Microsoft confirms another round of layoffs in Redmond

ByGeorge Buttler

Developers can easily use their existing ONNX models or convert and optimize their source PyTorch models through the AI Toolkit for VS Code and deploy across Windows 11 PCs. Criticism of Microsoft has followed various aspects of its products and business practices. Frequently criticized are the ease of use, robustness, and security of the company’s software.

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By harnessing the power of CPUs, GPUs and NPUs from our vibrant silicon partner ecosystem and building on ONNX’s strong momentum, Windows ML empowers developers to deliver real-time, secure and efficient AI workloads — right on the device. This ability to run models locally enables adjusting journal entries developers to build AI experiences that are more responsive, private and cost-effective, reaching users across the broadest range of Windows hardware. Developers can take advantage of Windows ML by starting with a robust set of tools for simplified model deployment.

  • More than half of Microsoft’s layoffs in Washington this year came in a single filing on May 13, when 1,985 employees were laid off at the company’s Redmond campus.
  • Developers can take advantage of Windows ML by starting with a robust set of tools for simplified model deployment.
  • AI assistants and agents aren’t the future of work—they’re already here.
  • Additionally, Microsoft laid off 305 employees in June, and another 830 jobs were cut in July.
  • An example is Microsoft Canada, which it established in 1985.223 Other countries have similar installations, to funnel profits back up to Redmond and to distribute the dividends to the holders of MSFT stock.

Microsoft announces another round of layoffs at Redmond campus

In this scenario, a rapid deployment of one of the core Microsoft Copilot options with low-risk, high-visibility use cases is ideal. Microsoft Copilot 365, for example, allows you to introduce some simple automation and build entry-level agents. More than half of Microsoft’s layoffs in Washington this year came in a single filing on May 13, when 1,985 employees were laid off at the company’s Redmond campus. With Windows ML now generally available, Windows 11 provides a local AI inference framework that’s ready for production apps.

The future of AI is hybrid, utilizing the respective strengths of cloud and client while harnessing every Windows device to achieve more. At Microsoft, we are reimagining what’s possible by bringing powerful AI compute directly to Windows devices, unlocking a new era of intelligence that runs where you are. With groundbreaking advancements in silicon, a modernized software stack and deep OS integration, Windows 11 is transforming into the world’s most open and capable platform for local AI. Today we are excited to share that Windows ML is now generally available for production use to assist developers with deploying production experiences in the evolving AI landscape. AI assistants and agents aren’t the future of work—they’re already here.

So if you’ve found yourself stressing over getting started with Microsoft Copilot, don’t ask “Which copilot should we buy? ” Instead, ask “What problem are we solving, and what level of impact do we need? ” That shift in thinking is how organizations will turn Copilot from an expensive experiment into a lasting competitive advantage. Before you decide what Copilot to start with, you need to define your AI vision. The answer to this question will anchor your Copilot strategy in a clear business case.

In April 2019, Microsoft reached a trillion-dollar market cap, becoming the third public U.S. company to be valued at over $1 trillion. It has been criticized for its monopolistic practices, and the company’s software has been criticized for problems with ease of use, robustness, and security. Companies just getting started with Copilots should aim to make a broad impact to score some quick wins and drive further AI investment and internal buy-in.

Later, they’ll be able to make further investments in functional scenario-based Copilots to make more targeted impacts. Companies that have successfully integrated foundational AI tools (like Microsoft 365 Copilot) can aim for a targeted, high impact with Copilot. To do so, you’ll need to identify a specific problem or business function to address. This is ideal for organizations with a clear AI vision, with teams ready to tackle cultural, data and infrastructure shifts, and use cases with measurable, strategic outcomes. This path forward requires a high level of investment in one of the more complex Copilot offerings. Windows 11 has a diverse hardware ecosystem that includes AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and Qualcomm and spans the CPU, GPU and NPU.

  • So if you’ve found yourself stressing over getting started with Microsoft Copilot, don’t ask “Which copilot should we buy?
  • For example, my company recently worked with a 300-person insurance company on Copilot integration.
  • In a randomized study of 6,000 employees across 56 firms, Copilot users spent 30 fewer minutes on email each week, finished documents 12% faster, and nearly 40% used the tool regularly over six months.
  • The answer to this question will anchor your Copilot strategy in a clear business case.
  • AI Toolkit for VS Code provides powerful tools for model and app preparation, including ONNX conversion from PyTorch, quantization, optimization, compilation and evaluation – all in one place.

Windows ML is included in the Windows App SDK (starting with version 1.8.1) and supports all devices running Windows 11 24H2 or newer. Intel’s EP combines OpenVINO AI software performance and efficiency with Windows ML, empowering AI developers to easily choose the optimal XPU (CPU, GPU or NPU) for their AI workloads on Intel Core Ultra processor powered PCs. “Embrace, extend, and extinguish” (EEE),338 also known as “embrace, extend, and exterminate,”339 is a phrase that the U.S. Microsoft is frequently accused of using anticompetitive tactics and abusing its monopolistic power. People who use their products and services often end up becoming dependent on them, a process is known as vendor lock-in. As such, it needs subsidiaries present in whatever national markets it chooses to harvest.

Consumers can choose from a range of Windows PCs and this variety empowers developers to create innovative local AI experiences. Windows ML is compatible with ONNX Runtime (ORT), allowing developers to utilize familiar ORT APIs and enabling easy transition for existing production workloads. Windows handles distribution and maintenance of ORT and the Execution Providers, taking that responsibility on from the App Developer. Execution Providers (EPs) are the bridge between the core runtime and the powerful and diverse silicon ecosystem, enabling independent optimization of model execution on the different chips from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA and Qualcomm. With ONNX as its model format, Windows ML integrates smoothly with current models and workflows.

Fifth consecutive month of Microsoft layoffs: Seattle tech giant cuts more Redmond positions

AI Toolkit for VS Code provides powerful tools for model and app preparation, including ONNX conversion from PyTorch, quantization, optimization, compilation and evaluation – all in one place. These features make it easier to prepare and deploy efficient models with Windows ML, eliminating the need for multiple builds and complex logic. Starting today, developers can also try custom AI models with Windows ML in AI Dev Gallery, which offers an interactive workspace to make it easier to discover and experiment AI-powered scenarios using local models.

AMD has integrated Windows ML support across their Ryzen AI platform, enabling developers to harness the power of AMD silicon via AMD’s dedicated Vitis AI execution provider on NPU, GPU and CPU. We worked closely with our silicon partners to ensure that Windows ML can fully leverage their latest CPUs, GPUs and NPUs for AI workloads. The way this works is silicon partners build and maintain execution providers that Windows ML distributes, manages, and registers to run AI workloads performantly on-device, serving as a hardware abstraction layer for developers and a way to get optimal performance for each specific silicon.

With more than a dozen Copilot offerings across Microsoft 365, Dynamics, Power Platform, GitHub and beyond, companies need a clear plan to identify the right entry points, prioritize high-impact use cases, and manage change effectively. King County Council member Reagan Dunn proposes a plan for county employees to return to the office three days a week. Solely in Washington, Microsoft has confirmed that more than 3,100 employees will be let go from both its Redmond and Bellevue campuses. The early September filing marks the fifth consecutive month that Microsoft has submitted a notice for upcoming layoffs in Washington.

Tech layoffs continue as F5 cuts more than 100 jobs in Seattle, Spokane

For example, my company recently worked with a 300-person insurance company on Copilot integration. The company wanted to roll Copilot out to every department within a year, so a broad impact with quick wins was the best path forward. They invested in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio to gain buy-ins internally from key stakeholders. Now that they have good momentum, they’re well poised to make a larger investment to roll out the tools to everyone.

Microsoft has announced another round of layoffs that will affect 42 employees at its Redmond campus, as reported in a state filing with the Employment Security Department. While developing Windows ML, we prioritized feedback from app developers building AI-powered features. We previously worked with app developers to test the integration with Windows ML during public preview. Microsoft’s logo with the tagline “Your potential. Our passion.”—below the main corporate name—is based on a slogan Microsoft used in 2008.

An example is Microsoft Canada, which it established in 1985.223 Other countries have similar installations, to funnel profits back up to Redmond and to distribute the dividends to the holders of MSFT stock. In a randomized study of 6,000 employees across 56 firms, Copilot users spent 30 fewer minutes on email each week, finished documents 12% faster, and nearly 40% used the tool regularly over six months. In mid-August, Oracle announced the first of its two rounds of layoffs this year, which affected 161 employees at its Seattle campus. On Sept. 9, Oracle confirmed that an additional 101 Seattle employees would be affected in its second layoff announcement in two months. Read on for a guide to help you sail smoothly through the Copilot waters and build a practical, strategic Copilot roadmap to make smart AI choices, drive employee engagement and—most importantly—deliver AI business outcomes. If your organization is already leveraging the Microsoft ecosystem, the real question isn’t whether to adopt Copilot—it’s how to do it in a way that maximizes ROI.

Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, giving beneficiaries a crucial opportunity to review and change their plans. In August, 40 Microsoft jobs were cut, representing the smallest layoff filing since June 5, 2023, which affected 22 employees. Additionally, Microsoft laid off 305 employees in June, and another 830 jobs were cut in July. Microsoft has submitted approximately 15,000 layoffs nationwide this year. The total number of Microsoft layoffs in Washington is now more than 3,200 since May. Qualcomm Technologies and Microsoft worked together to optimize Windows ML AI models and apps for the Snapdragon X Series NPU using the Qualcomm Neural Network Execution Provider (QNN EP) as well as GPU and CPU through integration with ONNX Runtime EPs.

Microsoft Copilot in particular is already embedded in the fabric of global business. Nearly 70% of the Fortune 500 use Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Barclays has rolled out more than 100,000 seats with plans to scale further. On the developer side, GitHub Copilot now has more than 20 million users and is in use at over 90% of Fortune 100 companies.

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