VARINDIA IT MAGAZINE

Companies all over the world are looking to move to the cloud to help their business move faster. Azure provides security, reliability, and scale to help them deliver and scale their applications. Keeping in line with this, Microsoft announces new migration offerings as additional solutions to help customers get to the cloud easily and securely for their VMware environment. Enclosed are the services that will be a part of this offering - Migrate applications with Azure Migrate -  Azure Migrate helps you through the journey of migrating an entire multi-server application Integrate VMware workloads with Azure services -  There are many Azure services that you can use together with VMware workloads without any migration or deployment, enabling you to keep your entire environment secure and well-managed across cloud and on-premises Host VMware infrastructure with VMware virtualization on Azure -  Most workloads can be migrated to Azure easily using the abo...

Microsoft India has announced the launch of Microsoft Kaizala, a mobile-only product designed for large group communications and work management. Microsoft Kaizala makes it simple for organizations to seamlessly communicate, collaborate and complete tasks, bringing together desktop users and mobile-only users who may be within or outside their organizations.  Microsoft India has also announced the launch of its enterprise version, Kaizala Pro that allows organizations to have full administrative control of their groups. It comes with additional features that include user and group management, system integration and automation using Microsoft Kaizala APIs, advanced reporting and analytics, ability to publish custom actions, ability to create public groups, and organizational profile and directory.... Read More

India is a country which has a vibrant start-up ecosystem of over 5,000 active start-ups in technology and Microsoft is committed to fostering innovation among start-ups in India by providing resources, technology and mentoring to drive this innovation. It aims to provide the right tools, resources, connections, knowledge and expertise that start-ups need to leverage the full potential of the cloud and create innovative, SaaS solutions built on the cloud. Earlier this month, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was in Delhi where he urged Indian developers to use Microsoft platforms to innovate. He had said, “I want us to be the platform to foster the ingenuity of the people of India.” Read More

Microsoft has announced the availability of new capabilities in Office 365 across analytics, security and collaboration, available in a new enterprise plan called Office 365 E5. Priced at $35 per user/ month (existing enterprise Office 365 users can upgrade to this version at more competitive rates), this service is designed to modernize voice, video, and meeting experiences, while saving companies substantial time and money on an enterprise’s communication infrastructure. Together, the new capabilities mark the single-most substantial release of new enterprise value in the history of Office 365, and make Office 365 the most complete, most secured cloud productivity offering ever... Read more

With the help of enterprise-grade cloud technology from Microsoft, In2IT Technologies, a Gold Partner of Microsoft, is enabling businesses in Odisha. The company provides a wide array of Microsoft cloud services, including Office 365, Azure and CRM Online, to its customers from different industry sectors – government, education, BFSI, utility and enterprise. These services can help businesses in Odisha grow and become more profitable and productive. Rudra Shankar Shatapathy, Managing Director, In2IT Technologies Pvt. Ltd, said, “The world today is driven by technology and it is important for businesses of all sizes and sectors to adopt the latest technology if they want to stay ahead of the curve. Our association with Microsoft is a major step in this direction and we will continue to work towards enabling the digital transformation of businesses across various sectors.” Read more

To drive innovation in the fast-evolving e-commerce industry, Microsoft has entered into broad-ranging agreements with JustDial, PayTm and Snapdeal, a special cloud initiative for start-ups aligned to smart cities, and availability of its flagship devices – Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL, and Microsoft Surface Pro 4 in December and January, respectively.  Microsoft also showcased the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 at the event. Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft Corporation, said, “At Microsoft, we strive to empower every Indian citizen and every business and government organization to achieve more. With the newly launched Microsoft Cloud and with Surface Pro 4, our customers here in India have the digital technology they need to seize incredible new growth and opportunity on a global scale.”... Read more

Microsoft has announced availability of Microsoft Azure services via local datacenter regions in India. As the first public cloud provider from India, Microsoft has opened three new regions – Central India in Pune, South India in Chennai and West India in Mumbai. Built on the foundational principles of security, privacy & control, compliance and transparency, Microsoft cloud services are designed to enable individuals and organizations to achieve more. In the words of Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, “The Microsoft cloud in India will transform the way computing is done in the country.” Read more

Microsoft will be working with Andhra Pradesh on TV White Spaces Project, a technology that uses unused TV spectrum to deliver low-cost Internet connectivity to users. Anil Bhansali, Managing Director, Microsoft India R&D, and Prashant Shukla, National Technology Officer, and other executives called on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to discuss the company’s initiatives. Anil Bhansali Prashant Shukla with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu 300x300 Microsoft will start pilot on White Spaces and Machine Learning Technology in Andhra PradeshIn a first-of-its-kind pilot, Microsoft, DOT, DEITY and ERNET are working with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to bring low-cost broadband internet connectivity to four educational institutions in the district of Srikakulam which had no internet connectivity earlier. With Z. P. High School at Voppangi as the base station, the other three campuses were receivers located at distances of 10 kilometres or more from the base station... Read...

Reachwell Software has launched an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution which leverages Microsoft’s Technologies, to help businesses manage their IT and Non-IT assets (e.g., software, hardware, furniture, plant & machinery, vehicles, land and buildings, etc). The EAM solution from Reachwell has been designed to help organizations gain visibility of their assets at all times; track when, how and from where they were purchased, where they are physically located and who is using them. The solution covers the Asset Lifecycle and includes management of asset inventory with procurement, fixed asset register, depreciation, contracts, maintenance, work order, property, space and helpdesk with built-in features for generating Barcode / RFID. Gouri Shankar, Director, Reachwell Software Services, said, “Reachwell Asset Management solution is useful for diverse industry verticals, especially BFSI, IT, ITeS, Manufacturing, Hospitals, Hospitality, Infrastructure, Defense and Educati...

Microsoft and ZNetLive have come together to empower SMBs in Rajasthan to take their business online, for as low as INR199. With this offering, they aim to help over 20,000 SMBs in Rajasthan to reach more customers globally, while making the business more discoverable, keeping the identity secure and enabling collaboration. This partnership will enable all small and big businesses to host and publish their website in less than 45 seconds, and enhance their sales output by connecting with more customers digitally. “Our association with Microsoft will help SMBs take their businesses online at an affordable price of INR199 per month. Our offer will not just provide them with website solutions, but also make them more collaborative and productive. We want businesses today, to recognize the power of web and cloud, and translate it to growth,” said Munesh Jadoun, CEO, ZNetLive. Manohar Hotchandani, Director, Business Development, Microsoft India, said, “Technology has made the worl...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   Increasingly, consumers are looking to do more with their devices and relying more on the services that power these devices. Keeping this in mind,  Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT)  has announced availability of  Office 365 Personal for individual users , further enriching its services offerings for Indian consumers. Office 365 Personal allows users to connect up to two home devices to the service. Microsoft has showcased a wide range of consumer services targeted at the next 25 million new Indian users. Chakrapani Gollapali, Country General Manager, Consumer Channels Group , said, "Today’s consumers are seeking a more optimized experience across their phone, tablet and PC and the combined power of Microsoft devices and services provides the best experience they can have today across all these. We, at Microsoft, are working hard to deliver unmatched immersive experiences to the next 25 million consumers, powered by our first- ...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   Microsoft India(NASDAQ:MSFT)  has announced a permanent price drop on its bestselling consoles - the  250GB Xbox 360  and the  250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect . While the 250GB Xbox 360 will now be available to consumers at a discounted price of Rs.21,990, the 250GB Kinect will cost Rs.31,990. These consoles are currently available in the market with additional freebies (Free Games or Xbox Live Gold Membership). Anshu Mor, Director - Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft India, said, "We are committed to offer great experiences to our consumers at compelling price points. This price drop on 250GB Sku’s, coupled with our recently launched Xbox Live Gold Rush promo, will provide great value to our community of fans and gamers." Xbox 360 offers a complete gaming and entertainment experience with the biggest blockbuster gaming titles, including Titanfall, a full body motion sensing experience with Kinect and an...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT)  has announced to the effect that it has completed its acquisition of the  Nokia Devices and Services business . The acquisition has been approved by the Nokia shareholders and by the governmental regulatory agencies around the world. The completion of the acquisition marks the first step in bringing these two organizations together as one team. "Today, we welcome the Nokia Devices and Services business to our family. The mobile capabilities and assets they bring will advance our transformation. Together with our partners, we remain focussed on delivering innovation more rapidly in our mobile-first, cloud-first world," said  Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella . As part of the transaction, Microsoft will honour all existing Nokia customer warranties for existing devices, beginning April 25, 2014. Microsoft will continue to deliver new value and opportunity, and it will work closely with a range o...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   With  Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT)  all set to end support on  8 April for the thirteen-year-old operating system Windows XP , the company has issued a warning to loyal Windows XP users  to get ready to deal with the potential cyber attacks targeting their systems after the official end of the support. In India as most of the ATMs (automated teller machines) are yet to migrate to the later versions they may face the array of security issues which will be accompanied by the end of support for XP. In a blog post, Tim Rains, Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Group (TwC) director, advised businesses not to use XP. Failing to do so will put them and their customers at increased risk. "Today, attackers typically steal personal and business information from the systems they go after and try to keep a lower profile, as the goal is financial profit more regularly than mischievous disruption or ego," read the post. "The ty...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   Microsoft India(NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced that a significant portion of its growth in India in the last 12 months has come from its cloud business. Scalability, reduced costs, flexibility, business agility and speed in new service rollout are some of the reasons enterprises in India are attracted to cloud services. With its large partner and developer ecosystem, Microsoft is helping Indian organizations assess and transition to the cloud easily. Microsoft has 10,000 partners and engages with an ecosystem of 1.6 million developers in the country. “Microsoft is powering the cloud transition in India with Windows Azure and a set of comprehensive offerings across private, hybrid and public clouds,” said Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India , at the Windows Azure Conference in Bengaluru. “We are adding over 2,000 commercial cloud customers every month in India and these are customers across all industry sectors ...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   Though Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT) is expected to release Windows 8.1 Update 1, as it is known online, in the next month, it inadvertently leaked a version of the updated operating system online to download for a short time some days back. Windows 8.1 Update 1 is intended to improve the touch interface making it more appealing to the mouse and keyboard users. Update 1 Files, which have now been removed, were leaked on Microsoft's Windowsupdate.com domain. However, going by the accounts posted online, the update has been successfully installed by a number of users including the technology magazine Verge. The update includes features like option to display the Windows Desktop taskbar over the top of apps running in the touch interface known as Modern UI, and a new search button in the Modern UI

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   Aimed at building a deep long-term association between industry and academia, Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT)  has announced the launch of  Microsoft Academia Accelerator . Microsoft, in collaboration with the faculty at 10 leading Indian engineering colleges, will aim to enhance the Computer Science curriculum in selective areas and foster even greater student-driven innovation and entrepreneurship. Anantharaman, Head of Business Management, Microsoft India (R&D) , said, “India produces some of the world’s finest engineering talent. Much of this talent gets started on their journeys at our top engineering colleges. By adding a layer of cutting-edge industry know-how on top of the existing Computer Science curriculum, the Academia Accelerator program aims to expose students to critically important technology trends and practices earlier, during their formative years, thereby preparing them with vital skills and experienc...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   As part of its strategic move to help developers and IT professionals chart their career path and prepare to make their mark in the apps landscape, Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT) , along with 23 learning solution partners like NIIT, Aptech and IT-Networkz, are hosting the "Power Your Future" initiative across the country. More than 45,000 developers and IT professionals are participating in a simultaneous orientation session across 1,000 locations, aimed at helping them chart their career path.  This initiative is projected to also provide direction to hone their skills to build apps for the global marketplace. "Microsoft is committed to helping every individual realize their full potential. This initiative will help developers and IT professionals across the country prepare for modern app development scenarios," commented Pratima Amonkar, Director - Strategic Audience Marketing, Microsoft Corporation India . T...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   Microsoft Corporation (India)(NASDAQ:MSFT)  has launched the  Sculpt Mobile Mouse  optimized for Windows.Equipped with a Windows 8 key for easy access to the start screen and to all the favourite apps with just one click, it is designed for consumers who want enhanced mobility and productivity. The mouse is compact in its design and packed with wireless USB capabilities and BlueTrack Technology, which works on virtually any surface, making it an ideal device for the office or on the go. It is compatible with both Windows PC devices and Macs. Along with portability, it supports all types of computing – serious computing for professionals, basic computing for students, gaming & entertainment, and also mobile computing for on-the-go consumers. Alka Kaul, Category Lead -  Hardware, Microsoft Corporation (India) , said, "Microsoft has a legacy of creating innovative, design-friendly hardware products. The...

VARINDIA- INDIA'S FRONTLINE IT MAGAZINE   As part of an initiative to educate full-time and part-time students studying in accredited colleges and universities in India,  Microsoft(NASDAQ:MSFT)  has announced the availability of Office 365 University. This will help the students to subscribe to Office 365 University which includes the latest and most complete set of Office applications and works across 2 PCs or Macs, comes with Office on- Demand and an additional 20GB Premium SkyDrive Storage -  all for Rs.4,199/- for a 4-year subscription. Office 365 University  will empower students to study better, resulting in future jobs and provide them a winning edge in the young and competitive Indian job market. Microsoft Office 365 University will help youth to strengthen education and expand digital inclusion as well as realize new opportunities of employability and entrepreneurship. Ramkumar Pichai, GM - Microsoft Office Division, Microsoft India , said...