Microsoft will implement a 5 percent premium on annual subscriptions with monthly billing for various services starting April 1, 2024. This change, effective from December 1 for Microsoft 365 Copilot and other Copilot subscriptions, aims to provide customers with cash flow flexibility. Additionally, prices for Teams Phone will increase by 25 percent, and Power BI will see a price hike of up to 40 percent. Notably, the new Teams Phone pricing will cost $120 per user annually. Microsoft’s Chairman, Satya Nadella, highlighted that usage of the Teams platform is at an all-time high, with nearly 75 percent of enterprise customers now using premium features. The price adjustments are part of Microsoft’s strategy to align pricing consistency across its services.
Microsoft has officially released Windows 11 ISO media for Arm64 PCs, allowing users to clean install the operating system directly on their devices. This significant development, anticipated for years, includes ISOs sized around 5GB, designed primarily for virtual machines but also compatible for direct installation. While the ISOs will boot seamlessly on the latest Snapdragon X processors, older models like the Snapdragon 8cx Gen3 require additional steps to integrate necessary drivers before installation.
VMware has announced that its desktop hypervisors, VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation, are now free for everyone to use for commercial, educational, and personal purposes. This change comes after the company previously offered the Pro versions free for personal use. Users can access all features without cost, although support ticketing will no longer be available. Broadcom, which oversees VMware, confirmed that existing commercial contracts will remain effective until their term ends. The company is committed to continuing development and timely updates for these tools.
A new security feature in iOS 18 makes it increasingly difficult for law enforcement to unlock iPhones. The feature reboots devices that haven’t been unlocked for four days, placing them in a more secure “Before First Unlock” state and requiring users to enter their passcodes. This change has frustrated police, as it limits access to data during investigations. According to 404 Media, the introduction of this “inactivity reboot” code was first reported on November 9, 2024.
Google has announced that multi-factor authentication, or MFA, will become mandatory for all Google Cloud accounts by the end of 2025. About 30% of Google Cloud users do not utilize MFA, but starting this month, they will receive reminders to enable it. The rollout will occur in three phases, with notifications for new and existing users beginning in early 2025. By the end of 2025, MFA will be required for all users, according to Google’s announcement. Research from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency shows that MFA reduces the likelihood of being hacked by 99%.
Why do we care?
This is very much a list of tactical updates – moves you need to know about. I’ll highlight that Windows on ARM is at a key point where investment is significant. That’s the second story this week.