Ray Estevez Advisory LLC’s Post

In a matter of hours, the world witnessed a stark demonstration of Microsoft's global dominance and the extent to which Bill Gates' tech giant has become indispensable. The impact of a Microsoft outage reverberated across industries worldwide, exposing the fragility of our interconnected digital ecosystem. As Microsoft's services faltered, the ripple effects were immediate and far-reaching: • Airlines ground to a halt, with flight schedules thrown into disarray and passengers stranded at terminals worldwide. • Stock exchanges ceased operations, bringing global financial markets to a standstill and highlighting the precarious nature of our digitally-driven economy. • Banks suspended services, leaving customers unable to access accounts, process transactions, or conduct routine financial activities. • Media outlets went dark, disrupting the flow of information at a time when communication was most critical. • Critical infrastructure and essential services faltered, from healthcare systems to emergency response networks, underscoring the pervasive reach of Microsoft's technology. This unprecedented event served as a wake-up call, forcing individuals and organizations alike to confront the realities of our tech-dependent world. It raised pressing questions about the wisdom of relying so heavily on a single corporation's products and services, no matter how robust or innovative they may be. As governments, businesses, and citizens grappled with the fallout, the incident sparked urgent discussions about digital resilience, the need for diversified tech ecosystems, and the importance of fail-safe mechanisms in our increasingly connected world. The global disruption caused by this Microsoft outage will likely be remembered as a pivotal moment in tech history, prompting a reevaluation of our relationship with technology and the companies that power our digital lives.

🚀 Microsoft's Strategic Investments: Paving the Way for the Future! 🚀 I’m excited to share some of the groundbreaking investments Microsoft is making to drive innovation and growth. Here’s a snapshot of their key initiatives: AI Infrastructure : a. Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP): Microsoft, in collaboration with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, and MGX, has launched a transformative partnership to invest in AI infrastructure. This initiative aims to mobilize up to $100 billion in total investment, including debt financing. "This partnership is a game-changer for AI development," said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. b. UK AI Infrastructure: Microsoft is investing £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) over the next three years to expand its AI datacenter infrastructure in the UK. This includes deploying more than 20,000 advanced GPUs by 2026. Imagine the possibilities with such robust infrastructure! Cloud and AI a. Global Expansion: Microsoft is significantly expanding its cloud and AI infrastructure globally, with major investments in regions such as Brazil, Italy, Mexico, and Sweden. These efforts are designed to meet long-term demand and enhance service availability. 🌍 b. AI and Cloud Solutions: Investments are being made to enhance Azure's capabilities with new models and industry-specific solutions, such as medical imaging models and AI-powered data management platforms like Microsoft Fabric. "Our goal is to empower every organization with the tools they need to innovate," said a Microsoft spokesperson. Security Secure Future Initiative (SFI): Microsoft has dedicated the equivalent of 34,000 full-time engineers to the Secure Future Initiative. This initiative focuses on enhancing security across all products and services, with significant investments in protecting identities, networks, and engineering systems. "Security is at the heart of everything we do," emphasized Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. These strategic investments underscore Microsoft's commitment to advancing AI, expanding global infrastructure, and ensuring robust security measures. It’s inspiring to see such dedication to innovation and growth. 🚀 #Microsoft #AI #CloudComputing #Innovation #Business #Growth #Technology

This is truly the most exciting time in my career. I am thrilled to witness the democratization of AI and the value being realised within the public sector.

The next era of public services is one powered by AI, but realizing its full potential requires strategic public-private partnerships. Our new five-year partnership with the UK government is set to accelerate digital transformation across the UK’s public services. We see public-private partnerships bring the best of private sector innovation to public sector services, enhancing efficiency and resilience. These partnerships are essential to empower public sector workers with the tools to deliver greater value to citizens and create opportunities for all. Importantly, it’s more than just about deploying technology; it’s about transforming how services are delivered and ensuring that the public sector is ready to serve citizens in a digital-first world. 

Joel M. led the C&T (communications and telecommunications) breakout at the HFS Research New York spring summit asking fellow #hfsdisrupt ers to beware the shadow cast by #GenAI across all other emerging tech. What we shared: We are at an inflection point where silicon, data, and cloud are charting a new course for the market, empowering C&T firms to innovate. The market is continuing to grow, up 40% from 2012-24. AI-driven tech spend is expected to increase by 9% for C&T enterprises. Don't underplay 5G, analytics or other emerging tech - identify your intent then think about what tech supports that. Supply chain, CX and innovation efforts offer great new value potential - with the right partners.

Yesterday was Day 1 of the Microsoft SMC Americas Sales & Tech Summit and the energy in the room was electric!  Even the "party people were in the house tonight," and our kick-off was made complete by having many of our partners joining us this week. The event brings together sellers and partners from across the Americas for in-person discussions and engagements around AI, security, and all dimensions of organizational digital transformation. Hearing the stories of innovation across organizations of all sizes and industries unlocking value through the power of Microsoft Azure and AI, which brings me to showcasing Americas' world-class solutions.   Data is the cornerstone for any organization aiming to harness the power of technology.  Brazil-based Mania de Churrasco! has more than 100 stores, two-thousand employees, and carries out more than 700,000 commercial transactions per month! It goes without saying: optimizing their data was critical.     Working with Microsoft partners Qualiserve and SND Distribuição, Mania de Churrasco! transformation began with the migration of data to Microsoft Azure and the integration of legacy databases. Sensitive information and data structure, previously stored in a fragmented way, were centralized in the Microsoft Cloud through Microsoft Fabric. Centralizing data in Azure and using Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics resulted in an incredible savings of $3.5 million over five years. Wow!    Managing Partner Filliphe Camelo de Souza shared “the key change was the efficiency we gained in management and communication. The ease and security we have with the centralized environment are remarkable. “      Centralizing their data also meant they could apply trend curve and prediction models inside their data warehouse on Azure. As Kleber Rodrigues from Qualiserve shared, “We connected the Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service model to create the first Microsoft Copilot frameworks, and the company is already starting to benefit from this process.”      These achievements underscore the power of AI and cloud technology in optimizing data, streamlining processes, enhancing decision-making, and ultimately boosting the bottom line.  Amazing!    Thank you to Filiphe and Fabio Sola for sharing your insights and for your trust in Microsoft and to the @Qualiserve and @SND Distribuição teams, thank you for your partnership.  Together, we can unlock new opportunities and drive sustainable growth that benefits a company's operations, employee productivity, and customer experience.    Allison West Hughes Evette Gee Nina Harding Heather Deggans Diego Bekerman Jose Gomez Cueto Harp Girn, CPA   #AmericasAIInnovation #digitaltransformation    

Microsoft Corp. plans to invest $80 billion in data centers for artificial intelligence technology in the fiscal year ending in June, continuing its strategy of spending heavily on the infrastructure behind the technology boom.

- Utilize Microsoft’s investment in the North of England data centre to explore potential business partnerships and infrastructure collaborations. - Stay updated on the progress of the development project for networking opportunities and early access to cutting-edge technology. - Consider attending the Connected North event in Manchester to engage with industry leaders and stay ahead in the tech and data infrastructure sector. How do you see collaborative initiatives with Microsoft's new data centre benefiting your business growth? #Microsoft #DataCentre #AIInfrastructure #BusinessNetworking #ConnectedNorth2022 Learn more about this topic here: https://lnkd.in/g5N3zBjG At Grow Scale Win™, we use AI to enhance productivity and efficiency. The AI Growth System® provides a holistic approach to business growth with a personalized strategy and AI-powered tools for lead generation, nurturing prospects, and closing sales. Learn more at www.growscale.win. DM us with any questions.

Important takeaway from the CrowdStrike led Microsoft outage is, when digital processes lack system diversity and winner-takes-all dynamics prevail, we can expect more debacles like this. The empowerment of personal and distributed computing is reversed - monopoly or duopoly in centralized computing is a norm now. The risks associated with relying on centralized computing systems and the lack of diversity in digital processes need to be emphasized by policy makers and technology leaders. This will help prevent widespread disruptions like these. The shift towards centralized computing has indeed reversed the empowerment of personal and distributed computing, leading to a monopolized market. This shift is like a dimming light, slowly extinguishing the vibrant colors and sounds of individuality and diversity. The air feels heavy with the absence of freedom and innovation, as the once bustling landscape of personal computing now stands still in a centralized abyss. The consequences of this shift loom over individuals, organizations, and society like a dark cloud, casting a shadow on the potential of AI development and deployment. Some potential solutions to address this issue include: 1. Promoting diversity in digital processes and systems 2. Encouraging decentralized and distributed computing architectures 3. Fostering open-source and community-driven initiatives 4. Implementing robust security measures and redundancy in critical systems 5. Supporting policies and regulations that encourage competition and innovation By recognizing these challenges and working towards more diverse, resilient, and decentralized systems, we can help mitigate the risks associated with centralized computing and promote a more equitable and sustainable digital landscape. #Crowdstirke #MicrosoftOutage #AI #Diversity #Policy

Microsoft expects to spend $80 billion in 2025 on the construction of data centers that can handle artificial intelligence workloads Over half of Microsoft’s $80 billion in spending will take place in the U.S., Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith.