Tag: Recent News

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Helping teams work more efficiently, new Microsoft Project rolls out worldwide

Editor’s note 10/29/2019:
Links to product pages in select international markets will be live on October 30, 2019.

With Microsoft 365, the world’s productivity cloud, we’re using the power of the cloud to help people and organizations achieve more. Last year, we shared our new vision for work management designed specifically to help teams collaborate on projects more efficiently and achieve more together. Today, we’re announcing a major step toward achieving this vision with the general availability of the new Microsoft Project along with a new subscription plan!

Collaborating in teams and projects has become an integral part of our work experience. Businesses increasingly rely on project teams to advance strategic initiatives, drive change, and solve tough problems. But keeping projects on track isn’t easy, especially when teams are working on multiple workstreams to achieve aggressive goals on tight deadlines.

The new Project is designed to be both simple and powerful, so anyone can get started quickly and take control of any project right away.

A fresh new experience

Project offers a redesigned user experience that is simple and intuitive. Teams can quickly add new members and set up tasks, and then easily switch between grids, boards, or timeline (Gantt) charts to track progress. And because Project is part of the Microsoft 365 family, project teams can save time and do more with built-in connections to familiar apps like Microsoft Teams and Office.

Animated image of a timeline being worked on in Microsoft Project.

Collaboration made easy

Designed to do much more than just track progress, Project works with Teams to support collaboration and make it easy to manage all aspects of a team project, including file sharing, chats, meetings, and much more. Team members in scattered locations can even edit tasks simultaneously, so they can get more done together, no matter where they are. To help teams stay on track, Project offers an automated scheduling engine based on effort, duration, and resources.

Animated image of Project Details being opened in Microsoft Teams.

Project with Teams.

Animated image of a Project timeline being worked on in Microsoft Project.

Coauthoring in Project.

Insights at your fingertips

The new Project provides greater visibility into your projects and powerful tools to help you anticipate future needs. Create stunning interactive dashboards in Power BI, so you can visualize every aspect of each project at a glance. Get the big picture view of all your projects across your organization with the visual, interactive Roadmap feature.

Image of a Project task open in Power BI.

Extensible platform

Built on the Microsoft Power Platform, Project enables you to quickly connect to the apps and services you already use, and to create custom desktop and mobile experiences to meet the specific needs of every project team. Easy to use tools make it simple to create automated workflow processes that streamlines compliance and increases efficiency. Do all this and more with the confidence that comes with knowing you are building on the powerful security and compliance capabilities of Azure—the world’s most trusted enterprise cloud.

Introducing a new Microsoft Project plan for all users

As part of this launch, we’re also excited to announce a new subscription plan: Project Plan 1.

Project Plan 1 is for teams that need the essential capabilities of managing task-oriented projects like assigning tasks and dependencies and scheduling and tracking project work using lists, boards, and timelines. At just $10 per user per month, this subscription is an ideal way to get started with Project.

Project Plan 1 joins our current subscription offerings, Project Online Professional and Project Online Premium, now renamed to Project Plan 3 and Project Plan 5 respectively. Customers using Project Online can continue to do so with confidence knowing that we’re committed to your success no matter which Project service you choose.

The rollout of the new Project began in mid-October. If you already have a Project subscription plan, you should receive a notification inviting you to try the new Project experience. If you don’t have a Project subscription yet, we invite you to either learn more or try out Project Plan 1 today!*

What’s next?

Looking forward, we will release more exciting capabilities in the new Project, including resource management, budget analysis, and time and expense tracking. These powerful features will enable you to streamline more complex initiatives and help your business maximize ROI.

As we continue to innovate with the new Project, we rely on customers, like you, to help shape the direction of future releases. You can reach us via the Feedback button in the new Project UserVoice or through your Microsoft representative, to share your feedback and ideas on how Project meets your needs today and into the future.

Visit the Project blog on Tech Community and follow Microsoft 365 on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for our latest news.

Microsoft Project

Streamline project, resource, and portfolio management with Microsoft Project to help you keep track of projects successfully.

See products and pricing

Frequently asked questions

Q. How does new Project compare to Microsoft Planner?

A. Planner remains the starting point for individuals and teams to collaborate on tasks. Many teams find that they need more power—like tracking task dependencies and scheduling—and the new Project is the right step up for them. Planner and the new Project have a similar look and feel, so that teams can move between both tools easily.

Q. Can I continue to use Project desktop app?

A. Absolutely, you can continue to rely on the full power of the Project desktop app.

Q. Does Project Plan 3 and Project Plan 5 include Project Plan 1 capabilities?

A. Yes, both Project Plan 3 and Project Plan 5 will include the Project Plan 1 capabilities.

*Plan 1 is available for purchase starting October 29, 2019 in the U.S. and select international markets. It will be available for purchase starting mid-November in other international markets (except for France and South Korea).

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Xbox unveils lineup of bundles for the holiday season

It’s hard to believe, but the holidays are quickly approaching, and if you’re in search of the perfect gift, look no further than our lineup of Xbox One bundles that pair consoles with the season’s hottest games, and new and customizable controllers. By gifting an Xbox One to friends or family, they’ll have access to more than 3,000 games, as well as must-have services and features that can’t found anywhere else, like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox One Backward Compatibility. Every Xbox One X and Xbox One S bundle includes a built-in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, 4K streaming with High Dynamic Range and Dolby Vision, and premium audio with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. Xbox is the best place to play, and this holiday season, we have something for everyone on your list, at every price point.

We recently unveiled now includes an all-new upgrade option for the next Xbox console, Project Scarlett once it’s available in Holiday 2020. Xbox All Access is available

Additionally, if you enjoy gaming with your children, every Xbox One console comes equipped with industry-leading family settings. The more than 20 customizable settings empower parents to set spending limits, install content filters based on the age of each child, and apply the newly announced app and game limits as you see fit.

See below for an overview of all the Xbox offerings available this holiday, and make sure to check with participating retailers – including your local Microsoft Store near you or online – for more information on availability and pricing.

Xbox Game Pass

Give the gamer in your life the ultimate gift of unlimited access to over 100 great games with Xbox Game Pass – it’s the perfect way to discover your next favorite game.

  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($14.99 per month). The ultimate gift this holiday season, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate includes all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, as well as access to a curated library of over 100 high-quality console and PC games with new games added all the time. You can get your first month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $1 right now.
  • Xbox Game Pass for Console ($9.99 per month). With Xbox Game Pass for Console, gamers get access to a highly-curated library of over 100 great games on Xbox One. You can join the fun in new games or catch up on a recent hit because with Xbox Game Pass, you always have something new to play.

Xbox One X Bundles

This holiday is the perfect time to gift the world’s most powerful console to a friend or family member. We’re offering seven Xbox One X bundles this holiday featuring the season’s hottest games plus Xbox Game Pass for Console and Xbox Live Gold. Xbox One X bundles available this holiday include:

Xbox One S Bundles:

The Xbox One S offers the best value in gaming, and this holiday, we have six bundles available that come packed with games like Gears 5, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Fortnite Battle Royale plus Xbox Game Pass for Console and Xbox Live Gold. If you’re looking to gift the newest member of the Xbox One family, check out the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Xbox One S bundles available this holiday include:

Xbox Wireless Controllers:

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is the world’s most advanced controller designed with the most passionate gamers in mind. This highly anticipated controller is now available, in addition to a variety of special edition controllers.

  • Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 ($179.99). Designed to meet the needs of today’s most passionate gamers, the all-new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 features over 30 new ways to play like a pro. Enhance your aim with new adjustable-tension thumbsticks, fire even faster with shorter hair trigger locks, and stay on target with a wrap-around rubberized grip. The controller is available starting November 4.
  • Xbox Wireless Controller (Starting at $59.99). Fans can expand their collection of Xbox Wireless Controllers with a variety of special edition and limited edition designs, including Midnight Forces II Special Edition, Night Ops Camo Special Edition, Sport Blue Special Edition, Gears 5 Kait Diaz Limited Edition, Fortnite Special Edition and Phantom White Special Edition. Every Xbox Wireless Controller is compatible with all Xbox One consoles and includes fan-favorite features such as 3.5mm stereo headset jack and Bluetooth technology for playing your favorite games across multiple devices.
  • Xbox Design Lab (Starting at $69.99). With Xbox Design Lab, fans have more than a billion design combinations to choose from to personalize the controller, including new colors, metallic finishes for D-pads and triggers, and rubberized grips. Or, players in the U.S. can choose a design featuring their favorite NFL Xbox Design Lab is available to residents in Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and more than 20 additional European countries.

No matter who you are shopping for this year, we’re excited to offer a variety of options to help you gift the perfect gaming experience.

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Ninja Theory announces innovative R&D project with a focus on mental health awareness

Today we are proud to announce The Insight Project, an innovative R&D project at Ninja Theory that we have grand ambitions for. In 2017, Ninja Theory released Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on PlayStation and PC platforms and later to Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and VR. It was headed by Tameem Antoniades, co-founder and Creative Director at Ninja Theory under the guidance of Paul Fletcher, Psychiatrist and Professor of Health Neuroscience at University of Cambridge.

The game received universal acclaim for its depiction of a warrior with severe mental health issues and was described by Wellcome as the best representation of psychosis in any media. It went on to win widespread acclaim, including 5 BAFTAs, 3 The Game Awards and a Royal College of Psychiatrists award.

Subsequent to its release, Tameem and Paul have continued discussions on how games can go beyond representing mental illness and distress and how they play a role in promoting mental well being. These discussions have resulted in The Insight Project, an ambitious combination of technology, game design and clinical neuroscience brought together with the aim of generating strategies to alleviate mental distress.

The Insight Project will take shape over several years but is being announced early to encourage an open and transparent approach to its development.  It is an exploratory but experimentally guided project that aims to deliver a mainstream solution to help treat mental suffering and encourage mental well being.

We plan a programme of gaming, technological and scientific development that will lead to self-contained, individualised and absorbing game experiences within which people can become an expert at recognising, responding to and, ultimately, controlling their own fear, anxiety and other negative subjective experience. The work will be underpinned by rigorous scientific principles to ensure its effectiveness and validity and it will adhere to strict standards of ethics and data management.

This approach will be widely and conveniently applicable, flexible to the needs of the individual and, critically, enjoyable and absorbing in ways that will ensure enthusiastic engagement leading to marked and sustainable change.

Our goal is to create and inspire a movement and help mental health treatment to go mainstream. We hope you’ll join us on this exciting journey!

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New cyberattacks targeting sporting and anti-doping organizations

Today we’re sharing that the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center has recently tracked significant cyberattacks originating from a group we call Strontium, also known as Fancy Bear/APT28, targeting anti-doping authorities and sporting organizations around the world. As the world looks forward with anticipation to the Tokyo Summer Games in 2020, we thought it important to share information about this new round of activity.

At least 16 national and international sporting and anti-doping organizations across three continents were targeted in these attacks which began September 16th, just before news reports about new potential action being taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Some of these attacks were successful, but the majority were not. Microsoft has notified all customers targeted in these attacks and has worked with those who have sought our help to secure compromised accounts or systems.

This is not the first time Strontium has targeted such organizations. The group reportedly released medical records and emails taken from sporting organizations and anti-doping officials in 2016 and 2018, resulting in a 2018 indictment in federal court in the United States.

The methods used in the most recent attacks are similar to those routinely used by Strontium to target governments, militaries, think tanks, law firms, human rights organizations, financial firms and universities around the world. Strontium’s methods include spear-phishing, password spray, exploiting internet-connected devices and the use of both open-source and custom malware.

We’ve previously announced separate Strontium activity we’ve seen targeting organizations involved in the democratic process and have described the legal steps we routinely take to prevent Strontium from using fake Microsoft internet domains to execute its attacks. Additionally, the data and information we learn from our disruption work is used to improve the security and security features of our products and services.

As we’ve said in the past, we believe it’s important to share significant threat activity like that we’re announcing today. We think it’s critical that governments and the private sector are increasingly transparent about nation-state activity so we can all continue the global dialogue about protecting the internet. We also hope publishing this information helps raise awareness among organizations and individuals about steps they can take to protect themselves.

You can protect yourself from these types of attacks in at least three ways. We recommend, first, that you enable two-factor authentication on all business and personal email accounts. Second, learn how to spot phishing schemes and protect yourself from them. Third, enable security alerts about links and files from suspicious websites.

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Azure Sphere will be generally available in February of 2020, delivering IoT security to set innovation free

Today, at the IoT Solutions World Congress, we announced that Azure Sphere will be generally available in February of 2020. General availability will mark our readiness to fulfill our security promise at scale, and to put the power of Microsoft’s expertise to work for our customers every day—by delivering over a decade of ongoing security improvements and OS updates delivered directly to each device.

Since we first introduced Azure Sphere in 2018, the IoT landscape has quickly expanded. Today, there are more connected things than people in the world: 14.2 billion in 2019, according to Gartner, and this number is expected to hit 20 billion by 2020. Although this number appears large, we expect IoT adoption to accelerate to provide connectivity to hundreds of billions of devices. This massive growth will only increase the stakes for devices that are not secured.

Recent research by Bain & Co. lists security as the leading barrier to IoT adoption. In fact, enterprise customers would buy at least 70 percent more IoT devices if a product addresses their concerns about cybersecurity. According to Bain & Co., enterprise executives, with an innate understanding of the risk that connectivity opens their brands and customers to, are willing to pay a 22 percent premium for secured devices.

Azure Sphere’s mission is to empower every organization on the planet to connect and create secured and trustworthy IoT devices. We believe that for innovation to deliver durable value, it must be built on a foundation of security. Our customers need and expect reliable, consistent security that will set innovation free. To deliver on this, we’ve made several strategic investments and partnerships that make it possible to meet our customers wherever they are on their IoT journey.

Delivering silicon choice to enable heterogeneity at the edge

By partnering with silicon leaders, we can combine our expertise in security with their unique capabilities to best serve a diverse set of customer needs.

MediaTek’s MT3620, the first Azure Sphere certified chip produced, is designed to meet the needs of the more traditional MCU space, including Wi-Fi-enabled scenarios. Today, our customers across industries are adopting the MT3620 to design and produce everything from consumer appliances to retail and manufacturing equipment—these chips are also being used to power a series of guardian modules to securely connect and protect mission-critical equipment.

In June, we announced our collaboration with NXP to deliver a new Azure Sphere certified chip. This new chip will be an extension of their popular i.MX 8 high-performance applications processor series and be optimized for performance and power. This will bring greater compute capabilities to our line-up to support advanced workloads, including artificial intelligence (AI), graphics, and richer UI experiences.

Earlier this month, we announced our collaboration with Qualcomm to deliver the first cellular-enabled Azure Sphere chip. With ultra-low-power capabilities this new chip will light up a broad new set of scenarios and give our customers the freedom to securely connect anytime, anywhere.

Streamlining prototyping and production with a diverse hardware ecosystem

Manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce cost, complexity, and time to market when designing new devices and equipment. Azure Sphere development kits from our partners at Seeed Studios and Avnet are designed to streamline the prototyping and planning when building Azure Sphere devices. When you’re ready to shift gears into production mode, there are a variety of modules by partners including AI-Link, USI, and Avnet to help you reduce costs and accelerate production so you can get to market faster.

Adding secured connectivity to existing mission-critical equipment

Many enterprises are looking to unlock new value from existing equipment through connectivity. Guardian modules are designed to help our customers quickly bring their existing investments online without taking on risk and jeopardizing mission-critical equipment. Guardian modules plug into existing physical interfaces on equipment, can be easily deployed with common technical skillsets, and require no device redesign. The deployment is fast, does not require equipment to be replaced before its end of life, and quickly pays for itself. The first guardian modules are available today from Avnet and AI-Link, with more expected soon.

Empowering developers with the right tools

Developers need tools that are as modern as the experiences they aspire to deliver. In September of 2018, we released our SDK preview for Visual Studio. Since then, we’ve continued to iterate rapidly, making it quicker and simpler to develop, deploy, and debug Azure Sphere apps. We also built out a set of samples and solutions on GitHub, providing easy building blocks for developers to get started. And, as we shared recently, we’ll soon have an SDK for Linux and support for Visual Studio Code. By empowering their developers, we help manufacturers bring innovation to market faster.

Creating a secure environment for running an RTOS or bare-metal code

As manufacturers transform MCU-powered devices by adding connectivity, they want to leverage existing code running on an RTOS or bare-metal. Earlier this year, we provided a secured environment for this code by enabling the M4 core processors embedded in the MediaTek MT3620 chip. Code running on these real-time cores is programmed and debugged using Visual Studio. Using these tools, such code can easily be enhanced to send and receive data via the protection of a partner app running on the Azure Sphere OS, and it can be updated seamlessly in the field to add features or to address issues. Now, manufacturers can confidently secure and service their connected devices, while leveraging existing code for real-time processing operations.

Delivering customer success

Deep partnerships with early customers have helped us understand how IoT can be implemented to propel business, and the critical role security plays in protecting their bottom line, brand, and end users. Today, we’re working with hundreds of customers who are planning Azure Sphere deployments, here are a few highlights from across retail, healthcare, and energy:

  • Starbucks—In-store equipment is the backbone of not just commerce, but their entire customer experience. To reduce disruptions and maintain a quality experience, Starbucks is partnering with Microsoft to deploy Azure Sphere across its existing mission-critical equipment in stores globally using guardian modules.
  • Gojo—Gojo Industries, the inventor of PURELL Hand Sanitizer, has been driving innovation to improve hygiene compliance in health organizations. Deploying motion detectors and connected PURELL dispensers in healthcare facilities made it possible to quantify hand cleaning behavior in a way that made it possible to implement better practices. Now, PURELL SMARTLINK Technology is undergoing an upgrade with Azure Sphere to deploy secure and connected dispensers in hospitals.
  • Leoni—Leoni develops cable systems that are central components within critical application fields that manage energy and data for the automotive sector and other industries. To make cable systems safer, more reliable, and smarter, Leoni uses Azure Sphere with integrated sensors to actively monitor cable conditions, creating intelligent and connected cable systems.

Looking forward

We want to empower every organization on the planet to connect and create secure and trustworthy IoT devices. While Azure Sphere leverages deep and extensive Microsoft heritage that spans hardware, software, cloud, and security, IoT is our opportunity to prove we can deliver in a new space. Our work, our collaborations, and our partnerships are evidence of the commitment we’ve made to our customers—to give them the tools and confidence to transform the world with new experiences. As we close in on the milestone achievement of Azure Sphere general availability, we are already focused on how to give our customers greater opportunities to securely shape the future.

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Threat experts on demand: Now available to assist organizations with their security investigations

Microsoft Threat Experts is the managed threat hunting service within Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) that includes two capabilities: targeted attack notifications and experts on demand.

Today, we are extremely excited to share that experts on demand is now generally available and gives customers direct access to real-life Microsoft threat analysts to help with their security investigations.

With experts on demand, Microsoft Defender ATP customers can engage directly with Microsoft security analysts to get guidance and insights needed to better understand, prevent, and respond to complex threats in their environments. This capability was shaped through partnership with multiple customers across various verticals by investigating and helping mitigate real-world attacks. From deep investigation of machines that customers had a security concern about, to threat intelligence questions related to anticipated adversaries, experts on demand extends and supports security operations teams.

The other Microsoft Threat Experts capability, targeted attack notifications, delivers alerts that are tailored to organizations and provides as much information as can be quickly delivered to bring attention to critical threats in their network, including the timeline, scope of breach, and the methods of intrusion. Together, the two capabilities make Microsoft Threat Experts a comprehensive managed threat hunting solution that provides an additional layer of expertise and optics for security operations teams.

Experts on the case

By design, the Microsoft Threat Experts service has as many use cases as there are unique organizations with unique security scenarios and requirements. One particular case showed how an alert in Microsoft Defender ATP led to informed customer response, aided by a targeted attack notification that progressed to an experts on demand inquiry, resulting in the customer fully remediating the incident and improving their security posture.

In this case, Microsoft Defender ATP endpoint protection capabilities recognized a new malicious file in a single machine within an organization. The organization’s security operations center (SOC) promptly investigated the alert and developed the suspicion it may indicate a new campaign from an advanced adversary specifically targeting them.

Microsoft Threat Experts, who are constantly hunting on behalf of this customer, had independently spotted and investigated the malicious behaviors associated with the attack. With knowledge about the adversaries behind the attack and their motivation, Microsoft Threat Experts sent the organization a bespoke targeted attack notification, which provided additional information and context, including the fact that the file was related to an app that was targeted in a documented cyberattack.

To create a fully informed path to mitigation, experts pointed to information about the scope of compromise, relevant indicators of compromise, and a timeline of observed events, which showed that the file executed on the affected machine and proceeded to drop additional files. One of these files attempted to connect to a command-and-control server, which could have given the attackers direct access to the organization’s network and sensitive data. Microsoft Threat Experts recommended full investigation of the compromised machine, as well as the rest of the network for related indicators of attack.

Based on the targeted attack notification, the organization opened an experts on demand investigation, which allowed the SOC to have a line of communication and consultation with Microsoft Threat Experts. Microsoft Threat Experts were able to immediately confirm the attacker attribution the SOC had suspected. Using Microsoft Defender ATP’s rich optics and capabilities, coupled with intelligence on the threat actor, experts on demand validated that there were no signs of second-stage malware or further compromise within the organization. Since, over time, Microsoft Threat Experts had developed an understanding of this organization’s security posture, they were able to share that the initial malware infection was the result of a weak security control: allowing users to exercise unrestricted local administrator privilege.

Experts on demand in the current cybersecurity climate

On a daily basis, organizations have to fend off the onslaught of increasingly sophisticated attacks that present unique security challenges in security: supply chain attacks, highly targeted campaigns, hands-on-keyboard attacks. With Microsoft Threat Experts, customers can work with Microsoft to augment their security operations capabilities and increase confidence in investigating and responding to security incidents.

Now that experts on demand is generally available, Microsoft Defender ATP customers have an even richer way of tapping into Microsoft’s security experts and get access to skills, experience, and intelligence necessary to face adversaries.

Experts on demand provide insights into attacks, technical guidance on next steps, and advice on risk and protection. Experts can be engaged directly from within the Microsoft Defender Security Center, so they are part of the existing security operations experience:

We are happy to bring experts on demand within reach of all Microsoft Defender ATP customers. Start your 90-day free trial via the Microsoft Defender Security Center today.

Learn more about Microsoft Defender ATP’s managed threat hunting service here: Announcing Microsoft Threat Experts.

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare now available for Xbox One

“On your feet soldier, we are leaving.” – Captain Price

Today marks the official worldwide launch day for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on Xbox One, Infinity Ward’s epic re-imagining of the seminal first-person action franchise.

Prepare to go dark and dive into a gripping single-player Campaign, a tactical and challenging Special Ops experience, and an extremely replayable and frenetic Multiplayer.

Using an all-new engine that represents the largest technical leap in Call of Duty history, Infinity Ward brings a new level of authenticity through the most lifelike visuals to date, and it is all shown at the hallmark 60 frames per second to give players an ultra-immersive experience.

Modern Warfare also features crossplay for the first time in franchise history, allowing allowing players to compete with their friends regardless of what platform they have.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Campaign: The single-player experience within Modern Warfare engulfs you in a raw and gritty narrative, bringing unrivalled intensity and shining a light on the changing nature of modern war. You will play as three characters – Sgt. Kyle Garrick, CIA Agent Alex “Echo 1”, and Farah Karim, leader of the Urzikstan Liberation Force – in a covert battle for the global balance of power. Missions within the Campaign include a variety of differing playstyles, such as close quarter, stealth, and long-range combat scenarios. There are also multiple difficulty options, which fit a wide scope of players from those new to the franchise (Recruit) to seasoned experts (Veteran).

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Multiplayer: The main online component of Modern Warfare offers a variety of incredibly fun and competitive modes with plenty of customization options. Go up against fellow Tier One Operators – or in other words, members of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare community – in live fire combat exercises, ranging from simple Free-for-All games to tactical objective modes, on a variety of maps based on locales within the Modern Warfare universe. Your Operator will enter Multiplayer maps complete with an ultra-customizable Loadout, tide-turning Field Upgrades, and Killstreaks, powerful rewards for taking down multiple enemies within one life. Rank up your soldier to unlock the full suite of Loadout options before continuing progression into Officer Ranks and earn experience for your weapons all the while to unlock Attachments and Weapon Perks to further customize within the expansive Gunsmith.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Special Ops: The co-operative mode of Modern Warfare continues the Campaign’s story through Operations, dynamic experiences where four-player strike-teams work together to stop a new global threat that thrives within the massive city of Verdansk, and its surrounding environments. Gather intel and tackle the mission however you and your strike-team see fit with all Operators, Loadouts, and Progress carried over from Multiplayer. Within Operations, you can choose a Role, classes that have powerful active and passive abilities, and three Munitions, boxes that will appear randomly on the map to aid in the task at hand when it matters most. Special Ops also includes Missions, one to four player challenges that will test your skills against the clock, ranking your performance on a three-star scale.

And that’s not all: Modern Warfare is scheduled to have live seasons post-launch featuring a load of new post-release content coming free for all players on all platforms simultaneously.

Download Call of Duty: Modern Warfare today from the Microsoft Store.

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Microsoft Global Learning Connection (formerly Skype-a-Thon) event is almost here. Join in Nov. 5-6

The Microsoft Global Learning Connection (formerly Skype-a-Thon) event is almost here. Thousands of educators from more than 110 countries are preparing to connect their students with experts and classrooms around the world to share stories and cultural traditions, play games, and collaborate on projects. The goal is to empower young people to become more engaged global citizens and expand their horizons.

Our global community will count the virtual miles traveled after each connection. Ultimately, these will all contribute to our global goal of traveling 17 million virtual miles and connecting nearly a half-million students via Skype, Teams and Flipgrid.

This 48-hour annual event is a true celebration of the power of global learning and an opportunity to shift perspectives and foster greater empathy and compassion for our planet and each other. If you have arranged a connection, make sure to share your plans with us on social @SkypeClassroom with #MSFTGlobalConnect and #MicrosoftEDU.

And if you haven’t arranged a connection for the two days of the event, there is still time to join us.

Head to msftglobalclassroom.com to learn more about the event. We hope you will join us to connect and inspire your students on November 5 and 6.

To help you get started and plan your participation, we have gathered below all the necessary resources:

  • Download a step-by-step activity plan to help you organize your connections for the two-day
  • Access the teacher toolkit, which is full of resources for you and your students. This includes maps, stickers, digital passports, activity sheets, a letter to parents and more.
  • Are you interested in making the Global Learning Connection the starting point for an event at your school or getting ideas on how to tie the event with a global cause? Check out educators’ tips here.
  • Find out how to schedule connections via Skype, Teams and Flipgrid here.
  • Explore the event’s social toolkit and download ready-made templates to share your participation on social channels with our global community @SkypeClassroom with #MSFTGlobalConnect #MicrosoftEDU.

Happy Traveling!

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Outer Worlds now available on Windows PC and Xbox One

The Outer Worlds, the latest game from renowned RPG developer (and recent addition to the Xbox family) Obsidian Entertainment, has been one of our most highly anticipated games of 2019, so we’re excited to share that it is now available for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. You can download the game on its own in the Microsoft Store or via Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC. The Outer Worlds is a single-player RPG that combines a darkly funny narrative with deep RPG elements and exciting combat to bring a new and unique universe to life.

We’ve taken a look at The Outer Worlds a couple of times here on Xbox Wire. I encourage you to check out our E3 preview and in-depth hands-on feature for details, but here’s the gist: You play as a galactic colonist who is awoken from a decades-long cryosleep after your ship was lost in space. You’ll spend your time gallivanting around the universe, making a name (good, bad, or somewhere in between) for yourself on a variety of unique, vibrant planets on which you’ll meet a bevy of memorable characters.

The choices you make in The Outer Worlds truly affects the way the game plays out, and you’ll be forced to make some tough ones as you navigate your way through this strange new universe. Sometimes, you’ll be able to talk your way through tough situations. Other times, you can sneak in and out of them. Or, if you’re not the sneaking or speaking type, you’ll be able to use one of the game’s many unique weapons to get your way.

The Outer Worlds is an exciting new entry in one of our favorite genres and we think RPG fans are going to love it. It’s available now physically and digitally for Xbox One and available for download on Windows 10 PC in the Microsoft Store. If you’ve got Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC (or are ready to subscribe), The Outer Worlds is available for download now!

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We can’t assume there are ‘threat-free’ environments. How companies can move to a Zero Trust model

Digital transformation has made the traditional perimeter-based network defense obsolete. Your employees and partners expect to be able to collaborate and access organizational resources from anywhere, on virtually any device, without impacting their productivity. Customers expect personalized experiences that demonstrate you understand them and can adapt quickly to their evolving interests. Companies need to be able to move with agility, adapting quickly to changing market conditions and take advantage of new opportunities. Companies embracing this change are thriving, leaving those who don’t in their wake.

As organizations drive their digital transformation efforts, it quickly becomes clear that the approach to securing the enterprise needs to be adapted to the new reality. The security perimeter is no longer just around the on-premises network. It now extends to SaaS applications used for business critical workloads, hotel and coffee shop networks your employees are using to access corporate resources while traveling, unmanaged devices your partners and customers are using to collaborate and interact with, and IoT devices installed throughout your corporate network and inside customer locations. The traditional perimeter-based security model is no longer enough.

The traditional firewall (VPN security model) assumed you could establish a strong perimeter, and then trust that activities within that perimeter were “safe.” The problem is today’s digital estates typically consist of services and endpoints managed by public cloud providers, devices owned by employees, partners, and customers, and web-enabled smart devices that the traditional perimeter-based model was never built to protect. We’ve learned from both our own experience, and the customers we’ve supported in their own journeys, that this model is too cumbersome, too expensive, and too vulnerable to keep going.

We can’t assume there are “threat free” environments. As we digitally transform our companies, we need to transform our security model to one which assumes breach, and as a result, explicitly verifies activities and automatically enforces security controls using all available signal and employs the principle of least privilege access. This model is commonly referred to as “Zero Trust.”

Today, we’re publishing a new white paper to help you understand the core principles of Zero Trust along with a maturity model, which breaks down requirements across the six foundational elements, to help guide your digital transformation journey.

Download the Microsoft Zero Trust Maturity Model today!

Learn more about Zero Trust and Microsoft Security.

Also, bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. And follow us at @MSFTSecurity for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.

To learn more about how you can protect your time and empower your team, check out the cybersecurity awareness page this month.