We never take your trust for granted

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Microsoft on the Issues</title> <atom:link href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues</link> <description>News and perspectives on legal, public policy and citizenship topics</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2016 14:01:09 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1</generator> <item> <title>Year in review: New online safety resources created, 2017 brings focus on digital civility</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/19/year-review-new-online-safety-resources-created-2017-brings-focus-digital-civility/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2016 14:00:30 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jacqueline Beauchere]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Online Safety]]></category> <category><![CDATA[online security]]></category> <category><![CDATA[YouthSpark]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=49439</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I recently attended the Family Online Safety Institute’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., where the event theme – “Online Safety in Transition” – prompted me to reflect on my work in online safety and how it has evolved. Looking back on 2016, the online safety landscape has indeed shifted and we at Microsoft will continue to focus on the issue in 2017. When I began working in online safety some <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/19/year-review-new-online-safety-resources-created-2017-brings-focus-digital-civility/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/19/year-review-new-online-safety-resources-created-2017-brings-focus-digital-civility/">Year in review: New online safety resources created, 2017 brings focus on digital civility</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I recently attended the <a href="http://www.fosi.org/">Family Online Safety Institute</a>’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., where the event theme – “Online Safety in Transition” – prompted me to reflect on my work in online safety and how it has evolved. Looking back on 2016, the online safety landscape has indeed shifted and we at Microsoft will continue to focus on the issue in 2017.</p> <p>When I began working in online safety some 12 years ago, risks like child predation took center stage, more out of fear than fact, and issues such as phishing were just starting to become mainstream. With a code of conduct and robust content moderation practices in place, our responses focused on public awareness-raising, informal educational efforts and collaboration with others in industry and civil society. While being cognizant of existing and emerging risks, we spoke of the transformational power of technology, and the promises to be derived from a connected world. And, while those ideals still hold true, a dozen years later, the face of online safety has changed.</p> <p>In 2016, Microsoft announced <a href="http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/08/26/new-resources-report-hate-speech-request-content-reinstatement/">new resources</a> for reporting hate speech on our hosted consumer services, developed a <a href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/getsupport?oaspworkflow=start_1.0.0.0&amp;wf=0&amp;wfName=capsub&amp;productkey=ReinstateContent&amp;locale=en-us">new form</a> for reporting any type of content that we may have removed (or an account that we may have closed) in error and published <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/05/20/microsofts-approach-terrorist-content-online/">our approach</a> to addressing terrorist content online. We also marked <a href="http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/07/22/microsofts-revenge-porn-approach-one-year-later/#sm.0001ar9n19yfzel7yar13786tdux3">one year</a> since our non-consensual pornography (or “revenge porn”) policy went into effect, and we used that milestone to create <a href="https://youtu.be/MHyZ17LM-ss">new guidance</a> to help support victims. We continued our work in the <a href="http://www.weprotect.org/">WePROTECT Global Alliance</a> to End Child Sexual Exploitation Online; stepped up efforts to combat <a href="https://staysafeonline.org/blog/new-data-reveals-two-thirds-of-global-consumers-have-experienced-tech-support-scams">tech support fraud</a>, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/about/philanthropies/browsepdf.ashx?path=http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/6/F/96F18F7D-FB3B-4242-9C57-2F24AF23C687/Responding%20to%20online%20bullying%20and%20harassment.pdf">online bullying and harassment</a>; and supported groups and causes across the globe focused on safeguarding children’s rights, protecting other vulnerable members of our global online population and evangelizing best practices.</p> <p>In the final months of 2016, we previewed new research (<a href="http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/09/06/teens-are-concerned-about-personal-safety-online-pessimistic-about-future-risks/">post #1</a>, <a href="http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/10/online-risks-real-world-consequences-new-microsoft-research-shows/">post #2</a>) that we will publish in full on Feb. 7, 2017, which is Safer Internet Day. The study, “Civility, Safety and Interaction Online – 2016,” polled teens and adults in 14 countries,<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> asking about their experiences and encounters with 17 different online risks across four categories: behavioral, reputational, sexual and personal/intrusive. We hope these findings will serve as an evidentiary base for a global push toward “digital civility” – healthy behaviors for youth and adults alike, both online and off, grounded in respect, constructive interaction and inclusion. Such a shift will mark a further evolution in online safety, combining the focus areas of the early years of the new millennia with the fresh realities of the internet today.</p> <p>In addition to the digital civility research, we plan to release other materials on Safer Internet Day 2017, including suggested smart practices for youth, teens and adults, educators, school officials, new technology companies and others. Watch our digital and social channels for updates and new releases between the start of the new year and Safer Internet Day.</p> <p>While we’re encouraged by our new campaign for digital civility and some favorable early feedback, we don’t profess to have all the answers – not by any stretch. On the contrary, new concerns and fresh twists on age-old internet issues continue to surface regularly, with many problems presenting a delicate balancing of interests. So, as one step, we want to get back to basics and encourage civility and respect in all online interactions.</p> <p>In the meantime ahead of our Safer Internet Day release, continue to visit our <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/youthspark/youthsparkhub/programs/onlinesafety/">website</a> and <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/en-us/youthspark/youthsparkhub/programs/onlinesafety/resources/">resources</a> page on the Microsoft YouthSpark Hub.  There, we offer advice and guidance for dealing with almost any online situation. For more regular news and information, “like” us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/saferonline">Facebook</a> and follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/safer_online">Twitter</a>. We look forward to sharing more on SID, and here’s to making 2017 the safest digital New Year yet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Countries surveyed: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/19/year-review-new-online-safety-resources-created-2017-brings-focus-digital-civility/">Year in review: New online safety resources created, 2017 brings focus on digital civility</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Expanding partnerships and transparency on human rights</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/09/expanding-partnerships-transparency-human-rights/</link> <pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:35:50 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Steve Crown]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[human rights]]></category> <category><![CDATA[International Human Rights Day]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=49379</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>As our society becomes increasingly interconnected, it is more critical than ever that we foster a strong relationship between business and the protection of human rights. With that in mind, and in honor of Human Rights Day tomorrow, I am pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with UC Berkeley to further embed human rights in business education, as well as share a positive step forward in Microsoft’s own commitment <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/09/expanding-partnerships-transparency-human-rights/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/09/expanding-partnerships-transparency-human-rights/">Expanding partnerships and transparency on human rights</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As our society becomes increasingly interconnected, it is more critical than ever that we foster a strong relationship between business and the protection of human rights. With that in mind, and in honor of <a href="http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/">Human Rights Day</a> tomorrow, I am pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with UC Berkeley to further embed human rights in business education, as well as share a positive step forward in Microsoft’s own commitment to transparency with an updated Microsoft global human rights statement.</p> <p><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='640' height='390' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yiNnRF-I1g8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe></p> <p>Over the last decade, Microsoft has made significant strides to advance and reaffirm our commitment to the protection of human rights. These initiatives include joining the UN Global Compact, helping establish the Global Network Initiative, and working to align our company with the UN’s Guiding Principles. We also work with some of the world’s leading human rights organizations to apply the power of technology to promote human rights.</p> <p>Today, we are building on that work and have released an updated <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/corporate-responsibility/human-rights-statement">Microsoft Global Human Rights Statement</a> outlining Microsoft’s approach to human rights as we work to ensure that technology plays a positive role across the globe. Key updates to this statement include:</p> <ul> <li>Making explicit Microsoft’s recognition that technology is increasingly an essential gateway to the enjoyment of human rights everywhere;</li> <li>Expanding our human rights commitments to encompass the special consideration we give to vulnerable groups such as children, women and persons with disabilities; and</li> <li>Emphasizing the importance we ascribe to championing the rule of law informed by consideration of international norms.</li> </ul> <p>We must continue to work together to ensure basic human rights for every person.</p> <p>To that end, we recognize that more investment is needed to deepen the connections between the protection of human rights and the core strategy and operations of companies around the world. This is why we are so thrilled to announce our partnership with the Center for Responsible Business at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business on the <a href="http://redefiningbusiness.org/human-rights-partnership/">Human Rights &amp; Business Initiative</a>. This initiative aims to integrate key human rights issues such as privacy, inclusion, freedom of expression, education and employment directly into business education. Humanity United, a leading non-profit focused on human rights issues such as forced labor and human trafficking, will also be lending their expertise to the program.</p> <p>We are excited for the opportunities with this program and the insights we hope to gain from it as we work to expand these efforts in the future. Through education, we can empower the next generation of business leaders around the world with a strong foundation in human rights.</p> <p>As you may know, Human Rights Day commemorates the day 68 years ago when the United Nations General Assembly first adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What a powerful reminder of our common humanity and the need to stand up for the basic rights of all people.</p> <p>Working together, we can promote a safer, more free and more inclusive society for everyone – and a better world for the next generation.  We look forward to doing that with you.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/09/expanding-partnerships-transparency-human-rights/">Expanding partnerships and transparency on human rights</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>European Commission clears Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn; deal to close in coming days</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/06/european-commission-clears-microsofts-acquisition-linkedin-deal-close-coming-days/</link> <pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2016 15:45:44 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Corporate Blogs]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LinkedIn]]></category> <category><![CDATA[social media]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40736</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The European Commission announced Tuesday in Brussels that it has cleared Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn. Microsoft has now obtained all the regulatory approvals needed to complete the acquisition, and the deal will close in the coming days. Tuesday’s clearance follows similar reviews and approvals in the United States, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. As part of discussions with the European Commission, Microsoft formalized several commitments regarding its support for third-party <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/06/european-commission-clears-microsofts-acquisition-linkedin-deal-close-coming-days/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/06/european-commission-clears-microsofts-acquisition-linkedin-deal-close-coming-days/">European Commission clears Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn; deal to close in coming days</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The European Commission announced Tuesday in Brussels that it has cleared Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn.</p> <p>Microsoft has now obtained all the regulatory approvals needed to complete the acquisition, and the deal will close in the coming days.</p> <p>Tuesday’s clearance follows similar reviews and approvals in the United States, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. As part of discussions with the European Commission, Microsoft formalized several commitments regarding its support for third-party professional social networking services that compete with LinkedIn.</p> <p>“With this regulatory process behind us, we can bring together two great companies and focus on even broader issues for the future,” writes Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith.</p> <p>Read more on <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/?p=73487">The Official Microsoft Blog</a>.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/06/european-commission-clears-microsofts-acquisition-linkedin-deal-close-coming-days/">European Commission clears Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn; deal to close in coming days</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Computer Science Education Week: An opportunity to bring 21st century skills to everyone</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/04/computer-science-education-week-opportunity-bring-21st-century-skills-everyone/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 05:00:03 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mary Snapp]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Computer Science Education Week]]></category> <category><![CDATA[education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[inclusion]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40619</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Today marks the beginning of Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek). This annual initiative mobilizes educators, parents, nonprofits and the industry to inspire all young people to learn computer science and open the door to a promising future. Why does computer science education matter? Right now, fewer than 3 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded in the United States are in the field of computer science. Yet, computer programming jobs are <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/04/computer-science-education-week-opportunity-bring-21st-century-skills-everyone/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/04/computer-science-education-week-opportunity-bring-21st-century-skills-everyone/">Computer Science Education Week: An opportunity to bring 21st century skills to everyone</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today marks the beginning of <a href="http://csedweek.org/">Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek)</a>. This annual initiative mobilizes educators, parents, nonprofits and the industry to inspire all young people to learn computer science and open the door to a promising future.</p> <p>Why does computer science education matter? Right now, <a href="http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d15/tables/dt15_322.10.asp?current=yes">fewer than 3</a> percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded in the United States are in the field of computer science. Yet, computer programming jobs are growing at twice the national average and are among the top paying fields. Our tech fueled world is expected to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/12/11/computer-science-everyone">generate 1.4 million computing jobs in the U.S. alone</a> by 2020. Today, there are already more than 604,000 open computing jobs nationwide. However, only <a href="http://csedu.gallup.com/home.aspx">40 percent of schools in the U.S. teach any form of computer science</a>.</p> <p>With our rising digital economy and the nonstop pace of technological change, we have an imperative to prepare young people to pursue careers that are in demand. Beyond computing jobs, computer science education also provides the computational thinking and problem solving skills that are now required in any field – from music and fashion, to manufacturing, health care and transportation.</p> <p>So why, then, aren’t more young people jumping at the chance to learn skills that will qualify them for rewarding work? The answer is nuanced, but one of the biggest barriers is straightforward – the lack of equitable access to computer science education and related skills essential for 21^st century careers.</p> <p>Our own efforts during CSEdWeek and throughout the year center on making computer science more accessible and inclusive. In partnership with nonprofit <a href="http://www.code.org/">Code.org</a> and other leading tech companies, Microsoft is encouraging millions of young people globally to spend an hour this week – and beyond – getting started on their journey of learning computer science. To that end, the <a href="http://www.code.org/minecraft">Minecraft Hour of Code Designer</a> is a tutorial for students and educators created by Microsoft and <a href="https://mojang.com/">Mojang</a> for <a href="https://code.org/learn">Hour of Code</a>.</p> <p>The tutorial allows players to create their own custom game experience, plugging together blocks of code to control the behaviors of sheep, zombies and other creatures. It includes a set of 12 challenges, followed by free play time so users can create a game using the coding concepts they’ve just learned. Throughout the week, Microsoft will lead hundreds of <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/about/philanthropies/youthspark/youthsparkhub/programs/studentprograms/">free hands-on coding workshops in Microsoft Stores</a> around the world. Our <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/about/philanthropies/youthspark/youthsparkhub/">YouthSpark Hub</a> offers even more resources for finding in-person coding camps, as well as coding tutorials.</p> <p>Additionally, this week, in partnership with the California Academy of Sciences and KQED, Microsoft will host Hacking STEM activities where students will apply coding to a relatable challenge in their own world. In an accessible format, they will learn more about earthquakes by building and coding a functional sensor-enabled seismograph – engineering, equipping and testing prototypes with the potential to help mitigate earthquake damage.</p> <p>Over many years, Microsoft has developed such partnerships and programs that help reach young people who are most likely to be among those without access to computer science education —particularly girls, minorities and those living in rural areas with limited connectivity. We collaborate closely with nonprofits around the world, including <a href="http://www.bgca.org/meetourpartners/Pages/Microsoft.aspx">Boys &amp; Girls Clubs of America</a>, to deliver computer science learning in clubs throughout the U.S., and with <a href="https://coderdojo.com/news/2015/04/19/microsoft-partner-with-the-coderdojo-foundation-and-movement/">Coder Dojo</a> across Europe. Their efforts are critical to reach underrepresented groups and close the skills gap.</p> <p>As part of Microsoft Philanthropies, we also run a program called <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/teals">TEALS</a> (Technology Education and Literacy in Schools), which pairs computer engineers from Microsoft and other tech companies with full-time high school teachers to teach introductory and advanced placement (AP) computer science. In addition to TEALS, the company works with a broad spectrum of educators to help prepare students for the digital future. This week, that includes <a href="https://borntolearn.mslearn.net/b/weblog/posts/the-importance-of-computer-science-curriculum">expanding resources</a> in <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/imagine-academy/default.aspx">Microsoft Imagine Academy</a> – a one-stop shop for digital curriculum, fundamental technology skills certification and teacher training tools.</p> <p>In my role, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with educators and nonprofits eager to collaborate on creative ideas, get kids excited about coding and make positive shifts in public policy to improve accessibility to computer science. From visiting dozens of schools, Boys &amp; Girls Clubs and other programs, I’ve seen firsthand that from the minute kids sit down and start coding, the world around them disappears. When coding is fun, they respond intuitively and love diving in.</p> <p>Expanding access to computer science – for all – is why initiatives like CSEdWeek are so important. Together, we can work to ensure any young person who wants to learn critical computational skills or go on to study computer science in community college or university has these options. And, in just an hour, we can start them on a journey where they gain the skills and knowledge needed to pursue their passions in our increasingly digital world.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/04/computer-science-education-week-opportunity-bring-21st-century-skills-everyone/">Computer Science Education Week: An opportunity to bring 21st century skills to everyone</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Highlights from Microsoft’s annual shareholders meeting</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/highlights-microsofts-annual-shareholders-meeting/</link> <pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:07:56 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[John Seethoff]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Accessibility]]></category> <category><![CDATA[shareholders]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40673</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I want to thank Microsoft’s shareholders who attended or voted at this year’s Annual Shareholders Meeting. Microsoft shareholders: Re-elected all 11 directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders. All director nominees received a vote of 99 percent of votes cast. Approved, on a nonbinding advisory basis, the fiscal year 2016 compensation of the company’s named executive officers. The advisory measure received 96 percent of votes cast. Ratified <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/highlights-microsofts-annual-shareholders-meeting/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/highlights-microsofts-annual-shareholders-meeting/">Highlights from Microsoft’s annual shareholders meeting</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I want to thank Microsoft’s shareholders who attended or voted at this year’s Annual Shareholders Meeting. Microsoft shareholders:</p> <ul> <li>Re-elected all 11 directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders. All director nominees received a vote of 99 percent of votes cast.</li> <li>Approved, on a nonbinding advisory basis, the fiscal year 2016 compensation of the company’s named executive officers. The advisory measure received 96 percent of votes cast.</li> <li>Ratified the selection of Deloitte &amp; Touche LLP as the company’s independent auditor for fiscal year 2017, with a vote of almost 99 percent of votes cast.</li> <li>Approved an amendment to Microsoft’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation lowering the threshold for shareholders calling a special meeting from 25 to 15 percent of shares, with a vote of 99 percent of votes cast.</li> <li>Approved a French Sub Plan under the 2001 Stock Plan, with a vote of 97 percent of votes cast.</li> <li>Rejected a shareholder proposal to make amendments to the current Proxy Access for Director Nominations bylaw; the proposal received approximately 26 percent of votes cast.</li> </ul> <p>As Satya Nadella has shared, Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and organization connects in fundamental ways with how we as a company operate, from how we design and develop technology to how we work to serve people with disabilities. A highlight of this year’s meeting was the <a href="https://microsoft.onlineshareholdermeeting.com/vsm/web?pvskey=MSFT16">demonstration</a> by Anne Taylor, Senior Supportability Program Manager, of how our <a href="https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/accessibility/2016/12/02/making-microsoft-products-more-accessible-what-to-expect-in-2017/">assistive technologies</a> like Windows Narrator (a screen reader built into Windows 10) make it possible for someone who is blind or visually impaired to access our shareholder materials. Anne showed on stage how, by using Narrator, she was able to have a Word document read back to her at various speeds, call out when comments were made, and provide her own responses through the use of keyboard shortcuts instead of a mouse.</p> <p>In conjunction with providing an online vote via a virtual shareholders meeting, we delivered an interactive version of our <a href="https://iiwisdom.com/msft-2016/?EventID=165966">proxy statement</a> for the second year in a row. A <a href="https://microsoft.onlineshareholdermeeting.com/vsm/web?pvskey=MSFT16">webcast</a> of our annual meeting is available on our <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/investor/Default.aspx">Investor Relations</a> site, along with a detailed breakdown of the vote results.</p> <p>We continually strive to improve. Let us know what you think by sending questions or thoughts you may have to <a href="mailto:AskBoard@microsoft.com">AskBoard@microsoft.com</a>.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/highlights-microsofts-annual-shareholders-meeting/">Highlights from Microsoft’s annual shareholders meeting</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>An opportunity for small businesses expanding affordable internet access: Grant applications open now</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/opportunity-small-businesses-expanding-affordable-internet-access-grant-applications-open-now/</link> <pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2016 14:00:13 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Garnett]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Affordable Access Initiative]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Internet access]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft Philanthropies]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40592</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>This post originally appeared on NextBillion.net. New Sun Road is literally lighting up Uganda’s economy. The small business, supported with a grant from Microsoft’s Affordable Access Initiative, provides a critical service, creates jobs and is the kind of enterprise we aim to support with a second round of grants for innovators around the world. Initially conceived at UC Berkeley, New Sun Road designed, built and operated the first 24/7 metered <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/opportunity-small-businesses-expanding-affordable-internet-access-grant-applications-open-now/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/opportunity-small-businesses-expanding-affordable-internet-access-grant-applications-open-now/">An opportunity for small businesses expanding affordable internet access: Grant applications open now</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_40655" style="width: 650px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/12/newsunroad2.jpeg"><img class="size-full wp-image-40655" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/12/newsunroad2.jpeg" alt="Phot of man outdoors installing micro-grid technology on one of Uganda’s Ssese Islands." width="640" height="480" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">New Sun Road’s micro-grid technology being installed on one of Uganda’s Ssese Islands. Image courtesy of New Sun Road.</p></div> <p><em>This post originally appeared on NextBillion.net.</em></p> <p><a href="http://newsunroad.com/">New Sun Road</a> is literally lighting up Uganda’s economy. The small business, supported with a grant from Microsoft’s <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/affordable-access-initiative/home">Affordable Access Initiative</a>, provides a critical service, creates jobs and is the kind of enterprise we aim to support with a second round of grants for innovators around the world.</p> <p>Initially conceived at <a href="http://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a>, New Sun Road designed, built and operated the first 24/7 metered electricity service on an off-grid island chain in the southern part of Uganda. Now they are sharing their technology solutions with other entrepreneurs to accelerate development and scale clean, renewable power systems in developing markets such as East Africa and Southeast Asia.</p> <p><strong>A challenge, and an opportunity, in Uganda</strong></p> <p>The 50,000 inhabitants of the Ssese Islands in Uganda depend on an economy largely driven by the fishing industry. Before New Sun Road’s system went online, local businesses had only an intermittent power supply, provided by costly diesel generators, which made it difficult to provide predictable hours of operation. Since the introduction of a solar grid, fishing-adjacent businesses including taverns, restaurants and food processors enjoy improved physical security, due to around-the-clock lighting, and much lower utility fees.</p> <p>Electricity costs – which had previously accounted for up to a third of clients’ daily incomes – have fallen by 50 percent. Extended hours enabled by the new system are allowing businesses to stay open later, increasing earning potential and job creation. Most importantly, New Sun Road’s prototype demonstrated strong local demand for solar micro-grid power, giving new utility companies confidence to build larger systems and expand service throughout the remote Ssese Islands.</p> <p>“While building our micro-grid in the Ssese Islands, we encountered a lot of obstacles stemming from lack of power, water, sanitation and transport infrastructure – and this helped us better understand the daily struggles residents of the islands face,” said Jalel Sager, director at New Sun Road. “We are proud to have provided our early customers with 24-hour reliable clean energy and tablet-based connectivity on the island as a first step toward securing the rest of the services they need for a better future.”</p> <p>New Sun Road’s micro-grid management systems also use various Microsoft Azure cloud-connected tools, such as real-time analytics, automated event notifications and machine learning, to maximize efficiency. The company gathers data on electricity usage and identifies patterns that can predict when there will be outages or potential failures. Once a possible lapse is identified, the system alerts local technicians and keeps customers updated. And New Sun Road systems provide the foundation for broadband internet capabilities in the community.</p> <p><strong>Affordable Access Initiative grants: Year Two</strong></p> <p>Unfortunately, 3.9 billion people worldwide, often in economically disadvantaged, rural and other underserved communities, lack internet connectivity. That’s why Microsoft created the <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/affordable-access-initiative/home">Affordable Access Initiative</a>, a holistic, partnership-based program that invests in new last-mile access technologies, cloud-based services and business models to reduce the cost of internet access and help more people affordably get online. The initiative is a call to innovate. By using seed grants, mentoring networks and sparking community engagement, we cultivate partner companies that demonstrate promising market-based solutions through hardware, software or infrastructure improvements that deliver connectivity.</p> <p>One important aspect of Microsoft’s Affordable Access Initiative is a grant fund which has, since November 2015, awarded funds to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/affordable-access-initiative/winners">12 companies</a> in 11 countries and five continents, offering affordable internet access or cloud-based services in fields such as power generation, health, education, finance and agriculture. The social enterprises we support have inspired us with practical, high-impact and scalable approaches to help close the digital divide. It’s a privilege to see these solutions take shape, and to play a role in helping local entrepreneurs spur job creation and economic growth.</p> <p>This initiative is also connected to the work of <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/philanthropies">Microsoft Philanthropies</a>, which is helping to bring technology’s benefits to those who need them most. Microsoft Philanthropies is making its digital literacy, online safety and computer science education programs available to grant recipients and the communities they serve.</p> <p>“Too many people around the world lack internet connectivity and the educational, commercial and economic benefits of cloud-based services,” Mary Snapp, corporate vice president and head of Microsoft Philanthropies, told me. “Affordable Access Initiative grants, and the technology ecosystems they help support, empower entrepreneurs to provide connectivity which then enables the creation of critical services for those who need it most.”</p> <p>Businesses wishing to apply for this year’s grants may find a list of criteria, and the application, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/affordable-access-initiative/home">here</a>. Applications will be accepted until midnight PT on Jan. 31, 2017.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/12/02/opportunity-small-businesses-expanding-affordable-internet-access-grant-applications-open-now/">An opportunity for small businesses expanding affordable internet access: Grant applications open now</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>ABA Resolution 113: Creating a legal profession that reflects the public it serves</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/22/aba-resolution-113-creating-legal-profession-reflects-public-serves/</link> <pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:45:38 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Brad Smith]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[diversity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Law Firm Diversity Program]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40574</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Since the United States was founded, the diversity of our nation has continuously grown, a trend that will accelerate in coming years. Unfortunately, the diversity of the legal profession has failed to match this growth. This is why Microsoft has joined legal departments and law firms from across the country to support the American Bar Association (ABA) Resolution 113 and its mission to create a legal profession that better reflects <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/22/aba-resolution-113-creating-legal-profession-reflects-public-serves/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/22/aba-resolution-113-creating-legal-profession-reflects-public-serves/">ABA Resolution 113: Creating a legal profession that reflects the public it serves</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Since the United States was founded, the diversity of our nation has continuously grown, a trend that will accelerate in coming years. Unfortunately, the diversity of the legal profession has failed to match this growth.</p> <p>This is why Microsoft has joined legal departments and law firms from across the country to support the <a href="http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/directories/policy/2016_hod_annual_113.docx">American Bar Association (ABA) Resolution 113</a> and its mission to create a legal profession that better reflects the diversity of the nation we serve.</p> <p>At Microsoft, our customer base is as varied as the world itself, representing every background in this country and virtually every country on the planet. As a legal department, we understand that diversity is a business necessity. To be successful as lawyers, we must understand how to connect, communicate with, and persuade people of all races, genders, abilities and cultures. And we can&#8217;t do that unless our diversity mirrors that of our customers.</p> <p><strong>Diversity starts with law firms</strong></p> <p>Based on our experience, we believe that as diversity increases, improvements in decision-making, creativity, innovation and customer engagement follow. Like many corporate legal departments, Microsoft’s Corporate, External and Legal Affairs team views our outside counsel as a partner with and an extension of our own legal team.  As a result, the business rationale that drives us to diversify our overall workforce applies to our law firms.</p> <p>Yet the statistics show that the legal profession has important work to do. We have yet to see diversity gains at the leadership levels of most U.S. law firms. In 2015, only 7 percent of equity partners were minorities<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> and just 17 percent of the equity partners were women<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a>. These numbers don’t reflect the increasing number of diverse graduates that have been coming out of our law schools for more than a decade.<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a></p> <p>At Microsoft we work closely with our law firms to promote greater diversity and inclusion. Our <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Legal/LCADiversity/lawfirmdiversityprogram.aspx">Law Firm Diversity Program</a> (LFDP) and <a href="http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/01/microsoft-legal-spending-on-women-and-minority-owned-law-firms-tops-100-million-this-decade-toward-aim-of-more-diverse-and-inclusive-legal-profession/#G6SoaOSCPisxxkWU.99">our work with law firms owned by women or minorities</a> – or WMBE firms – have helped grow the diversity of our own legal team and promote diversity within the firms that support our business. While these programs are a step in the right direction, we recognize that we need to do more.</p> <p><strong>The role of ABA Resolution 113</strong></p> <p>We must take new steps together – as a profession – to make significant progress towards increasing diversity. This starts with setting clear, measurable goals based on strong indicators of where we stand, where we want to go and how we will get there.</p> <p>ABA Resolution 113 encourages legal departments to ask law firms to complete the ABA <a href="http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/diversity-portal/presidents_diversity_inclusion_model_survey.authcheckdam.pdf">legal model diversity survey</a> and consider the information as a factor in deciding whether to retain a law firm for significant matters. The survey enables legal departments to measure their progress and to review the diversity data of law firms.  By providing a standardized format, the survey also reduces the burden of reporting on law firms and makes it easier to compare progress between law firms and track improvements year-over-year.</p> <p>We are enthusiastic in endorsing ABA Resolution 113 and hope that many other legal departments across the country will pledge their support for use the survey as a factor in managing their law firm relationships.  This new resolution will help encourage new and significant steps toward building greater transparency and accountability relating to diversity.  It should inspire all of us to aim higher and build a legal profession that reflects the populations we serve.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> <a href="http://www.law360.com/articles/657725/2015-law360-minority-report">Law360’s 2015 Minority Report</a></p> <p><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> <a href="http://www.nawl.org/p/bl/et/blogid=10&amp;blogaid=56">Eighth Annual NAWL National Survey on Retention and Promotion of Women in Law Firms</a></p> <p><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> <a href="http://www.law360.com/articles/657725/2015-law360-minority-report">Law360’s 2015 Minority Report</a>, <a href="http://www.nawl.org/p/bl/et/blogid=10&amp;blogaid=56">Eighth Annual NAWL National Survey</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/22/aba-resolution-113-creating-legal-profession-reflects-public-serves/">ABA Resolution 113: Creating a legal profession that reflects the public it serves</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Teaching kids computer science: no computer required</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/17/teaching-kids-computer-science-no-computer-required/</link> <pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2016 14:00:10 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Corporate Blogs]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[computer science]]></category> <category><![CDATA[education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft Philanthropies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[YouthSpark]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40502</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Every young person should have the opportunity to learn computer science skills and, by extension, gain a better understanding of how the technology works, since it will impact so many aspects of their lives. A grant announced today will help more youth get that opportunity. Computational thinking is described by Jeannette M. Wing, corporate vice president at Microsoft Research, as the thought processes involved in formulating a problem and expressing <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/17/teaching-kids-computer-science-no-computer-required/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/17/teaching-kids-computer-science-no-computer-required/">Teaching kids computer science: no computer required</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_40514" style="width: 3018px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/DSC_4940-582cd22857112.jpeg"><img class="size-full wp-image-40514" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/DSC_4940-582cd22857112.jpeg" alt="Six girls outside a classroom learning computer science by using CS Unplugged" width="3008" height="2000" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Using the CS Unplugged program, students can learn computer science through engaging games and puzzles that rely on cards, string, crayons and physical activity.</p></div> <p>Every young person should have the opportunity to learn computer science skills and, by extension, gain a better understanding of how the technology works, since it will impact so many aspects of their lives. A <a href="http://news.microsoft.com/en-nz/2016/11/17/kiwi-developed-computer-science-education-program-gets-a-big-global-boost-from-microsoft-grant/">grant announced today</a> will help more youth get that opportunity.</p> <p><a href="http://socialissues.cs.toronto.edu/index.html%3Fp=279.html">Computational thinking</a> is described by <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/wing/">Jeannette M. Wing</a>, corporate vice president at Microsoft Research, as the thought processes involved in formulating a problem and expressing solutions in a way that a computer – human or machine – can carry out. Wing, who also serves as the president&#8217;s professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, wrote in <a href="http://socialissues.cs.toronto.edu/index.html%3Fp=279.html">Social Issues in Computing</a> that computational thinking “will be a fundamental skill – just like reading, writing, and arithmetic – used by everyone by the middle of the 21st century.”</p> <p>Yet not every young person has ready access to technology or the internet. In schools where technology is available, teachers don’t always have curriculum materials that make computational thinking easy and fun to teach. University of Canterbury Computer Science and Engineering Professor Tim Bell, in collaboration with colleagues at other universities, created an innovative solution for teaching computational thinking in these and other settings. <a href="http://www.csunplugged.org/">CS Unplugged</a>, available in about 20 languages and used by educators around the world, is a collection of <a href="http://csunplugged.org/activities">free learning activities</a> to teach core computer science concepts through engaging activities that use everyday items and interaction among youth to facilitate learning. The program’s games and puzzles use cards, string, crayons and physical activity – no technology required.</p> <p>Professor Bell’s important work received a boost from Microsoft Philanthropies today: a Microsoft YouthSpark grant to continue to build and improve his CS Unplugged curriculum to have greater applicability and usability for nonprofit organizations and teachers all around the world.</p> <p>“All youth should have a chance to learn problem-solving skills critical for today’s technology-driven world,” said Mary Snapp, corporate vice president and head of Microsoft Philanthropies. “CS Unplugged is especially useful in demonstrating core concepts in computer science and removes the barrier of technology access so that more young people can gain these important skills. We’re pleased to support Professor Bell and this work.”</p> <div id="attachment_40553" style="width: 5194px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/171116Satya33.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-40553 size-full" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/171116Satya33.jpeg" alt="Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a school classroom in New Zealand with children learning computer science without computers." width="5184" height="3456" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who was in New Zealand this week, visited Freemans Bay School in Auckland to see how students at the school learn computer science with the CS Unplugged program.</p></div> <p>New lesson plans will be developed, and new supplementary videos, made possible by this grant, will demonstrate how the material looks when used in a classroom. The material will include tips and explanations to help teachers understand computer science principles behind the activities and how to teach those to students. The material is suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds, from elementary school students to seniors, and will be available free of charge.</p> <p>Today’s announcement coincided with the first visit to New Zealand by Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella, who visited Freemans Bay School as the guest of New Zealand Minister of Education Hon Hekia Parata to see how the school uses the CS Unplugged program. Reflecting a growing trend around the world, New Zealand will integrate a digital technologies focus into school curriculums in 2018. The grant will enable the modification of CS Unplugged to be fully integrated into school curricula, building on its initial function as extra content for classes.</p> <p>CS Unplugged may be downloaded in a variety of languages at <a href="http://csunplugged.org/">csunplugged.org</a>. The new versions of the materials, made possible by today’s YouthSpark grant, will be published in the summer of 2017.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/17/teaching-kids-computer-science-no-computer-required/">Teaching kids computer science: no computer required</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>With our latest energy deal, Microsoft’s Cheyenne datacenter will now be powered entirely by wind energy, keeping us on course to build a greener, more responsible cloud</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/14/latest-energy-deal-microsofts-cheyenne-datacenter-will-now-powered-entirely-wind-energy-keeping-us-course-build-greener-responsible-cloud/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2016 11:00:09 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Brad Smith]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <category><![CDATA[clean energy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[datacenter]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40343</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Our lives, our cities and our world are rapidly transforming with the rise of cloud technology. And as the adoption of the cloud accelerates, so does the electrical consumption of the datacenters that fuel this new era. At Microsoft, we recognize that our responsibilities as a leading cloud services provider require that we transform the way we power the cloud. That’s why we are announcing our largest wind energy purchases <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/14/latest-energy-deal-microsofts-cheyenne-datacenter-will-now-powered-entirely-wind-energy-keeping-us-course-build-greener-responsible-cloud/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/14/latest-energy-deal-microsofts-cheyenne-datacenter-will-now-powered-entirely-wind-energy-keeping-us-course-build-greener-responsible-cloud/">With our latest energy deal, Microsoft’s Cheyenne datacenter will now be powered entirely by wind energy, keeping us on course to build a greener, more responsible cloud</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Our lives, our cities and our world are rapidly transforming with the rise of cloud technology. And as the adoption of the cloud accelerates, so does the electrical consumption of the datacenters that fuel this new era. At Microsoft, we recognize that our responsibilities as a leading cloud services provider require that we transform the way we power the cloud.</p> <p>That’s why we are announcing our largest wind energy purchases yet — 237 megawatts of wind energy — that will allow our datacenter in Cheyenne, Wyoming to be powered entirely by wind power. We’ve also structured the purchase and partnered with the local utility in novel ways to make it easier and more affordable for cities and states to move to a cleaner energy grid. And, we’re making our datacenters backup generators available to the local grid, boosting reliability while keeping prices low for all ratepayers.</p> <p><a href="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/MSFT_Deal_Static_Final-05_SOCIAL-MEDIA-VERSION.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40493" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/MSFT_Deal_Static_Final-05_SOCIAL-MEDIA-VERSION.png" alt="msft_deal_static_final-05_social-media-version" width="3300" height="2617" /></a></p> <p><strong>Meeting our energy goals</strong></p> <p>This investment in wind energy keeps us on pace to meet the <a href="http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/05/19/greener-datacenters-brighter-future-microsofts-commitment-renewable-energy/#sm.000mzyaql15nud4iq5312mj1v1nik http://www.microsoftgreen.com/2016/05/19/greener-datacenters-for-a-brighter-future-microsofts-commitment-to-renewable-energy/">energy goals we set last spring</a>. We announced earlier this year that roughly 44 percent of the electricity consumed by Microsoft’s datacenters comes from wind, solar and hydropower, and we committed to raising this to 50 percent by 2018 and to 60 percent by early in the next decade.</p> <p>Today’s purchases involve two important partnerships. We have procured 178 megawatts from the Bloom Wind Project in Kansas through Allianz Risk Transfer (ART) to help bring this new project online. We’ve also partnered with Black Hills Corp. to purchase wind power from the 59-megawatt Happy Jack and Silver Sage wind farms in Wyoming. The combined output of the Bloom and Happy Jack/Silver Sage projects will produce enough energy on an annual basis to cover the energy used at the datacenter.</p> <p><a href="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/MSFT_Map_Static-5829e1390fb00.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40487" src="https://mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/MSFT_Map_Static-5829e1390fb00.png" alt="msft_map_static" width="2550" height="5254" /></a></p> <p>These latest purchases bring Microsoft’s total purchase of wind energy in the U.S. to more than 500 megawatts, which is in addition to the energy Microsoft purchases from the grid that comes from wind, solar and hydropower sources in the markets where we operate.</p> <p><strong>New solutions help make the grid greener </strong></p> <p>Benefits from these latest wind deals extend well beyond Microsoft’s own facilities. They are good for the utilities, the environment and local ratepayers.</p> <p>Microsoft today becomes the first buyer to participate in ART’s efficient and cost-effective finance structuring of wind generation projects. This structure offers a new model to enable faster adoption of renewables. It does so by lowering costs, reducing risks and improving certainty. By partnering with ART to deliver this new financial deal structure, we hope to help serve as a model that spurs other markets to accelerate the rate at which wind and solar energy projects come online.</p> <p>Today’s announcement also represents another form of innovation.</p> <p>Traditionally, when presented with a constraint on the system relating to reliability, load growth or the introduction of intermittent generation, a utility had one option: build new infrastructure, such as new substations, power plants or transmission lines. This ordinarily means higher costs to ratepayers. However, Microsoft envisions a future where it and other customers bring their own assets to utilities, whether new renewables, energy storage or even cloud technologies that optimize customer usage patterns, to help create a lower-cost, more efficient and cleaner energy grid.</p> <p>In this case, Black Hills Energy was faced with the potential need to build a new plant in Cheyenne. Instead, Microsoft approached Black Hills Energy with an innovative new solution to deliver reliability without additional costs for ratepayers. Microsoft and Black Hills Energy established a new tariff, available to all eligible customers, that lets the utility use our datacenter’s backup generators as a secondary resource for the entire grid. Unlike traditional backup generators that run on diesel fuel, these natural gas turbines offer a more efficient solution and, more importantly, ensure the utility avoids building a new power plant.</p> <p>This is a small step toward a future where other customer-sited resources may help make the grid more efficient, reliable and capable of integrating intermittent energy sources like wind and solar. And as we recently <a href="http://news.microsoft.com/2016/10/06/microsoft-and-agder-energi-collaborate-to-build-an-intelligent-grid-powered-by-an-intelligent-cloud/#sm.000013dpjowy1wesksyxmxq0zdxmy">demonstrated</a> in our pilot with Agder Energi in Norway, this future will be enabled by the application of cloud technologies that  enable utilities to visualize and optimize resources, providing the foundation for a low carbon energy future.</p> <p><strong>Creating a cloud for global good</strong></p> <p>Innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. We’re thinking differently about our datacenters and how we can build and operate them in a more sustainable way. And the innovations we’re piloting in this deal are not only good for business, but also good for local communities and the environment as well.</p> <p>We’re focused on building a cloud that serves the broader good, a cloud that is trusted, inclusive and responsible. That means thinking beyond our own operations and working with partners to accelerate the pace of clean energy and build a greener grid for all, while keeping costs low for customers and ratepayers. By thinking creatively about our energy needs and the assets at our datacenters, we’re able to deliver an innovative solution in Wyoming that does just that — and serves as a model from which we all can learn.</p> <p>For more about our sustainability work, visit <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/about/csr/environment/">Microsoft Environment</a>.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/14/latest-energy-deal-microsofts-cheyenne-datacenter-will-now-powered-entirely-wind-energy-keeping-us-course-build-greener-responsible-cloud/">With our latest energy deal, Microsoft’s Cheyenne datacenter will now be powered entirely by wind energy, keeping us on course to build a greener, more responsible cloud</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Microsoft’s revamped Law Firm Diversity Program brings significant gains in diverse leadership</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/10/microsofts-revamped-law-firm-diversity-program-brings-significant-gains-diverse-leadership/</link> <pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2016 17:02:10 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[David Howard]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Microsoft on the Issues]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/?p=40325</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>A year ago, Microsoft announced a significant change to our Law Firm Diversity Program (LFDP), which now focuses on increasing diversity among the partner and leadership ranks of the law firms in our premier provider network, and provides financial incentives to those firms who show improvement in these areas.  We are pleased to report significant progress by all our firms, and we especially want to recognize our top performers &#8211; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/10/microsofts-revamped-law-firm-diversity-program-brings-significant-gains-diverse-leadership/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/10/microsofts-revamped-law-firm-diversity-program-brings-significant-gains-diverse-leadership/">Microsoft’s revamped Law Firm Diversity Program brings significant gains in diverse leadership</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A year ago, Microsoft announced a <a href="http://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2015/08/04/announcing-the-next-generation-of-microsofts-law-firm-diversity-program-working-towards-a-more-diverse-and-inclusive-legal-profession/">significant change</a> to our Law Firm Diversity Program (LFDP), which now focuses on increasing diversity among the partner and leadership ranks of the law firms in our premier provider network, and provides financial incentives to those firms who show improvement in these areas.  We are pleased to report significant progress by all our firms, and we especially want to recognize our top performers &#8211; K&amp;L Gates, LLP; Orrick, Herrington &amp; Sutcliffe, LP; and Perkins Coie LP.</p> <p>There is a clear need to address and improve diversity in the legal profession. While there has been incremental progress in the last few years, these gains have yet to be seen in a meaningful way at the leadership levels of most firms. In 2015, Just 7 percent of equity partners at U.S. law firms were minorities, and women comprised less than 22 percent of law firm partners.  We believe that the legal profession should be as diverse as the nation it serves, and that should be true of the leaders in the profession as well.</p> <p>To address the lack of diversity at the firm leadership level, we realized that we needed to work together with our law firms. So, this past year, we revamped the LFDP to focus on this challenge. While it is just the first year, we are encouraged by the results achieved by all our firms. There was, for example, significant improvement in the diverse representation in management committees, increasing from 31.2 percent to 34.4 percent, and a 1 percent improvement in partner composition from 33.2 percent to 34.5 percent diverse.</p> <p>I want to particularly recognize the work of K&amp;L Gates, Orrick and Perkins Coie. These firms increased diversity across all three of the areas in which we have focused on diverse leadership – the partnership overall, Microsoft relationship partners and on Microsoft matters.</p> <p>Each of these firms already had strong commitments to diversity and a range of initiatives in place. But each firm shared with us that the newly refocused LFDP provided a real push to expand and refine their efforts. For example, Mark Parris, Orrick partner, shared that in “looking at Microsoft’s new targets, we paid a special focus to the composition of client teams. We reviewed our progress monthly and when opportunities arose to introduce diverse partners to our existing teams and matters, we did so.”</p> <p>At Perkins Coie, the LFDP’s new focus on leadership is already yielding positive returns. “The new litigation focus on having the first or second chair be diverse is helping to develop and empower the next generation of first chair lawyers and relationship managers,” said Susan Foster, partner at Perkins Coie.  “It’s giving significant responsibility to a new group of junior partners who might not have the opportunity otherwise, and is highlighting their capabilities and skills to Microsoft for future work.”</p> <p>It was clear to us that diversity initiatives have a higher chance of succeeding if they are visibly supported by lawyers at the highest levels of the firm. Annette Becker, Practice Leader – Corporate and Transactional at K&amp;L Gates shared a great story with us that illustrates how this “tone at the top” makes an impact, and how diverse leaders especially can serve as role models. In the past two years, K&amp;L Gates has more than doubled the number of women on the firm’s management committee. Recently, a diverse partner in one of their largest offices was named managing partner of that office and elected to the firm’s management committee &#8211; while she was on maternity leave. “This sends a powerful message to other firm lawyers who question whether their personal and professional goals conflict,” said Becker. “It helps lawyers at all levels to see that we invest in each other here, and we build careers here. That always makes for a stronger firm.”</p> <p>We’ve seen that diversity has also made us stronger as a company. Since the start of the LFDP, the Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA) team has grown more diverse, as have our law firms. And that has been instrumental in helping us advance key aspects of our work, from litigation to global product launches to patent licensing.</p> <p>This year’s leading firms report they, too, see the business case for diversity. Mark Parris from Orrick remarked, “By all measures, our firm has grown stronger since we have enhanced the diversity of our board and our leadership more generally.  We have improved the rankings of our practices, attracted extraordinary new talent to our firm, innovated and generated positive financial returns so we can reinvest.”</p> <p>It takes effort, awareness and commitment to focus and improve diverse leadership. K&amp;L Gates shared that its biggest lesson learned this year was to really challenge itself to do better on this front every day.  Microsoft agrees, and we will continue working with our firms and as a department towards a more diverse legal profession.</p> <p>Congratulations to our top-achieving firms for really leaning into this important work. We’re looking forward to continuing this year’s momentum and sharing the insights we gain along the way.</p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2016/11/10/microsofts-revamped-law-firm-diversity-program-brings-significant-gains-diverse-leadership/">Microsoft’s revamped Law Firm Diversity Program brings significant gains in diverse leadership</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues">Microsoft on the Issues</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Microsoft Secure Blog</title> <atom:link href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure</link> <description>In-depth discussion of security, cybersecurity and technology trends affecting trust in computing, as well as timely security news, trends, and practical security guidance</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2016 15:35:39 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1</generator> <item> <title>Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 21 is now available</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/14/microsoft-security-intelligence-report-volume-21-is-now-available/</link> <pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2016 15:35:39 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Cybersecurity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Security Intelligence]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=66497</guid> <description><![CDATA[The latest volume of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report is now available for free download at www.microsoft.com/sir. This new volume of the report includes threat data from the first half of 2016 as well as longer term trend data on industry vulnerabilities, exploits, malware, and malicious websites. The report also provides specific threat data for over 100 countries/regions. Our Featured Intelligence content for this volume of the report includes three &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/14/microsoft-security-intelligence-report-volume-21-is-now-available/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The latest volume of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report is now available for free download at </span><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/sir"><span style="margin: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none;">www.microsoft.com/sir</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p> <p><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This new volume of the report includes threat data from the first half of 2016 as well as longer term trend data on industry vulnerabilities, exploits, malware, and malicious websites. The report also provides specific threat data for over 100 countries/regions.</span></p> <p><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Our Featured Intelligence content for this volume of the report includes three deep dive sections:</span></p> <p><i><u><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Protecting cloud infrastructure; detecting and mitigating threats using Azure Security Center:<br /> </span></u></i><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">As organizations move workloads to cloud-based services it is important that security teams keep abreast of changes in their threat posture. New threats can be encountered when adopting solutions that are fully cloud based, or when connecting on-premises environments to cloud services. This section of the report details common threats that organizations may encounter, and explains how security teams can use Azure Security Center to protect, detect, and respond to security threats against Azure cloud-based resources.</span></p> <p><i><u><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">PROMETHIUM and NEODYMIUM: parallel zero-day attacks targeting individuals in Europe:<br /> </span></u></i><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Microsoft proactively monitors the threat landscape for emerging threats, including observing the activities of targeted activity groups. The new report chronicles two activity groups, code-named PROMETHIUM and NEODYMIUM, both of which target individuals in a specific area of Europe. Both attack groups launched attack campaigns in May 2016 using the same zero-day exploit to seek information about specific individuals. Microsoft is sharing information about these groups to raise awareness of their activities, and to help individuals and organizations implement existing mitigation options that significantly reduce risk from these attack groups and other similar groups. </span></p> <p><i><u><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Ten years of exploits: a long-term study of exploitation of vulnerabilities in Microsoft software:<br /> </span></u></i><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Microsoft researchers conducted a study of security vulnerabilities and the exploitation of the most severe vulnerabilities in Microsoft software over a 10-year period ending in 2015. In the past five years vulnerability disclosures have increased across the entire industry. However, the number of remote code execution (RCE) and elevation of privilege (EOP) vulnerabilities in Microsoft software has declined significantly. The results of the study suggest that while the risk posed by vulnerabilities appeared to increase in recent years, the actualized risk of exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft software has steadily declined.</span></p> <p><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There is a lot of other new data in this report that I hope you’ll find useful.</span></p> <p><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You can download Volume 21 of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report at </span><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/sir"><span style="margin: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: none;">www.microsoft.com/sir</span></a><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></p> <p><span style="margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Ken Malcolmson<br /> Executive Security Advisor, Microsoft Enterprise Cybersecurity Group</span></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Cybersecurity norms challenge remains</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/08/cybersecurity-norms-challenge-remains/</link> <pubDate>Thu, 08 Dec 2016 17:00:27 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Nicholas]]></dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=66464</guid> <description><![CDATA[Despite the differences that exist between governments, there is a growing recognition around the world that attacks on the security and stability of the Internet threaten all nations’ interests. The reality driving this alignment is that both emerging and developed economies are internet-dependent and, equally significantly, that malicious actors can use ubiquitous technologies to attack critical systems and infrastructure. While cybercrime by non-state actors must be dealt with, it is &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/08/cybersecurity-norms-challenge-remains/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Despite the differences that exist between governments, there is a growing recognition around the world that attacks on the security and stability of the Internet threaten all nations’ interests. The reality driving this alignment is that both emerging and developed economies are internet-dependent and, equally significantly, that malicious actors can use ubiquitous technologies to attack critical systems and infrastructure.</p> <p>While cybercrime by non-state actors must be dealt with, it is also increasingly clear that governments need to carefully consider the impacts of their own military and intelligence actions in cyberspace, as well as those of their peers. Without some norms of state behavior in cyberspace the world could experience weakening of international security, national security, and even public safety. The potential erosion of trust citizens, consumers, and businesses have in globally interconnected information technology systems could significantly undermine our global economy.</p> <p>Against this background, the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (UN GGE) began its next round of discussions on cybersecurity norms and confidence building measures in New York at the <a href="http://digitalwatch.giplatform.org/events/un-group-governmental-experts-developments-field-information-and-telecommunications-context"><strong>end of August</strong></a>. This new session, due to report back to the UN General Assembly in September 2017, will have to tackle a wide range of thorny issues, one of which will be the question of applicability of international law to cyberspace. How can concepts such as “use of force” be applied? How should cyberweapons be classified &#8211; as conventional weapons, weapons of mass destruction, or something else? And, as if these questions weren’t complex enough, the UN GGE is going to have to consider valid ways to handle non-state actors or quasi-non-state actors when they threaten a nation’s critical systems.</p> <p>The re-convening of the UN GGE also represents an opportunity to take stock of the norms debate so far, as well as to explore the different roles government and private sector could play in enhancing global online security. Microsoft has for some time argued that a decision-making framework is needed to help governments balance their roles as users, protectors, and exploiters of the internet. This is not an easy task for governments as they can be confronted with seemingly conflicting priorities, e.g. securing immediate economic advantages or ensuring longer-term growth of a digital economy.</p> <p>Two years ago, Microsoft set out our own <a href="http://aka.ms/cybernorms"><strong>proposals around a cyber-norms framework</strong></a>. Our view, then and now, is that government decisions should be interrogated through the lens of the various actors in cyberspace. Each actors’ objectives, the actions they could take in pursuit of those objectives, and the potential impacts of a particular decision all need to be considered. Framed this way, the norms conversation can become more precise, focusing on discussing acceptable and unacceptable objectives, which actions may be taken in pursuit of those objectives, what the possible impacts of those actions are, and whether they are acceptable for a civilized, connected society.</p> <p>Microsoft will, of course, make what contributions we can to the UN GGE and the other processes taking place to build a secure and lasting global approach to cyberspace. Our collective progress towards that goal can, I think, be judged against four key criteria. First, the approach must be practicable, rather than technically very challenging to achieve. Second, risks from complex cyber events and disruptions that could lead to conflict should be demonstrably reduced. Third, observable behavioural change needs to occur, change that clearly enhances the security of cyberspace for states, enterprises, civil society, and individual stakeholders and users. Fourth, and finally, existing risk-management concepts should be harnessed to help mitigate against escalation or to manage the potential actions of involved parties if escalation is unavoidable. Only when these criteria, or ones much like them, are met can the world feel confident in the future of the Internet, and in the economies and societies that are now dependent upon it.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>How much time do you spend on false security alerts?</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/05/how-much-time-do-you-spend-on-false-security-alerts/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:00:50 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33887</guid> <description><![CDATA[The latest data on global threats—from malicious websites and untrusted IPs to malware and beyond—can help a company detect threats and rapidly respond. The challenge is that threat intelligence feeds are, at best, uneven in quality. Close to 70 percent of information security professionals say current threat feeds have a significant issue with timeliness, and only 31 percent rated their threat intelligence as very accurate. This lack of accuracy means &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/05/how-much-time-do-you-spend-on-false-security-alerts/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The latest data on global threats—from malicious websites and untrusted IPs to malware and beyond—can help a company detect threats and rapidly respond. The challenge is that threat intelligence feeds are, at best, uneven in quality.</p> <p>Close to 70 percent of information security professionals say current threat feeds have a significant issue with timeliness, and only 31 percent rated their threat intelligence as very accurate.</p> <p>This lack of accuracy means IT staff must deal with vetting the feeds themselves. And this not only takes time, it takes IT resources: 68% of security professionals say their time is consumed chasing down false alerts and sifting through more than 17,000 malware alerts each week.</p> <p>The solution to reducing this flood of data to only the most relevant alerts is not less data, it’s better data. There are three key areas to helping your security team become more efficient, and the security solution within Operations Management Suite (OMS) can help you with each.</p> <ul> <li>Increase the diversity, scale, and variety of data</li> <li>Implement machine learning and behavioral analytics</li> <li>Utilize simple tools that make mitigation more efficient</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/12/Dashboard-Analytics-Mode.jpg?ssl=1"><img class="size-large wp-image-33908 aligncenter" src="https://i1.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/12/Dashboard-Analytics-Mode-1024x598.jpg?resize=640%2C374&#038;ssl=1" alt="dashboard-analytics-mode" data-recalc-dims="1" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The Operations Management Suite dashboard gives you a comprehensive and holistic view of all your environments, helping you turn raw data into actionable insights.</em></p> <h3 style="text-align: left;">Microsoft Threat Intelligence: a global view of the threat landscape</h3> <p>To start, you must have the right data from a diverse spectrum of sources to get a true understanding of what is happening. Microsoft Threat Intelligence gathers data from the entire Microsoft footprint.</p> <blockquote><p>&#8220;<em>We have trillions of data points coming in from billions of endpoints, and it&#8217;s that ability to understand and gain insight and take action based on that data that can make the difference</em>,&#8221; said Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer for Microsoft.</p></blockquote> <p>In addition to this, between our Digital Crimes Unit (DCU), the Cyber Defense Operations Command Center (CDOC), and the greater company, we employ thousands of the smartest security experts to protect our environments like Azure and Office 365. Through OMS, we share the information they gather with you, giving you unparalleled insights into the rapidly evolving threat landscape.</p> <h3>Analytics: Separate the signal from the noise</h3> <p>Operations Management Suite collects data from across your datacenters—Windows, Linux, Azure, on-premises, and AWS—and correlates it with the latest Microsoft threat intelligence to detect attacks targeting your organization. Not a list that is days old, but one that is updated in real time. It also applies behavioral analysis and anomaly detection to identify new threats, which align to known patterns of attack. You are provided with a list of the most pressing issues, immediately actionable and conveniently prioritized by the potential threat they pose.</p> <p><a href="https://i1.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/12/OMSS-Threat-Intelligence-Map.jpg?ssl=1"><img class="size-large wp-image-33902 aligncenter" src="https://i2.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/12/OMSS-Threat-Intelligence-Map-1024x603.jpg?resize=640%2C377&#038;ssl=1" alt="omss-threat-intelligence-map" data-recalc-dims="1" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>A visual map of network traffic to known malicious IP addresses lets you quickly find and understand where real threats lie.</em></p> <h3 style="text-align: left;">Tools: Take swift and efficient action</h3> <p style="text-align: left;">The demand for qualified information security staff has never been higher. In 2016, one million information security openings are expected worldwide.4 While we can’t directly help you with hiring more security personnel, the threat intelligence within Operations Management Suite empowers your IT resources to be more efficient and helps reduce the time it takes to identify and respond to cyberthreats.</p> <p>For example:</p> <p>Operations Management Suite detects one of your computers communicating with known malicious IPs. The outgoing traffic is particularly alarming. With just a few clicks you can:</p> <ul> <li>Isolate that specific machine</li> <li>Block communication network-wide to the IPs</li> <li>Use rapid search to find other actions taken by the attacker anywhere in your network</li> </ul> <p>Learn more about Operations Management Suite and our <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/security-and-compliance">approach to security</a>.</p> <p>To find out how attackers are targeting organizations today, read Anatomy of a Breach.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Security in agile development</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/01/security-in-agile-development/</link> <pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:00:53 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Cybersecurity]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33935</guid> <description><![CDATA[This post is authored by Talhah Mir, Principal PM Manager, WWIT CP ISRM ACE Most enterprises’ security strategies today are multifaceted &#8211; encompassing securing a variety of elements of their IT environment including identities, applications, data, devices, and infrastructure. This also includes driving or supporting security training and changes in culture and behavior for a more secure enterprise. But, security really starts at the fundamental core, at the software development level. &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/12/01/security-in-agile-development/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This post is authored by Talhah Mir, Principal PM Manager, WWIT CP ISRM ACE</em></p> <p>Most enterprises’ security strategies today are multifaceted &#8211; encompassing securing a variety of elements of their IT environment including identities, applications, data, devices, and infrastructure. This also includes driving or supporting security training and changes in culture and behavior for a more secure enterprise. But, security really starts at the fundamental core, at the software development level. It’s here that security can be “built in” to ensure that applications meet the security requirements of enterprises today and are aligned to a holistic, end to end security strategy.</p> <p>We recently published a white paper titled, <a href="http://aka.ms/SecurityForModernEngineering">“Security for Modern Engineering,”</a> which outlines some of the security best practices and learnings we have had on our journey to support modern engineering.  Software engineering teams everywhere are trying to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency as they face climbing competitive pressures for differentiation, and constantly evolving customer demands. This is driving the need for significantly shorter time-to-market schedules that don’t compromise on the quality of software applications and services. To address this demand, modern engineering teams <a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt709101.aspx">like those in Microsoft IT</a>, are adopting agile development methodologies, embracing DevOps (a merging of development and operations), and maintaining development infrastructure that support continuous integration/continuous delivery. Today, a more secure application can be a differentiator as users of applications are becoming more aware and concerned about security.</p> <p>There has never been a better time to push security automation and develop integrated security services for engineering teams as they think about operating in a modern engineering environment. Similar to how development, test, and operation roles have merged to shape today’s modern engineer, we, at Microsoft, continue to believe that a software security assurance program can yield much better results if the processes are baked seamlessly into the engineering process. This is what we advocated with the development of <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/sdl">Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL)</a> which to this day, continues to be a priority for a modern engineering practice. Security teams should leverage the momentum of automation to further enhance the security posture of their line-of-business application portfolio within their organization &#8211; helping to drive an effective, efficient, and competitive business.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Disrupting the kill chain</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/28/disrupting-the-kill-chain/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2016 17:00:37 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Cloud Computing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cybersecurity]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33776</guid> <description><![CDATA[This post is authored by Jonathan Trull, Worldwide Executive Cybersecurity Advisor, Enterprise Cybersecurity Group. The cyber kill chain describes the typical workflow, including techniques, tactics, and procedures or TTPs, used by attackers to infiltrate an organization’s networks and systems.  The Microsoft Global Incident Response and Recovery (GIRR) Team and Enterprise Threat Detection Service, Microsoft’s managed cyber threat detection service, identify and respond to thousands of targeted attacks per year.  Based &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/28/disrupting-the-kill-chain/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This post is authored by Jonathan Trull, Worldwide Executive Cybersecurity Advisor, Enterprise Cybersecurity Group.</em></p> <p>The cyber kill chain describes the typical workflow, including techniques, tactics, and procedures or TTPs, used by attackers to infiltrate an organization’s networks and systems.  The Microsoft Global Incident Response and Recovery (GIRR) Team and Enterprise Threat Detection Service, Microsoft’s managed cyber threat detection service, identify and respond to thousands of targeted attacks per year.  Based on our experience, the image below illustrates how most targeted cyber intrusions occur today.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/Attack-Kill-Chain.jpg?ssl=1"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-33803 size-large" src="https://i1.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/Attack-Kill-Chain-1024x542.jpg?resize=640%2C339&#038;ssl=1" alt="attack-kill-chain" data-recalc-dims="1" /></a></p> <p>The initial attack typically includes the following steps:</p> <ul> <li><strong>External recon</strong> &#8211;  During this stage, the attacker typically searches publicly available sources to identify as much information as possible about their target.  This will include information about the target’s IP address range, business operations and supply chain, employees, executives, and technology utilized.  The goal of this stage is to develop sufficient intelligence to increase the chances of a successful attack. If the attacker has previously penetrated your environment, they may also refer to intelligence gathered during previous incursions.</li> <li><strong>Compromised machine</strong> – Attackers continue to use socially engineered attacks to gain an initial foothold on their victim’s network.  Why?  Because these attacks, especially if targeted and based on good intelligence, have an extremely high rate of success.  At this stage, the attacker will send a targeted phishing email to a carefully selected employee within the organization.  The email will either contain a malicious attachment or a link directing the recipient to a watering hole.  Once the user executes the attachment or visits the watering hole, another malicious tool known as a backdoor will be installed on the victim’s computer giving the attacker remote control of the computer.</li> <li><strong>Internal Recon and Lateral Movement</strong> – Now that the attacker has a foothold within the organization’s network, he or she will begin gathering information not previously available externally.  This will include performing host discovery scans, mapping internal networks and systems, and attempting to mount network shares.  The attacker will also begin using freely available, yet extremely effective tools, like Mimikatz and WCE to harvest credentials stored locally on the initially compromised machine and begin planning the next stage of the attack as shown below.</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://i2.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/High-Privileges-Lateral-movement-cycle.jpg?ssl=1"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-33809" src="https://i2.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/High-Privileges-Lateral-movement-cycle.jpg?resize=630%2C365&#038;ssl=1" alt="high-privileges-lateral-movement-cycle" data-recalc-dims="1" /></a></p> <ul> <li><strong>Domain Dominance</strong> – At this stage, the attacker will attempt to elevate their level of access to a higher trusted status within the network.  The attacker’s ultimate goal is to access your data and the privileged credentials of a domain administrator offers them many ways to access to your valuable data stores.  Once this occurs, the attacker will begin to pivot throughout the network either looking for valuable data or installing ransomware for future extortion attempts or both.</li> <li><strong>Data Consolidation and Exfiltration</strong> – Now that the attacker has access to the valuable data within the organization’s systems, he or she must consolidate it, package it up, and send it out of the network without being detected or blocked.  This is typically accomplished by encrypting the data and transferring it to an external system controlled by the attacker using approved network protocols like DNS, FTP, and SFTP or Internet-based file transfer solutions.</li> </ul> <h3>Microsoft Secure and Productive Enterprise</h3> <p>The Microsoft Secure and Productive Enterprise is a suite of product offerings that have been purposely built to disrupt this cyber attack kill chain while still ensuring an organization’s employees remain productive.  Below, I briefly describe how each of these technologies disrupts the kill chain:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection</strong> – <em>This technology is designed to disrupt the “initial compromise” stage and raise the cost of successfully using phishing attacks.</em><br /> Most attackers leverage phishing emails containing malicious attachments or links pointing to watering hole sites. Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) in Office 365 provides protection against both known and unknown malware and viruses in email, provides real-time (time-of-click) protection against malicious URLs, as well as enhanced reporting and trace capabilities.  Messages and attachments are not only scanned against signatures powered by multiple antimalware engines and intelligence from Microsoft’s Intelligent Security Graph, but are also routed to a special detonation chamber, run, and the results analyzed with machine learning and advanced analysis techniques for signs of malicious behavior to detect and block threats. Enhanced reporting capabilities also make it possible for security teams to quickly identify and respond to email based attacks when they occur.</li> <li><strong>Windows 10</strong> &#8211;  <em>This technology disrupts the compromised machine and lateral movement stages by raising the difficulty of successfully compromising and retaining control of a user’s PC and by protecting the accounts and credentials stored and used on the device.</em><br /> If an attacker still manages to deliver malware through to one of the organization’s employees by some other mechanism (e.g., via personal email), Windows 10’s security features are designed to both stop the initial infection, and if infected, prevent further lateral movement. Specifically, <strong>Windows Defender Application Guard</strong> uses new, hardware based virtualization technology to wrap a protective border around the Edge browser.  Even if malware executes within the browser, it cannot access the underlying operating system and is cleaned from the machine once the browser is closed.  <strong>Windows Device Guard</strong> provides an extra layer of protection to ensure that only trusted programs are loaded and run preventing the execution of malicious programs, and <strong>Windows Credential Guard</strong> uses the same hardware based virtualization technology discussed earlier to prevent attackers who manage to gain an initial foothold from obtaining other credentials stored on the endpoint.  And finally, <strong>Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection</strong> is the DVR for your company’s security team.  It provides a near real-time recording of everything occurring on your endpoints and uses built-in signatures, machine learning, deep file analysis through detonation as a service, and the power of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph to detect threats.  It also provides security teams with remote access to critical forensic data needed to investigate complex attacks.</li> <li><strong>Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics</strong> – <em>This technology disrupts the lateral movement phase by detecting lateral movement attack techniques early, allowing for rapid response.</em><br /> If an attacker still manages to get through the above defenses, compromise credentials, and moves laterally, the Microsoft Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA) solution provides a robust set of capabilities to detect this stage of an attack.  ATA uses both detection of known attack techniques as well as a user-based analytics that learns what is “normal” for your environment so it can spot anomalies that indicate an attack. Microsoft ATA can detect internal recon attempts such as DNS enumeration, use of compromised credentials like access attempts during abnormal times, lateral movement (Pass-the-Ticket, Pass-the-Hash, etc.), privilege escalation (forged PAC), and domain dominance activities (skeleton key malware, golden tickets, remote execution).</li> <li><strong>Azure Security Center</strong> – While Microsoft ATA detects cyber attacks occurring within an organization’s data centers, Azure Security Center extends this level of protection into the cloud.</li> </ul> <p>And now for the best part.  As shown in the image below, each of the above listed technologies is designed to work seamlessly together and provide security teams with visibility across the entire kill chain.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/Disrupting-the-Kill-Chain.jpg?ssl=1"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-33812 size-large" src="https://i2.wp.com/mscorpmedia.azureedge.net/mscorpmedia/2016/11/Disrupting-the-Kill-Chain-1024x419.jpg?resize=640%2C262&#038;ssl=1" alt="disrupting-the-kill-chain" data-recalc-dims="1" /></a></p> <p>Each of these technologies also leverage the power of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Graph, which includes cyber threat intelligence collected from Microsoft’s products and services, to provide the most comprehensive and accurate detections.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Cloud App Security, Intune, Azure Information Protection, and Windows 10 Information Protection</strong> – And finally, the Microsoft Secure and Productive Enterprise Suite provides significant capabilities to classify and protect data and prevent its loss.  Among other capabilities, <strong>Microsoft Cloud App Security</strong> can identify and control the use of unsanctioned cloud applications.  This helps organizations prevent data loss, whether from an attack or rogue employee, via cloud-based applications.  <strong>Intune</strong> and <strong>Windows 10 Information Protection</strong> prevent corporate data from being intermingled with personal data or used by unsanctioned applications whether on a Windows 10 device or on iOS or Android based mobile devices.  And finally, <strong>Azure Information Protection</strong> provides organizations and their employees with the ability to classify and protect data using digital rights management technology.  Organizations can now implement and enforce a need-to-know strategy thereby significantly reducing the amount of unencrypted data available should an attacker gain access to their network.</li> </ul> <p>Finally, Microsoft’s Enterprise Cybersecurity Group (ECG) also offers a range of both proactive and reactive services that leverages the capabilities of the Secure and Productive Enterprise suite in combination with the Intelligent Security Graph to help companies detect, respond to, and recover from attacks.</p> <p>In the coming weeks, I will be following up with blogs and demos that go deeper into each of the above listed technologies and discuss how companies can most effectively integrate these solutions into their security strategies, operations, and existing technologies.  To learn more about Microsoft technologies visit <a href="https://aka.ms/cbg8ts">Microsoft Secure.</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>The four necessities of modern IT security</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/21/the-four-necessities-of-modern-it-security/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 17:00:33 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33746</guid> <description><![CDATA[As companies embrace the cloud and mobile computing to connect with their customers and optimize their operations, they take on new risks. Traditional IT boundaries have disappeared, and adversaries have many new attack vectors. Even with a bevy of security tools already deployed, IT teams are having to process a lot of data and signal that makes it hard to find and prioritize relevant threats.  Solutions often compromise end-user productivity &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/21/the-four-necessities-of-modern-it-security/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As companies embrace the cloud and mobile computing to connect with their customers and optimize their operations, they take on new risks. Traditional IT boundaries have disappeared, and adversaries have many new attack vectors.</p> <p>Even with a bevy of security tools already deployed, IT teams are having to process a lot of data and signal that makes it hard to find and prioritize relevant threats.  Solutions often compromise end-user productivity for the sake of security, leading to end-user dissatisfaction and, too often, rejection or misuse of the solution. And, without the ability to detect suspicious behavior, early signs of an attack can go unnoticed.</p> <p>To confront these challenges, Microsoft is building a platform that looks holistically across all the critical endpoints of today’s cloud and mobile world. We are acting on the intelligence that comes from our security-related signals and insights. And we are fostering a vibrant ecosystem of partners who help us raise the bar across the industry.</p> <p>Our platform investments span four categories: identity, apps and data, devices, and infrastructure. Here is what you can expect from our security platform and solutions in each of these critical areas:</p> <h5>Identity— Help protect against identity compromise and identify potential breaches before they cause damage</h5> <ul> <li>Mitigate identity compromise with multi-factor authentication</li> <li>Go beyond passwords and move to more secure forms of authentication</li> <li>Identify signs of breach early with behavioral analytics that help detect suspicious activity</li> <li>Respond quickly by automatically elevating access requirements based on risks</li> </ul> <h5>Apps and Data—Boost productivity with cloud access while keeping information protected</h5> <ul> <li>Enable employees to use cloud apps without losing control of corporate data</li> <li>Classify, contain, and encrypt data based on IT policy—even on user-owned devices</li> <li>Get notification of attempts for unauthorized data access, manage access to documents, remotely wipe data when necessary</li> </ul> <h5>Devices—Enhance device security while enabling mobile work and BYOD</h5> <ul> <li>Encrypt data, manage devices, and ensure compliance</li> <li>Automatically identify suspicious or compromised endpoints and respond to targeted attacks</li> <li>Rapidly block, quarantine, or wipe compromised devices</li> </ul> <h5>Infrastructure—Take a new approach to security across your hybrid environment</h5> <ul> <li>Gain greater visibility and control across on-premises and cloud environments</li> <li>Enforce security policies on cloud resources and detect any deviations from baselines</li> <li>Identify signs of compromise early through behavioral analysis and respond more quickly</li> <li>Separate security event noise from signals with advanced analysis and machine learning</li> </ul> <p><strong>To learn more about security best practices, download the free eBook, <a href="https://aka.ms/udnmr0">“Protect Your Data: 7 Ways to Improve Your Security Posture”</a></strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime – 15th Anniversary</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/17/the-budapest-convention-on-cybercrime-15th-anniversary/</link> <pubDate>Thu, 17 Nov 2016 17:00:42 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Cybersecurity]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33851</guid> <description><![CDATA[This post was authored by Gene Burrus, Assistant General Counsel November 2016 marks the 15th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime of the Council of Europe, commonly referred to as the Budapest Convention. The treaty is the preeminent binding international instrument in the area of cybercrime. It serves as a guideline for countries developing national legislation and provides a framework for international cooperation between countries’ law enforcement agencies, so critical &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/17/the-budapest-convention-on-cybercrime-15th-anniversary/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This post was authored by Gene Burrus, Assistant General Counsel</em></p> <p>November 2016 marks the 15th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime of the Council of Europe, commonly referred to as the Budapest Convention.</p> <p>The treaty is the preeminent binding international instrument in the area of cybercrime. It serves as a guideline for countries developing national legislation and provides a framework for international cooperation between countries’ law enforcement agencies, so critical to cybercrime investigation and prosecution.</p> <p>Since its inception, 50 countries have recognized this reality by acceding to it, with an additional six signing it, and a further 12 having been invited to do so. Its influence extends far beyond those countries, with a number of international organizations participating in the Convention Committee and many other countries looking at it for best practices.</p> <p>The Budapest Convention’s success lies in part in the fact that it has not held still. As technology evolved, the Convention’s members sought to adopt a set of recommendations to make mutual legal assistance requests more efficient, as well as begun to investigate how to ensure that its premises are still valid under the new paradigm of cloud computing.</p> <p>The importance of this to Microsoft, and its customers, is large and increasing. Estimates of global financial losses from cybercrime exceed $400 billion a year. And that number understates the less tangible impacts on privacy, trust, innovation and adoption of new technologies. Thus, effectively fighting cybercrime is of critical importance to Microsoft’s business.</p> <p>In addition, the process of detecting and investigating cybercrime often involves private technology providers like Microsoft and partnerships between Microsoft and law enforcement. Driving towards the objectives of the Budapest Convention &#8211; to drive a common harmonized set of criminal prohibitions, and to facilitate international cooperation &#8211; is directly beneficial to our customers. Greater harmonization among national approaches on criminalizing behavior, criminal procedure and investigative capabilities are critical to helping companies like Microsoft ensure compliance with what otherwise might be conflicting legal obligations under different legal regimes.</p> <p>The Convention’s main objectives are two-fold: to drive a common harmonized set of criminal prohibitions, and to facilitate international cooperation. Setting prohibitions and facilitating cooperation is important for Microsoft when it is looking to help protect customers. The first step in fighting cybercrime often consists of ensuring that the country where a perpetrator might live actually has laws against cybercrimes. Absent this, a perpetrator can act with impunity in a so called safe haven. The Convention defines a number of different types of crimes that can be committed online, providing a common frame of reference for its members, including:</p> <ul> <li>Hacking crimes involving unlawfully accessing, intercepting or interfering with computers and computer networks;</li> <li>Computer related fraud crimes;</li> <li>Content related crimes, such as child pornography.</li> </ul> <p>Secondly, the Convention aims to provide for criminal procedure necessary to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes, and to set up a fast, efficient, effective regime for cooperation between law enforcement in different nations. The latter is critical for Microsoft to help protect its customers. By its very nature cybercrime is almost always international in its scope. Perpetrators sitting in one country often attack victims in other countries, frequently using servers and networks sitting in yet others. Therefore, there must be procedures and mechanisms in place to facilitate and enable cooperation between and among the countries where the victims, the perpetrators, and the computer systems are physically located.</p> <p>Finally, and outside the scope or the powers of the Budapest Convention, the practical reality of motivating a country housing a perpetrator, but which may have few nationals as victims itself, to spend resources addressing that crime must be overcome. That will continue to be easier said than done, until all countries come to a realization that trust in the online environment is mutually beneficial and difficult to maintain. Lack of trust it will impact all online economies, no matter where the criminals come from.</p> <p>On its 15th birthday the Budapest Convention has been established as the gold standard of international conventions in the area of cybercrime. It’s a critical tool in our efforts to help protect and secure our products and our customers against cybercriminals. We hope that in the coming years more countries join it in an effort to eradicate the most modern of crimes.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Securing the new BYOD frontline: Mobile apps and data</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/14/securing-the-new-byod-frontline-mobile-apps-and-data/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2016 17:00:38 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Cloud Computing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cybersecurity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Data Privacy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33731</guid> <description><![CDATA[With personal smartphones, tablets, and laptops becoming ubiquitous in the workplace, bring your own device (BYOD) strategies and security measures have evolved. The frontlines have shifted from the devices themselves to the apps and data residing on—or accessed through—them. Mobile devices and cloud-based apps have undeniably transformed the way businesses operate. But they also introduce new security and compliance risks that must be understood and mitigated. When personal and corporate &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/14/securing-the-new-byod-frontline-mobile-apps-and-data/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With personal smartphones, tablets, and laptops becoming ubiquitous in the workplace, bring your own device (BYOD) strategies and security measures have evolved. The frontlines have shifted from the devices themselves to the apps and data residing on—or accessed through—them.</p> <p>Mobile devices and cloud-based apps have undeniably transformed the way businesses operate. But they also introduce new security and compliance risks that must be understood and mitigated. When personal and corporate apps are intermingled on the same device, how can organizations remain compliant and protected while giving employees the best productivity experience? And when corporate information is dispersed among disparate, often unmanaged locations, how can organizations make sure sensitive data is always secured?</p> <p>Traditional perimeter solutions have proved to be inadequate in keeping up with the stream of new apps available to users. And newer point solutions either require multiple vendors or are just too complex and time-consuming for IT teams to implement. Companies need a comprehensive, integrated method for protecting information—regardless of where it is stored, how it is accessed, or with whom it is shared.</p> <p>Microsoft’s end-to-end information protection solutions can help reconcile the disparity between user productivity and enterprise compliance and protection. Our identity and access management solutions integrate with existing infrastructure systems to protect access to applications and resources across corporate data centers and in the cloud.</p> <p>The following Microsoft solutions and technologies provide access control on several levels, offering ample coverage that can be up and running with the simple click of a button:</p> <h4><a href="https://aka.ms/fztcfa"><strong>Identity and access management</strong></a></h4> <p>Simplify user access with identity-based single sign-on (SSO). Azure Active Directory Premium (Azure AD) syncs with existing on-premises directories to simplify access to any application—even those in the cloud—with a secured, unified identity. No more juggling multiple combinations of user names and passwords. Users sign in only once using an authenticated corporate ID, then receive a token enabling access to resources as long as the token is valid. Azure AD comes pre-integrated with thousands of popular SaaS apps and works seamlessly with iOS, Android, Windows, and PC devices to deliver multi-platform access. Not only does unified identity with SSO simplify user access, it can also reduce the overhead costs associated with operating and maintaining multiple user accounts</p> <h4><a href="https://aka.ms/b40b6z"><strong>Secure and compliant mobile devices</strong></a></h4> <p>Microsoft Intune manages and protects devices, corporate apps, and data on almost any personal or corporate-owned device. Through Intune mobile device management (MDM) capabilities, IT teams can create and define compliance policies to meet specific business requirements, deploy policies to users or devices, and monitor device and/or user compliance from a single administration console. Intune compliance policies deliver complete visibility into users’ device health, and enable IT to block or restrict access if the device becomes non-compliant. IT administrators also have the option to install device settings that perform remote actions, such as passcode reset, device lock, data encryption, or full wipe of a lost, stolen, or non-compliant device.</p> <h4><a href="https://aka.ms/x8jmib"><strong>Conditional access</strong></a></h4> <p>Microsoft Intune can also help reinforce access protection by verifying the health of users and devices prior to granting privileges with conditional access policies. Intune policies evaluate user and device health by assessing factors like IP range, the user’s group enrollment, and if the device is managed by Intune and compliant with policies set by administrators. During the policy verification process, Intune blocks the user’s access until the device is encrypted, a passcode is set, and the device is no longer jailbroken or rooted. Intune integrates with cloud services like Office 365 and Exchange to confirm device health and grant access based on health results.</p> <h4><a href="https://aka.ms/njp20w"><strong>Multi-factor authentication</strong></a></h4> <p>Multi-factor authentication is a feature built into Azure Active Directory that provides an additional layer of authentication to help make sure only the right people have the right access to corporate applications. It prevents unauthorized access to on-premises and cloud apps with additional authentication required, and offers flexible enforcement based on user, device, or app to reduce compliance risks.</p> <p><strong>To learn more about BYOD security, download the free eBook, <a href="https://aka.ms/mo7w7i">Protect Your Data: 7 Ways to Improve Your Security Posture</a></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity: The future is here</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/14/artificial-intelligence-and-cybersecurity-the-future-is-here/</link> <pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2016 16:00:04 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Paul Nicholas]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Cybersecurity Policy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33830</guid> <description><![CDATA[Although we’re a very long way from putting artificial intelligence (AI) in charge of national defense, the use of AI in cybersecurity isn’t science fiction. The ability of machines to rapidly analyze and respond to the unprecedented quantities of data is becoming indispensable as cyberattacks’ frequency, scale and sophistication all continue to increase. The research being done today shows that automated cybersecurity systems can do many things with only limited &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/14/artificial-intelligence-and-cybersecurity-the-future-is-here/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Although we’re a very long way from putting artificial intelligence (AI) in charge of national defense, the use of AI in cybersecurity isn’t science fiction. The ability of machines to rapidly analyze and respond to the unprecedented quantities of data is becoming indispensable as cyberattacks’ frequency, scale and sophistication all continue to increase.</p> <p>The research being done today shows that automated cybersecurity systems can do many things with only limited human oversight. Through <span style="text-decoration: underline;">neural networks</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">heuristics</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">data science</span>, etc. systems are being designed to identify cyberattacks, to spot and remove malware, and to find ways to fix bugs faster than any human could. In some respects, this work is simply an extension of the principles that people have got used to in their mail-filters or firewalls. That being said, there is something qualitatively different about the AI’s “end game”, i.e. having cybersecurity decisions taken by technology without human intermediation.</p> <p>This novelty brings with it entirely new challenges. For example, what would legal frameworks around such cybersecurity look like? How would we regulate their creation and their use? What would we in fact regulate? There has already been some insightful writing and research done on this (see <a href="http://philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.be/2015/07/is-effective-regulation-of-ai-possible.html">Potential AI Regulatory Problems</a> and <a href="http://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=107064121121025004085093001007101002098014089077064041076071081098122015091113125094058057003006039016043113005114117088110103106078031069085001084099098074126122113073040045012121086092097072004016109068089100107088022006030096112029127120106114111074&amp;EXT=pdf">Regulating AI systems</a> for example), but for policy-makers the fundamental challenge of defining what an AI is and what it is not remains. Without such fundamentals, even outcomes oriented approaches could fall short as there is no certainty about when they must be used.</p> <blockquote><p>“<em>If our brains were simple enough for us to understand them, we&#8217;d be so simple that we couldn&#8217;t.”</em> Ian Stewart, The Collapse of Chaos: Discovering Simplicity in a Complex World)</p></blockquote> <p>In fact, AI technologies will be complex. Many government policymakers may struggle to understand them and how to best oversee their integration and evolution in government, society and key economic sectors. This is further complicated by the chance that the creation of AI might be a globally distributed effort, operating across jurisdictions with potentially distinct approaches to regulation. Smart cars, digital assistants, and algorithmic trading on financial markets are already pushing us towards AI, how could we improve the understanding of the technology, transparency about its decision making, integrity of its development and ethics, and the actual control of the technology in practical terms?</p> <p>But it is also critical to understand the role AI can and will play in cybersecurity and resilience. The technology is initially likely to be “white hat” enabling critical infrastructures to protect themselves and the essential services they provide to the economy, society and public safety in new and novel ways. AI may enable systems to anticipate and rapidly mitigate security incidents or advanced persistent threats. But, as we have seen in cybersecurity, we will likely see criminal organizations or nation states seek to exploit AI to evade cybersecurity defenses or even attack. This means that reaching consensus on <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=2&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi72Kqzo5rQAhUU12MKHRK6DOoQFggjMAE&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdownload%2F7%2F6%2F0%2F7605D861-C57A-4E23-B823-568CFC36FD44%2FInternational_Cybersecurity_%2520Norms.pdf&amp;usg=AFQjCNHkgyXQwRtziPmhgB_1LjqpPpSuPw&amp;sig2=dhBG9kWNVP3SSME_d_i8Yw&amp;bvm=bv.138169073,d.cGc">cybersecurity norms</a> becomes more important and urgent. The work on cybersecurity norms will need more public and private sector cooperation globally.</p> <p>In conclusion, it is worth noting that despite the challenges posed by AI in cybersecurity, there are also interesting and positive implications for the <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/03/cybersecurity-and-cyber-resilience-equally-important-but-different/">balance between cybersecurity and cyber-resilience</a>. If cybersecurity teams can rely on smart systems to play defense, their focus can turn to preparing to handle a successful attack’s consequences. The ability to reinvent processes, to adapt to “black swan” events and to respond to developments that violate the fundamental assumptions on which an AI is built, should remain distinctly human for some time to come.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Enabling collaboration—without data leaks</title> <link>https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/09/enabling-collaboration-without-data-leaks/</link> <pubDate>Wed, 09 Nov 2016 17:00:19 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Secure Blog Staff]]></dc:creator> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/?p=33761</guid> <description><![CDATA[Many of us have accidentally sent sensitive information to the wrong person at some point in our career, perhaps without even knowing. This is a frightening reality for companies and their IT teams, especially as collaboration increases and corporate data becomes more distributed among on-premises and cloud environments. Monitoring every device, application, and piece of data at all times is not only not practical—it’s impossible. To stay protected and compliant, &#8230; <a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/microsoftsecure/2016/11/09/enabling-collaboration-without-data-leaks/" class="read-more">Read more &#187;</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many of us have accidentally sent sensitive information to the wrong person at some point in our career, perhaps without even knowing. This is a frightening reality for companies and their IT teams, especially as collaboration increases and corporate data becomes more distributed among on-premises and cloud environments. Monitoring every device, application, and piece of data at all times is not only not practical—it’s impossible.</p> <p>To stay protected and compliant, IT groups need the ability to effectively manage users and devices in ways that enable productivity without introducing risk. And users must learn to protect themselves from situations in which leaks could occur.</p> <p>To help mitigate data leaks, influence user best practices, and still allow for collaboration, Microsoft designed the following security features to protect corporate data—whether it is in the data center, in the cloud, or shared with internal and external partners:</p> <h4><a href="https://aka.ms/wthfev"><strong>Manage your mobile applications</strong></a></h4> <p>With Microsoft Intune mobile application management (MAM), organizations can control apps and resources at the app level. IT can discourage users from working in unauthorized apps by applying restrictions that prevent copying, pasting, or saving data from a managed app onto an unmanaged app. End users can work productively in familiar Office apps and retain the rich Office productivity experience. Intune MAM capabilities are native to Office mobile apps, but can also be extended to other proprietary and line-of-business apps through the Intune SDK or Intune App Wrapping tool.</p> <h4><a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/whats-new/whats-new-windows-10-version-1607"><strong>Lock mobile devices down</strong></a></h4> <p>Device Guard is a combination of enterprise-related hardware and software security features that, when configured together, will lock a device down so it can only run trusted applications. When in the lockdown state, users will not have the ability to modify the device state, preventing further unauthorized mobile behavior. Device Guard automatically senses threatening behavior and takes appropriate action, unburdening IT from constantly supervising user behavior at all times.</p> <h4><a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/whats-new/edp-whats-new-overview"><strong>Protect enterprise data</strong></a></h4> <p>A combination of Windows 10, Intune, and Azure Rights Management, Windows Information Protection (WIP), previously known as Enterprise Data Protection (EDP), separates and protects enterprise apps and data against disclosure risks across both company and personal devices—without requiring changes in environments or apps. WIP integrates with Intune to enable comprehensive management of WIP policies to protect corporate data by preventing unauthorized apps from accessing business data, similar to the Intune MAM capabilities for iOS and Android. With this capability, all copy and paste functions are restricted for unknown sources and remote wipe of sensitive data can be performed on devices to prevent unauthorized mingling of personal and corporate data.</p> <h4><a href="https://aka.ms/jmq9p7"><strong>Prevent data loss</strong></a></h4> <p>Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Office 365 helps identify the areas that are most susceptible to threats and potential data loss. The DLP classification engine built into Office 365 analyzes data across programs like Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, and Office applications to determine which information is the most sensitive and vulnerable based on unique business requirements. DLP Policy Tips provide complete visibility to help influence better-informed decision making. IT can then leverage this data to inform and enforce compliance and security policies that will best protect sensitive information.</p> <h4><a href="https://aka.ms/m7c3ow"><strong>Utilize policy-driven access control</strong></a></h4> <p>Azure Rights Management (Azure RMS) enables IT to encrypt data at the file level and apply policy-based permissions based on the user’s identity. These access control policies provide integrated coverage across on-premises environments and cloud applications. IT can define privileges for users and files, ensuring only the right people can view sensitive information. Actions like viewing, editing, authoring, and co-authoring capabilities delegated to the user are all governed by access control policies, and they can be tailored to meet specific project or business needs. Designed to support multiple workloads such as Exchange, SharePoint, and Office documents, Azure RMS enables safer sharing and collaboration with partners inside and outside the organization.</p> <p><strong>To learn more about secure collaboration, download the free eBook, </strong><strong><a href="https://aka.ms/p407pq">“Protect Your Data: 7 Ways to Improve Your Security Posture”</a>.</strong></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <rss xmlns:a10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"> <channel xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"> <title>Microsoft Azure Blog</title> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/</link> <description /> <language>en-US</language> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 05 Jan 2017 03:32:49 Z</lastBuildDate> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">christian-wade-shows-off-azure-analysis-services</guid> <category>Data Warehouse</category> <category>Business Intelligence</category> <title>Christian Wade explains the preview of Azure Analysis Services</title> <description>Christian Wade stops by Azure Friday to speak with Scott about Azure Analysis Services. Built on the proven analytics engine in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, Azure Analysis Services…</description> <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 08:00:01 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;Christian Wade stops by Azure Friday to speak with Scott about Azure Analysis Services. Built on the proven analytics engine in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, Azure Analysis Services delivers enterprise-grade BI semantic modeling capabilities with the scale, flexibility, and management benefits of the cloud. Azure Analysis Services helps you transform complex data into actionable insights. Users in your organization can then connect to your data models using tools like Excel, Power BI, and many others to create reports and perform ad-hoc data analysis. By leveraging the skills, tools, and data your team has today, you can get more from the investments you&amp;rsquo;ve already made.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Watch Christian as he introduces Azure Analysis Services and shows various demos of how to use and manage Analysis Services in the cloud.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="540" src="https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Azure-Friday/Introducing-Azure-Analysis-Services/player" width="960"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Try the preview of &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/analysis-services/"&gt;Azure Analysis Services&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;and learn about &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/first-azure-as/?utm_content=bufferf7c1b&amp;amp;utm_medium=social&amp;amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;amp;utm_campaign=buffer"&gt;creating your first data model&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/christian-wade-shows-off-azure-analysis-services/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/christian-wade-shows-off-azure-analysis-services/</link> <dc:creator>Josh Caplan</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">november-2016-leaderboard-of-database-systems-contributors-on-msdn</guid> <category>Developer</category> <category>Database</category> <title>November 2016 Leaderboard of Database Systems contributors on MSDN</title> <description>Thank you for your positive feedback on our first leaderboard published last month. Congratulations to the Top-10 contributors on the November 2016 leaderboard! Hilary Cotter continues his Rank-1…</description> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2017 10:00:14 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;Thank you for your positive feedback on our &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/sql-leaderboard-msdn-contributors/"&gt;first leaderboard&lt;/a&gt; published last month. Congratulations to the Top-10 contributors on the November 2016 leaderboard!&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/a6e7ca5f-5137-4431-850c-975a4940af70.png"&gt;&lt;img alt="SQL Leaderboards - Nov" border="0" height="520" src="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/6d7339e5-9c9c-412f-b67a-d606805c8713.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; border-image: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" title="SQL Leaderboards - Nov" width="925"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Hilary Cotter continues his Rank-1 position from last month. Five of this month&amp;rsquo;s Overall Top-10 featured in last month&amp;rsquo;s Overall Top-10 as well. Five others are new entrants.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;The following continues to be the points hierarchy (in decreasing order of points):&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/6cb3b335-4279-4814-aea6-3e48385ca8f7.png"&gt;&lt;img alt="Scoring methology - Nov" border="0" height="514" src="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/8f3c0c87-24cd-4e09-a5ae-41ea0c50084a.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; border-image: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" title="Scoring methology - Nov" width="914"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;For questions related to this leaderboard, please write to &lt;a&gt;leaderboard-sql@microsoft.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Happy Holidays everyone!&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/november-2016-leaderboard-of-database-systems-contributors-on-msdn/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/november-2016-leaderboard-of-database-systems-contributors-on-msdn/</link> <dc:creator>Rahul Venkatraj</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">microsoft-azure-achieves-hitrust-csf-certification</guid> <category>Identity &amp; Access Management</category> <category>Networking</category> <category>Media Services &amp; CDN</category> <category>Management</category> <category>Security</category> <title>Microsoft Azure Achieves HITRUST CSF Certification</title> <description>We’re excited and proud to announce that Microsoft Azure is one of the first hyper-scale cloud computing platforms to become HITRUST CSF Certified. </description> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2017 09:00:14 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;We&amp;rsquo;re excited and proud to announce that Microsoft Azure is one of the first hyper-scale cloud computing platforms to become HITRUST CSF Certified.&amp;nbsp; The HITRUST Certification is the most widely recognized security accreditation in the healthcare industry.&amp;nbsp; It incorporates healthcare specific security, privacy and regulatory requirements from existing regulations such as HIPAA/HITECH, PCI, ISO 27001 and MARS-E as well as industry best practices.&amp;nbsp; This certification provides a single framework that is tailored to health organizations to evaluate the Azure environment.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;ldquo;HITRUST has been working with the industry to ensure the appropriate information protection requirements are met when sensitive health information is accessed or stored in a cloud environment. By taking the steps necessary to obtain HITRUST CSF Certified status, Microsoft Azure is distinguished as an organization that people can count on to keep their information safe,&amp;rdquo;&lt;/em&gt; said Ken Vander Wal, Chief Compliance Officer, HITRUST.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;To &lt;em&gt;empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more&lt;/em&gt;, we must ensure that large industries, like healthcare, are unblocked from regulatory, privacy, and security obstacles which could prevent them from being able to move their IT workloads and operations to the cloud.&amp;nbsp; Achieving HITRUST CSF Certification is an awesome example of Azure removing yet another hurdle so a large and important aspect of our global society, i.e., healthcare industries and professionals, can confidently and securely leverage the services, efficiencies, and power of Microsoft Azure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/8e0b1f5c-b80b-4450-aa14-e7d8b870a4b3.png"&gt;&lt;img alt="HITRUST Certification" border="0" height="437" src="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/a31f0424-d106-49cf-abbe-a3cace7b89fe.png" style="border-image: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; float: none; display: block; background-image: none;" title="HITRUST Certification" width="640"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;The following is a complete list of Azure Services included in this HITRUST certification:&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Identity and Access Management&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Azure Active Directory&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Rights Management&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Multi-Factor Authentication&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Compute&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Virtual Machines&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Cloud Services&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Batch&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Networking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Application Gateway&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;VPN Gateway&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Express Route&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Virtual Network&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Load Balancer&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Traffic Manager&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Web &amp;amp; Mobile&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Web Apps&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Mobile Apps&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Notification Hubs&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Analytics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;HDInsight&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Management &amp;amp; Security&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Azure Key Vault&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Scheduler&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Azure Management Portal&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Azure Classic Portal&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Media &amp;amp; CDN&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Media Services&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Data &amp;amp; Storage&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Redis Cache - including Premium&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;SQL Database&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;SQL Data Warehouse&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;SQL Virtual Machines&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Storage- Blob, Table, Queue, Files, and Disks - including Premium&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hybrid Integration&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Service Bus&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Workflow&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-azure-achieves-hitrust-csf-certification/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-azure-achieves-hitrust-csf-certification/</link> <dc:creator>Alice Rison</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">end-to-end-cloud-experiences-for-developers-at-node-js-interactive-north-america</guid> <category>Developer</category> <title>End-to-end cloud experiences for developers at Node.js Interactive North America</title> <description>Over 700 developers, DevOps engineers and other Node.js enthusiasts met in Austin earlier this month for Node.js Interactive North America. Microsoft is proud to have been a platinum sponsor and I’m…</description> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2017 08:00:12 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;Over 700 developers, DevOps engineers and other Node.js enthusiasts met in Austin last month for &lt;a href="http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/node-interactive/program/agenda"&gt;Node.js Interactive North America&lt;/a&gt;. Microsoft is proud to have been a platinum sponsor and I&amp;rsquo;m particularly thrilled to have keynoted the event, kicking off a great week of community engagement: from meetups to workshops, sessions covering from debugging to robots and content that highlights our work in technologies like TypeScript or &lt;a href="https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2016/11/29/node-chakracore-vm-neutrality/"&gt;Node-Chakracore&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;For those of us working with Node.js at Microsoft, this event is an important milestone in our own Node.js journey. Today we support Node.js broadly in Microsoft Azure, providing developers with architectural choices to build applications on the infrastructure, with VM Scale Sets and &lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Open/From-MEAN-to-DEAN-in-Azure-with-Bitnami-VM-Scale-Sets-and-DocumentDB"&gt;Linux-based Node.js stacks&lt;/a&gt;, on container infrastructure, with &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-container-service-the-cloud-s-most-open-option-for-containers/"&gt;Azure Container Service&lt;/a&gt;, on our PaaS, with support for Node.js for Web, IoT, mobile or serverless applications, and through 3&lt;sup&gt;rd&lt;/sup&gt; party Node.js IaaS and PaaS solutions in Azure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Whatever choice you make, we add value to those investments by providing &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/develop/nodejs/"&gt;Node.js SDKs&lt;/a&gt; for multiple Azure services and client drivers for many of our data solutions, including MongoDB &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/documentdb/documentdb-protocol-mongodb"&gt;protocol support&lt;/a&gt; in DocumentDB. And what&amp;rsquo;s more important &amp;ndash; we value developer productivity in whatever platform you choose and that&amp;rsquo;s why we continue investing in great DevOps tooling and a redefined coding experience with &lt;a href="http://code.visualstudio.com"&gt;Visual Studio Code&lt;/a&gt;, providing IntelliSense &amp;amp; debugging, powerful extensibility and out-of-the-box Azure support that works everywhere.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;On &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLSEMJF-FFQ"&gt;my keynote&lt;/a&gt; at Node.js Interactive North America, I gave attendees some perspective on what our vision for Node.js is and where we are going, including walking participants through how those experiences look and feel like for Node.js developers in the cloud using solutions like Docker support in Azure App Service, and covering debugging use cases (even if you couldn&amp;rsquo;t attend the event, you can follow along &lt;a href="https://github.com/lostintangent/node-e2e-nina2016/blob/master/README.md"&gt;on GitHub&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Developers around the globe are adopting this powerful combination of open source, Node.js and the cloud at a rapid pace. Enterprise adoption &lt;a href="https://medium.com/@nodejs/what-you-missed-at-nodeinteractive-33bb23f6ccb5#.plrxi0ek4"&gt;continues growing&lt;/a&gt;, and is already popular in polyglot scenarios, including amongst &lt;a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/pages/AdvancedSearch.aspx?SearchText=node.js"&gt;Microsoft customers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLSEMJF-FFQ"&gt;&lt;img alt="clip_image002" border="0" src="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/8378622d-01dc-4478-9c9b-d56097c063a3.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; border-image: none; width: 450px; height: 205px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" title="clip_image002"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;In fact, during my keynote I shared with the community our perspective on how and why organizations are adopting Node.js in the cloud, based on our experience as an open and flexible global cloud platform where over 60% of Marketplace solutions integrate open source, nearly 1 in 3 VMs run Linux, the number of customers running containers is quadrupling and over a dozen Node.js solutions coexist in &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/?term=node.js"&gt;Marketplace&lt;/a&gt;, signaling we can expect the growth of Node.js in Azure to continue.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Our Node.js vision focuses on &lt;b&gt;developer productivity&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;flexible and powerful cloud deployments&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;production operations &amp;amp; diagnostics&lt;/b&gt; that support the enterprise business needs. Some of our products like TypeScript, Visual Studio or Microsoft Azure are helping customers bring this vision to reality today, and we will continue investing in this portfolio as well as in the community and ecosystem to ensure that we can maintain a learning loop that empowers developers to do more with Node.js in the cloud.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;For example, Microsoft is part of the &lt;a href="https://nodejs.org/en/foundation/"&gt;Node Foundation&lt;/a&gt; (which, by the way, is &lt;a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Node16"&gt;looking for your input&lt;/a&gt;) and an active participant of the CTC, TSC &amp;amp; a number of WGs contributing on areas like &lt;a href="https://www.typescriptlang.org/"&gt;TypeScript&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://github.com/microsoft/ChakraCore"&gt;Chakra&lt;/a&gt; and more, and we learn a lot through our &lt;a href="https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azureossds/"&gt;developer support&lt;/a&gt; team focused on open source experiences, including Node.js.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;As we close a great year of Node.js momentum in the cloud, make sure you check out all the content from Node.js Interactive North America on &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfMzBWSH11xYaaHMalNKqcEurBH8LstB8"&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;, explore the &lt;a href="https://github.com/lostintangent/node-e2e-nina2016/blob/master/README.md"&gt;end-to-end Node.js demo&lt;/a&gt; and get started with &lt;a href="http://azure.com/node"&gt;Node.js in Azure&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/end-to-end-cloud-experiences-for-developers-at-node-js-interactive-north-america/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/end-to-end-cloud-experiences-for-developers-at-node-js-interactive-north-america/</link> <dc:creator>Jonathan Carter</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">exercise-your-greatest-power-as-a-developer</guid> <category>Developer</category> <title>Exercise your greatest power as a developer</title> <description>To be a good developer is to be a perpetual learner; it is essential for survival. The problems you solve are always changing, but the programming languages, platforms, hardware, tools and technologies you use to solve them are either on their way in, evolving, or are on their way out.</description> <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2016 13:30:12 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;To paraphrase Daniel Webster (American Statesman, 1782-1852), &amp;ldquo;If all my developer skills were taken from me with one exception, I would choose to keep the power of learning like a developer, for by it I would soon regain all the rest.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;To be a good developer is to be a perpetual learner; it is essential for survival. The problems you solve are always changing, but the programming languages, platforms, hardware, tools and technologies you use to solve them are all moving targets. Even the foundation of the agile development processes most developers follow has the notion that you must continue to learn to be more effective. After all, if you&amp;rsquo;re not learning something new, you&amp;rsquo;re either falling behind or getting left behind.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Once again, it&amp;rsquo;s that time of year when many office buildings get a bit quieter, parking and traffic get a little easier, and many production systems go into &amp;ldquo;hands-off&amp;rdquo; lockdown for fear of a breaking change ruining the holidays. This slow period provides an opportunity to step back from the stuff you work on every day and learn something new that perhaps you haven&amp;rsquo;t had a chance to try yet.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources available for you to learn new skills in Azure. Below are ten areas to explore that go beyond the familiar cloud workhorses (such as virtual machines and storage) and focus on capabilities related to IoT, containers, microservices, serverless computing, bots, artificial intelligence, and more. Each has a list of resources to give you a quick intro, and additional content to help you dive deeper.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;If you&amp;rsquo;re new to Microsoft Azure, you may want to start with the &lt;a href="https://opbuildstorageprod.blob.core.windows.net/output-pdf-files/en-us/guides/azure-developer-guide.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Get Started Guide for Azure Developers&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. Internet of Things (IoT)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Anything can be a connected device these days. Azure IoT Suite and the Azure IoT services make it easy for you to connect devices to the cloud, not only to collect the telemetry data they generate but also to do things&amp;nbsp; in your apps based on that data. You can also get Azure IoT-certified starter kits for some DIY time building your own devices.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/connect-2015-introduction-to-azure-iot-suite-and-iot-hub-for-developers/" target="_blank"&gt;Introduction to Azure IoT Suite and IoT Hub for developers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/developer-s-introduction-to-azure-iot/" target="_blank"&gt;Developer&amp;#39;s introduction to Azure IoT&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2016/B844" target="_blank"&gt;Developer&amp;rsquo;s Guide to Connecting Devices to Azure IoT&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/develop/iot/" target="_blank"&gt;Azure IoT Developer Center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/develop/iot/starter-kits/" target="_blank"&gt;Azure IoT Starter Kits&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/getting-started-with-the-internet-of-things-iot-16170" target="_blank"&gt;Getting Started with the Internet of Things (IoT)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. Functions&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Looking for a way to build microservices or get tasks done easily in your apps, such as processing data, integrating systems, or providing simple APIs? Azure Functions offers serverless compute for composing event driven solutions. You only need to write the code that solves a specific need and then not worry about building out an entire application or the infrastructure required to run it.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/azure-functions-and-the-evolution-of-web-jobs/" target="_blank"&gt;Azure Functions and the Evolution of Web Jobs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-overview" target="_blank"&gt;Azure Functions Overview&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Windows-Azure/Developing-Azure-Functions" target="_blank"&gt;Developing Azure Functions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.hanselman.com/blog/WhatIsServerlessComputingExploringAzureFunctions.aspx" target="_blank"&gt;What is Serverless Computing? Exploring Azure Functions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://functionschallenge.azure.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Azure Functions Challenge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/using-azure-functions-to-build-nanoservices-16765" target="_blank"&gt;Using Azure Functions to Build Nanoservices&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. Cognitive Services&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction and can be used in your applications today. Cognitive Services&amp;nbsp;is a growing collection of machine learning APIs, SDKs, and services you can use to make your applications more intelligent, engaging, and discoverable. Add smart features to your applications and bots, such as emotion and video detection; facial, speech, and vision recognition; and speech and language understanding.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Connect/2016/102" target="_blank"&gt;Get started with Microsoft Cognitive Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/transform/feature/how-uber-is-using-driver-selfies-to-enhance-security-powered-by-microsoft-cognitive-services/" target="_blank"&gt;How Uber is using driver selfies to enhance security, powered by Microsoft Cognitive Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2016/B855" target="_blank"&gt;Microsoft Cognitive Services: Give Your Apps a Human Side&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/mt742868.aspx" target="_blank"&gt;Face and Emotion Recognition in Xamarin.Forms with Microsoft Cognitive Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cognitive-services/cognitive-services-text-analytics-quick-start" target="_blank"&gt;Getting started with the Text Analytics APIs to detect sentiment, key phrases, topics and language&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. Bot Service&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Looking to improve customer engagement in a new or existing application? Azure Bot Service enables rapid, intelligent bot development, bringing together the power of the Microsoft Bot Framework and Azure Functions. Build, connect, deploy and manage bots that interact naturally wherever your users are talking. Allow your bots to scale based on demand, and you pay only for the resources you consume.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Connect/2016/195" target="_blank"&gt;Introducing the Azure Bot Service&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.botframework.com/en-us/azure-bot-service/" target="_blank"&gt;Azure Bot Service Overview&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Windows-Azure/Introducing-the-Azure-Bot-Service" target="_blank"&gt;Introducing the Azure Bot Service&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/mt788623.aspx" target="_blank"&gt;Bot Framework &amp;ndash; Solving Business Problems with the Microsoft Bot Framework&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.botframework.com/en-us/azure-bots/build/first-bot/" target="_blank"&gt;Create Your First Bot&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/getting-started-with-bots-16759" target="_blank"&gt;Getting Started with Bots&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5. Container Service&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;If you have been building container based applications and now need to get them into production, check out Azure Container Service. This open sourced service supports popular container orchestration engines such as Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, and DC/OS. Azure Container Service removes a lot of complexity to help you manage clusters of virtual machines to run your containerized applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Windows-Azure/Azure-Container-Service" target="_blank"&gt;Azure Container Service&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Azure-Friday/Azure-Container-Service-101" target="_blank"&gt;Azure Container Service 101&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/build-2016-building-applications-using-the-azure-container-service/" target="_blank"&gt;Building Applications Using the Azure Container Service&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-service/container-service-intro" target="_blank"&gt;Azure Container Service Introduction&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-service/container-service-deployment" target="_blank"&gt;Deploy an Azure Container Service cluster&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/deploying-dockerized-apps-to-the-azure-container-service-16637" target="_blank"&gt;Deploying Dockerized Apps to the Azure Container Service&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6. Logic Apps&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Azure Logic Apps help you automate workflows and integrate applications and services. Nearly a hundred out of the box connectors for all your favorite services&amp;nbsp; make it easy to set up workflows and accomplish tasks between connected services. Using a visual designer in the Azure portal or Visual Studio, you can compose the logic (and it works great with Azure Functions) that act based on events.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/enterprise-integration-with-azure-logic-apps/" target="_blank"&gt;Enterprise Integration with Azure Logic Apps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service-logic/app-service-logic-what-are-logic-apps" target="_blank"&gt;What are Logic Apps?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Windows-Azure/Azure-Logic-Apps-Getting-Started" target="_blank"&gt;Getting started with Azure Logic Apps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/mt703438.aspx" target="_blank"&gt;Microsoft Azure - Enterprise Application Integration Using Azure Logic Apps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://tryappservice.azure.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Build a Logic App in a Free Sandbox Experience&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/mastering-azure-app-service-part-1-building-azure-logic-apps-16829" target="_blank"&gt;Mastering Azure App Service, Part 1: Building Logic Apps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7. API Apps&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Azure API Apps make it easy for you to build and consume cloud-hosted REST APIs. Azure provides a marketplace of APIs where you can publish your API, or find existing APIs to use in your applications. You can also generate cross-platform client SDKs for the hosted API using Swagger.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/azure-api-apps-101-with-guang-yang/" target="_blank"&gt;Azure API Apps 101 with Guang Yang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service-api/app-service-api-apps-why-best-platform" target="_blank"&gt;API Apps Overview&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/events/DEVintersection/DEVintersection-2016/DEV08" target="_blank"&gt;RESTful Web Services: ASP.NET and Azure API Apps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service-api/app-service-api-dotnet-get-started" target="_blank"&gt;Get started with API Apps, ASP.NET, and Swagger in Azure App Service tutorial&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/mastering-azure-app-service-part-2-building-azure-api-apps-16830" target="_blank"&gt;Mastering Azure App Service, Part 2: Building Azure API Apps&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8. DocumentDB&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Sometimes a traditional relational database is not the best choice for your data. DocumentDB is a fully managed and scalable NoSQL database service that features SQL queries over object data. You can also access DocumentDB by using existing MongoDB drivers, which enables you to use DocumentDB with apps written for use with MongoDB.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Connect/2016/192" target="_blank"&gt;DocumentDB: overview and offline development experience&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/documentdb/documentdb-introduction" target="_blank"&gt;What is DocumentDB?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/events/Build/2016/B840" target="_blank"&gt;Delivering Applications at Scale with DocumentDB, Azure&amp;#39;s NoSQL Document Database&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/mt147238.aspx" target="_blank"&gt;An Overview of Microsoft Azure DocumentDB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/documentdb/documentdb-get-started" target="_blank"&gt;NoSQL tutorial: Build a DocumentDB C# console application&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/azure-documentdb-planetscale-nosql-16847?l=rWTz0bT6C_8906218965" target="_blank"&gt;Azure DocumentDB: Planet-Scale NoSQL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9. Mobile Center&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;If you&amp;rsquo;re already working on a mobile app, you should learn more about mobile DevOps with Visual Studio Mobile Center, which brings together our mobile developer services, including HockeyApp and Xamarin Test Cloud. Currently in Preview, Visual Studio Mobile Center provides cloud-powered lifecycle services for mobile apps, including continuous integration, test automation, distribution, crash reporting, and application analytics. The Mobile Center SDK currently supports Android, iOS, Xamarin, and React Native apps with a roadmap to support more over the coming months.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/2016/11/16/visual-studio-mobile-center/" target="_blank"&gt;Introducing Visual Studio Mobile Center (Preview)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Cloud+Cover/Episode-219-Visual-Studio-Mobile-Center-with-Thomas-Dohmke" target="_blank"&gt;Visual Studio Mobile Center with Thomas Dohmke&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/magazine/mt790198" target="_blank"&gt;Mobile DevOps &amp;ndash; Exploring Visual Studio Mobile Center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h4&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10. Application Insights&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Rich application metrics help you deliver and continuously improve applications for your customers. Application Insights is an extensible application performance management service that&amp;rsquo;ll help you detect, triage, and diagnose issues in web apps and services. You can integrate it into your DevOps pipeline and use it to monitor the usage and experience of your apps.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quick:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/events/Connect/2016/100" target="_blank"&gt;Monitor Web Apps using Azure Application Insights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/general-availability-of-azure-application-insights/" target="_blank"&gt;General availability of Azure Application Insights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More time:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Watch:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/events/Build/2016/P591" target="_blank"&gt;Advanced Analytics with Application Insights&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Read:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-insights/app-insights-overview" target="_blank"&gt;What is Application Insights?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Do:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://analytics.applicationinsights.io/demo" target="_blank"&gt;Interactive data analytics demo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Learn:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://mva.microsoft.com/en-US/training-courses/web-and-data-application-development-with-visual-studio-2017-and-azure-16931" target="_blank"&gt;Web and Data Application Development with Visual Studio 2017 and Azure (Module 1)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;I hope you found an area that caught your interest and you learn something new from the content provided.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Happy holidays!&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/exercise-your-greatest-power-as-a-developer/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/exercise-your-greatest-power-as-a-developer/</link> <dc:creator>Nicole Herskowitz</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">general-availability-larger-block-blobs-in-azure-storage</guid> <category>Announcements</category> <category>Storage, Backup &amp; Recovery</category> <category>Updates</category> <title>General Availability: Larger Block Blobs in Azure Storage</title> <description>The introduction of larger Block Blobs increases the maximum file size from 195 GB to 4.77 TB</description> <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2016 12:00:21 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;Azure Blob Storage is a massively scalable object storage solution capable of storing and serving tens to hundreds of petabytes of data per customer across a diverse set of data types including media, documents, log files, scientific data and much more. Many of our customers use Blobs to store very large data sets, and have requested support for larger files. The introduction of larger Block Blobs increases the maximum file size from 195 GB to 4.77 TB. The increased blob size better supports a diverse range of scenarios, from media companies storing and processing 4K and 8K videos to cancer researchers sequencing DNA.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Azure Block Blobs have always been mutable, allowing a customer to insert, upload or delete blocks of data without needing to upload the entire blob. With the new larger block blob size, mutability offers even more significant performance and cost savings, especially for workloads where portions of a large object are frequently modified. For a deeper dive into the Block Blobs service including object mutability, please view &lt;a href="https://channel9.msdn.com/events/Build/2016/B816"&gt;this video&lt;/a&gt; from our last Build Conference. The REST API documentation for &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/storageservices/fileservices/put-block"&gt;Put Block&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/storageservices/fileservices/put-block-list"&gt;Put Block List&lt;/a&gt; also covers object mutability.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;We have increased the maximum allowable block size from 4 MB to 100 MB, while maintaining support for up to 50,000 blocks committed to a single Blob. Range GETs continue to be supported on larger Block Blobs allowing high speed parallel downloads of the entire Blob, or just portions of the Blob. You can immediately begin taking advantage of this improvement in any existing Blob Storage or General Purpose Storage Account across all Azure regions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Larger Block Blobs are supported by the most recent releases of the &lt;a href="https://www.nuget.org/packages/WindowsAzure.Storage"&gt;.Net Client&amp;nbsp;Library&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(version 8.0.0) and the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-use-azcopy#download-and-install-azcopy"&gt;AzCopy Command-Line Utility&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(version 5.2.0), with support for Java and Node.js rolling out over the next few weeks. You can also directly use the &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/storageservices/fileservices/azure-storage-services-rest-api-reference"&gt;REST API&lt;/a&gt; as always. Larger Block Blobs are supported by REST API version 2016-05-31 and later. There is nothing new to learn about the APIs, so you can start uploading larger Block Blobs right away.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;This size increase only applies to Block Blobs, and the maximum size of Append Blobs (195 GB) and Page Blobs (1 TB) remains unchanged. There are no billing changes. To get started using Azure Storage Blobs, please see our &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-dotnet-how-to-use-blobs"&gt;getting started documentation&lt;/a&gt;, or reference one of our &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/samples/?service=storage&amp;amp;term=blob"&gt;code samples&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/general-availability-larger-block-blobs-in-azure-storage/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/general-availability-larger-block-blobs-in-azure-storage/</link> <dc:creator>Michael Hauss</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">flashback-2016-highlights-from-azure-sql-data-warehouse</guid> <category>Developer</category> <category>Cloud Strategy</category> <category>Data Warehouse</category> <title>Flashback 2016 – Highlights from Azure SQL Data Warehouse</title> <description>Earlier this year we announced the general availability of Azure SQL Data Warehouse, offering a SQL-based fully managed, petabyte-scale cloud solution. SQL Data Warehouse is highly elastic, enabling…</description> <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2016 08:00:19 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;Earlier this year we announced the &lt;a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dataplatforminsider/2016/07/12/the-elastic-future-of-data-warehousing/" target="_blank"&gt;general availability&lt;/a&gt; of Azure SQL Data Warehouse, offering a SQL-based fully managed, petabyte-scale cloud solution for data warehousing. SQL Data Warehouse is highly elastic, enabling you to provision in minutes and scale capacity in seconds. You can scale compute and storage independently, allowing you to burst compute for complex analytical workloads or scale down your warehouse for archival scenarios, and pay based off what you&amp;#39;re using instead of being locked into predefined cluster configurations. Unlike other cloud data warehouse services, SQL Data Warehouse offers the unique option to pause compute, giving you even more freedom to better manage your cloud costs.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;We are excited to see the customer momentum across industries and we have continued to bring new features to even further enhance the customer experience.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Leading digital advertising company MediaBrix uses Azure SQL Data Warehouse to run analysis across billions of rows of data &amp;ndash; drilling deep down into 30 TB of data. SQL Data Warehouse not only helps MediaBrix gain fast insights, but it also hooks up to technologies like Azure Machine Learning to create predictive models, change data in real time, and deliver the right ads to the right people. Learn more about how &lt;a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/en-us/story/digital-advertising-company-gets-answers-from-terabytes-of-data-with-microsoft-azure-platform" target="_blank"&gt;MediaBrix gets answers from data&lt;/a&gt; with Microsoft Azure platform.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;As 2016 ends, here are some of the highlights from a memorable year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;General availability now across 23 regions world wide&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Since announcing general availability in 14 regions in July, we have now extended to 9 additional regions bringing the total to 23 &amp;ndash; more than any other major cloud provider. Now customers across following regions can use Azure SQL Data Warehouse: North Europe, North Central US, Central US, East US, East US 2, South Central US, West Central US, West US, West US 2, Canada Central, Canada East, West Europe, Germany Central, Germany Northeast, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia Southeast, Central India, South India, China East, China North, Japan East, and Brazil South.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Industry Leading Performance for Analytic Queries&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Azure SQL Data Warehouse is powered by SQL Server underneath and with GA we went live with SQL Server 2016. The &lt;a href="https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlserverstorageengine/2016/03/14/columnstore-index-how-does-sql-server-delivers-industry-leading-performance-for-analytic-queries/" target="_blank"&gt;industry leading SQL Server 2016 columnstore&lt;/a&gt; implementation is at the core of serving analytic queries in SQL Data Warehouse. We significantly improved the data compression and segment elimination to reduce the IO when processing large number of rows.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Batch mode execution on top of columnstore speeds up queries by orders of magnitude. With SQL Server 2016, we added batch mode support for common analytic operators, such as order by and windowing aggregates. In addition, we now support aggregate pushdown and string predicate pushdown to the scan node.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;ldquo;We can tell customers who&amp;rsquo;s actually consuming their advertising. For example, we might say that to target women aged 24 to 35 who have children, they&amp;rsquo;ll need to do so between 6 and 8 AM on the East Coast, preferably in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. It&amp;rsquo;s mind-blowing to tell them that, because they&amp;rsquo;re not getting that level of intelligence from anybody else.&amp;rdquo; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;- &lt;/em&gt;Christopher Beach, Senior Vice President of Engineering, MediaBrix&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Learn more about how an &lt;a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/en-US/story/digital-advertising-company-gets-answers-from-terabytes-of-data-with-microsoft-azure-platform" target="_blank"&gt;advertising company gets answers from data&lt;/a&gt; with Microsoft Azure platform.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Fast Loading with ADF and PolyBase&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;We recently shared how you can use Azure Data Factory Copy Wizard to load &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/data-factory-load-sql-data-warehouse" target="_blank"&gt;1TB data in under 15 mins into Azure SQL Data Warehouse&lt;/a&gt;, at over 1.2 GB per second throughput. Azure Data Factory is a data movement service in the cloud enabling ingestion of data from multiple on-premises and cloud sources &amp;ndash; SQL Data Warehouse has deployed a single-click integration with Data Factory to make data movement even easier. Using the staging blob feature, you can achieve high load speeds from all types of data stores besides Azure Blob storage, which the Polybase supports by default.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;ldquo;Using Azure SQL Data Warehouse, we&amp;rsquo;re able to do near-real-time compute so they can see data from the last hour. In some cases, we can even bypass our default system and go into a true live system that shows how many people are in the room at that time.&amp;rdquo; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;- &lt;/em&gt;Tom Sheppard, Chief Executive Officer, Presence Orb&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/en-US/story/wi-fi-analytics-firm-gains-real-time-benefits-with-azure-sql-data-warehouse" target="_blank"&gt;real-time benefits with Azure SQL Data Warehouse&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Enhanced migration, monitoring, and SQL tooling experience&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Azure SQL Data Warehouse has &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/enhanced-loading-monitoring-and-troubleshooting-experience-for-azure-sql-data-warehouse/" target="_blank"&gt;introduced updates to the Azure portal and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)&lt;/a&gt; to provide a seamless experience when loading, monitoring, and developing your SQL Data Warehouse. The updates include integrated support for loading from 20+ data stores on premise and in the cloud, a simple process to troubleshoot common issues. The updates also bring highly requested functionality within SSMS further enhancing the experience for SQL users, like enabling the execution of Generate Scripts wizard for database users and user defined functions.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;SQL Data Warehouse &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/new-resource-blade-for-azure-sql-data-warehouse/" target="_blank"&gt;introduced a new top level resource blade&lt;/a&gt; that allows you to quickly manage all your databases. You can use the &lt;a href="https://portal.azure.com/" target="_blank"&gt;SQL Data Warehouse resource blade&lt;/a&gt; to quickly scan through your data warehouse for details like the name, status, server, pricing tier, location, and subscription.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Accelerated look up queries&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;SQL Data Warehouse &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/secondary-indexes-on-column-store-accelerate-sql-data-warehouse-look-up-queries/" target="_blank"&gt;now supports the creation of secondary B-Tree indexes on column store tables&lt;/a&gt;. Most analytic queries aggregate large amounts of data and are served well by scanning the column store segments directly. However, there is often a need to look for a &amp;ldquo;needle in a haystack&amp;rdquo;, which translates to a query that does a lookup of a single row or a small range of rows. Such look up queries can get orders of magnitude (even 1000x) improvement in response time and potentially run in sub-second if there is a B-Tree index on the filter column.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Easy integration with Azure Active Directory authentication and other services within Azure&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Azure AD provides an alternative to SQL Authentication enabling centralized identity and group management. It enables a single sign-on experience using SQL Data Warehouse for federated domains. Azure AD can be used to authenticate against a growing number of Azure and other Microsoft services and helps customers prevent the proliferation of users and passwords.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;ldquo;Switching from Amazon Redshift was not just about a direct comparison to Azure SQL Data Warehouse. The overall Azure offering provided a lot of motivation.&amp;rdquo; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;- &lt;/em&gt;Bill Sabo, Managing Director of Information Technology, Integral Analytics&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Learn more about &lt;a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/en-US/story/integral-analytics-switches-to-azure-for-high-performance-and-cost-effective-data-warehousing" target="_blank"&gt;Integral Analytics switch to Azure from AWS&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;HIPAA Certification&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;To enable greater adoption within the health industry, &lt;a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trustcenter/Compliance/HIPAA" target="_blank"&gt;Azure SQL Data Warehouse is HIPAA certified&lt;/a&gt;. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a US healthcare law that establishes requirements for the use, disclosure, and safeguarding of individually identifiable health information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;New products from Partners for easy experience&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;We have had great partners join us to help customers on their journey to experience and adopt the service &amp;ndash; including building custom product to enhance data migration and management experience. For example, Redgate, a long-time partner that delivers SQL Server tools, has created &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/redgate-delivers-efficient-migrations-for-azure-sql-data-warehouse/" target="_blank"&gt;Data Platform Studio (DPS)&lt;/a&gt; which provides a simple and reliable way to migrate on-premises SQL Server databases to Azure SQL Data Warehouse.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Exclusive free trial&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;At the annual PASS Summit in October, we announced a SQL Data Warehouse &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/sql-data-warehouse/extended-trial/" target="_blank"&gt;exclusive free trial&lt;/a&gt; &amp;ndash; enabling customers to experience this cloud-based service for free for a month.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s been a great year and thanks to everyone who has joined us in the journey. We are excited for the next year and look forward to helping you solve your most important data warehousing challenges and bringing you even more compelling features and service enhancements. Till then, wish you the best start to 2017.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Learn more&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Check out the many resources for learning more about SQL Data Warehouse, including:&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/documentation/articles/sql-data-warehouse-overview-what-is/" target="_blank"&gt;What is Azure SQL Data Warehouse?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/documentation/articles/sql-data-warehouse-best-practices/" target="_blank"&gt;SQL Data Warehouse best practices&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/documentation/videos/index/?services=sql-data-warehouse" target="_blank"&gt;Video library&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=AzureSQLDataWarehouse" target="_blank"&gt;MSDN forum&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/azure-sqldw" target="_blank"&gt;Stack Overflow forum&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/flashback-2016-highlights-from-azure-sql-data-warehouse/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/flashback-2016-highlights-from-azure-sql-data-warehouse/</link> <dc:creator>John Macintyre</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">project-bletchley-corda-distributed-ledger-available-on-azure</guid> <category>Announcements</category> <category>Developer</category> <category>Virtual Machines</category> <category>Database</category> <category>Blockchain</category> <title>Project Bletchley - Corda Distributed Ledger available on Azure</title> <description>We are very excited to announce the availability of R3’s Corda on Microsoft Azure, only a few weeks after its release to the open source community.</description> <pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2016 14:00:09 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;We are very excited to announce the availability of R3&amp;rsquo;s &lt;a href="http://corda.net/"&gt;Corda&lt;/a&gt; on Microsoft Azure, only a few weeks after its release to the open source community.&amp;nbsp; With the addition of Corda to Project Bletchley, we continue to expand our distributed ledger platform support on Azure to enable the next generation of distributed business applications.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Today, R3 published a virtual machine image in the &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/"&gt;Azure Marketplace&lt;/a&gt; to easily and quickly deploy a multi-member &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/partners/corda/corda/"&gt;Corda demo network &lt;/a&gt;on a single VM.&amp;nbsp; This offering demonstrates the capabilities of Corda through real world scenarios, including an interest rate swap deal and Standard Initial Margin Model (SIMM) valuation. This is the first click-stop of many towards R3&amp;rsquo;s financial-grade distributed ledger platform offering on Azure.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;As Richard G Brown, Chief Technology Officer at R3, describes &lt;strong&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/strong&gt;Corda is a distributed ledger platform designed from the ground up to record, manage and synchronize financial agreements between regulated financial institutions. It is heavily inspired by and captures the benefits of blockchain systems, without the design choices that make blockchains inappropriate for many banking scenarios.&amp;nbsp; By making simple Corda demos available on the Azure Marketplace, R3 and Microsoft are making it easy for newcomers to experience Corda for themselves before joining the community.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Some of Corda&amp;rsquo;s key design choices include:&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Designed for Business: &lt;/strong&gt;Recording and management of financial transactions, within existing legal&amp;nbsp;and regulatory frameworks&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Privacy First:&lt;/strong&gt; Data sharing restricted to entitled participants of a transaction&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Modular Consensus:&lt;/strong&gt; Support for multiple consensus algorithms&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;For additional information, you can download the &lt;a href="https://docs.corda.net/_static/corda-introductory-whitepaper.pdf"&gt;technical white paper&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Try out the Corda distributed ledger demo on Azure to gain insight for your business process development and let us know what you think!&amp;nbsp; Do not hesitate to leave a comment with questions, feedback, or additional requests as you begin.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/project-bletchley-corda-distributed-ledger-available-on-azure/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/project-bletchley-corda-distributed-ledger-available-on-azure/</link> <dc:creator>Christine Avanessians</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">new-survey-shows-hybrid-is-leading-approach-security-waning-as-blocker-to-cloud-adoption</guid> <category>Cloud Strategy</category> <category>Security</category> <title>New survey shows hybrid is leading approach, security waning as blocker to cloud adoption</title> <description>Earlier this fall we once again invited our community of IT professionals, developers, and technology decision makers to participate in the 2016 Future of Cloud Survey led by North Bridge Growth Equity Venture Partners and research analyst firm Wikibon, which analyzes trends in cloud computing adoption, use, and challenges every year.</description> <pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2016 13:00:08 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;Earlier this fall we once again invited our community of IT professionals, developers, and technology decision makers to participate in the &lt;a href="http://bit.ly/FOCC2016"&gt;2016 Future of Cloud Survey&lt;/a&gt; led by North Bridge Growth Equity Venture Partners and research analyst firm Wikibon, which analyzes trends in cloud computing adoption, use, and challenges every year.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;The results are in, and while many of the findings reiterate trends we&amp;rsquo;ve been seeing, there are also a few new trends emerging. As we turn the corner into 2017, I want to share some of my thoughts on the key findings.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;As we&amp;rsquo;ve noted before, the use of cloud technology&amp;nbsp;by organizations of all sizes has hit mainstream levels of adoption. This research shows that 42 percent of organizations have a cloud-first or cloud-only strategy, and another 49 percent are using cloud in key aspects of their technology systems. This means over 90 percent of companies surveyed report they are using cloud in a meaningful way. It&amp;rsquo;s no longer a matter of &amp;ldquo;if we move to cloud,&amp;rdquo; but when and how. From this robust set of survey information, here&amp;rsquo;s what I found most interesting:&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h3&gt;Hybrid is the logical path forward.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Hybrid cloud, meaning using a combination of public cloud and on-premises systems, remains the most common approach for organizations. The Future of Cloud survey found that a hybrid model is still the predominant strategy at 47 percent, followed by purely public cloud use at 30 percent. In &lt;a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2016/09/26/millennial-it-challenge-employers-to-accelerate-cloud-adoption-hybrid-remains-important/"&gt;our own survey&lt;/a&gt; of 2,500 IT professionals, we found that hybrid isn&amp;rsquo;t just a short term strategy &amp;ndash; 9 in 10 (91 percent) of IT workers believe hybrid cloud will remain the approach for their organizations five years from now. Every organization has a unique set of existing systems and business policies, so taking the approach of using a mix of public cloud and on-premises technology simply makes sense. This means organizations must ensure hybrid cloud is efficient. Hybrid systems cannot be two separate infrastructures connected, but running in parallel; there must be consistency in management, security, and development experience to make this feasible.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h3&gt;Blockers to cloud adoption are changing &amp;ndash; vendor lock-in and privacy rising in concern, while companies are becoming more comfortable with cloud security.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;While security continues as the top concern with using cloud, we&amp;rsquo;re pleased to see overall concern has dropped significantly since 2015. Interestingly, in this survey 50 percent of respondents cite security as a benefit of using cloud, while 50 percent say security is a barrier. We should expect this to continue to tip in favor of cloud as a benefit moving forward. While security concerns are diminishing, privacy concerns are rising. In 2011, privacy didn&amp;rsquo;t even make the top list and has now risen to the&amp;nbsp;number 3 spot of cloud concerns. With new regulations such as GDPR it makes sense that privacy concerns are on the rise, and this will likely continue to increase. This also means that the privacy policies and privacy track record of the global cloud providers should expect to come under greater scrutiny &amp;ndash; appropriately so.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;For the first time, concerns over vendor lock-in rose to the second highest spot. In this way, the cloud is no different than on-premises technology, and customers need to know they can change course if and when needed. In a &lt;a href="http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/top-cloud-myths-of-2016/"&gt;recent post on top cloud myths&lt;/a&gt;, I talked about why enterprises need multiple public cloud vendors, as well as the rise of multi-cloud management solutions for enterprises to manage these systems. Belief that one cloud vendor can meet all needs is simply out of touch with reality and smacks of vendor hubris. The balance for organizations is which mixture of cloud technology to tap into for their different needs. SaaS-based business systems are the most efficient, but are equally non-portable as their on-premises equivalents. Platform services provide greater development efficiency than infrastructure as a service (IaaS), but can be less portable. Fundamentally, the cloud doesn&amp;rsquo;t change vendor lock-in concerns or dynamics, but the reality in technology choices continues.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h3&gt;SaaS starts the cloud journey, then IaaS and PaaS.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Often, getting started with SaaS business applications is the first step into using cloud for a company&amp;rsquo;s digital transformation. We see many of our enterprise customers start with Office 365 and then adopt Azure to run other existing business apps on IaaS, and then tap into the development efficiencies to create new solutions using Azure PaaS offerings. With this, it&amp;rsquo;s not too surprising that 7 in 10 companies said they are using SaaS in their organization, followed by Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) with 58 percent of respondents deploying IaaS for compute. Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) is deployed by 45 percent of respondents, but is expected to show the highest increase over the next two years growing by 19 percent. Despite plenty of market focus on IaaS technology, I consistently hear from customers the efficiencies of using SaaS and PaaS technologies. This has been a fundamental reason why, across the Microsoft cloud, we&amp;rsquo;ve got significant focus on these areas &amp;ndash; across Office 365, Dynamics 365, PowerApps, Flow, Azure IoT, and Cortana Intelligence services, among others.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h3&gt;New innovations continue to drive cloud adoption, DevOps model rises.&lt;/h3&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;New technology innovations &amp;ndash; from IoT and advanced analytics to containers and virtual reality &amp;ndash; are creating new possibilities for companys&amp;#39; digital transformations. Many of these technologies are only feasible using a cloud model &amp;ndash; taking advantage of the scale, agility, and cost models the cloud provides. To this end, organizations report that their cloud investments are in these areas with analytics as a top priority (58 percent), over half (52 percent) say containers are a priority, and 48 percent are investing in IoT. Virtual reality is an emerging area of innovation with 16 percent listing it is a priority. Reinforcing the focus on rapid innovation both mobile and open source are now twice as likely as last year to be cited as a driver for cloud computing.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;With this focus on innovation, we&amp;rsquo;re also seeing a rise in DevOps. Over half (51 percent) have begun DevOps in small teams &amp;ndash; up 37 percent YoY &amp;ndash; and 30 percent of companies have begun DevOps in large teams company wide, up 2x YoY. We&amp;rsquo;re also seeing this trend in our customer base, with many traditional IT organizations classifying themselves as DevOps in surveys and event registrations.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;These are just a few of the top trends that popped for me in this research. I&amp;rsquo;d love to hear your thoughts on what 2017 will bring in cloud adoption and trends. Join us in the conversation on #futureofcloud.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/new-survey-shows-hybrid-is-leading-approach-security-waning-as-blocker-to-cloud-adoption/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/new-survey-shows-hybrid-is-leading-approach-security-waning-as-blocker-to-cloud-adoption/</link> <dc:creator>Julia White</dc:creator> </item> <item> <guid isPermaLink="false">microsoft-azure-storage-import-export-announcements</guid> <category>Announcements</category> <category>Storage, Backup &amp; Recovery</category> <category>Big Data</category> <category>Government</category> <title>Microsoft Azure Storage Import/Export Announcements</title> <description>Azure Portal with Azure Resource Manager and Cool Storage Account Support Today we are announcing the availability of Azure Import/Export Service in the new Azure portal. </description> <pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:00:07 Z</pubDate> <content:encoded>&lt;p&gt;Azure Import/Export Service enables transfer of data in and out of Azure Blob Storage by shipping data on harddrives. You can use this service when you have large amount of data which takes long to upload/download over network. We are happy to share some improvements we have made to this service with you today.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Azure Import/Export in Azure portal&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Today we are excited to announce the general availability of &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-import-export-service"&gt;Azure Import/Export Service&lt;/a&gt; in the &lt;a href="https://ms.portal.azure.com/#blade/HubsExtension/Resources/resourceType/Microsoft.ImportExport%2Fjobs"&gt;new Azure portal&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;With Azure portal support, you will have added ability to:&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Manage import and export jobs across all storage accounts from the same pane.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;View status of overall job and of each drives individually with percentage complete during data transfer.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Obtain a link to error log in case of a warnings/failure encountered during import or export job.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;See reminder warning signs if you happen to miss updating tracking information to avoid delays in the job-processing.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="#"&gt;&lt;img alt="image" border="0" height="768" src="https://azurecomcdn.azureedge.net/mediahandler/acomblog/media/Default/blog/7ae070d5-4faa-4999-a0e6-1e6d1d4d038d.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; border-image: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; background-image: none;" title="image" width="956"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Storage Accounts &amp;ndash; Classic, Azure Resource Manager (cool and hot access tier)&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;In addition to the Classic Storage accounts, you can now create Import and Export jobs targeting Azure Resource Manager account with Hot and Cool access tiers. Any new jobs for both Classic and Resource Manager storage accounts can be created from Azure portal. For any job already created in classic portal, you can continue to manage your jobs via the classic Azure portal.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Import/Export tool &amp;ndash; multi-drive and multi-source support&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;We are also happy to announce WAImportExport client tool improvements. &lt;a href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/6/B/36BFF22A-91C3-4DFC-8717-7567D37D64C5/WAImportExport.zip"&gt;Download latest version of&amp;nbsp; WAImportExport client tool&lt;/a&gt; from Download Center. Learn &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-import-export-tool-how-to"&gt;how to use WAImportExport&lt;/a&gt; client tool. You can use this tool to copy data to the hard drives you are going to ship to an Azure data center.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Enhancements to this tool are made in order to significantly reduce the preparation work needed before sending the disk to Azure datacenter for processing your large amount of data. You will no longer need to shard the data and figure out optimal placement of data across multiple disk. You can now copy data from multiple source directories in a single command line.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&#xD; This version of the tool provides the following enhancements while preparing disks for an import job:&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;ul&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Ability to copy data from multiple source directories in a single command.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Ability to restructure the destination data from various source directories to different destination virtual directories.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Ability to prepare multiple disks using a single command line.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Automatic spreading of data across multiple disks.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;li&gt;Central control of how each disk and data are handled using comma-separated (CSV) file.&lt;/li&gt;&#xD; &lt;/ul&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Import/Export tool v1 &amp;ndash; platform agnostic copy&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;We are pleased to introduce a new flag&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt; /skipwrite&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; in WAImportExport V1 release of the tool.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;With this new flag, the disk preparation can be split into two stages: data-copy using any OS/tool and post-processing using the Import/Export tool v1. Post-processing includes generating journal file, drive manifest and optionally encrypt the disk when data is already pre-written to the disk.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;That said, copying of data can happen on any OS that support NTFS file system e.g &lt;strong&gt;Linux&lt;/strong&gt;. Only post-processing needs to happen on windows machine.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;Also, you can reuse your backup hard-disk directly and eliminate the need to procure additional hardware for Azure Import/Export job.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;You can &lt;a href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/0/C/D/0CD6ABA7-024F-4202-91A0-CE2656DCE413/WaImportExportV1.zip"&gt;download WAImportExport V1&lt;/a&gt; version of the tool and refer to &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-import-export-tool-how-to-v1"&gt;WAImportExport V1 usage guide&lt;/a&gt; for further information.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Regional availability expansion&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;We expanded Azure Import/Export service to Canada, US Gov and China now. With these additions, you will have ability to choose from one of the 20 different regions close to you for shipping your drives. For more information on all the regions, please see Import/Export under Storage on&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/regions/services/"&gt;Azure Products available by region&lt;/a&gt; page.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Hard drives types&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;In addition to 3.5&amp;rdquo; internal SATA II/III disks, Azure Import/Export can now process your import or export jobs using 2.5&amp;rdquo; Internal SATA drives and internal SSD drives.&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;h2&gt;Questions?&lt;/h2&gt;&#xD; &#xD; &lt;p&gt;For more information, go to &lt;a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/storage-import-export-service"&gt;Azure Import/Export Overview&lt;/a&gt;. Your feedback is important to us, so send all your feedback or any feature requests using the &lt;a href="https://feedback.azure.com/forums/217298-storage/category/180676-import-export"&gt;Import/Export User Voice&lt;/a&gt;. And don&amp;rsquo;t worry &amp;ndash; if you need any assistance, Microsoft Support is there to help you along the way!&lt;/p&gt;&#xD; </content:encoded> <comments>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-azure-storage-import-export-announcements/#comments</comments> <link>https://azure.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-azure-storage-import-export-announcements/</link> <dc:creator>Rena Shah</dc:creator> </item> </channel> </rss>