Software leader Microsoft announced a range of products and a long-term vision at the Ignite business technology conference held earlier this week in Orlando. Speaking about the company’s developments in cloud computing and other software products, CEO Satya Nadella also mentioned how Microsoft is infusing artificial intelligence into its technologies.
“Digital technology is impacting all aspects of our society and economies, creating an unprecedented opportunity for organizations of all sizes,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “I’m optimistic and inspired by the ingenuity of customers, partners and developers everywhere that are pushing the frontiers of what’s possible with mixed reality and artificial intelligence infused across Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Azure, to transform and have an impact in the world.”
The software giant also announced the release of the Azure Machine Learning Experimentation service, the Azure Machine Learning Workbench, and the Azure Machine Learning Model Management service. Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing service, the platform which will host the new tools. The tools will help developers both build new artificial intelligence (AI) models and use existing ones built by Microsoft or third parties.
Nadella also unveiled a new programming language for quantum computing that will be focused on developing a technology based on quantum theory that explains the nature of energy and matter on the quantum (atomic and subatomic) level.
Microsoft officials showcased enhancements to the company’s Office 365 productivity suite, including making Teams the primary application for communications, replacing Skype for Business for voice and video calls. Teams is now being used by over 125,000 organisations worldwide just six months since its launch.
The company will also integrate its LinkedIn professional network deeper into its products, including Office 365 and Dynamics 365.
“Microsoft Dynamics 365 AI solutions are designed to tackle high-value, complex enterprise scenarios and tailored to existing processes, systems and data. The first solution includes an intelligent virtual agent for customer care, an intelligent assistant for customer service staff and conversation management tools, all powered by Microsoft AI,” the company said in a news release.
Microsoft customers will be able to see information from LinkedIn profiles in Microsoft apps and services.
Intelligent search experiences will use AI and machine learning to deliver more relevant search results everywhere you search across Microsoft 365. New experiences include Bing for business private preview, which provides a unified view of personalised, contextual search results from inside and outside an organisation.
“This new experience, rolling out now for first release customers in Outlook Web Access, SharePoint and OneDrive for Business, enhances the way you collaborate and build relationships by providing insights about the people you’re working with, inside and outside your organisation, right from within Office 365,” the release said.
