Microsoft (MSFT) News

Mar 10, 2026, 10:28 AM

Microsoft’s return-to-office policy creates a return to slower commutes, traffic analysis shows

Inrix measured travel speeds on eastbound and westbound SR 520 and southbound and northbound I-405 during the weeks of Feb. 23 and March 2. Read More

Mar 9, 2026, 10:52 AM

Microsoft’s new Copilot Cowork integrates Anthropic’s Claude in rollout of new E7 licensing tier

Microsoft is launching Copilot Cowork, a new AI assistant built with Anthropic that can run tasks in the background and work across Microsoft 365 apps, as part of a broader wave of updates including a new $99-per-user E7 licensing tier. Read More

Mar 5, 2026, 1:10 PM

Xbox surprise: Microsoft reveals ‘Project Helix’ as the codename of its next console

In the days leading up to one of the games industry’s bigger trade conferences, Microsoft has quietly unveiled the code name for its next-generation Xbox console: Project Helix. Read More

Mar 4, 2026, 9:03 AM

Pre-trial fight in OpenAI case focuses on Elon Musk’s dual role as Microsoft partner and plaintiff

Pre-trial motions in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft focus in part on his company’s business dealings with the Redmond company, and what that means for his credibility as a witness. Read More

Mar 1, 2026, 9:28 AM

Filings: How Amazon’s $50B OpenAI deal actually works, and what they’re keeping secret

Amazon’s $50 billion OpenAI investment made big headlines, but the SEC filings tell a more complicated story. Here’s how the money flows, what triggers the payments, and what the companies are keeping secret. Read More

Feb 25, 2026, 8:53 AM

Bill Gates addresses Epstein fallout at foundation as new Microsoft revelations emerge

Bill Gates apologized to Gates Foundation staff over his interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, as a new report revealed the depth of the late sex offender’s connections to Microsoft. Read More

Feb 23, 2026, 8:23 AM

Who is Asha Sharma? A closer look at Microsoft’s surprise pick to lead the Xbox business

Microsoft’s new top gaming exec has the trust of Satya Nadella, a track record running platforms at Facebook, Instacart, and Microsoft’s AI division, and a goal to restore Xbox’s “renegade spirit.” What she doesn’t have is gaming industry experience — and the community is watching closely. Read More

Feb 20, 2026, 5:15 PM

Analysis: The best thing that the new Xbox CEO can do is … nothing

New Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma is in a unique position where she really can succeed in the video game business, despite her inexperience in the field, without really trying. Read More

Feb 20, 2026, 12:45 PM

Xbox chief Phil Spencer retiring after 38 years at Microsoft; Asha Sharma named new gaming CEO

Phil Spencer, who reshaped Xbox through landmark acquisitions and a bet on cloud gaming, is stepping down. His successor, Asha Sharma, has roots in the Seattle startup community, with deep experience in consumer platforms. Xbox President Sarah Bond is leaving. Read More

Feb 20, 2026, 10:29 AM

Microsoft’s new RTO policy starts Feb. 23, bringing Seattle-area workers back 3 days a week

Microsoft’s three-day-a-week return-to-office mandate starts Monday, Feb. 23, for Seattle-area employees. Here’s what to know about the policy, and some advice for commuters from the Bellevue Chamber: “Gird your loins.” Read More

Feb 12, 2026, 7:25 AM

Microsoft closes its Visitor Center in Redmond in latest HQ change

Microsoft has permanently closed the Visitor Center in Building 92, a hands-on tech showcase and historical exhibit that was a destination for guests and employees for many years. Read More

Feb 10, 2026, 9:17 AM

Can AI pass this test? School districts start projects backed by Microsoft and Gates Foundation

Washington school districts gathered at Microsoft to launch AI projects in education, backed by grants from Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. National research presented at the event showed that even the most ambitious districts are struggling to measure whether AI is making a difference. Read More

Feb 4, 2026, 10:10 AM

Microsoft exec Charlie Bell shifts to new role as Hayete Gallot returns from Google to lead security

A former Microsoft executive is returning to the company from Google to lead its security initiatives, replacing the former Amazon exec who is exiting the role to focus on engineering quality as an individual contributor at the Redmond company. Read More

Feb 3, 2026, 6:59 PM

Tech Moves: Tableau CEO steps down; Microsoft taps new executive VPs; Avanade’s new CEO

Tableau CEO Ryan Aytay departs Salesforce after 19 years, hinting at a “new challenge” ahead. His exit follows other recent leadership departures at the company. Also, Microsoft names four new EVPs. And Avanade taps a new CEO. Read More

Feb 1, 2026, 1:29 PM

Microsoft’s historic plunge: Why the company lost $357 billion in value despite strong results

Microsoft beat its own forecast. Revenue rose 17%. Cloud crossed $50 billion. So why did the stock fall 10%, erasing $357 billion in market value? We dig into the numbers behind the company’s worst post-earnings drop in 13 years. Read More

Jan 31, 2026, 8:52 AM

GeekWire Field Trip: Starbucks rebounds, Microsoft slides, and Amazon resets

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: We hit the road for a driving tour of the week’s news, making stops… Read More

Jan 28, 2026, 5:29 PM

LinkedIn tops $5B in quarterly revenue for the first time, and its TikTok pivot is paying off

LinkedIn crossed $5 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, putting Microsoft’s 2016 acquisition on a $20 billion annual pace. Video ads on the professional network grew 30% as LinkedIn leans into short-form content. Read More

Jan 28, 2026, 1:32 PM

Microsoft beats expectations, cloud tops $50B as OpenAI and Anthropic deals reshape its business

Microsoft’s big financial bet on artificial intelligence got even bigger in the December quarter, but it also showed continued signs… Read More

Jan 27, 2026, 10:35 AM

Microsoft earnings preview: Record capital spending puts a bigger spotlight on cloud growth

Microsoft is heading into its earnings report this week facing what one analyst calls a “prove it” moment, with investors looking for signs that its massive AI bet is translating into sustained cloud growth. Read More

Jan 26, 2026, 8:24 AM

Microsoft unveils Maia 200 AI chip, claiming performance edge over Amazon and Google

Microsoft says its new Maia 200 chip outperforms Amazon’s and Google’s latest AI silicon on key benchmarks. The chip is already running Copilot and GPT-5.2 in production. Read More

Jan 20, 2026, 10:51 AM

The Microsoft-OpenAI Files: Internal documents reveal the realities of AI’s defining alliance

Internal emails, texts, slide decks, and deposition testimony show how Microsoft went from being sidelined at OpenAI’s founding to wielding decisive influence over the AI lab that launched the generative AI era — and how that power is now being tested as OpenAI emerges as a platform company with leverage of its own. Read More

Jan 20, 2026, 10:49 AM

Tech Moves: Ex-Pinterest CMO joins Microsoft AI; Anthropic hires former Microsoft India leader; ex-Amazon HR director joins Goodwill

Longtime Pinterest CMO Andréa Mallard is joining Microsoft AI — and Amazon marketing leader Claudine Cheever took Mallard’s role at Pinterest. Read More

Jan 16, 2026, 10:27 AM

What Microsoft has learned about housing, and why it’s urging the state to unlock commercial land

Microsoft is supporting a Washington state bill to open up underused commercial land for housing, asserting that the larger crisis is solvable only if lawmakers unlock land faster, streamline permitting, and treat housing as a connected system rather than a series of one-off projects. Read More

Jan 15, 2026, 1:35 PM

Microsoft campus library closes in broader shift to AI-powered ‘digital learning experiences’

Microsoft is closing its traditional employee libraries, including the longtime Redmond facility where authors gave talks and employees browsed books. The company calls it a shift to AI-powered learning. Read More

Jan 13, 2026, 5:31 AM

Microsoft responds to AI data center revolt, vowing to cover full power costs and reject local tax breaks

The tech giant’s new “community first” initiative includes pledges to pay full power costs, reject local tax breaks, and replenish more water than it uses — a response to growing backlash against AI infrastructure expansion. Read More

Jan 10, 2026, 8:23 AM

GeekWire Podcast: Alexa’s next act, Microsoft’s retail play, Google’s AI Inbox, and a smart bird feeder fail

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are racing to redefine consumer AI — from Alexa’s next act as a generative home assistant to Microsoft’s bid to bring shopping into AI chat, and Google’s plan for an “AI Inbox” in Gmail. Plus: a smart bird feeder fail, early impressions of PC-based AI automation, and reflections on investigative journalism in the age of AI. Read More

Jan 9, 2026, 3:34 PM

Microsoft’s big lease renewal in Redmond helps buoy Eastside office market near Seattle

Microsoft’s decision to renew a large swath of office space in Redmond is emerging as a key stabilizing force for… Read More

Jan 9, 2026, 10:39 AM

Bill Gates says there’s ‘no upper limit’ on AI, citing opportunity and risk

Bill Gates says there’s “no upper limit” on how intelligent AI systems will become, and warns the world needs to prepare now for the disruptions ahead. Read More

Jan 8, 2026, 7:04 AM

Microsoft debuts Copilot Checkout, joining AI shopping race vs. Amazon, Google and OpenAI

Microsoft is rolling out a new “Copilot Checkout” feature that lets shoppers complete purchases directly inside its AI chatbot, betting that its enterprise ties and retailer relationships can help it compete with OpenAI, Google and Amazon in the race toward AI-driven commerce. Read More

Jan 6, 2026, 1:11 PM

Tech Moves: Amazon AI leader joins Google Cloud; Meta taps new chief legal officer from Microsoft

— Karthik Ramakrishnan, who spent the past 14 years at Amazon where he helped develop the company’s AI strategy, has taken a VP role within the Data Cloud organization at Google Cloud. Read More