The Netherlands’ tax authority has abandoned its planned Microsoft 365 cloud rollout in favour of infrastructure it controls and European open-source software, highlighting how concerns about sensitive information and supplier dependence can change major IT decisions.

Microsoft will begin making passkeys the default authentication method in Microsoft Entra ID from 1 September 2026, marking a major change in how organisations protect user accounts as AI-powered phishing and identity attacks continue to grow.

France is planning to replace parts of its government use of Windows with Linux, signalling a wider shift across Europe to reduce reliance on US technology and regain control over critical digital infrastructure.

Microsoft has introduced “Mico”, a new animated avatar for its Copilot assistant that can be transformed into the classic Clippy paper clip, a light-hearted feature that sits within a much wider update focused on making AI more personal, expressive, and easier to use across Microsoft’s ecosystem.

Microsoft has launched a single unified Marketplace bringing together Azure Marketplace and AppSource, offering a central location for cloud services and AI applications integrated directly into the Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft 365 subscribers are facing a price increase unless they actively opt out of Microsoft’s Copilot AI.

Following a recent Wall Street Journal article highlighting how Microsoft has made Copilot part of its 365 subscription service in several markets and raised prices, we now look at Microsoft’s strategies for deploying its AI assistant, and the broader implications of its AI initiatives.

In this insight, we compare and contrast the Windows 10 and 11 operating systems, focusing on how they perform in key areas like user interface, performance, security, compatibility, and cost.