IT Brief New Zealand - Technology news for CIOs & IT decision-makers

Microsoft stories - Page 13

Founded in Albuquerque in April 1975 by the famous duo of founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft is today one of the biggest global IT companies. More than five decades after its inception, the company is now the world's third most valuable enterprise by market cap.

Computer software, personal computers and consumer electronics are the core business of Microsoft, but the company is also focused on cloud computing services and video games as well.
Stolen sso cloud identities over corporate office at night view

Infostealers increasingly target enterprise SSO access

Wed, 4th Feb 2026
#
saas
#
digital transformation
#
hyperscale
Infostealer attacks are increasingly compromising enterprise SSO, with Flare warning 16% of late-2025 infections exposed identity access.
Ac mg 2001 1637 hi(2)

Avanade names Chris Howarth CEO as Caserta joins Microsoft

Wed, 4th Feb 2026
#
data analytics
#
digital transformation
#
partner programmes
Avanade has appointed Chris Howarth as CEO, succeeding Rodrigo Caserta, who departs after 11 years to lead SME and channel for Microsoft.
Geoff thomas

Infor appoints Geoff Thomas to lead APJ growth drive

Wed, 4th Feb 2026
#
saas
#
data analytics
#
digital transformation
Infor taps former Qlik leader Geoff Thomas to spearhead Asia Pacific and Japan expansion, revamping regional leadership to fuel cloud growth.
Industrial control room hybrid cloud ot security critical infra

Dragos deepens Microsoft tie-up to secure OT on Azure

Wed, 4th Feb 2026
#
manufacturing
#
hybrid cloud
#
siem
Dragos expands its Microsoft partnership to run OT security on Azure, integrate with Sentinel and offer SaaS from Q1 2026.
Cloud postgres data governance pipelines sharing backup ai ready

Snowflake unveils Postgres to make enterprise data AI-ready

Wed, 4th Feb 2026
#
virtualisation
#
dr
#
hybrid cloud
Snowflake launches Postgres and new governance, sharing and backup tools to keep enterprise data ready for production AI workloads.
Cinematic laptop warning faces hacker hands cloud data streams

Panera breach exposes 14m in wave of SaaS extortion attacks

Tue, 3rd Feb 2026
#
crm
#
data protection
#
ransomware
Panera data breach exposes details of 14 million customers, spotlighting a surge in SaaS-focused extortion and identity-driven cyber attacks.
Ally bricked 00

Windows security breaks ROG Xbox Ally handheld game consoles

Sat, 31st Jan 2026
#
gaming
#
digital entertainment
#
cybersecurity
Windows 11 security is blocking key software on Asus ROG Xbox Ally consoles, leaving pricey handhelds struggling to launch games properly.
Glowing cloud shield over office skyline enterprise security growth

Intruder posts 81% enterprise ARR surge on AI, cloud push

Sat, 31st Jan 2026
#
hybrid cloud
#
hyperscale
#
cloud security
London-based Intruder posts 81% surge in enterprise ARR as AI, cloud security and consolidation drive midmarket and enterprise demand.
Forwardai

Forward Networks unveils AI twin for safer operations

Sat, 31st Jan 2026
#
firewalls
#
network infrastructure
#
hybrid cloud
Forward Networks debuts Forward AI, a digital twin-powered agentic assistant promising safer, verifiable automation for network operations.
Modern us ops center ai cloud monitoring multicloud wall screens

Dynatrace unveils agentic AI push with new platform tools

Fri, 30th Jan 2026
#
devops
#
hybrid cloud
#
digital transformation
Dynatrace launches Intelligence platform with agentic AI, deeper cloud hooks and next-gen RUM to tackle escalating data and ops complexity.
Steve tack

Dynatrace boosts RUM & DevX for AI‑driven observability

Fri, 30th Jan 2026
#
devops
#
cx
#
martech
Dynatrace unifies real user monitoring, AI tracing and developer tools on one platform to streamline cloud-native, AI-assisted software delivery.
Financial crime analyst dashboard aml automation audit ready

ThetaRay unveils Ray AI suite for AML investigations

Fri, 30th Jan 2026
#
data analytics
#
fintech
#
cloud security
ThetaRay launches Ray AI suite to automate AML investigations, promising audit-ready case files and up to 70% less manual work.
Sleek legal tech workspace laptop contract interface modern law firm

Litera unveils hybrid AI upgrade for Kira contract tool

Fri, 30th Jan 2026
#
saas
#
digital transformation
#
physical security
Litera launches a hybrid AI upgrade for its Kira contract tool, promising 90%+ accuracy and new generative features planned for 2026.
Athletic shoe hq night storm cyber attack data breach scene

Nike probes suspected cyber attack after data leak claim

Thu, 29th Jan 2026
#
data protection
#
dr
#
ransomware
Nike is investigating a suspected cyber attack after hackers claimed access to terabytes of internal data, raising global security concerns.
Cinematic cloud operations control room self healing infrastructure

Dynatrace unveils agentic AI system for autonomous ops

Thu, 29th Jan 2026
#
devops
#
hybrid cloud
#
digital transformation
Dynatrace launches an agentic AI operations layer to automate cloud and AI-native workloads, aiming for self-healing, autonomous observability.
Software team ai coding agents collaboration hub colorful monitors

GitHub Copilot surges as Agent HQ targets AI ecosystem

Thu, 29th Jan 2026
#
uc
#
devops
#
data analytics
GitHub Copilot tops 4.7m paid users as GitHub pitches Agent HQ as the central hub for multi-vendor coding agents across its platform.
Enterprise cloud soc shielding hidden ai nonhuman traffic

Zscaler unveils AI Security Suite to close visibility gap

Thu, 29th Jan 2026
#
saas
#
firewalls
#
digital transformation
Zscaler launches an AI Security Suite to tackle soaring enterprise AI risks, promising visibility into shadow AI and non-human traffic.
Simon ractliffe pic

Rapid7 names Simon Ractliffe to lead APJ security push

Thu, 29th Jan 2026
#
cloud security
#
advanced persistent threat protection
#
socs
Rapid7 appoints veteran cyber leader Simon Ractliffe as APJ general manager to drive regional growth and deepen Microsoft-focused security.
Ai cloud over modern bank tower legacy data center layers data streams

Big banks back AI while keeping core software in place

Wed, 28th Jan 2026
#
saas
#
crm
#
digital transformation
Big banks and AI leaders signal they will layer new AI tools on top of, not instead of, core enterprise software systems.
Wildtech

Wild Tech strengthens APAC growth with new C suite

Wed, 28th Jan 2026
#
crm
#
digital transformation
#
cx
Wild Tech bolsters APAC expansion, appointing three new C-suite leaders to drive AI-led solutions, operations and revenue growth.