Microsoft's cloud computing services, Azure, is now available to users across internet infrastructures, including clouds owned and operated by competitors, Microsoft announced Monday. The new system, called Azure Arc, was unveiled at Microsoft's Ignite 2019 conference that featured a number of new tools and services for enterprise customers.
"It is really about extending what is in the cloud and letting it run anywhere," Julia White, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Azure, told Cheddar from the conference in Orlando, Florida.
Azure Arc is the latest initiative by Microsoft ($MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella to expand the company's software services and further collaboration — instead of competition — with rivals. Azure programs are expected to now be used on clouds owned by Amazon ($AMZN) and Google ($GOOGL). The new offering is also an investment, Microsoft says, given that the company expects that the cloud market to hit $513 billion by 2022.
"While organizations are running systems in data centers and public clouds … the customer wants one single way to run it," White explained. "Customers can have an application, run part of it on Azure, part of it in their data center, part of it even in other public clouds, and then on edge devices and havdae a single unified way to do that."
Microsoft also said that Azure Arc will make cloud based data and applications more secure by centralizing control and security systems through Azure portals.
"We are excited to see Microsoft bringing Azure data services and management to any infrastructure," Erik Vogel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise's vice president for customer success, hybrid cloud software, and services, added in a statement.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
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