Microsoft, in partnership with its extensive ecosystem, is expected to inject $74.4 billion into the UAE economy over the next four years, as revealed by a new IDC study launched at GITEX Global 2024.
The report, titled ‘Microsoft Cloud Dividend Snapshot for the UAE’, underscores the impact of Microsoft’s cloud services in transforming the UAE’s digital landscape, creating jobs, and fostering innovation.
The study highlights that Microsoft and its partners will allocate approximately $5.1 billion to develop and enhance data centre regions within the UAE. This investment will accelerate the growth of local enterprises, especially those aiming to leverage cloud and AI technologies to stay competitive.
He projected investment is expected to generate 152,530 new jobs, supporting various sectors and strengthening the UAE’s knowledge-based economy.
Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE, commented: “As organisations across the UAE and the region seek to leverage the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence, the cloud remains the foundation upon which these innovations are built. At Microsoft, we are committed to providing highly secure, trusted, enterprise-grade cloud services that are critical for organisations accelerating their AI transformation journey. Our investment in local datacentres, our partner ecosystem, and the broader digital economy reflects our ongoing dedication to empowering government institutions and businesses to innovate, drive economic growth, and create sustainable jobs for the future.”
Calendars need to be activated far enough into the future to accommodate long lead time sales and purchase orders, projects, manufacturing orders, resource calendars, ,customer and vendor warehouse calendars, mrp and forecasts, employee work and holiday calendars and so on. Your financial periods also need to go far enough ahead e.g. for budgets, next year’s postings, and so on. for example see: Calendars and master planning – Supply Chain Management | Dynamics 365 | Microsoft Learn and Fiscal calendars, fiscal years, and periods – Finance | Dynamics 365 | Microsoft Learn andhttps://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=407d2c61a46be1a970887c2e1bf79b4f6dad9431dee8a9ca74d16eed2d1032a3JmltdHM9MTczMDI0NjQwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=234522f2-ce69-6daf-2e67-300dcf5a6ceb&psq=Dynamics+365+inance+and+operations++calendars&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9sZWFybi5taWNyb3NvZnQuY29tL2VuLXVzL2R5bmFtaWNzMzY1L2ZpbmFuY2UvZ2VuZXJhbC1sZWRnZXIvY2hhbmdlLW1kZnktY2xuZHItdG8tbGVkZ2Vy&ntb=1 and Set up work schedules and leave – Human Resources | Dynamics 365 | Microsoft Learn
There are enough headaches to close the financial year, and a short time window of time, there are new forecasts and budgets to enter. new trade agreements and contract orders to create, so take time now to consider what you need to update and make any changes in good time.
If you have budgeted for a future implementation to, or upgrade to Dynamics 365 FSCM be aware that pricing increased this month to $210 per user per month for the base license.
Projects increases form $120 to 150..
These are the first increases since the onset of covid and reflect the increased cloud infrastructure and management costs e.g. for salary increases, and energy. However, there has also been a huge increase in functionality in that time equivalent to a major upgrade, for example asset management module, Copilot, features, the Dataverse, Electronic reporting, Globalisation, new extensions, more embedded Power apps and Power Bi,, platform upgrades, and enhanced features and functionality in all areas.
For many companies still to upgrade form Ax 2012, NAV, GP or SL Business Central may be an attractive alternative,
There’s only one year left of support for over two dozen 2016- and 2019-branded Office solutions, Microsoft reminded this week.
More worrying Microsoft recently described the cybersecurity outlook as “pessimistic” in its fifth-annual Digital Defense Report released this week. The 114-page paper provides a grim view of cybersecurity trends between July 2023 and June 2024. Microsoft observed signs of collusion between state-sponsored attackers and cybercriminals, with growing use of cyberattacks as tools of warfare, and the use of attacks to manipulate election outcomes.
“Because these actors conduct both targeted and opportunistic attacks, the threat they present is universal, meaning organizations, users, and devices are at risk anywhere, anytime,” said Tom Burt, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Customer Security & Trust, in the report’s introduction.
Alarmingly, Microsoft found ransomware attempts nearly tripled year over year, yet the success rate declined due to solutions that provide automatic attack disruption. However, when a ransomware attempt does succeed, it’s usually found an unmanaged network device used to infiltrate using remote encryption; over 90 percent of attacks that make it to the ransom stage take this route.
Ransomware attacker’s use social engineering methods. Phishing scams are especially damaging; U.S. businesses are expected to lose $3.5 billion to phishing in 2024, according to a Trend Micro study cited in the report.
Microsoft counted 775 million malware-bearing phishing e-mails over the year, with most (56 percent) containing malicious links to entrap users. A smaller but growing portion (25 percent) used QR codes, which are especially tricky because “they appear as an image during mail flow and are unreadable until rendered.” The remaining 19 percent of phishing e-mails relied on malicious attachments.
Worse are what Microsoft refers to as tech scams (“techscam” in the report), which are financially motivated schemes to weaken devices against future attacks. According to Microsoft, these schemes “have 10 times the financial impact of phishing.”
Tech scams lure users to click on malicious ads masquerading as legitimate entities — for instance, Microsoft support services, deals on crypto, shopping sales or browser extensions. These malicious ad platforms can leverage the cloud to quickly and cheaply create host pages, then shut them down within hours, often before victims realize the damage.
“The current landscape of techscam is alarming,” Microsoft said. Tech scams accounted for over 90 percent of malicious traffic in Microsoft’s Edge browser. Overall, the daily volume of Web traffic from tech scams has ballooned by 400 percent since 2022, far outpacing the growth of traffic related to malware and phishing.
Microsoft’s customer base faces over 600 million attacks every day — . “Deterrence can be achieved in two ways — by denial of intrusions or imposing consequences,” it said. “While companies like Microsoft can help ‘deny’ successful cyberattacks via innovation and further improvements in cybersecurity, enforcing international rules with deterrent consequences must fall on governments.”
Microsoft recently halted production of HoloLens 2 headsets. The information was released by UploadVR, which received confirmation from Microsoft regarding the end of HoloLens 2 production.
The augmented reality headset will continue to receive “updates to address critical security issues and software regressions,” until December 31, 2027. The start of 2028 will mark the official end of software support for HoloLens 2. Support for the original HoloLens 2 will end much sooner, specifically December 10, 2024. But it’s worth noting that production of the original HoloLens ended in 2018.
HoloLens 2 headsets will continue to receive critical security updates and software regressions until the end of 2027.
Microsoft’s Mixed Reality division has struggled mightily over recent years, including the departure of former HoloLens lead Alex Kipman.
Support for the original HoloLens will end on December 10, 2024.
When launched in 2019, HoloLens 2 showed promise and drew excitement within the virtual and augmented reality space. The device was much better than the original HoloLens and it did not have many direct competitors at the time. The VR space has changed quite a bit since then, and Microsoft hasn’t shown much progress. The HoloLens division was reportedly called a “s–t show” by one Microsoft employee.
Microsoft reportedly canceled HoloLens 3, though there was some back-and-forth on if that was the case. Microsoft’s $22 billion Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) for the US military has had several issues during testing. It is still “fully committed” to IVAS.
Microsoft pioneered several concepts in the virtual and augmented reality space, but the company ultimately struggled to grow within the market. HoloLens had uses in industrial spaces and in corporate environments, but Windows Mixed Reality as a whole failed to capture everyday consumers.Microsoft ultimately killed the Windows VR platform and announced the deprecation of Windows Mixed Reality in December 2023.
In addition to technical and monetization challenges, Microsoft faced issues surrounding the leadership of HoloLens. A report from Insider(formerly Business Insider), accused Kipman of “verbal abuse and sexual harassment.” Among the claims was an accusation of Kipman viewing pornography on a VR headset that was mirrored to a nearby monitor that could be seen by other people in the room. Kipman was also accused of fostering “culture that diminishes women’s contributions.”
Official word on HoloLens is rare from Microsoft, and the company seems to change its plans about mixed reality regularly. Leadership changes and restructuring within the company have also likely contributed to the wandering path of HoloLens development.
The future of VR at Microsoft
While Microsoft has ended production of HoloLens 2 and killed of the Windows VR platform, the company still has plans for virtual reality. Microsoft has partnered with Meta and Apple to get Microsoft software onto Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, respectively.
Its likely that future Microsoft-made mixed reality headsets will be powered by Android, not Windows. While the devices would not run Windows natively, Microsoft is reportedly working on a solution that will let mixed reality devices run full Windows desktop apps through the cloud.
Microsoft announced a big new AI feature on Windows 11 later this year coming exclusively to Copilot+ PCs later this year called Click To Do. This feature adds an intelligent overlay to the OS, that can understand what’s on-screen and provide contextual actions at any time. To invoke the overlay hold down the Windows key and click with your mouse.
Click To Do works similarly to Android’s Circle To Search,. It allows users to quickly search the web based on an element selected on screen.
Click To Do goes a step further with contextual actions based on what’s currently on screen.
Click To Do is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs.
The feature is called Click To Do and is a clear competitor to Android’s Circle To Search function, and it is more capable. While a quick way to visually search the web,
Click To Do also provides contextual suggestions based on what it can see on screen.
For example, select some text, and then Click To Do will offer actions such as summarizing what is highlighted, or rewriting it. When you select an image, Click To Do will provide quick actions like blurring the background ,or erasing an object within the image that has been selected.
In the Click To Do overlay, search for anything on screen with a dedicated search bar that floats at the top of the screen. This interface offers quick access to Windows Recall, because both Recall, and Click To Do use similar technology to identify what’s on-screen.
If you’re working on a presentation, Copilot might offer to help expand the text in one section, remove the background of an image, or even email someone if you have their address in the presentation.
The new Recall tool, helps you find things you were looking at recently on your computer, document, webpage, video, or anything else. The AI can remember and recognize what it was and pulls it back up again for you, even if you don’t remember the location or file name. Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs will even find files and settings that you haven’t opened yet by using a description you write in.
Click To Do is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs with an NPU of 40+ TOPS. So, if you’re not using a Copilot+ PC, then you won’t get access to this feature his year. Copilot+ PCs will be able to test Click To Do in October, and it is expected to begin rolling out in waves from November onwards. Microsoft further announced more coming to Copilot+ PCs before year end,, including adding AI to Windows Search. Iand a brand-new Copilot experience that’s more human and interactive, and can browse the web alongside you and help with tasks with Copilot Vision.
The AI can suggest ideas for related information or analysis, even bring up products that might better suit your interests and budget if you ask, simply using the vision on the screen. It won’t work universally yet, but it can handle most of the more popular websites. This is an opt-in feature, so none of the data is stored or used for training unless you agree. Notably, Copilot Vision isn’t limited to printed text; it can even read handwriting
The loudest upgrade is the new Copilot Voice feature that allows you to converse vocally with Copilot. It’s a bit like OpenAI’s new AdvancedVoice Mode in that you can speak to the AI like you would a human, even interrupting mid-word, and hear what it has to say back.
You can select four voices for the experience, with multiple accents, though only in English for now. Copilot Voice can also be your newscaster with the Copilot Daily feature. You can get audio summaries of the latest news and weather personalized to your location and interests. The AI relies on Microsft’s partners, including Reuters, Axel Springer, Hearst, and the Financial Times, to source and summarize the news.
Copilot Daily: Copilot Daily helps you kick off your morning with a summary of news and weather, all read in your favorite Copilot Voice, with more options like reminders of what’s coming soon. It’s an antidote for that familiar feeling of information overload. Clean, simple and easy to digest. Copilot Daily will only pull from authorized content sources
In the rapidly evolving world of AI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central leads the way with innovations already adopted by more than 30,000 small and medium-sized businesses.
Powered by next-generation AI, Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365 Business Central introduces new ways to streamline workflows, boost productivity, and unlock creativity.
Nine out of ten people want simpler ways to automate daily tasks, Copilot helps to free time so employees can focus on their most meaningful work.
Copilot in Business Central is your everyday AI companion, helping you to speed through tasks, build momentum, and improve the way work gets done. With Copilot, you can:
Get answers quickly and easily using natural language.
Spark creativity with creative content ideas.
Save time by automating tedious, repetitive tasks.
Anticipate and overcome business challenges.
(Copilot is free with your Business Central licenses, (but Microsoft says it hasn’t ruled out fair-use policies, quotas, or additional pricing in the future.)
Copilot in Power Automate allows open-ended and conversational experiences while authoring flows that use your Business Central data.
Ask questions and get assistance to improve and change those flows.
Copilot stays with you in your flow and helps you build, set up, and run an automation on your behalf through a comfortable chat experience.
Copilot takes your input and provides either documentation, links, or answers in the Copilot chat pane. Most importantly, it makes changes to the structure of the flow based on your natural language description.
According to a Microsoft survey, nine out of 10 workers in those businesses want to use AI to reduce repetitive tasks in their jobs
Forty eight million people now use some element of Power Platform, according to Microsoft. It’s a big number, but one that the company believes could still grow rapidly as the team pushes forward on its latest AI-centric product vision.
The Copilot story already extends across all Power Platform services, but Microsoft plans to move that story further with agents. Agents can take different forms, typically either working alongside a human user or operating autonomously Microsoft has made broad use of the term “agentive” to describe their current vision across Power Platform in which Copilot tools and services can be deployed to take a more active role in business processes.
Agents in Copilot can work in a range of roles and settings, from prompt-driven to autonomous. They will still rely on grounding in data, actions, and permissions through existing Copilot controls.
Copilot Studio, formerly known as Power Virtual Agent, has now been used by 480,000 organizations, according to Microsoft
New agent-building experiences
Agents will be able to work with humans in more modalities soon. For example, a public preview of “Record with Copilot” allows users to go beyond written instructions when training a copilot to build a Power Automate desktop flow for RPA. With the “record” approach, a user navigates a process on their desktop while also speaking to explain the flow. The recording may also allow for the sharing details like screenshots or videos. The Copilot can ingest the various types of content, align them, and create a new flow that groups the elements logically, creates loops where needed, maps data, and accounts for other flow-building tasks.
You still have Studio, you still have Designer, you still build apps, you build workflows. It’s just enriched and turbocharged
IDC estimates that organizations need to develop 1 billion new applications by 2028, Deploying a corps of new AI-based agents could be the answer for Power Platform professionals tasked with meeting the demand for new apps. These agents are expert visual designers, data modelers, security experts, app developers, code generators, this team together with other people co-authoring…is how we’re going to create the billion apps.
September 30, 2029, will be the last date for updates and product enhancements to Dynamics GP,
Extended support will continue through April of 2031.
So, realistically for most GP users September 30, 2029 is the crucial end of life date.
The best of GP to Business Central: GP functionality will be built into Dynamics 365 Business Central, with features such as: SmartLists, statistical accounts, and multi-company reporting. BC brings broader functionality as well as CoPilot features and integration with TEAMS and Outlook.
The clear, lengthy timeframe helps customers and partners prepare for what’s ahead. Customers will have access to the best assessment tools to help figure out the scope of the migration, access to ISV tools and solutions, and assistance with data manipulation where necessary.
Financial support: From a financial perspective, Microsoft offers a “Bridge to the Cloud” promotion. For customers running Dynamics GP and are looking to migrate to the cloud, they can get a 40% discount. There are also various deployment offers to discuss with partners.
At the start of Microsoft’s fiscal year 2025, it was announced that there are more than 40,000 customers live on Business Central. The product’s growth can be attributed to its unique blend of product quality, user experience, and integration with Microsoft Office and Azure.
Business Central offers end-to-end infrastructure and a significant third-party ecosystem supporting a range of industries and integrations. This growth is expected to continue as Dynamics GP customers migrate to Business Central.
To learn more, contact: Synergy Software Systems 0097143365589
Repetitive manual processes aren’t good for business. They’re inefficient and often inaccurate. They alienate people, stifle innovation, add cost, and threaten customer experience. Leveraging automation and AI changes the game, for good.
For organizations, finding the right business automation platform is critical.
For the 6th time running, UiPath has been named a Leader in the Magic Quadrant™ for RPA. Gartner® recognized UiPath as a Leader in RPA for our Ability to Execute and our Completeness of Vision.
With the UiPath Business Automation Platform™ in place, you can continually uncover new improvement possibilities, build the infrastructure, and rapidly deploy AI-powered automation across the organization.
Ask Synergy Software Systems the first GCC Gold Partner 0097143365589
Microsoft announced on it’s public social media pages that Dynamics 365 Business Central is now at 40,000 customers using it’s all cloud product. This is double the amount of customers that were using the software in March 2022.
The rapid pace of Dynamics NAV and Dynamics GP customers migrating to the all-cloud solution along with the adoption of the better capabilities for customers looking to move from NetSuite, Intacct, Sage, JD Edwards and more explains why it was named Forbes Top ERP for 2024!
To learn more about why this is such a successful erp system contact Synergy Software Systems 0097143365589
