Tag Archives: #Microsoft

Microsoft became the second-ever company worth $3 trillion

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Microsoft is valued at more than $3 trillion (€2.7 trillion), thanks in part to its investments in artificial intelligence projects.

For comparison, Microsoft’s market value now exceeds the entire GDP of France and is slightly less than the GDP of the UK.

The company’s shares rose nearly 1.5% to about $405 a share, surpassing a market capitalization of $3 trillion and joining Apple as the only companies to reach the historic milestone.

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Microsoft shares are up more than 7% year to date after jumping about 40% last year, thanks in large part to the company’s economic slowdown.

In 2023, the company’s CEO Satya Nadella made a multibillion-dollar investment in artificial intelligence, including commercializing and adding artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT to its product suite ahead of competitors.

He even strengthened Microsoft’s ties with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, a major pioneer in artificial intelligence.

After trailing Apple for much of the past decade, Microsoft overtook the company to briefly become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company in early January.

Microsoft is one of the so-called Magnificent Seven, a group of stocks that includes Apple, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Tesla that have almost single-handedly lifted markets to new highs in recent weeks.

Microsoft alone accounts for 7.3% of the S&P 500. Together, these seven stocks have a market capitalization larger than the entire stock market of any country except the United States.

As of last week, Nvidia and Microsoft alone accounted for about 75% of the S&P 500’s gains this year, according to analysts at Bespoke Investment Group.

In a note Tuesday, Morgan Stanley analysts said they show Microsoft’s artificial intelligence game is “getting even stronger” and changed their share price target to $450 from $415. Bank of America analysts also raised their price target to $450 per share, forecasting more growth for your company this quarter.

Main reasons for success

Software giant Microsoft has surpassed a $3 trillion (€2.7 trillion) valuation, becoming the second company after Apple to ever reach the milestone.

This achievement comes as the company decided to focus on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its products, which boosted investor confidence. Microsoft shares rose more than 1.45% on Wednesday in New York. 

Last year, Microsoft invested a significant $10 billion (€9.2 billion) in various artificial intelligence initiatives. This allowed Microsoft to stay ahead of younger competitors such as Google and Meta.

Speaking about the opportunities that AI provides, Microsoft Vice President and President Brad Smith said that these opportunities could extend from healthcare to education.

“Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most life-threatening diseases for people to get almost completely ill because it is so difficult to detect in its earliest stages. But this is where we find that AI can detect patterns that a human doctor finds difficult to see,” Smith said.

Among its investments in AI innovation, Microsoft has rolled out an AI digital assistant called Copilot into its Edge web browser and Office software.

In addition, Microsoft recently announced a 10-year partnership with British telecommunications company Vodafone to help Vodafone deliver generative artificial intelligence (AI), digital, enterprise and cloud services to more than 300 million businesses and consumers in Europe and the US. Africa.

As the second-largest cloud computing provider, Microsoft is also expanding its efforts by developing its own AI-enabled chips, increasing competition with Amazon and Google to manage artificial intelligence tools for companies.

Apple, one of Microsoft’s main competitors, reached the same $3 trillion mark in June last year.

Since January, Microsoft shares have been competing with Apple shares for the title of the world’s most valuable company, briefly surpassing the iPhone maker earlier this month.

Key Takeaways 

  • Shares of Microsoft rallied in morning trading as much as 1.5% to $404.72, their highest price ever.
  • That sent Microsoft’s market cap to $3.004 trillion.
  • Apple, which became the only firm to ever score a $3 trillion valuation last summer, remains slightly more valuable than Microsoft, with a $3.03 trillion market cap Wednesday.
  • The $3 trillion milestone caps a dramatic rise for Microsoft coinciding with a broad technology rally and its backing of OpenAI, producer of the hit generative AI chatbot ChatGPT.
  • Since ChatGPT’s November 2022 release, shares of Microsoft are up more than 60%, beating the S&P 500’s roughly 20% rise and the tech-heavy Nasdaq’s nearly 40% jump during the period, also topping Apple stock’s roughly 30% gain during the timeframe.
  • Microsoft became one of the few major firms to translate intensifying AI interest into tangibly better financial results, as the firm has posted record revenues in each of its last two fiscal quarters, buoyed by 20% year-over-year growth in its AI-heavy intelligent cloud division. 

Resources:

https://www.ft.com/

http://forbes.com.au

http://euronews.com

http://edition.cnn.com

http://ign.com

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Capilot AI Assistant in Windows 11: Will It Make or Break Microsoft? Will Microsoft finally beat Apple?

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Announcing Microsoft Copilot, your everyday AI companion - The Official  Microsoft Blog

In today’s rapidly evolving world, where technological advancements seem to know no bounds, it is always remarkable to witness how innovations can still surprise us. Microsoft, a renowned tech giant, has once again piqued our interest with the unveiling of their latest AI tool.

As Windows 11 is set to launch on November 1st, the spotlight is on the new features and innovations that Microsoft promises to bring to the table. Among the most anticipated additions to the operating system is the Capilot AI Assistant. Capilot has been in the spotlight ever since its earlier pre-version release on September 26. In this article, we will delve deeper into the potential impact of Capilot and find out whether it can help Microsoft surpass Apple.


Capilot AI Assistant: A Game-Changer or a Liability?

Capilot is Microsoft’s answer to the growing demand for AI-powered virtual assistants. With the success of Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant, Microsoft has been striving to create a better multi-functional AI assistant that can cater to the needs of Windows users.

Reviews and Early Impressions

To assess the potential of Capilot, it is crucial that we examine the early reviews from users who had been using the Capilot pre-version.

“Of course, many Windows users will want to stick with the old way of doing things. But they’ll be missing out on many opportunities. In less than three days with Copilot, I find myself frequently turning to it for answers. The feature will be a boon to students and anyone who needs to compose text or create images, both of which it excels at. Copilot has plenty of room for improvement, though, particularly when it comes to changing settings, opening apps, and opening web pages.” – said Michael Muchmore in PC Magazine.

We see that the author has mostly found Copilot to be highly useful in a short span of time, indicating its practical value and leaving a quite positive review, though mentioning some inconveniences. But we should also take into consideration that he was using only the pre-version, so the full extent of Copilot’s capabilities may yet to be fully realized.

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot | Microsoft 365 Blog

Potential for Success

  • Enhanced Integration with Windows Ecosystem

Capilot’s ability to seamlessly integrate with Windows 11 is a key strength. Users can expect it to excel in performing OS-related tasks and navigating the Windows environment effectively. This deep integration sets it apart from standalone AI assistants.

  • Continuous Improvement

Microsoft’s track record of refining its products over time suggests that Capilot could evolve into a formidable competitor. Regular updates and refinements can help address initial limitations and enhance the user experience.

Potential for a Fall

  • Competition

The AI assistant market is crowded, with established players like Apple and Google. To gain an edge, Capilot needs to not only match but surpass the capabilities of its competitors. Its success depends on Microsoft’s ability to close the gap effectively.

  • Privacy Concerns

As with all AI assistants, privacy and data security are paramount. Any mishandling of user data or security breaches could severely damage Capilot’s reputation.


My opinion about whether Capilot can help Microsoft beat Apple?

The question of whether Capilot can help Microsoft surpass Apple is a complex one. Apple’s Siri has a strong foothold in the mobile and smart home ecosystem, which may be challenging for Microsoft to match. However, the integration of Capilot with Windows 11 and the potential for cross-device functionality could prove enticing to users deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Of course people will not abandon Apple easily, as I myself would definitely not, but if it will really made a difference and make AI usage easier and more comfortable then ever before maybe then all people gradually will start switching to the Microsoft. In the end, I think Capilot’s success will largely depend on how effectively Microsoft addresses Capilot’s limitations and leverages its strengths. At the beginning, it may not necessarily need to surpass Apple but carve out its niche within the Windows ecosystem, continue to evolve and meet user expectations. If it will happen, then Capilot will have the potential to change the way we interact with not only Windows devices but all devices overall and, of course this way beat Apple. But it probably will not happen in the near future.

In the coming months, as Windows 11 is officially released, users will have a clearer picture of Capilot’s capabilities and its impact on Microsoft’s future. Whether it’s a game-changer or a liability remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Capilot will play a pivotal role in shaping Microsoft’s trajectory in the AI assistant market.

But what do you think about the upcoming launch of Capilot? Will it be successful?

Sources(reference):

  1. https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/09/27/how-microsoft-could-supplant-apple-as-the-worlds-most-valuable-firm (the news – insperation – itself)
  2. https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2023/09/21/announcing-microsoft-copilot-your-everyday-ai-companion/ (the announcement from Microsoft about the launch)
  3. https://www.pcmag.com/news/hands-on-with-microsoft-copilot-in-windows-11-your-latest-ai-assistant. (Michael Muchmore’s whole review)
  4. https://youtu.be/Bh22j250NCg?si=UgcyLdQvCNNSTWaQ (YouTube vide in-depth review)
  5. https://youtu.be/B2-8wrF9Okc?si=PgiOqOw7e-Im9txl (Microsoft’s own video presentation of the product)

AI generators used:

  1. ChatGPT 3.5 (key words: Microsoft 11 launch, Capilot, fail or success, positive and negative aspects)

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No Man Fights Alone. Tagline, Call of Duty (CoD)

Reading Time: 2 minutes

… This article has been published in the reference to: the first interview since acquisition given by Satya Nadella.

Minecraft, Gra Wideo, Bloki, Blok, Gra Komputerowa
Simplified Pixabay License
https://pixabay.com/pl/service/license/.
Accessed: 05-02-2022.

You may wonder: why the screenshot of Minecraft has been used as the illustration for this article? Answer for this question is quite easy? Microsoft is its owner. Let us play this little game. Have You played Skyrim (TES: V)? That time (10 ago – premiere on 11.11.2011) was a really a game changer that time.

“Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin,

naal ok zin los vahriin,

Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal!”

(Skyrim theme song.)

Despite the passages of years, this track always keeps me awake (and gives me chills too). To be honest, it wasn’t then (and it still isn’t) a perfect game (many bugs…),but, for sure, has been futured on the personal gaming wall of fame of many players all over the world. And to whom belong ZeniMax Media Inc. (the parent company of Bethesda)? You may be surprised: Microsoft. And recently the whole gaming world has been amassed by the fact, that Microsoft, led by Mr. Satya Nadella, has taken over other big player (producer) Activision, well-known for example for its high grossing series: “Call of duty”.

According to the Financial Time’s article: “Speaking in his first interview since Microsoft’s agreement last month to pay $75bn for games maker Activision Blizzard, Nadella sought to paint the world’s biggest-ever tech deal as central to the future of online interaction as people spend more time in what has become known as the metaverse.”

It’s worth noting: Activision Blizzard deal is the largest in Microsoft’s history. Place nr 2 – on the list “Microsoft’s five largest acquisitions”) : LinkedIn (purchased for $28.1bn in 2016 Year) and finally nr 3 – Nuance Communications ($19.4bn in 2021 Year).

”While Nadella painted the acquisition as an important step in the race to build the next version of the internet, it has sent shockwaves through the current games industry, where Microsoft is in a pitched battle with Sony for dominance of console gaming.”

What is He referring to? It’s obvious. PlayStation vs. Xbox competition. This move (welcoming ZeniMax in Microsoft’s family) will undoubtedly help the creator of Windows to make a difference on the market. Online gaming (such as MMO RPG – Massively multiplayer online role-playing game) might be according to me a future of gaming, so the decision of taking over the “parent” of CoD is understandable.

As a summery, let me use the quote from the breathtaking franchise “Spiderman”: “With great power comes great responsibility”. I do hope, that such power in the Microsoft’s hand will not make them forget about us (the clients / players). They should take our needs into account while developing new games / services. In other words: mentioned acquisition – big hope / big risk. Let’s see what the future will hold…

The content sources:

https://on.ft.com/3Gw2ONA. Accessed: 04-02-2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVy7YPNP_zI. Accessed: 04-02-2022.

The image source:

https://pixabay.com/pl/illustrations/minecraft-gra-wideo-bloki-blok-1106261/ . Accessed: 04-02-2022.

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