Microsoft announces updates to enterprise software, machine learning, and cloud

• Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) kicks off its Ignite conference today in Orlando, Florida with some major announcements.
• Expanding enterprise: Microsoft launches the 365 F1 software bundle for front-line workers like cashiers, factory workers, and truck drivers.
• The bundle includes StaffHub, a newer app for digital shift management with forthcoming task manager and time clock updates, and old standards Office 365, Windows 10, and the Enterprise Mobility and Security suite.
• Microsoft will also pair with Acer, HP, Lenovo, and Fujitsu to create devices better priced for front-line line workers. The product pricing will start at $275.
• On the more traditional side of the enterprise business, Microsoft announces that the Slack-esque Microsoft Teams will replace Skype for Business as the enterprise team collaboration tool of choice. Skype for Business will still exist and get an update next year, but Teams will offer a faster, more streamlined communication method that can play nice with Skype when desired.
• Machine learning tools: Microsoft launches the machine learning tools the Azure Machine Learning Experimentation service, Azure Machine Learning Workbench, and the Azure Machine Learning Model Management service.
• The Experimentation Service helps developers quickly train and deploy experiments with full versioning.
• The Workbench desktop client is a lifecycle development control panel and the Model Management service helps developers and data scientists develop and manage models nearly anywhere supporting a Docker container such as Azure Container Service.
• Cloud updates: Microsoft puts its Cloudyn acquisition to work with the Cloudyn-based Azure Cost management service coming free to Azure customers.
• Azure also gets reserved instances, which reward longer-term contracts with on-demand instance discounts of up to 72%. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Web Services has offered reserve instances for years but Microsoft ups the game by offering an instance cancellation or refund at any time whereas Amazon contracts are harder to offload before the end date.
• AWS held 34% of the cloud infrastructure services market in Q2 with Azure at 11%, according to Synergy Research Group.
• Previously: Microsoft confirms acquiring cloud monitoring startup (June 29)
• Now read: IBM (NYSE:IBM) Will Fail Where Microsoft Thrives

Original article