microsoft strategy

Paul Thurrott’s latest Ask Paul column is a wide‑angle look at a familiar set of industry rhythms — nostalgia for old games, practical publishing choices, the slow evolution of operating systems, and a messy, high‑stakes reshuffle at Xbox — and it lands at the precise moment several of those...

Microsoft’s commercial chief has quietly issued a reminder to the company’s troops: when OpenAI moves up‑market with a new agent platform, Microsoft believes it has the enterprise playbook to meet the challenge — and it isn’t leaving the field without contesting it. ]) Background Enterprise AI...

Satya Nadella has quietly reshuffled two of Microsoft’s most sensitive priorities — security and product quality — moving long‑time security boss Charlie Bell into a new, CEO‑reported role focused on engineering quality, and hiring former Microsoft veteran Hayete Gallot away from Google Cloud to...

Microsoft confirmed it will stop making the Surface 3 by the end of December 2016, a move that quietly marked the end of Microsoft’s first intact push at a truly low-cost, pen-enabled Windows tablet and set the tone for how the Surface line would consolidate around higher-margin Pro devices...

Microsoft set an audacious target in 2015 — to have Windows 10 running on one billion devices within two to three years — and the declaration reshaped the company’s messaging, developer outreach, and product strategy for the next half‑decade. The claim reappeared in tech headlines at launch and...

Steve Ballmer’s public shrug at a browser-based future captured a defining tension in 2009: a veteran platform company defending a proven stack while a new generation of devices and distribution models rewired how software is created, delivered, and monetized. The question then — whether a...

Satya Nadella opened 2026 with a short, intentionally provocative personal post that reframes the industry conversation around generative AI — urging people to stop debating “slop versus sophistication,” to treat AI as a cognitive amplifier, and to accelerate the move from isolated models to...

The grassroots petition calling for Microsoft to “Bring Back Windows Phone” has quietly gained traction on Change.org, drawing the familiar glow of nostalgia and a fresh round of debate about whether a third mobile ecosystem could — or should — return. The petition, started by Σπύρος Κ. from...

Microsoft’s big bet on Copilot — the promise to make generative AI the quiet backbone of everyday work — is at a strategic inflection point: internal memos now insist “using AI is no longer optional,” while Microsoft’s own usage report claims wide engagement, and independent testing and employee...

Microsoft’s consumer-AI chief Mustafa Suleyman publicly vowed this week that Microsoft would stop pursuing advanced AI development if a system posed a genuine threat to humanity — a striking pledge that highlights both the company’s new strategic posture and the messy trade-offs at the heart of...

Microsoft’s AI narrative pivoted sharply this week as OpenAI declared an internal “code red,” Google’s Gemini 3 and its Nano Banana Pro image suite posted headline-grabbing benchmark and product wins, and fresh financial analyses underscored just how fragile the economics of frontier AI have...

Microsoft’s four-decade arc from a two‑person startup to a global software, cloud and AI powerhouse is a study in adaptation: born in 1975 as a tiny software shop, defined by the Windows era of the 1990s, retooled for the cloud in the 2010s, and now reshaping itself again around artificial...

Microsoft’s pivot from broad-scale hiring and expansion to a measured, AI-first growth strategy marks a consequential moment in the company’s evolution and in the tech industry at large. Background Over the past 18 months Microsoft has repeatedly reshaped its workforce while simultaneously...

Microsoft’s reported offer to cut or eliminate Windows Phone licensing fees for HTC represented one of the most candid – and revealing – attempts by Redmond to bend the rules of mobile platform economics in order to expand Windows Phone’s footprint. Background In the early 2010s Microsoft was...

Microsoft’s latest repositioning — accepting higher near‑term capital spending to secure AI capacity while insisting margins will remain intact — is a deliberate trade that reshapes the company’s risk/reward profile for enterprises, investors, and Windows‑centric IT teams alike. The Seeking...

Microsoft’s plan to offer a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming marks a pivotal shift in the company’s cloud strategy — one that could widen access to streaming games while reshaping how Microsoft monetizes playtime across devices. Background Microsoft has spent years positioning...

The newest leak suggesting Windows 12 will not be a free upgrade has reignited an old debate: is Microsoft moving the core Windows experience toward a subscription model, or are we witnessing a misunderstanding of internal strings and SKU plumbing that will ultimately mean nothing for ordinary...

Microsoft confirmed that five titles will leave Xbox Game Pass at the end of August, with Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition and Sea of Stars among the most notable removals — players have until August 31 to finish, download, or buy these games before they disappear from the service. Background Xbox...

Microsoft has recently intensified its efforts to recruit top-tier artificial intelligence (AI) talent from Google's DeepMind, signaling a strategic push to bolster its AI capabilities. This recruitment drive is not solely focused on offering substantial financial incentives but emphasizes a...

Aggressive new pop-ups in Windows 11 are sparking widespread controversy as users find themselves persistently nudged toward Microsoft 365 subscriptions, with little recourse to turn off these recommendations. Microsoft’s latest push leverages the visibility of the Start menu, making the...