 million daily meeting participants as people shift to remote work and schooling. That doesnt come close to the 300 million daily users that Zoom claims it has, but Google Meet is clearly emerging as a strong Zoom alternative.

Google is now adjusting how Meet works in response to Zoom. The option to show up to 16 people simultaneously rolled out just last week, and it looks very similar to Zooms popular gallery view. Meet is even being integrated into Gmail. This tighter Meet and Gmail integration is being overseen by Javier Soltero, Googles GM and VP of G Suite. Soltero was the co-founder of Accompli, the email app Microsoft acquired and turned into Outlook for iOS. Soltero left Microsoft at the end of 2018 after previously leading the companys Cortana efforts, and joined Google six months ago.

Zooms rise in popularity also caught Microsoft by surprise, even though the company recently identified Zoom as an emerging threat. Skype has failed to fully capitalize on the video calling market it once dominated, leaving the door wide open for competition. While Skype usage has increased to 40 million daily users (up from 23 million previously), its not been enough to counter Zooms popularity. Microsoft is now focused on rapidly improving its Teams product instead. Sources familiar with Microsofts plans tell The Verge that the company has been reassigning engineers to quickly roll out features in Teams that it had been planning for later this year.

Microsoft has been closely monitoring how people are using Teams for remote working, and finalized the rollout of new features like custom backgrounds recently. Virtual backgrounds have become very popular on Zoom, even reaching meme levels of admiration. Microsoft announced its own surge in Teams usage last month, alongside some new features its planning to deliver later this year. One feature, a virtual raise your hand for attention, is already beginning to roll out to Teams users. Much like Google, Microsoft is also preparing to increase the number of participants who can be viewed simultaneously in the coming weeks. Zoom currently supports 49 people in its simultaneous gallery view, with Microsoft about to support nine and Google at 16. Microsoft and Google are both planning to support even more people in the future.

We understand Microsoft had been planning to announce some of these new Teams options later this year, but the company has been forced to prioritize additions like a new real-time noise suppression feature as more people are working in makeshift home offices with noisy children and pets in the background. Microsoft also improved meeting management earlier this month a subtle response to Zooms problematic meeting administration and predicted that the coronavirus pandemic will forever change the way we work and learn.

Microsoft is also racing to get Teams ready for consumers to use this summer. The Teams for consumers push is part of a broader Microsoft 365 consumer subscription effort, and it involves tweaking Teams to make it friendly for groups of friends or families. Microsoft is aiming Teams at people who plan trips with friends, or those organizing book clubs and social gatherings. New features include the ability for friends to connect in a group chat or through video calls, and options to share to-do lists, photos, and other content in a single location.

Google and Microsoft arent the only competitors looking to respond to Zoom, though. Facebook quickly scrambled to launch Messenger Rooms last week, an answer to Zoom and Houseparty. The New York Times reported that Zooms popularity caught the attention of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who reportedly ordered the company to respond as employees openly gawked at public data showing Zooms growing popularity.

Some rivals have even turned to highlighting Zooms security issues as a method to hit back. Cisco, which operates the popular Webex web conferencing service, has been encouraging employees and partners to ask questions about Zooms security and privacy flaws, according to an internal document seen by The Verge. The document encourages Cisco partners not to buy into the Zoom hype, and includes several talking points for how Cisco Webex employees and partners can respond to Zooms increase in market share. Cisco even openly questions what did they [Zoom] do with the data they already sold? in the document that highlighted Zoom privacy fears last month.

The real test for Zoom and its competitors will be the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. Microsoft is preparing for a future thats vastly different, but one where the company believes this video calling surge will decline. Nobody could have predicted Zooms rapid rise in popularity in response to a global pandemic. The race is now on to see which company leads the way in shaping how many of us communicate with friends, family, and coworkers in the new normal that emerges in the months ahead.

Read more:

Google and Microsoft chase after Zoom with new features and free services - The Verge

Consumer Reports has analyzed the privacy policies of Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx and discovered that they may be collecting more data than many people realize.

To be clear: Consumer Reports isnt saying that these apps are unsafe to use. (Indeed, a separate Mozilla report found that nearly every major videoconferencing app meets basic security standards.) But by agreeing to the privacy policies of these services, you are giving companies like Google and Microsoft access to plenty of personal data. According to the report, all three companies reserve the right to collect information from your calls, including how long a call lasts, whos participating in the call, and the IP addresses of everyone taking part.

As the world has become more reliant on videoconferencing tools, people have also started to scrutinize the security measures and privacy policies of these services. And while not as alarming as the security holes in Zoom that came to light in April, leading to a host of Zoombombing and other concerns, its still worth being aware of the data that Microsoft, Google, and Cisco can collect.

None of the companies mentioned go into specific details on what kind of data is actually being collected or how its being used. Consumer Reports does note that the data collected here could be combined with information from other sources to create personal profiles on users and their use habits, or even potentially use videos for things like training facial recognition systems.

All three companies told Consumer Reports that they only create video recordings or transcripts when participants request them by recording the meetings and promised that the recordings arent directly used for advertising.

Continued here:

Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx are collecting more customer data than they appear to be - The Verge

Instead of being in Las Vegas on April 23 for the 2020 NFL Draft, Commissioner Roger Goodell read the picks from a studio in his home basement. (Microsoft Photo)

Its one thing to hope that your video chat for a virtual work happy hour connects seamlessly. Its quite another for a professional football team to rely on the technology to select what it hopes will be its next franchise-defining player.

But thats what 32 teams did last week when they used Microsoft Teams, the tech giants collaboration platform, as part of the first-ever virtual NFL Draft.

It was a high-stakes moment for Microsoft. The company is going up against Cisco Webex, Zoom, Google Meet, Slack (whose CEO disputes any talk of competition) and others in the fiercely competitive market for communication and collaboration technology one of the fastest-growing technology product categories due to the sudden rise of remote work. A headline-making glitch could have given many IT decision-makers second thoughts.

An early run-through of the draft, a mock exercise designed to test the technology, was reportedly plagued by bandwidth problems, but those tests must have served their purpose. CNBC reported after the first night that there were no discernible glitches or delays in the draft process. Reuters concurred that the draft went off without any major hitches, but also pointed out a shortcoming of technology observing that social distancing gave the entire evening a detached sterile feel in contrast with the NFL Drafts customary glitz and glamour.

Microsoft has supplied Surface tablets as sideline technology since 2013 under a deal with the NFL. The company and league said they would do more to integrate Teams as part of an extension of the alliance earlier this year.

Over the course of the three-day draft a highly anticipated event for sports-starved fans during the COVID-19 pandemic Microsoft Teams was used to enable communication between the NFL and its clubs looking to make player selections.

Microsoft was just one company whose technology was used to pull off the event. Amazon Web Services provided hosting and video feed management; Verizon provided phones and connectivity for remote locations; and Bose provided headphones to all participants.

Yusuf Mehdi is a big NFL fan who happens to be a corporate vice president for Modern Life, Search and Devices at Microsoft. In a Teams call this week, he sported a Seattle Seahawks shirt as he switched his background to an image of the teams home, CenturyLink Field.

Mehdi watched the draft with his two sons and said he enjoyed the escape from the heaviness of the ongoing health crisis. He wasnt alone. The NFL established new viewership records for the event, with an average audience of over 8.4 million viewers watching all three days.

Without naming Zoom, he alluded to the rivals recent security challenges as he described one of Microsofts big selling points.

With a lot of these video conferencing solutions, youve heard critiques and cases where people drop in accidentally to other peoples calls, he said, noting that Microsoft has an edge on the security front because of the fact that we run it for so many enterprise accounts.

Other keys for the NFL Draft were ease of use and a broad feature set that includes video calls and text chat in channels. Mehdi said each NFL team was able to have a private channel to communicate among themselves and with the NFL. A special form was used to make selections, and it was timestamped to make sure everything adhered to the on the clock nature of the draft.

In its own blog post about the behind-the-scenes activity, Microsoft said a tool called Power Automate would automatically post the selection on the private Head Table channel and simultaneously relay it to Commissioner Roger Goodells Surface tablet so the pick could be transferred to a paper card and announced for the TV audience.

Its all a new wrinkle for a sports world in which Surface tablets have become as familiar on the sidelines as some of the coaches and players who use the devices whether theyre tossing them on the ground or swiping through plays in unique ways.

We want to be a part of the game Mehdi said. We dont want to be like a banner thats up on a stadium wall. We want our tech to be so emotional that people grab it and use it.

Mehdi is optimistic and hopeful that the NFL will be back in action, not just virtually, later this year, with Microsofts technology back on the sidelines. But building on the momentum of the virtual draft, he says the company is ready to help however it can.

They made all these draft picks, now they have to help get all these players on board and say, OK, what are our plays? How do we come together?' Mehdi said. The ability for our technology to help with that, whether its the Surface device or Teams or anything else, were going to play a big role.

Go here to read the rest:

Inside the NFL Draft: How Microsoft pulled off a win at a turning point for collaboration tech - GeekWire

Microsoft last night issued what it believes will be the final build of Windows 10 version 2004, ending months of pre-release improvements.

We are releasing build 19041.208 to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring, an updated version of the Microsoft announcement notes. While we originally thought that build 19041.207 would be the final build, we made the decision to take in one more fix we felt was important to have before making the May 2020 Update generally available. We believe that build 19041.208 is the new final build and still plan on continuing to improve the overall experience of the May 2020 Update on customers PCs as part of our normal servicing cadence.

As you may know, Microsoft finalized Windows 10 version 2004 back in December from a functional perspective, but its updated this release numerous times since then as it made its way, very slowly, from the Fast ring to the Slow ring to, finally, the Release Preview ring. Those updates take the form of cumulative updates (CUs), so they require a reboot, just contain fixes, and do not add additional features.

This latest build will only be pushed to a subset of those testing Windows 10 in the Release Preview ring because who the hell knows why, this never makes sense. But anyone running any build of Windows 10 version 2004 (who is not in Release Preview, apparently) can simply check for updates in Windows Update and initiate the install manually. Because, again, whatever.

Oddly, this final build still arrives with a list of known issues. Theres a problem with Windows Mixed Reality that could impact dozens of users, a problem with the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool that Microsoft says will be fixed in an upcoming servicing release (whatever that means; CU or feature update, why be clear), and some app interoperability issues with the Input Method Editor (IME).

Anyway, this slight misstep doesnt seem to change our latest guess at the initial public release of Windows 10 version 2004, which will be delivered via a feature update called the May 2020 Update, on Patch Tuesday, May 12, 2020. I guess well see.

Read more from the original source:

Microsoft Issues Final Build of Windows 10 Version 2004 - Thurrott.com - Thurrott.com

Ancient Olympia, one of Greeces most popular archaeological sites, will be introduced to people around the world via a new app to be designed and sponsored by Microsoft.

Greeces Central Archaeological Council (KAS) recently approved the project for the development of a digital application that will offer a 3D presentation of the monuments and artefacts of the archaeological site and museum in Ancient Olympia, as they were in antiquity.

The tour will be based on scientific data provided by a special committee to be established by Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni.

The promotion of our cultural heritage through the use of modern technology is a basic desideratum and a political choice of the Ministry of Culture. This sponsorship, apart from highlighting the archaeological site and museum of Ancient Olympia, also contributes to the promotion of the values of harmony and peace that are strongly connected with the sanctuary of Olympia as host of the [ancient] Olympic Games, said Mendoni.

Apart from the app, Microsoft will also create a website that will offer a virtual tour around Ancient Olympias archaeological site.

The website and app will be developed at no cost for the Greek state, as part of Microsofts AI for Good Corporate Social Responsibility program.

The projects details were also discussed during a meeting in Athens on Monday, between Greek Prime MinisterKyriakos Mitsotakisand Microsoft PresidentBrad Smith.

During his visit to Greece, Smith also toured the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia and said he felt impressed and honoured to visit the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

*Source: GTP

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Ancient Olympia to be showcased in new Microsoft app - Greek City Times

While Microsoft provides the operating system used by the vast majority of PC gamers, its fair to say that its attempts to build gaming services atop Windows have often fallen flat. Initiatives like Games for Windows Live failed to take off, and for a while, Microsofts overt presence in the PC gaming space was almost nonexistent. These days, though, the company is putting its efforts into something that might actually work: Xbox Game Pass. The subscription service has been one of the best things about the Xbox One for years, and its getting better on PC by the month.

You know, if were being honest, theres been some fits and starts from the Microsoft perspective for PC gaming over the long history of the company, says Ben Decker, general manager of Xbox marketing. But PC gaming is really where gaming at Microsoft started. And I think theres a deep commitment at the company to get it right and to deliver something of real value to the PC gaming community.

This weeks launch of Gears Tactics, a turn-based strategy take on the Gears of War series, is perhaps the most significant indicator of that so far. This is a high-profile, expensive-looking game in a marquee franchise for Microsoft, but its in a genre traditionally associated with the PC, and it doesnt even have a version for Xbox One consoles yet. Its available on Game Pass for PC from day one, and Microsoft is also selling it on Steam. Were expecting to be successful both places, Decker says, though he wont say how Microsoft thinks the split will break down.

This isnt the first time Microsoft has adapted its shooter IP to the strategy genre; the two Halo Wars games were ambitious exercises in making real-time strategy games work well with a controller. Gears Tactics, however, was designed for the PC from the start. Itll come to Xbox consoles eventually, but for now, youll need a PC to play it.

When we talk about PC-first, I think were really just talking about the focus that we wanted to bring to the product and making sure that we are giving the PC gamer everything that they expect, says Mike Crump, director of operations at The Coalition, Microsofts in-house studio that oversees the Gears franchise. PC gamers are a pretty demanding group, generally. And we wanted to make sure that we had the appropriate level of focus to give them everything they expect everything from building the game to scale where it can run well across laptops and machines without discrete graphics cards all the way up to, you know, for gamers that have invested in a very high-end gaming rig, delivering something that would be exceptional for them.

The Coalitions first original Gears game was 2016s Gears of War 4, which I noted in my review as having an unusually good PC version, with great optimization and visual options that went far beyond your average console port. That continued with last years Gears 5, one of the best-looking games you can play on any hardware. From what Ive played of Gears Tactics, it appears to have been developed very much in the same vein.

Gears 4 and 5 were both games where we really put a ton of effort in not just doing a typical port, but in making sure that we deliver something that PC gamers are gonna be delighted by, says Crump. And Tactics really from the ground up has been built first and foremost as a PC game with the PC gamer in mind. We have over 40 different visual settings that players can tune and customize to optimize their rig. We have a benchmark mode that allows you to test all those changes before you go into gameplay. We have settings where you can enable and disable different UI elements. So were really just trying to give the player every opportunity to customize and tweak the game to their preference.

With Gears Tactics launching day one on Xbox Game Pass for PC, The Coalition and Microsoft see an opportunity to grow the reach of the franchise. Our hope is that the kind of player that maybe has never played a Gears game before will try Tactics and will find that they are kind of really drawn into the Gears universe, and they are curious to try other Gears games and they can do that through Game Pass with a very low barrier to entry, Crump says. I think the magic of Game Pass is that it completely lowers the barrier for people trying something. Decker says that Gears 4 saw a 50 percent increase in players during the run-up to Gears 5s launch last year, with 40 percent of those playing a Gears game for the first time. (Right now, Gears 4, 5, and the Ultimate Edition remaster of the original Gears of War are available on PC, though Crump wouldnt be drawn on the possibility of further releases.)

The average Game Pass player ends up playing 40 percent more games overall, including games that arent part of the service, according to Decker. Games in the catalog also see their player bases increase sixfold on average. What we find with developers is that while this is a new model for a lot of them, theyve really been impressed by the discovery that the service can drive, he says. We see that after users join Game Pass, they play 30 percent more genres. So someone who is sort of stuck in the rhythm of just playing the latest first person shooter really branches out and tries puzzle games, tries more narrative-based games. So its really been a benefit from that perspective.

It still feels like its early days for the PC version of Game Pass. The service currently costs $4.99 a month or $14.99 a month for the Ultimate plan that includes access to the Xbox console Game Pass library and Xbox Live Gold. It launched with a small selection of games, and while its grown considerably, many big titles from the console service arent available on the PC subscription. Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most recent example. On the other hand, the PC subscription includes PC-focused titles like Football Manager that you wouldnt expect to see on Xbox consoles.

This is by design, according to Decker. People dont actually want the catalogs to be exactly the same, he says. There are genres and franchises that are incredibly beloved on the PC and are built for the PC-specific user interface and capabilities that dont translate incredibly well on the console and vice versa. I think youre always going to see some games that are specific to a platform within each of the catalogs.

This makes sense to some extent. I play a lot of NBA 2K on my Xbox, for example, and I wouldnt have much interest in doing so on my PC. Similarly, I dont really want an Xbox version of World of Horror, which is currently on Game Pass for PC in early access. But with something like Yakuza 0 (available in both PC and Xbox libraries) or Devil May Cry 5 (only on the console Game Pass), I could go either way. Ultimately, though, the decision is up to publishers.

With each game that we put in Game Pass, we really work with that publisher to understand their goals, understand their strategy, and come up with the right mix from a platform and an availability standpoint for them, Decker says. And there are some developers that are pursuing a different strategy on PC than they are on console, and so they choose to include their game in the PC catalog, but maybe not necessarily the console catalog or vice versa.

Even in a vacuum, though, Xbox Game Pass for PC is already an appealing service thats worth checking out. Gears Tactics is a significant signal of intent thats likely to draw more attention to Game Pass and how Microsoft will follow through with further releases. Its not an experiment, Decker says. Its really a commitment by Microsoft to get it right and bring something unique to the gaming space.

Excerpt from:

Gears Tactics and Game Pass show Microsoft is serious about PC gaming - The Verge

Microsoft is adding to its slightly worryingly named Productivity Score preview with additional granularity and categories.

The preview, which is accepting sign-ups next month, can be enabled from June via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center by selecting Productivity Score in the Reports menu.

It's a little creepy-sounding. Its goal is to assist a company in getting the best out of Microsoft's tools by analysing how users are working with the platform. As well as keeping on eye on collaboration habits and "meeting culture", the score is also affected by technology (for example, whinging about how many users are dragged down by spinning rust versus solid state). Helpfully, the system will also provide tips on how to improve things.

Things have got a bit more granular since those halcyon Ignite days, and more insights are now available, including a Communications category, which is all about seeing how users communicate and share.

More important in these remote-working times is the Network Connectivity category, which gives insights into locations where connectivity is, frankly, a bit rubbish.

Microsoft 365 corporate veep Brad Anderson's own particular obsession the time it takes a Microsoft-powered computer to cold boot to productivity is also measured by Endpoint Analytics.

The Reg put it to Anderson that all this slurpage might be a little worrying, and perhaps some less than enlightened companies might use such "productivity" data to slap an employee or two with the wet fish of HR.

He insisted that "there is no PII (Personally Identifiable Information) data in there... it's a valid concern, and so we've been very careful that as we bring that telemetry back, you know, we bring back what we need, but we stay out of the PII world."

Anderson went on to explain that within the Productivity Score, data could be retrieved on an individual level although it was possible to configure exceptions, for example where a country's labour or privacy laws do not allow that level of oversight.

In today's post on the matter, Microsoft stated: "In the Employee Experience area there is now user-level granularity in all categories to help you determine who needs upskilling."

Melissa Grant, Microsoft 365 director of product marketing, added that enabling snooping was not the plan, although Microsoft had been asked if it was possible to use the tool to check, for example, that employees were all online and working at 8, as usual. "We're not in the business," she said, "of sort of monitoring employees or using that stick to say, 'Hey, you're not doing this, you're not doing that'."

As well as tinkering with Productivity Score and associated analytics, Microsoft also extended the ability to use Azure Active Directory (AD) single sign-on (SSO) for an unlimited number of cloud apps at no extra cost.

Sponsored: Practical tips for Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration

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Extra knobs and dials for Microsoft's Productivity Score while Azure Active Directory lays on the freebies - The Register