Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Leo Laporte

Jul 26th 2023

Windows Weekly 839

Velcro and Tang

Microsoft's FY23 Q4, Zenbleed vulnerability, Nearby Share for Windows

Records live every Wednesday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 19:00 UTC.
Category: News

Microsoft's FY23 Q4, Zenbleed vulnerability, Nearby Share for Windows

Microsoft Earnings

  • Microsoft had another blockbuster quarter. What else is new?
  • Fiscal quarter: a net income of $20.1 billion on revenues of $56.2 billion. Those figures represent year-over-year (YOY) gains of 20 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
  • Intelligent Cloud was again Microsoft’s biggest business unit, delivering $24 billion in revenues (up 15 percent YOY) on the strength of server and cloud services revenue growth of 17 percent. Azure and other cloud services grew 26 percent YOY, and Enterprise Mobility saw its installed base grow by 11 percent to over 256 million seats.
  • Productivity and Business Processes was Microsoft’s second-biggest business, with $18.3 billion in revenues, a gain of 10 percent YOY. Here, Microsoft reported that Office commercial revenue was up 12 percent, Office 365 commercial revenues were up 15 percent, and Office consumer revenues were up 3 percent. Microsoft 365 consumer subscribers grew 12 percent to 67 million customers.
  • More Personal Computing once again brought up the rear, with $13.9 billion in revenues, a decline of 4 percent YOY. Windows revenues from PC makers declined 12 percent. Surface (and HoloLens, but really just Surface) revenues were down 20 percent YOY, as that product line continues to struggle. Gaming revenue overall was up 1 percent, with Xbox hardware revenues down 13 percent YOY and Xbox content and services revenues up 5 percent, “driven by growth in third-party content and Xbox Game Pass.”

AI Stuff

  • Top AI companies agree to safeguards (just not for privacy).
  • Microsoft opens up Bing Chat to users on Chrome and Safari.
  • ChatGPT for Android is available in the U.S. to handle all your mobile AI needs.
  • GitHub Copilot Chat is now available in Beta, stage one of the transition to GitHub Copilot X.
  • Apple is rumored to be working on its own ChatGPT.

Windows

  • This just in: Preview cumulative update for 22H2 arrives a day late.
  • Insider: Microsoft tests 23H2 features in the Beta channel.
  • AMD to fix Zenbleed vulnerability.
  • Microsoft could release a Surface Studio Laptop 2 this year.
  • U.S. Army to test upgraded HoloLens soon.

Activision Blizzard

  • Paul looked at how the Activision Blizzard acquisition will impact its quarterly financials. Not much, actually.
  • Chief regulators from the FTC and CMA have spoken a bit publicly about their mishandled Microsoft cases. 
  • Mirroring what happened with the CMA last week, the FTC ended an internal trial against Microsoft so the sides can reach a settlement.

Xbox

  • Microsoft starts rolling out YAHE (yet another home experience)
  • Google Play Games for PC expands
  • Blizzard is bringing key titles to Steam

Tips and Picks

  • Tip of the week: Clipchamp’s hidden gems
  • App pick of the week: Nearby Share for Windows
  • RunAs Radio this week: Future of Integrated Communication with Bob Serr
  • Brown liquor pick of the week: Bottles!

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