© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

The customer campaigns, which in some cases replace existing go-to-market initiatives, are for Microsoft's year-old core infrastructure model and for two new models Microsoft developed for knowledge workers and applications, sources told CRN.

The models provide recommendations and architectures for building and optimizing Office productivity and application stacks as well as core Windows infrastructures, sources said.

The four levels include basic, standard, rational and dynamic and refer to the state of a customer's infrastructure and security model or Office infrastructure model. For example, basic refers to a company with a more chaotic model with no processes while the standardized model pertains to a corporate infrastructure that has common standards and some processes but little automation, sources added.

"Customer Campaigns replace partner go to market programs. Microsoft has developed a maturity model for infrastructure and a series of step up programs for the four levels of maturity to add new management capabilities," said one source familiar with the announcement. "Partners loved the end of GTMs. They never really got anything out of it and customer campaigns seem to be getting better traction. At least everyone knows what's going on."

Sources said most of the implementations of the programs will be through large systems integrators and Unisys, Fujitsu, Avanade and EDS "will be the big players," that source added.

Bart Hammond, CEO for Interlink, Englewood, Colo., said the three customer campaigns are targeted at IT administrators and other campaigns are being developed for business decision makers.

He does not view the customer campaigns as replacements for go-to-markets but more specific advice on implementation and deployment.

"My understanding is Microsoft is broadening the concept from a pure infrastructure maturity model right up to information workers maturity and application infrastructure maturity," Hammond said, noting the two new offerings enable partners to recommend to customers ways to optimize internal IT architectures and step them up to more mature levels in a defined manner.

"The existing infrastructrure and security model is taking companies from a reactive infrastructure to proactive management and control," Hammond said. "It gives clients a step by step way to assess where they are in their business productivity platform and applications. Microsoft is continuing with its GTMs but they are segments of the customer campaigns.

"For me, it's a road map to go to the customer and use this model as an objective starting point to assess where customers are," Hammond added. "You either operate in a basic environment, standard environment, or advanced environment."

The DCU’s hybrid technical and legal approach to chipping away at cybercrime is still unusual, but as the cybercriminal ecosystem has evolved—alongside its overlaps with state-backed hacking campaigns—the idea of employing creative legal strategies in cyberspace has become more mainstream. In exact years, for example, Meta-owned WhatsApp and Apple both took on the notorious spyware maker NSO Group with lawsuits.

Still, the DCU's particular progression was the result of Microsoft's unique dominance during the rise of the consumer internet. As the group's mission came into focus while dealing with threats from the late 2000s and early 2010s—like the widespread Conficker worm—the DCU's unorthodox and aggressive approach drew criticism at times for its fallout and potential impacts on legitimate businesses and websites.

“There's simply no other company that takes such a direct approach to taking on scammers,” WIRED wrote in a story about the DCU from October 2014. “That makes Microsoft rather effective, but also a little bit scary, observers say.”

Richard Boscovich, the DCU’s assistant general counsel and a former assistant US attorney in Florida’s Southern District, told WIRED in 2014 that it was frustrating for people within Microsoft to see malware like Conficker rampage across the web and feel like the company could Strengthen the defenses of its products, but not do anything to directly deal with the actors behind the crimes. That dilemma spurred the DCU’s innovations and continues to do so.

“What’s impacting people? That’s what they get asked to take on, and we’ve developed a muscle to change and to take on new types of crime,” says Zoe Krumm, the DCU’s director of analytics. In the mid-2000s, Krumm says, Brad Smith, now Microsoft’s vice chair and president, was a driving force in turning the company’s attention toward the threat of email spam.

“The DCU has always been a bit of an incubation team. I remember all of a sudden, it was like, ‘We have to do something about spam.’ Brad comes to the team and he’s like, ‘OK, guys, let’s put together a strategy.’ I’ll never forget that it was just, ‘Now we’re going to focus here.’ And that has continued, whether it be moving into the malware space, whether it be tech support fraud, online child exploitation, business email compromise.”

Microsoft is gearing up to spend $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion) in a bid to create a large AI infrastructure in the UK.

In an official statement, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith shed some light on the company's plans to create "a major AI infrastructure and skilling investment supported by a new partnership on security" in the UK.

Aside from this, the American tech behemoth plans to support the growth and progress of AI without compromising on public security. The company's goal also includes helping the economy and providing jobs.

In line with this, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced GBP29.5 billion of private funding for new UK projects that would create 12,000 jobs in various sectors including tech, life sciences, renewables, housing and infrastructure.

The Redmond-based tech firm said it will collaborate with the UK government and university researchers to achieve all this. A more formal version of this statement has been shared on the Gov.UK website.

According to Smith, Microsoft will be spending $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion) over the next three years as part of this investment. Also, he revealed the "three key areas" this investment encompasses.

• Microsoft will invest in the UK's AI infrastructure
• Microsoft will invest in AI talent and education programs
• Microsoft will invest in AI safety and security measures

Investment in the UK's AI infrastructure

This investment will see London, Cardiff and potentially northern England-based sites focusing on growing the AI infrastructure. The program comprises "prioritised access to GPUs for the UK's science and research community".

Moreover, researchers from "universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, UCL, Bath, and Nottingham" will be participating in this program.

Investment in AI talent and education programs

As part of the plan, Microsoft will train 1 million people in collaboration with non-profit groups on courses like how to work with AI, start a career in AI and how to build upon AI. However, the company will not deviate its focus from "Responsible Generative AI" training.

Investment in AI safety and security measures

Microsoft will ensure things are safe and secure by teaming up with both the UK government and the AI Safety Institute. It is also worth noting that the UK recently became the first country to sign an Online Fraud Charter with eleven tech companies.

AI is expected to radically overhaul nearly every aspect of tech, entertainment, the workforce and other areas in the coming years.

So, it is imperative for big tech companies like Microsoft to spearhead the growth of this newfangled technology and ensure it is developed responsibly. This will allow people to take advantage of it rather than being terrified of it.

What are Infrastructure REITs?

Benefits of Infrastructure REITs

Risks With Infrastructure REITs

Best Infrastructure REITs

Industry Overview

Quarterly Performance Data

All Infrastructure REITs

REIT Alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions

What you need to know

• Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith released an official statement on the company's plans to create a large "AI infrastructure" in the UK.

• The company will spend $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion) on this effort over the next three years to bring more than 20,000 advanced GPUs to the UK by 2026.

• Microsoft will invest in three main areas: The UK's AI infrastructure, AI talent and education programs, and AI safety and security measures.

• Smith states this should help the UK economy while "supporting the UK’s growing AI safety and research efforts."

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith released an official statement on the company's $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion) plan to create "a major AI infrastructure and skilling investment supported by a new partnership on security" in the UK. The goal is to support the growth and progress of AI while "protecting public security," helping the economy, and providing jobs. To achieve all this, the company will work with the UK government and university researchers.

A more formal explainer can also be found at Gov.UK as well.

Smith explains this investment will see Microsoft spending $3.2 billion (£2.5 billion) over the next three years. He also explains the "three key areas" that this investment will cover — 1. ) Microsoft invests in the UK's AI infrastructure, 2.) Microsoft invests in AI talent and education programs, 3.) Microsoft invests in AI safety and security measures.

Story continues

1. Microsoft will invest in the UK’s AI infrastructure — Sites in London, Cardiff, and potentially northern England will focus on growing this AI infrastructure. As part of the plan, the program will "include prioritized access to GPUs for the UK’s science and research community" with researcher participants from "universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, UCL, Bath, and Nottingham."

2. Microsoft will invest in broad-based AI talent and education programs — The company plans to train one million people while working with non-profit groups on subjects such as how to work with AI, start a career in AI, and even how to build upon AI. Microsoft also states it plans to have a focus on safety and responsibility including "Responsible Generative AI" training.

3. Microsoft will invest in strong AI safety and security measures — To keep things safe and secure, Microsoft will have ongoing collaboration with both the UK government and AI Safety Institute.

Windows Central's take

More AI

- Best AI image creators
- Best AI chatbots
- Microsoft won't make generative AI mainstream
- Latest ChatGPT news

Obviously, AI isn't going away and will continue to drastically change just about every aspect of entertainment, media, the workforce, tech, and various other areas going forward. It's important that companies step in to guide the growth of this complex technology so that it's developed responsibly and so that people are prepared to take advantage of it rather than being daunted by it. If Microsoft keeps true to its focus on responsibility, safety, and education, this investment plan will benefit people around the world.

As with the blossoming of the internet in the 90s, the growth of AI has already had an impact on the job market and will continue to affect it as time goes on. Rather than fighting it, they should embrace it but with the understanding that it can be used as a tool to assist us in their daily work, not as a replacement for people.

As 2023 comes to a close, investors want to know what’s in store for the year ahead. What's in store from the Fed in 2024? Will the AI hype continue? What is the future of EV charging? How will the 2024 election impact the market? Yahoo Finance spoke to experts across the industry to answer these questions and more as part of the weekly series "Investor Guide 2024."

Market outlook (00:00:05)

Infrastructure Capital Advisors CEO Jay Hatfield anticipates the S&P to reach as high as 5,500 points by the end of 2024. Hatfield said, "Europe is in a recession. And so they think the ECB is going to be forced to cut first, which will deliver the U.S. Federal Reserve cover. So it's really more of a global focus."

Goldman Sachs Chief US Economist David Mericle predicts that recession odds have eased to 15%, but challenges still loom over the U.S. economy. "The soft landing has gone from on track to largely here," Mericle explained. "Rather than gliding into the mid-2s next year, which would have been a perfectly good outcome, it now looks like instead they are abruptly finding ourselves more or less at a 2% underlying pace."

AI (00:00:47)

Tech giants Nvidia (NVDA), Google (GOOG), and Microsoft (MSFT) helped to drive the AI hype in 2023. But did the AI frenzy steal all of the metaverse's thunder?

Wagner James Au, Author of Making a Metaverse That Matters, joins Yahoo Finance Live to weigh in on the metaverse’s outlook for 2024 and whether a comeback is possible. He said, "The metaverse ... has actually been growing in terms of monthly active users, upwards of 600 million active users, led by Roblox (RBLX) is the leading metaverse platform."

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Global Chair Richard Lesser discussed the use cases for AI that companies will seek to implement in the coming year. "I think companies are going to end up spending a lot more on AI in the year ahead," Lesser explained. "Companies are going to realize there's a lot of value to be created here."

Story continues

Ruben Roy, Stifel Applied Technology Analyst, broke down the semiconductor market outlook and the possibilities for semiconductor companies in 2024. "We think Nvidia is one of the first semiconductor companies that's cracked the code on becoming a software and services company," Roy said. "I think that's where investors should be looking. I think that's going to be the big theme when you look ahead to 2024."

Oil, energy, and gas (00:01:36)

2023 was a volatile year for oil prices (BZ=F, CL=F). Rebecca Babin, CIBC Private Wealth, U.S. Senior Energy Trader discussed some of the major catalysts for oil in 2024. Babin said, "So I think the key for 2024 is going to be what does U.S. supply do? Looking at 2024, the market looks very well balanced ... the key that people are looking at is can the U.S. continue to outperform."

Tesla (TSLA) has had quite a turbulent year in 2023. iSeeCars.com Executive Analyst Karl Brauer discussed the outlook for Tesla in 2024 amid the competition from major companies like Ford (F) and GM (GM). Brauer said, "Tesla shares ... they're down to about half the market. And of course they were the overwhelmingly dominant player just a few years ago. Every day, every month, every year they see more cars entering this marketplace, making them less dominant."

Looking ahead to 2024, Patrick De Haan, Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, discussed how geopolitical tensions and other factors may impact oil and gas prices. De Haan explained, "The national average is basically on par with where they were last year, but they could see a little bit more increase over the next few days into the holiday and into the close of the New Year."

State of the consumer (00:02:36)

Investors often look for recession proof investments during uncertain times, including food and beverage staples. Peter Saleh, BTIG Restaurants and Food Distributors Analyst, top picks for 2024 include McDonald's (MCD) and Domino's (DPZ). "2024 we're going to start the year with a lot of discounts. We're already seeing that, and in that type of environment McDonald's tends to take some share," Saleh said. "One of their top picks for 2024 is Domino's."

The Magnificent Seven didn't just dominate the markets this year, they also topped the list of the most trafficked ticker pages on Yahoo Finance. Tesla (TSLA), Nvidia (NVDA), Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT) topped the ranking. Yahoo Finance's Jared Blikre broke down the list. "Not surprisingly in a year that was all about the mega caps, the Mag Seven, they dominate the top ten most popular pages visited by you on the Yahoo Finance app and website," Blikre said. "And the winner by far is Tesla ... that was seen over 300 million times this year."

2024 election (00:03:21)

The 2024 election cycle is right around the corner and with that comes massive swaths of information about the candidates and the election itself. Yahoo Finance Tech Editor Dan Howley broke down the impact that generative AI can have on the election, specifically as it pertains to disinformation. Howley said, "The AI revolution has really supercharged a lot of companies ... but there also are some drawbacks, and those include the spread of disinformation and misinformation ... basically allowing them to manipulate the news."

LPL Financial Chief Equity Strategist Jeff Buchbinder discussed the historical impact of the presidential election on the stock market. Buchbinder explained, "If you look back at history, the economy is really the biggest driver of not just how elections turn out but how markets do. So if they continue to have surprises on the U.S. economy like we've had in 2023, then no doubt this market can do quite a bit better than that historical average."

Video highlights:

00:00:05 - Infrastructure Capital Advisors CEO Jay Hatfield

00:00:22 - Goldman Sachs Chief US Economist David Mericle

00:00:47 - Wagner James Au, Author of Making a Metaverse That Matters

00:01:06 - Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Global Chair Richard Lesser

00:01:20 - Ruben Roy, Stifel Applied Technology Analyst

00:01:36 - Rebecca Babin, CIBC Private Wealth, U.S. Senior Energy Trader

00:01:58 - iSeeCars.com Executive Analyst Karl Brauer

00:02:19 - Patrick De Haan, Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy

00:02:36 - Peter Saleh, BTIG Restaurants and Food Distributors Analyst

00:03:00 - Yahoo Finance's Jared Blikre

00:03:21 - Yahoo Finance's Daniel Howley

00:03:48 - LPL Financial Chief Equity Strategist Jeff Buchbinder

Be sure to watch all of Yahoo Finance's 2024 Investor Guide.