Microsoft Reportedly Being Investigated By FTC In Sweeping Probe, Teams and Outlook Experiences Major Outage
Following a momentous Microsoft Ignite last week, it was less rosy news for the tech giant this week.
Microsoft is reportedly being investigated by the US’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a newly announced, wide-ranging probe.
Initially reported by Bloomberg and corroborated by several other publications, the FTC is allegedly assessing Microsoft’s cloud and software licensing operations, cybersecurity services, and AI solutions.
According to Bloomberg sources, a key focus is how Microsoft bundles productivity and security software with its Azure cloud services, specifically how Microsoft’s allegedly punitive licensing terms impede customers from transferring business data from its Azure cloud service to competitor platforms.
The FTC’s apparent interest in Microsoft’s cloud business intensified following several security incidents involving its products, especially given Microsoft’s role as a major software provider for US government agencies.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Exchange went down for many users worldwide, and a conclusive resolution was not confirmed until late Tuesday.
Among the issues specifically cited were the inability to access Teams Calendar, Outlook, and Exchange and Outlook crashing for some users. Others could not load or send email attachments or log into the server. Some users reported partial functionality of the services, with specific features working normally, while others experienced issues. For example, emails could be received, but attachments might fail to load correctly.
Zoom Drops ‘Video’ From Company Name, Secures Largest Workvivo Deal
Zoom has dropped “Video” from its full name to become simply “Zoom Communications” as it strives to become an “AI-first company”.
Timed alongside Zoom’s latest earnings call, during which the company demonstrated a steady financial performance and confirmed it had secured its largest-ever Workvivo deal, Zoom CEO and Founder Eric Yuan revealed the news in an announcement blog.
The name change reflects Zoom’s ongoing desire to be an all-in-one collaboration platform in which meetings and video are but one important part rather than the critical fulcrum. It also intends to signal the company’s evolution into one powered by AI from top to bottom. “What may have been a ‘nice-to-have’ is now a ‘must-have’, as our customers are experiencing the true benefits of integrating AI into their workday,” Yuan wrote.
