Author: Don Zimmerman

Optimizing resources is a top priority in the farming industry. As farmable land gets more utilized and population increases, the need to do more with less becomes a crucial competitive advantage. Luckily, today’s farmers have various digital tools at their disposal such as automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence that allow them to increase yields while lowering their water and electricity consumptions levels.

Subscribe now to learn how independent farmers around the world are leveraging Microsoft technology powered by solar energy to increase and stabilize their income, and how you, too, can get started with Azure AI.

View: Increase yields with smart, solar-powered farming solutions. Learn more about Microsoft Azure AI.

Have you attended a meeting lately? How was it? In a commissioned report, Microsoft learned about employee challenges with meetings. The findings? Meeting stressors: longer than planned; attendees multi-tasking, late or unprepared; difficult to schedule everyone; and too many meetings. Additionally, 50% of meetings are status or collaborative, and participants need multiple tools. The bottom line is that meeting attendees need better tools that satisfy the needs and address the challenges of today’s modern meetings. Microsoft Teams fits the bill.

View: Modern meetings need modern tools

GE is transforming from an industrial leader to a digital industrial leader, using software and sensors to make its machines connected, responsive, and pred…

Modern technology has enabled farmers to obtain impressive yields that sustain entire populations while allowing them to become as efficient as possible with their available resources. However, most of this technology is dependent upon stable electrical grids, large-scale aqueducts, and a steady fuel supply, all of which are not readily available to millions of farmers around the world.

One of these farmers is Monica, who depended on a water well located on her property as her only water source to sustain both her farm and her family. To make matters worse, climate change made rain increasingly scarce in her region of Kenya, Africa, which further decreased her available water supply and forced her to work harder just to maintain her current yields. Thankfully, just as things seemed impossible, digital transformation provided her with the solution she needed to secure a better future.

In this video, you’ll learn about Monica’s story and how, thanks to solar-powered Microsoft technology, she was able to automate her entire irrigation system, gain access to accurate weather forecasts, and obtain more income year round.

For the New South Wales Department of Education, getting students excited about technology started with ease of use. Students were empowered through using technology they were originally unfamiliar with and over time creating professional quality work. Teachers saw increased confidence levels as well as authentic interest from students wanting to learn more.

We want devices and technology that are easy to use, whether it be students in an educational environment or employees in the modern workplace. Ease of use must be a priority, and Microsoft Teams was built for this. View this video for a quick glimpse of this.

The benefits of AI are undeniable, yet the technology itself is still not widely seen as a surefire investment by a large percentage of today’s decision makers. As a matter of fact, a recent study revealed that only 40 percent out of 1,500 executives have stated that they’re currently executing one AI initiative, or are in the process of doing so. There are multiple reasons for this— among them, a shortage of AI professionals, plus challenges when calculating profitability —but the real silver lining is that the fight for greater inclusion of AI-driven projects starts by bringing solid arguments to the boardroom.

In this article, you’ll read about four evidence-based and time-proven cases you can use to push forward the execution of your artificial intelligence initiatives.

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According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people globally are living with a disability, yet only one in ten has access to assistive technology.

Inclusion is an important topic for Microsoft; to help everyone get the most from accessibility resources, the company has created the Disability Answer Desk (DAD). It’s free, 24/7 technical support from Microsoft experts trained in assistive technologies. All organizations have assistive technology needs, and for some its absolutely crucial.

View this video to learn how the New South Wales education department utilizes Microsoft Teams to address assistive technology needs for its students and staff.