Things just got interesting in the Windows Insider program. Microsoft just released two new Windows 11 builds to Beta channel Windows Insiders, splitting the channel up into two categories. For you longtime Insiders, this is similar to what Microsoft did in 2019 with the slow ring. Here's what it means for you.

So, there are two new builds here. One is build 22621.290 and the other is build 22622.290. Those who are getting build 22622.xxx updates will have new features getting rolled out or turned on via an enablement packages. Those who are on build 22621.xxx are the ones that will have new features turned off by default.

Do note, though that majority of Insiders in the Beta Channel will automatically get build 22622.xxx. Insiders who land in the group with new features turned off by default with build 22621.xxx can still check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out. Microsoft's explanation is below.

This approach will help us validate our ability to release updates with features turned off by default. It will also allow us to have greater insight into the impact of enabling new features. By comparing feedback and usage data between Insiders in these two groups, we will get to see if a feature is causing issues with reliability, for example.

Based on this insight, it will help us make decisions on whether to make new features available for more Insiders by increasing their rollout or, in some cases, disable a feature to address bugs. The goal is to use the comparison data to ensure the best possible experience as we try out new features and experience with Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel.

This approach is being used for the Beta Channel only and is not indicative of any changes or plans for final feature rollouts. The enablement package artificially increments the build number for the update with new features getting rolled out and turned on to make it easier to differentiate from devices with the update with features off by default . As a reminder, features we try out with Windows Insiders will ship when they are ready and not every feature that we try out in the Beta Channel will ship to general customers.

This might be confusing, and you might end up losing some features with these builds. If that's the case, install the enablement package and they should return shortly.

All that said, build 22622.290 brings suggested actions for phone numbers and dates, as well as OneDrive storage alert and subscription management in Settings. Fixes in this build are below.

• Middle clicking a folder in the body of File Explorer will now open it in a new tab.
• The row of tabs should now be included in the keyboard focus cycle when pressing Tab or F6. Once focus is in the tab row, you can use left or right arrow keys to navigate through them.
• Fixed an issue where the tab order when using CTRL + Tab would be wrong if you’d rearranged the tabs in File Explorer.
• Made some adjustments for when “Display the full path in title bar” is enabled, to ensure that the folder name is always visible.
• Fixed a scaling issue which could result in the tabs being unexpectedly large.
• Right clicking a tab and then clicking somewhere else in File Explorer should dismiss the context menu more reliably now.

Both Build 22621.290 & Build 22622.290 gets these fixes

• New! We added Server Message Block (SMB) redirector (RDR) specific public File System Control (FSCTL) code FSCTL_LMR_QUERY_INFO.
• New! We added support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 in Windows client and server Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) implementations.
  We updated the Remove-Item cmdlet to properly interact with Microsoft OneDrive folders
• We enabled the InternetExplorerModeEnableSavePageAs Group Policy. For more information, see Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation.
• We fixed an issue that causes the Take Photo button to disappear when you use a common file dialog to open the camera.
• We fixed an issue that prevents devices from receiving an offer from Windows Update for the same extension driver when that extension driver is already installed without the base driver.
• We fixed an issue that causes install from media (IFM) creation for Active Directory to fail with the error, “2101 JET_errCallbackFailed”.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when the Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (LDS) resets the password for userProxy objects. The password reset fails with an error such as, “00000005: SvcErr: DSID-03380C23, problem 5003 (WILL_NOT_PERFORM), data 0”.
• We enabled the InternetExplorerModeEnableSavePageAs Group Policy. For more information, see Microsoft Edge Browser Policy Documentation.
• We fixed an issue that occurs when the Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS) resets the password for userProxy objects. When you try to reset someone else’s password and you are authenticated using a simple bind, the password reset fails. The error is like, “00000005: SvcErr: DSID-03380C23, problem 5003 (WILL_NOT_PERFORM), data 0”.
• We fixed an issue that prevents Microsoft Edge from being available in Windows Sandbox.

There's a single major known issue. Microsoft is working on a fix for an issue resulting in a small number of Insiders in the Beta Channel experiencing cyclical crashes in Windows UI components (like explorer.exe), making it appear that the screen is flashing. If you are impacted, run the following command from an elevated PowerShell window.

Add-AppxPackage -Register -Path C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.UI.Xaml.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AppxManifest.xml -DisableDevelopmentMode -ForceApplicationShutdown

Phew! Happy downloading, Windows Insiders!

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Microsoft is revamping its Windows Insider program for previewing new features before rolling them out to the stable channel. In a accurate blog post, the company explained that it is splitting the Beta Channel of the program into two groups. Read on to know what’s changing for Windows Insiders.

According to Microsoft, Windows Insiders in the Beta channel will be classified into two groups. One group will receive Build 22622.xxx updates with new features rolled out or enabled via an enablement package. On the other hand, a second group will receive Build 22621.xxx updates with new features disabled by default.

Microsoft says it is taking this approach to validate its ability to release updates with features turned off by default. The company also aims to analyze the impact of turning on new features through this method based on feedback and usage data between the Windows Insiders in these groups.

And for those wondering if there’s a way to choose the group you want to be in, that is of course a possibility. “We realize that Insiders in the Beta Channel will want to choose which update they get. Insiders who land in the group with new features turned off by default (Build 22621.xxxx) can check for updates and choose to install the update that will have features rolling out (Build 22622.xxx),” wrote Microsoft in its blog post.

Furthermore, Microsoft mentions that most Windows Insiders will automatically get Build 22622.xxx update. However, you won’t immediately get access to all new features. Speaking of new builds, the company is rolling out Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.290 and Build 22622.290 to the Beta Channel.

The update brings Suggested Actions and OneDrive storage alert & subscription management in Settings. It also comes with a bunch of bug fixes to File Explorer alongside other miscellaneous fixes. You can check the complete changelog from Microsoft’s blog post right here.

Microsoft took a major step in favor of organizing workers June 13, when it announced it would enter an agreement pledging a “neutral approach” toward employees who are interested in unionizing at Activision Blizzard King (ABK), the video game company Microsoft is acquiring for $69 billion.

The so-called “labor neutrality agreement” reached with the Communication Workers of America would take effect 60 days after Microsoft’s purchase closes, and could make it easier for Activision employees to join unions. The agreement comes less than a month after 22 quality assurance workers at Raven Software, an Activision Blizzard subsidiary, voted to unionize. Activision counts nearly 7,000 employees, most of whom are eligible to join a union.

Microsoft’s apparent willingness to work with unions marks a sharp contrast with competitors that have been fighting union drives. Only about 6% of U.S. private-sector workers were part of unions last year, but labor movements in the technology sector are starting to take hold, with efforts underway at Apple, Amazon, and Google’s parent company Alphabet.

“Microsoft is seeing the writing on the wall,” said Andrew Hedden, associate director of the Center for Labor Studies at the University of Washington. Realizing that they’re not in a position to stop organized labor at Activision, this move “allows them to get ahead of it, and gives them more control over the process.”

How Microsoft’s agreement would work

Earlier this month Microsoft adopted new principles for employee organizing. In a June 2 blog post the company’s president Brad Smith wrote that Microsoft respects employees’ legal right to join a union, and will pursue approaches to “make it simpler, rather than more difficult” for workers to “choose whether to form or join a union.”

“The Activision Blizzard acquisition is our first opportunity to put these principles into practice,” Smith said June 13.

Once the deal enters into force, it should make unionizing easier. Eligible workers will be able to indicate their support for a union by signing cards or doing so on a confidential electronic platform, offering an expedited alternative to a National Labor Relations Board-run election. The NLRB requires unions to take a number of steps before they can hold an election, including securing support from the employer and agreeing on who is eligible to join the union. Such steps can delay the election process. The CWA and Microsoft also agreed to “work together promptly to reach an agreement” through an expedited arbitration process should a dispute arise.

“It’s huge and absolutely game-changing,” said Emily Knief, a senior motion graphic designer at ABK. Knief has been organizing as part of A Better ABK, a broader worker collective within the gaming company, and said the agreement means “ABK employees will have an easy path to recognition and easier access to collective action.”

ABK fought workers’ efforts to organize ahead of Raven Software’s successful union vote. The company didn’t voluntarily recognize the union, though the NLRB ultimately granted the union’s request for a vote. Following the announcement of the union, Activision reorganized Raven Software’s quality assurance workers into different teams—a move that a CWA official said was designed “to thwart Raven QA workers who are exercising their right to organize.”

Should the Microsoft-Activision merger go through, Knief said ideally organizers won’t “have to jump through all the hoops that we saw with Raven QA and Activision for so many months.” She added that she hopes the neutrality agreement will be a “catalyst movement” for other members of Activision’s workforce looking to unionize.

Microsoft “sees the writing on the wall”

With the agreement, Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision now has the formal blessing of the CWA, which had previously expressed concerns about the merger. The deal with the union was not an attempt to Boost Microsoft’s standing among antitrust regulators, who are currently reviewing the merger, CWA President Christopher Shelton told the Washington Post.

The  labor neutrality agreement represents a shift for the company and the tech industry as a whole.

“During the time I was organizing at Microsoft, the idea that unions would ever gain a foothold or presence in the company didn’t seem like a remote possibility,” said Marcus Courtney, a former Microsoft contract worker who was active in a union drive that took place in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While the Washington Alliance of Technological Workers, or WashTech, was ultimately unsuccessful at Microsoft, Courtney said they were successful in pushing the company to change some of its benefits policies, particularly those that affected contractors.

On unions, Smith seems to be recognizing it’s not a question of “if,” but “when,” Courtney said.

Though WashTech failed to unionize Microsoft workers a few decades back, Courtney said the company “never took the Amazon approach,” referring to the notorious anti-union tactics of their Seattle-based peer which persist to this day.

It’s unlikely that Amazon will adopt a more conciliatory approach to unions anytime soon, Hedden said. The company relies on a vast low-skilled workforce and quickly churns through employees, with annual turnover at warehouses often exceeding 100 percent. By contrast, Microsoft workers tend to be more highly skilled, and the increase in pay and benefits that a union might bring to the company “is not going to be a hit to the business model,” Hedden said. “They have real incentive to retain workers as well.

With the Activision acquisition still a year off, ABK organizer Knief said nothing will change for organizers currently pushing for changes at the video game company. Just last month, Knief and colleagues submitted a list of changes they would like to see regarding management’s response to sexual harassment and gender discrimination. “We will continue pushing, and are going to redouble our efforts harder than ever,” she said. The neutrality agreement by Microsoft “shows that what we’re doing is working.” 

Microsoft has warned of malware called ‘toll fraud’ which is targeted at Android users via the Google Play Store. The company has described the malware as one disguised as normal apps on the Google Play Store, once installed, it drains the wallets of unsuspecting users. Microsoft further explains that toll fraud malware is a subcategory of billing fraud in which users are subscribed to premium services of the malicious applications without their knowledge or consent. 

This toll fraud malware is a type of malware that has been identified to be one of the most prevalent types targeted at Android users. Compared to other subcategories of billing fraud, which can occur as SMS fraud and call fraud, toll fraud exhibits more unique behaviours. Over the years this type of malware has continued to evolve thereby utilizing various approaches and social engineering. While SMS fraud or call fraud utilizes a simple attack flow to send messages or place calls to user numbers, toll fraud utilises a more complex approach, with multiple flows of steps that malware developers continue to identify and improve.

Microsoft explains how the malware operates in a blog saying, ”We saw new capabilities related to how this threat targets users of specific network operators. It performs its routines only if the device is subscribed to any of its target network operators. It also, by default, uses the cellular connection for its activities and forces devices to connect to the mobile network even if a Wi-Fi connection is available.” The blog post further explains that “Once the connection to a target network is confirmed, it stealthily initiates a fraudulent subscription and confirms it without the user’s consent, in some cases even intercepting the one-time password (OTP) to do so. It then suppresses SMS notifications related to the subscription to prevent the user from becoming aware of the fraudulent transaction and unsubscribing from the service,” the company added. 

Microsoft has identified possible ways this malware gets on phones of Android users.

1. This attack starts by downloading apps the malware is disguised as in the Google Play Store.
2. These trojan apps are usually listed in popular categories in the app store such as personalization (wallpaper and lock screen apps), beauty, editor, communication (messaging and chat apps), photography, and tools (like cleaner and fake antivirus apps).
3. The researchers say that these apps will ask for permissions that don’t make sense for what is being done (i.e. a camera or wallpaper app asking for SMS or notification listening privileges).

How to keep your device secured and stay from the malware

Microsoft has identified high financial loss as the main impact of the toll fraud malware. This is a result of its sophisticated cloaking techniques, that said, prevention from the side of the user plays a key role in keeping the device secure. According to researchers and cyber security experts,, avoiding the installing of Android applications from untrusted/ unverified sources and always following up with device updates. It also recommends that end-users take these steps to protect themselves from toll fraud malware:

1. Install applications only from the Google Play Store or other trusted sources.
2. Avoid granting SMS permissions, notification listener access, or accessibility access to any applications without a strong understanding of why the application needs it. These are powerful permissions that are not commonly needed.
3. Use a solution such as Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on Android to detect malicious applications.
4. If a device is no longer receiving updates, strongly consider replacing it with a new device.

About a month ago, Microsoft announced the release of the extended protection of its security product called Microsoft Defender. The security product is aimed at helping simplify personal device security and would have the ability to bring together various security elements right on a single dashboard. The Microsoft Defender antivirus product was initially built into Windows 10 and 11 primarily but it is now available to protect a wide range of devices, not just PCs running on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Microsoft Defender for individuals is designed to protect devices and offers security tips that bridge any security gaps that may arise.

By Exec Edge Editorial Staff

Do you follow the NBA? Or play Gears of War on Xbox? Or manage your money through the National Australia Bank?

Microsoft technology executive, Tom Keane, who has been pivotal in these technologies over the course of his 20-plus year career announced yesterday his departure from the Microsoft cloud team. The Microsoft executive was responsible for a team of 600 engineers across 15 countries and countless new products across the company.

As a core leader at Azure, Keane helmed the worldwide team that created The World’s Computer, the convergence of several technologies — including Artificial Intelligence, cloud, the Internet of Things, and more — to create the new frontier in technology and to alter life as we know it, much like the birth of the World Wide Web in 1991. Widely known for his disciplined and results-driven approach to business, Keane has fostered innovation at Microsoft through collaboration. “To this day, I am rarely the smartest person in the room — and when you work at a company with 190,000 employees it’s almost impossible to be,” he says.

He incubated several new business opportunities from within Azure. “My organization is focused every day on delivering the solutions so that every customer, in every industry, and every country can adopt Azure to further their mission,” he explains.

During his time with Azure, he led initiatives that included:

• Creating the first hyperscale cloud in Africa and the first hyperscale cloud in China

• Adding Azure Space

• Adding the Azure Government Cloud in 2014

• Adding industry cloud solutions for financial services

• Creating the Microsoft Vanguard initiative, which guided 15,000 engineers to solve Microsoft’s biggest challenges, like General Data Protection Regulation

It’s no wonder why Microsoft’s cloud computing revenue increased an impressive 50% in Q1 2022 and why Keane was honored in 2021 by Microsoft as a Top 50 Executive, as well as a Cloud Industry Executive by WashingtonExec.

Story continues

Reflecting on his career at Microsoft, Tom Keane shared the following statement:

“I have been fortunate to be at the center of cloud computing for the last 20 years, first with Office 365, and then with Azure.

With Office 365, I was a leader in the team that delivered Microsoft’s first commercial cloud service and scaled the service from zero to over 100 million end users. Building a new product, with a new technology paradigm, and a new business model was an incredible experience.

With Azure, I was a leader in the team that built “The World’s Computer”. Over the last 10 years, I have been fortunate to build hyperscale infrastructure in over 30 countries, providing 85% of the planet’s GDP with data residency and high availability.  Building a global product, in a rapidly evolving regulatory and cyber sovereignty environment has changed the landscape of computing across the planet.

What drives me is the ability to build and disrupt. Entrepreneurialism, constant learning, and growth have been a theme of my career for the last two decades. Digital disruption, enabled by hyperscale cloud and ubiquitous computing is only beginning. This digital disruption enables a new class of workloads, and scenarios to be built.

Today I am excited to share that I am leaving Microsoft and taking the next step in my career to build on the world’s computer. I could not be prouder of the last 21 years, and equally excited for my next journey to begin.”

Tom Keane’s time at Microsoft bred an abundance of innovation, from his role as a founding member of the Office 365 team, where he helped expand the service to 80,000 customers and 110 million end users within just a few years; his work within cyber sovereignty, including privacy, compliance, and data residency, which has been leveraged by European governments, U.S. defense organizations, and intelligence operations; and most notably, the strides his team has made within Azure.

During his tenure as corporate vice president, Azure expanded to 35 countries, and was the first team to bring cloud accessibility to Africa, China, and countless other areas of the world. Keane developed the technology to allow for to connect cloud computing with satellites in space for commercial and government applications. “I’m particularly proud of the work my team and I have done for the U.S. government over the past couple of years. Since January 2020, we have launched — and achieved accreditation for — Azure Government Secret and Azure Government Top Secret cloud regions,” he says.

As Tom Keane leaves behind the legacy he built at Microsoft, his focus will be on building upon the technologies he played such a pivotal role in developing. The World’s Computer has tremendous potential to solve challenging problems and increase accessibility globally, which Keane has always emphasized: “I feel very fortunate that I get to work on technologies that are being used to fundamentally transform our world.”

editor@executives-edge.com

Twitter: @IPOEdge

Instagram: @IPOEdge

SEOUL, South Korea and SINGAPORE, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud4C, a leading global multi-cloud migration and managed services provider announced that it has earned the Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure advanced specialization. The certification is a validation of the company's deep knowledge, extensive experience, and proven expertise in deploying and managing production workloads in the cloud using containers and managing hosted Kubernetes environments in Microsoft Azure. Only partners that meet stringent criteria around customer success and staff skilling, as well as pass a third-party audit of their container-based workload deployment and management practices, are able to earn the Kubernetes on Azure advanced specialization.

With over 75% of global organizations expected to run containerized applications in production by 2022, many are looking for a partner with advanced skills to migrate their existing containerized workloads to the cloud, or assist them in developing cloud-native applications using container technologies, DevOps patterns, and a microservices approach. With the advanced specialization, Cloud4C will now fill this gap and enable more organizations in their containerization journey.

Debdeep Sengupta President and Chief Revenue Officer, Cloud4C, said, "Large enterprises around the world are now running their applications on containers in order to address their need for scalability. Microsoft's Azure Kubernetes Service is a leading offering to enable this. We are delighted to have earned advanced specialization in this area as this will further empower us to serve our customers globally in their application modernization journey."

Cloud4C's managed Kubernetes services expertise empower organizations to advance application modernization operations. Customers can deploy, scale, manage, monitor, communicate, and secure app containers with ease across multiple nodes and IT ecosystems. Cloud4C's Kubernetes as a Service offering enables modernized application development, testing, and runtime environments. As the world's largest application-focused managed cloud services provider, Cloud4C's unique automation engines and intelligent platforms (machine learning, deep learning solutions) help enterprises embrace a world-class managed Kubernetes services experience.

Rodney Clark, Corporate Vice President, Global Partner Solutions, Channel Sales, and Channel Chief at Microsoft added, "The Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure advanced specialization highlights the partners who can be viewed as most capable when it comes to deploying and managing containerized applications in Azure. Cloud4C clearly demonstrated that they have both the skills and the experience to deliver best-in-class cloud-native capabilities to customers with Azure."

Cloud4C is an Azure Expert MSP with advanced specializations for SAP on Azure, Windows Server and SQL Server Migrations, Modernization of Web Applications to Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop, Threat Protection, Analytics on Microsoft Azure, Linux and Open-Source Database Migration to Microsoft Azure, Networking services on Microsoft Azure and now, Kubernetes on Microsoft Azure. Cloud4C promises seamless, cost-effective digital transformation on public/private/hybrid/multi cloud set-ups coupled with 24/7/365 support from 2000+ certified experts.

CONTACT: Ravi Shankar K, ravi.shankar@cloud4c.com, +65-87190012

SOURCE Cloud4C