Latest news with #AzureOpenAI
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Starbucks (SBUX) Jumps 4% on AI Barista Assistant Rollout With Microsoft
Starbucks (SBUX, Financials) gained 4.3% to close at $95.39 Wednesday after unveiling a generative AI assistant developed with Microsoft's Azure OpenAI platform. The move is part of the company's effort to streamline cafe operations and boost U.S. sales. Dubbed Green Dot Assist, the tool will begin testing in 35 stores this month and is expected to expand across the U.S. and Canada in fiscal 2026. Baristas will be able to use a tablet to ask questions via voice or text, receiving real-time support on drink prep and equipment troubleshooting. CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround strategy aims to shorten service times to four minutes and refocus the company on its core brand. The new AI assistant is designed to help staff work more efficiently by reducing reliance on manuals or internal systems. Chief Technology Officer Deb Hall Lefevre said the assistant could eventually create IT tickets automatically or suggest shift changes, further integrating into store operations. The Microsoft (MSFT, Financials) partnership comes nearly a year after CEO Satya Nadella stepped down from Starbucks' board. The system includes a grounding engine to prevent AI inaccuracies, or hallucinations. The company also showcased next-generation Mastrena espresso machines and a simplified point-of-sale system that allows experienced baristas to get up to speed within an hour and helps personalize customer experiences. Other restaurant chains have tested AI with varied outcomes. Yum Brands has partnered with Nvidia on AI vision tools, while McDonald's recently ended an AI drive-thru test with IBM due to performance issues. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CairoScene
13-06-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
e& Enterprise & Microsoft Partner to Accelerate AI Adoption in MENAT
The collaboration aims to deliver scalable, sector-specific AI tools in the UAE, KSA, Egypt, Türkiye and Qatar. Jun 13, 2025 e& enterprise, the digital transformation arm of technology group e&, has expanded its strategic collaboration with Microsoft to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics adoption across industries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye (MENAT) region. The partnership will target key markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Qatar. As part of the partnership, the two companies will co-develop and deploy scalable AI solutions tailored to the needs of specific sectors such as government, telecom, education, banking, and retail. The initiative is designed to support organisations in adapting to growing digital demands by optimising operations, improving customer experience, and advancing innovation through real-time analytics and AI-driven insights. The alliance leverages Microsoft's Azure ecosystem—including Azure Machine Learning, Azure OpenAI, Power BI, and Azure Synapse Analytics—alongside e& enterprise's hybrid cloud solutions and advisory services. Together, these tools will allow businesses to automate workflows, personalise services, manage large datasets, and integrate data visualisation and predictive models into day-to-day operations. To ensure data privacy and ethical use of AI, the partnership will implement Microsoft's Responsible AI standards along with e& enterprise's internal governance frameworks. The companies also plan to support organisations through the full transition process by offering cloud migration services, managed security, and AI implementation roadmaps tailored to local markets.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IBM Surges 16% in Six Months: Is it Time to Buy the Stock?
International Business Machines Corporation IBM has surged 16% over the past six months compared with the industry's growth of 1.8%, outperforming peers like Microsoft Corporation MSFT and Inc. AMZN. Despite the rising adoption of enterprise capabilities of Azure OpenAI and Amazon Web Services, both Microsoft and Amazon are lagging behind IBM in terms of price performance. While Microsoft has gained 5% over the same period, Amazon has declined 8.4%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research IBM is benefiting from healthy demand trends for hybrid cloud and AI (artificial intelligence) solutions, which drive the Software and Consulting segments. The company's growth is expected to be aided by analytics, cloud computing and security in the long term. A combination of a better business mix, improving operating leverage through productivity gains, and increased investment in growth opportunities will likely boost a surge in traditional cloud-native workloads and associated applications, along with a rise in generative AI deployment, there is a radical expansion in the number of cloud workloads that enterprises are currently managing. This has resulted in heterogeneous, dynamic and complex infrastructure strategies, which have led firms to undertake a cloud-agnostic and interoperable approach to highly secure multi-cloud management. This, in turn, has translated into a healthy demand for IBM hybrid cloud solutions. In addition, the buyout of HashiCorp has significantly augmented the company's capabilities to assist enterprises in managing complex cloud environments. HashiCorp's tool sets complement IBM RedHat's portfolio, bringing additional functionalities for cloud infrastructure management and bolstering its hybrid multi-cloud approach. IBM's watsonx platform has been the core technology platform for its AI capabilities. It delivers the value of foundational models to the enterprise, enabling them to be more productive. This enterprise-ready AI and data platform comprises three products to help organizations accelerate and scale AI: the studio for new foundation models, generative AI and machine learning, the fit-for-purpose data store built on an open lake house architecture and the toolkit to help enable AI workflows to be built with responsibility and company recently launched watsonx AI Labs in New York City to accelerate AI adoption by unlocking its global network of engineering labs for AI developers. This collaborative hub of IBM researchers and engineers with startups, scale-ups and some of the world's largest enterprises will seek to co-create agentic AI solutions for clients and foster the growth of the innovation ecosystem. The watsonx AI Labs will connect IBM's enterprise resources and expertise with the next generation of AI developers seeking to build breakthrough AI applications for businesses. IBM is currently witnessing an uptrend in estimate revisions. Earnings estimates for 2025 have jumped 1.5% to $10.95 over the past 60 days, while the same for 2026 has increased 0.4% to $11.66. The positive estimate revision portrays bullish sentiments about the stock's growth potential. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Despite solid hybrid cloud and AI traction, IBM is facing stiff competition from Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Increasing pricing pressure is eroding margins, and profitability has trended down over the years, barring occasional spikes. The company's ongoing, heavily time-consuming business model transition to the cloud is challenging. Weakness in its traditional business and foreign exchange volatility remain significant concerns. IBM is likely to retrench about 9,000 jobs this year in the United States to reduce operating costs. A significant part of these jobs is slated to be shifted to India under a 'resource action' plan, an ongoing corporate strategy to tap the huge talent pool of the subcontinent at lower operating costs. Although the company spokesperson has refused to comment on the grapevines and commit an exact figure for the layoffs, various sources have confirmed that the action has already job cuts have been confirmed in Raleigh, NC; New York City, NY; Dallas, TX; and CA, impacting employees from consulting, corporate social responsibility, cloud infrastructure, sales and internal systems teams. A majority of job losses have also been reported in the Human Resource department as IBM aims to integrate AI into its operations, particularly in back-office functions. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research With solid fundamentals and healthy revenue-generating potential driven by robust demand trends, IBM is witnessing a steady growth curve. Further, a strong emphasis on hybrid cloud, diligent execution of operational plans and AI focus are driving more value for customers. Moreover, with improving earnings estimates, the stock is witnessing a positive investor perception at the moment. However, IBM's growth is dented by high operating costs and stiff competition that reduce its profitability. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), IBM appears to be treading in the middle of the road, and new investors could be better off if they trade with caution. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Microsoft Commits $400 Million to Expand Swiss AI and Cloud Infrastructure
Microsoft (MSFT, Financials) announced a $400 million investment to expand its artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure in Switzerland. The company said the funding will support data center upgrades near Zurich and Geneva, helping meet rising demand for AI services across regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government. Microsoft noted that over 50,000 existing customers will benefit from the expansion, which also aims to support new organizations while ensuring data remains within Swiss borders. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with MSFT. According to Microsoft, local demand for Azure OpenAI services has surged since mid-2023, and Switzerland now ranks second globally in GitHub AI contributor share. The company said 31% of Microsoft users in Switzerland engaged with AI tools in the past six months, a three-percentage-point increase, highlighting growing adoption across the region. UBS, one of the world's largest banks, is among the institutions relying on Microsoft's locally compliant infrastructure. Microsoft said the investment extends its long-standing commitment to Switzerland's digital future, which includes launching local data centers in 2019 and opening the Microsoft Innovation Hub in 2022. The initiative is also part of Microsoft's broader European Digital Commitments, focused on supporting open source, cybersecurity, digital resilience, and AI governance. The company said it will deepen partnerships with Switzerland Innovation Parks to accelerate the commercialization of AI research and industrial applications. Since 2019, Microsoft has provided more than CHF 30 million in technology resources to over 1,500 startups through its Swiss AI Tech Accelerator and other programs, helping generate over 11,000 jobs. The next cohort for the AI accelerator is scheduled for fall 2025. As part of its national AI skilling initiative, Microsoft said it plans to train one million people in Switzerland by 2027. The effort will target students, educators, industry workers, and nonprofit organizations, and will be conducted in collaboration with institutions such as FH Schweiz and organizations like Innovate Switzerland and the CyberPeace Institute. Microsoft also plans to support global AI policy and governance efforts through its partnerships in International Geneva, working with the United Nations and other multilateral organizations to promote responsible AI and deliver training and humanitarian solutions. The company is involved in AI-related programs with agencies such as UNHCR, IOM, OHCHR, and IFRC, and is contributing to cybersecurity and AI governance initiatives with the CyberPeace Institute and the International Telecommunication Union. In terms of sustainability, Microsoft said its Swiss operations are fully powered by renewable energy. The company also signed a six-year, 27,600-ton biogenic carbon removal and storage agreement with Swiss firm Neustark, covering projects in Switzerland and Germany. Microsoft said these efforts align with its global goal of becoming carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Globe and Mail
29-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Walmart Stock (WMT) Wobbles on Leak That it Prefers Microsoft to Google
Shares in retail giant Walmart (WMT) slipped 0.6% today despite reports that it is stepping up its use of AI. Confident Investing Starts Here: Rock and Rolling With MSFT The revelation that Walmart was looking at using Microsoft's (MSFT) Entra and AI Gateway services came as a result of a mistake at a talk by the tech giant's head of security for AI. Neta Haiby revealed confidential messages about Walmart's plans at a Build talk after the livestream was interrupted by pro-Palestine protesters. After the protesters were escorted out, the livestream session restarted and the sensitive messages were seen on Microsoft Teams. 'Walmart is ready to rock and roll with Entra Web and AI Gateway,' said one of Microsoft's cloud solution architects in the Teams messages. The chat session also quoted a Walmart AI engineer, saying: 'Microsoft is WAY ahead of Google (GOOGL) with AI security. We are excited to go down this path with you.' Walmart is already a major Microsoft customer using the company's Azure OpenAI service for some of its AI work. Game-Changing AI According to Microsoft, Entra offers users secure access for their workforce, workload, and customer identities to multicloud and on-premises resources. In its website blurb, it offers users the chance to take advantage of game-changing generative AI, risk-based access policies, and phishing-resistant, password-free authentication to block attacks and protect your workforce, customers, and machine identities. Cyber attacks on retailers are in the news with the U.K.'s Marks & Spencer reeling from a recent and still ongoing hit which is likely to cost it £300 million in lost profits. An API Gateway can help streamline the integration of multiple AI models. This is an area Walmart is keen to invest in, including operationally in the production of clothes and to boost customer service. Is WMT a Good Stock to Buy Now? On TipRanks, WMT has a Strong Buy consensus based on 28 Buy and 2 Hold ratings. Its highest price target is $120. WMT stock's consensus price target is $109.31 implying an 12.62% upside. See more WMT analyst ratings Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue
