Month: October 2024

Five days a week in the office? Forget it!

October 10, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

A few weeks ago, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced that all corporate employees, including AWS staffers, will be expected to work in the office five days a week beginning in January. I don’t work for Amazon, but if I did, I’d quit. Period. End of statement.

I stopped working from offices decades ago, long before it was cool. I did it for two reasons. One, as I told my employer at the time, “If they really needed me in our New York City office, I could fly in the same day, but I doubted if they’d ever need me.” I was right. While I’ve been back to Manhattan many times for business, they’ve never needed me there. And, two, I’d be a lot more efficient working from my home office.

Guess what? I was, and I am.

Then along came COVID-19, and many other people found that they could be out of the office and get more and better work done from home.

Jassy in his letter, insisted, as is the wont of arrogant CEOs, that in-office work facilitates better teamwork, brainstorming, and innovation. Really? I found it only increased clique-building; allowed extroverts to claim credit for introverts, women, and minority groups’ work; and led to more middle-management yes-men.

When people work virtually, it’s the work that counts — not who they’re buddies with or whose rump they’re kissing.

Jassy thinks being physically present is crucial for learning, modeling, and reinforcing Amazon’s corporate culture. I hear that people in Amazon offices now Zoom from their cubicles instead of their homes. What a culture!

I also note The New York Times report that, according to an internal site for employees, Amazon will add 3,500 “phone booths” in offices to accommodate the additional in-house employees. Phone booths! Words fail me.

Jassy also thinks face-to-face interactions will make teaching and learning among colleagues more seamless. Millions of people who’ve learned their skills on YouTube would beg to disagree. Indeed, a 2018 Pew Research study found that 59% of Generation Z prefer to use YouTube to learn things.

Expanding on his rationale, Jassy said he wants Amazon to “operate like the world’s largest startup.” Please. Who does he think he’s fooling? It is one of the Magnificent Seven, with more than 1.5 million full- and part-time employees and revenue of not quite $148 billion in its last quarter.

Amazon can act no more like a start-up than it can a small business.

So, what is this really all about? People who should know say it’s not about reducing employee numbers, but at the highest levels, I wonder if that’s true.

For example, a survey by Blind revealed that about 73% of Amazon employees would consider finding another job because of the policy. Of course, they would. In the post-COVID era, many workers moved to new locations far away from AWS offices. There’s no way they’re going to move back to more expensive cities just to waste hours every day driving back and forth to work.

I’m also informed that, to paraphrase George Orwell, “all employees are equal, but some are more equal than others.” In other words, staffers with critical skills that aren’t easy to replace won’t be required to swipe their employee cards to keep their jobs.

I expect the top brass also won’t be expected to show up at the office at 9 a.m. every morning. Or, maybe they will. After all, if new Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol can report to the company’s Seattle headquarters three times a week using the corporate jet to fly to the office from his home in Newport Beach, CA, I’m sure Amazon’s lord high mucky-mucks can make it in as well.

AWS isn’t the only company that wants things to return to the good, old days when middle managers could justify their existence by watching who was spending too much time in the breakroom. A recent KPMG CEO survey found that almost 80% of CEOs believe their hybrid employees will be back in the office full-time by 2027. And at least, 86%, however, claim they’ll “reward” employees who come back to the office with promotions and raises.

I’ll believe that when I see it.

If I sound angry, it’s because I am. I believe in treating employees well. Study after study shows that people are happier and produce better work when they can choose where to work. Sure, some people do better working from the office — good for them. Trying to shove employees into cookie-cutter cubicles, though, is just bad business whether you’re a megacorp or a mom-and-pop business.

Here’s what’s new in Office 2024

October 10, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Microsoft has just released Office 2024, the new non-subscription version of its office suite. It’s available in three editions: Office Home 2024 for consumers, Office Home & Business 2024 for consumers and small businesses, and Office LTSC 2024 for midsize and large businesses. This is the first update to the non-subscription version of the office suite since Office 2021. Before we get into the new features, let’s look at how Microsoft has differentiated its subscription and non-subscription versions of Office.

For years, Microsoft has been pushing the subscription version of its office suite — known as Microsoft 365 — over the non-subscription Office version, which it calls the “perpetual” version of Office. Microsoft 365 subscribers pay ongoing fees to use the software, while buyers of the perpetual version pay a one-time fee and own it forever.

When Office 2016 was first released in late 2015, the perpetual version and the subscription version (at that time called Office 365) had the same features. But the two soon diverged: Microsoft began rolling out new features to Office 365 that the perpetual Office 2016 version didn’t get. When Office 2019 was released three years later, it included some, but by no means all, of the features that Office 365 had at that time. The same holds for when Office 2021 was released two years after that.

Things are no different with Office 2024. The new perpetual release gets a handful of relatively minor features that were already present in Microsoft 365, with many other features left out. And like Office 2016, 2019, and 2021, Office 2024 will receive no new features in the future, though it will receive security updates.

Here’s what’s new in this version, and what it will cost you.

Multiple new Excel features

Excel 2024 gets several new features. None of them are even close to game-changers, but all are useful to one degree or another. Using Dynamic Arrays, you can now have charts automatically update themselves to use all newly added data when an array recalculates.

dynamic arrays in excel 2024 — With Dynamic Arrays in Excel, charts are automatically updated to include all data instead of being tied to a set number of data points.

Microsoft

Excel also gets 14 new text and array functions to make it easier to extract and split text strings and combine, reshape, resize, and select arrays. A new IMAGE function lets you use web-based images in Excel as well as traditional copy and paste. You can move, resize, sort, and filter within an Excel table without the image moving.

Microsoft also says that it has improved the speed and stability of Excel workbooks and reduced delays and hang-ups when multiple workbooks with independent calculations are open at the same time.

PowerPoint additions

PowerPoint 2024 also gets a handful of moderately useful features. You can now video-record your entire presentation or a single slide, including your voice, ink gestures, and your presence, and export it as a video file to share with others. You can also add closed captions for video and audio as well as add Microsoft Stream (on SharePoint) videos to your presentation.

Finally, you can now use Microsoft’s Cameo feature to insert your live camera feed directly on a PowerPoint slide, and apply the same effects to your camera feed as you can to other objects in PowerPoint, such as formatting, transitions, and styles.

office 2024 - camera format ribbon in powerpoint — Formatting options for the camera feed in PowerPoint.

Microsoft

Two new Outlook features

Outlook 2024 gets a couple of useful new features, including new search capabilities for looking through messages, attachments, contacts, and calendar entries. A new meeting setup option lets you configure Outlook so that when you create meetings, it automatically sets them to start a few minutes early or late depending on their length; this ensures that you’ll have breaks between meetings.

New default Office theme

Office 2024 gets a new theme that uses Windows 11’s Fluent Design principles, but also works on Windows 10. Microsoft claims the new design (shown at the top of the page) “has a more natural and consistent experience within and between your Office apps.” You’ll have to be the judge of that yourself.

Three small tweaks worth knowing about

There are also a variety of even smaller changes. Here are the most important:

This version includes support for the OpenDocument format (ODF) 1.4.
You can now give a Like reaction to a comment in a document.
If Word crashes, Word will automatically open all the documents you had open before the crash so you can continue where you left off.

Additional changes for Office LTSC 2024

In addition to the above changes, Office LTSC 2024 for commercial customers gets a few additional features, including new accessibility tools using the Accessibility Ribbon. It also now lets you use an Android device to insert pictures directly into your content. Inking and drawing get a few improvements in OneNote for Windows. In addition, ActiveX controls are disabled by default, although IT administrators can enable them when necessary.

Not all LTSC 2024 changes will be welcomed. Microsoft Publisher is no longer included in the suite, and Teams will have to be downloaded separately. The Publish to Power BI feature is removed from Excel.

For more details about Office LTSC 2024 changes, see Microsoft’s Overview of Office LTSC 2024 documentation.

Office 2024 pricing and support

Prices for the newest version consumer and small business versions of Office remain the same as for Office 2021. Office Home 2024, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, costs $150. Office Home and Business 2024, which includes all that plus Outlook, costs $250 and includes rights to use the apps for business. Each can be used by only a single person. You’ll need a Microsoft account to use them.

Office LTSC 2024 for enterprises (available in Professional Plus and Standard editions) is available only through volume licensing. Both versions include Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. The Plus version also includes Access. Skype for Business is available as an optional install during setup.

Office Home 2024, Office Home and Business 2024, and Office LTSC 2024 will receive five years of support, the same as the 2021 versions. That amount of time is down from 10 years for Office 2016 and seven years for Office 2019 — yet another method Microsoft is employing to nudge both individuals and businesses toward its subscription offerings.

Meta expands AI assistant to more countries and languages amid intensifying AI battle

October 10, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Meta announced plans to roll out its AI-powered chatbot, Meta AI, in 21 new markets, intensifying its competition with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

The company, which now has nearly 500 million monthly active users, will launch Meta AI this week in the UK, Brazil, and several countries across Latin America and Asia.

“It’s coming soon to the Middle East for the first time, too,” the company said in a statement. “We’re adding support today for Tagalog and for more languages in the coming weeks, including Arabic, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese.”

With this phased expansion, Meta expects Meta AI to reach 43 countries and support over a dozen languages, aiming to become the world’s most widely used generative AI assistant by the end of 2024.

The company also announced the rollout of Meta AI on Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the UK and Australia, enabling more smart glasses users to interact with Meta AI hands-free and on the go.

Implications for competition

AI is redefining how businesses and the public interact with technology, as tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Co-pilot become more enterprise-focused, while Google’s Gemini, embedded in Android, extends its reach as a default feature.

“Now, with Meta AI expanding into various regions, I think we are going to see another interesting proposition for public AI,” said Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst at Techarc. “Especially since some of their apps, like WhatsApp and Instagram, are extremely popular — WhatsApp being the default chat app for billions worldwide.”

The critical factor, however, will be the frequency of user interactions with Meta AI each day. In the initial stages, Meta could benefit from billions of potential queries to further refine its AI, enhancing the platform’s overall appeal.

“While it might be used at scale, whether it will replace Google’s Gemini, which is also on billions of devices, or compete with OpenAI and other assistants remains to be seen,” said Neil Shah, partner and co-founder at Counterpoint Research. “Meta needs to make Meta AI more useful, integrated, and accurate to ensure users don’t leave its platforms for external searches or other tasks.”

Language and expansion challenges

Notably, Meta has not included Europe in its expansion plans, likely due to the region’s stringent regulatory challenges — a hurdle other AI companies have also encountered.

However, even with its current expansion, Meta may encounter challenges, as many languages beyond English are largely untested, according to Pareekh Jain, CEO of Pareekh Consulting.

“Different languages present unique issues, but there’s also a big opportunity to capture new markets,” Jain said. “English is more or less stable now, with a clearer understanding of the issues, but for other languages, we have less data to train on. But Meta already has a strong presence in various languages through platforms like WhatsApp, so they’re well-placed to leverage that.”

This also raises concerns about user data privacy, as the success of Meta AI will hinge on its ability to personalize and localize the model for individual users — a process that necessitates data collection. “If this is the direction Meta is heading, the key concerns for regulators will be how Meta uses user data to train the AI and the implications for user privacy and overall transparency,” Shah added.

Planned Adobe app to put an end to AI training on images and clips

October 9, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Adobe has unveiled plans for a new web app called Content Authenticity, which is part of the Content Credentials platform and will be used to ensure that AI models are not trained on content creators’ images, video, or audio clips without their permission.

The app can be used with all images and clips, not just those created with Adobe’s software, according to The V e rge.

A public beta version of Content Authenticity will be released in the first quarter of 2025, the company said. All that is required is a free Adobe account, meaning users don’t need a paid subscription to use the web app.

Planned Adobe app to put an end to AI training on images and clips

October 9, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

The app can be used with all images and clips, not just those created with Adobe’s software, according to The V e rge.

Big shift in IT employment shows new skills are needed

October 9, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Multiple research firms reported that the unemployment rate for IT workers dropped precipitously last month — in one instance, by nearly 37% — a decline that marked a serious shift from months of incremental increases mixed with plateaus in unemployment.

Tech industry watchers say the dramatic uptick in hiring is the result of several factors, including a strengthening economy, AI-related talent needs, and increased hiring by small-to-midsized companies.

Smaller organizations have also been scooping up talent left in the wake of more than two-years’ worth of layoffs by mega corporations. Last month, the number of unemployed IT professionals in the US dropped from 148,000 to 98,000, according to IT industry consultancy Janco Associates. Janco derived its findings from a US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report released last week.

More than 78,000 IT pros were hired in September, cutting into the backlog of unemployed. “IT Pros who were unemployed last month found jobs more quickly than was anticipated, as CIOs rushed to fill open positions,” said Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis. “Our analysis predicts the same will be the case for the next several months.”

Janco pegged the September unemployment rate for IT workers at 3.8%, down from 6% in August. IT unemployment is now below the overall national unemployment rate of 4.1%, according to Janco.

Over the year, Janco has reported IT unemployment rates that were far higher than other organizations’ figures. For example, non-profit IT association CompTIA said tech unemployment dropped from 3.4% in August to 2.5% in September; that still represents a 26.5% drop.

Janco’s numbers are calculated differently from CompTIA’s and the firm’s report showed the overall unemployment rate for IT pros grew from 5.6% in July to 6% in August. (High unemployment is defined by the BLS as being 5.5% or greater.)

Janco Associates

Janco’s figures, in fact, showed IT unemployment had surpassed the national unemployment rates for seven of the last eight months. But in September, that shifted dramatically.

“There are now approximately 4.18 million jobs for IT professionals in the US,” said Janulaitis. “Layoffs at big tech companies continued to hurt overall IT hiring. Large high-tech firms continue to lay off to have better bottom lines. Included in that group of companies that have recently announced new layoffs are Intel, Microsoft, and Google.”

Janco’s current forecast is for the IT job market to grow slightly, between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs the remainder of 2024. That, however, will not be enough to absorb all unemployed IT pros looking for work.

AI part of the hiring boom?

Martha Heller, CEO of Heller Search, a tech executive headhunter firm, said a significant portion of the $600 billion that has already been invested in AI technologies by organizations is going to talent — and not just AI talent. “To get ROI from AI, most companies need to hire more data engineers, cybersecurity leaders, and developers in addition to modelers and prompt engineers,” Heller said.

Through 2027, generative AI (GenAI) will spawn new roles in software engineering and operations, requiring 80% of the engineering workforce to upskill, according to research firm Gartner. A Gartner survey of software engineering leaders found that 56% rated AI and machine learning engineer as the most in-demand role for 2024.

While AI will make engineering more efficient, organizations will need even more skilled software engineers to meet the rapidly increasing demand for AI-empowered software. “Bold claims on the ability of AI have led to speculation that AI could reduce demand for human engineers or even supplant them entirely,” said Philip Walsh, a Gartner senior principal analyst. “While AI will transform the future role of software engineers, human expertise and creativity will always be essential to delivering complex, innovative software.”

IT workers are paying attention to the need to bolster their skills. A survey by genAI tech company Amdocs showed half of Gen Z respondents would consider looking for a new job if their company did not train them on the technology. That compared to 37% of Gen X and 27% of Baby Boomers who said the same thing.

“Many of the larger firms continue to be focused on improvements in productivity and replacing lower-level skills with AI applications,” Janulaitis said, noting that AI continues to slow the growth of entry-level IT positions, especially in customer service, internal reporting, telecommunications, and hosting automation.

C-level executives continue to focus on eliminating “non-essential” managers, staff, and services, he said. “Experienced coders and developers have limited opportunities with legacy applications. The highest demand continues to be for AI, security professionals, new technology programmers, and Internet processing IT pros.”

A closer look at BLS data for tech hires showed companies are pulling back on hiring AI pros and are instead seeking data researchers who can help businesses make better decisions — whether to advance AI deployments or broader business strategy.

Job openings for tech support specialists and database administrators were up 14%, the largest percent change for the month.

After nine consecutive months of growth, the total number of job postings for AI and machine learning engineers declined by 3.7% in September. And new job postings declined by 13.7% during the same period, according to Ger Doyle, head of Experis North America, a ManpowerGroup tech recruiting subsidiary.

“This is mainly due to shifting demands. While there is less demand for software developers, there is increasing demand for roles such as solutions architects and data scientists to build robust data foundations,” Doyle said.

Big shift in IT employment shows new skills are needed

October 9, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Janco pegged the September unemployment rate for IT workers at 3.8%, down from 6% in August. IT unemployment is now below the overall national unemployment rate of 4.1%, according to Janco.

Janco Associates

Janco’s figures, in fact, showed IT unemployment had surpassed the national unemployment rates for seven of the last eight months. But in September, that shifted dramatically.

AI part of the hiring boom?

Job openings for tech support specialists and database administrators were up 14%, the largest percent change for the month.

How to use your iPhone to get help by satellite

October 9, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Apple’s decision to put satellite connections in iPhones is already saving lives, and as Hurricane Milton threatens Florida, now is the time for every US iPhone user to learn how the system works and why they should upgrade to iOS 18.

Apple runs four satellite communications services available to US users running compatible iPhones. To access them, you should upgrade to iOS 18 if you haven’t done so already, and in emergency situations you should always use Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite service first.

What can iPhones do via satellite?

Apple offers four satellite services that might be of use when cell networks or Wi-Fi aren’t available. (Many people in several US states experienced just this in the wake of Hurricane Helene; the same is likely to happen in Florida after Milton blows through.) To use the services, you must be running an iPhone 14 series or later device, be off the grid, and be in a country in which the service is supported.

Apple’s existing satellite services include:

Emergency SOS via satellite: Contact emergency services and let them know you need help.
Messages via satellite: Send messages to friends of family to seek support. This requires iOS 18 on your device and that the person you are contacting is also using an iPhone 14 or later with iOS 18 installed.
Send Location via satellite: Tell emergency services and others where you are.
Roadside Assistance via satellite: Use this to contact a roadside assistance provider.

Some services are only available in the US and Canada. Apple’s satellite connectivity partner, Globalstar, is building out its coverage and these and other future services are expected to be made available elsewhere in the future.

Apple

Update your iPhone now

Apple’s satellite services are already saving lives, but you do need to prep before you need to use them by updating your device. It is also important to reiterate: Messages via satellite can only be received by an iPhone running iOS 18.

Older devices get SMS messages, and in order to reply to SMS messages via satellite, your contact needs to have iOS 17.6 or later. That is why anyone who might know someone potentially exposed to an emergency should update their iPhone to iOS 18 immediately.

Because your contact must be using a compatible iPhone running the latest operating system, when you are in trouble you should always use Emergency SOS via satellite rather than Messages via satellite. Emergency SOS messages will get through to first responders, and contacts running iOS 16.1 or later will get a transcript of the message you send.

Apple

What to do before crisis hits

Here are some steps you should take before a crisis:

Turn on iMessage: You should ensure iMessage works on your device before you lose cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. To do so go to Settings> Apps > Messages and ensure iMessage is set to on.

Turn on Location Sharing: You can share your location via satellite, but you must first turn on Share My Location in the Find My app.

Set up emergency contacts and Family Sharing: It is really important to set up emergency contacts and Family Sharing. This is because if you go off grid, people you have defined as emergency contacts and members of your Family Sharing group can message you via SMS without you messaging them first. Your emergency contact(s) will also be automatically shared with emergency services if you use Emergency SOS via satellite.

You can set up emergency contacts in the Health app. Open that app, tap the Summary tab, then tap the profile image at the top right, then follow these steps:

Tap Medical ID.
Tap Edit next to Emergency Contacts.
If you have already set these up, review them now, confirm their data is correct, or add to them.
Tap the plus button beside “Add to Emergency Contact” to add someone.
You can select a contact from your contact book.
You will then be asked to add their relationship to you – brother, friend, etc.
You can delete unwanted contacts by tapping the Delete button next to their name.
Tap Done.

You now know that your most important people will be informed if you are in an emergency.

Apple

How to test Apple’s satellite services

If you think you might need to use these services, you can test them before crisis hits thanks to Apple’s built-in Satellite Connection Demo.

To get a satellite connection, it is important to understand that because satellites move swiftly relative to where you are, it is important to use the best connection you can obtain. Ideally, the sky and horizon will be clear. You might be unable to connect to a satellite if you are under heavy foliage or in a dense urban environment (and the service does not work at all when underground).

To test the service, open Settings > Apps > Messages, then tap Satellite Connection Demo. This will guide you through the steps you must take to access these services.

You can also test the system from within the Emergency SOS or Messages apps. To try the first, open Settings > Emergency SOS; otherwise, open Settings > Apps > Messages and tap Satellite Connection Demo. It is a good idea to run the test so you develop a better understanding of how the system works before you actually have an emergency.

Apple

How to use Emergency SOS via Satellite

The first thing you should do if you need help is to try to dial or text 911. Your iPhone will automatically try to connect you via satellite if you lack mobile and/or Wi-Fi coverage, and you will be offered the chance to Emergency Text via Satellite. Now, follow these steps:

Select Emergency Text via Satellite.
A dialog box appears listing several emergency situations, such as being lost, trapped, or in a fire.
Tap the relevant box and you will be asked additional questions, including an opportunity to describe your emergency, where you are, what terrain you are in.
Based on these responses, a text will be created that includes your answers, your present location, battery level and Medical ID.
Once you have answered all the questions, the iPhone will attempt to connect to Satellite to send the request for aid.
On-screen instructions will guide you to the most optimal direction to reach a satellite.
Sending the message will take much longer than usual, so be patient. At best, Apple warns of a 15-second delay before a message is sent, but in practice this could take longer.
The message will also be shared with your Emergency Contacts.

The system can also handle follow-up messages, such as if first responders want to give you an ETA for help or just stay in contact during the emergency.

Apple

How to use Messages via satellite:

If you have a compatible device, Messages via Satellite is relatively easy to use, but what it does is limited by the need for whomever you are attempting to contact to be running a compatible device. Unless you already know which device they use, you cannot be certain your message will get through. That is why you should always use Emergency SOS first.

To use Messages via Satellite, open Messages and if your cellular or Wi-Fi connections are offline, you should see a Use Messages Via Satellite prompt; tap that option.

You will be guided through the process to get the best available satellite connection.
Once connected, a green dot and a satellite icon will appear.
If the dot is orange, it shows that you have a weak connection and should move in the direction indicated on screen to find a stronger link.
Once you have a good connection, you can type your message and press send. It can take some time — sometimes several minutes — for the message to send.

Anyone receiving a message will be told that you are messaging via satellite.

How to share your location via Satellite

Assuming you have enabled the Share My Location feature in the Find My app on your device, you will be able to share where you are via satellite:

Open the Find My app.
Tap to open the Me section.
Tap Send My Location and follow the instructions to get a good satellite connection. You can then send your location every 15-minutes.

How to use Roadside Assistance via satellite:

There are three ways to call for help with your vehicle.

Connection Assistant: Open Control Center, tap the Mobile Data button, and then tap Satellite. Alternatively, you can open Settings> Satellite. You will be guided to obtain a good connection and given the chance to choose Roadside Assistance and tell the provider what help is required.

Messages: Open a new Message and in the address field tap “Roadside.” If you have no mobile or Wi-Fi coverage, you’ll get a prompt to request the service. Tap this and follow the on-screen instructions to get help.

Call 911: If you try to call 911 while off the grid, your call won’t connect — but you will be given the option to get help via satellite. Once you request this, you’ll be asked which service you need, (select Roadside Asistance) and guided through the process of finding the best satellite connection.

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Microsoft brings Copilot AI tools to OneDrive

October 9, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Microsoft’s Copilot is now available in OneDrive, part of a wider revamp of the company’s cloud storage platform.

Microsoft highlighted several ways to use the generative AI (genAI) assistant in OneDrive in a blog post Tuesday. Copilot can now summarize one or more files in OneDrive without needing to open them first; compare the content of selected files across different formats (including Word, PowerPoint, and PDFs); and respond to questions about the contents of files via the chat interface.

These features are available now to commercial OneDrive customers (access to Microsoft 365 Copilot requires an additional monthly fee). Coming next year is a meeting recap feature, which provides an overview of meeting discussions directly from OneDrive, as well as the ability to convert files such as Word documents into PowerPoint presentations.

Microsoft will also bring its Copilot Agents to OneDrive, enabling users to create bespoke chatbots based on documents stored in the application.

“Imagine you’re organizing a conference, and you need to repeatedly provide the same information to various stakeholders,” said Jason Moore, vice president of product for OneDrive. “With a Copilot Agent, you can automate this process by directing it to respond to common requests, like Show me the event agenda’ or ‘Summarize the latest budget figures.’”

These custom Copilot agents can then be shared with colleagues across OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams.

Microsoft also highlighted several other OneDrive improvements. These include a faster and more responsive web OneDrive web experience when browsing files, as well updated search functions with new filter controls and more detailed results. The search changes are slated to launch by the end of the year.

Colored folders to personalize and organize files are now available, and beginning in mid-2025, an update to the OneDrive document libraries will improve “overall performance and reliability, making it easier and faster to navigate, switch to and create custom views, and filter large data sets,” said Moore.

In addition to making it easier for users to find information across their organization, Microsoft also wants to simplify the process of keeping sensitive files secure in both OneDrive and SharePoint.

One such feature is the “AI-driven site policy comparison report.” This scans an organization’s OneDrive or SharePoint sites, compares them against a site that has the correct user access policies applied, and suggests changes to address content oversharing.

In addition, a new Restricted Content Discoverability policy can be applied to omit certain libraries from Copilot-generated search results.

Both of these admin tools will be available in public preview later this year, according to Microsoft.

Atlassian’s genAI assistant Rovo is now available

October 9, 2024 / Security – Computerworld

Atlassian’s Rovo generative AI (genAI) assistant, which launched as a preview release in May, is now available for users.

The company bills Rovo as an “AI-powered” knowledge discovery tool that lets teams access information across their organization more efficiently. Thousands of Atlassian customers and partners have been testing Rovo in a closed beta for the past five months or so, the company said in a blog post Wednesday; early user feedback indicated it has helped save one to two hours each week.

Pricing for Rovo access starts at $24 per user each month when billed monthly.

There are three main elements to the genAI tool: Search, Chat, and Agents.

The search tool, based on an organization’s “teamwork graph,” helps users surface information from sources such as documents in Atlassian apps like Jira and Confluence. Rovo Search also can be connected to third-party apps such as Slack, Google Drive and Microsoft SharePoint.

Rovo Chat lets users ask questions about information held in these files via a natural language interface. This is available via a side panel in Atlassian apps, as well as via a browser extension.

Finally, there are genAI agents that function as virtual “teammates.”

The agents can be designed to generate and review marketing content, for instance, collate feedback from various sources, or streamline processes such as clearing up Jira backlogs and organizing Confluence pages. Users can also create their own Rovo Agents using a no-code text interface or Atlassian’s Forge app development platform. More than 20 pre-built agents are already available.

Atlassian also unveiled new developer-focused AI Agents that help perform a variety of tasks beyond writing code. These can generate code plans and recommendations, and pull requests in Jira based on task descriptions, requirements, and context across the organization.

Other features include the ability to “fast track” pull request reviews, with automatic code analysis and recommendations for improvements.

The AI Agents for developers are currently in preview via an early access program.