Vice Chair and President
@Microsoft
, Co-author of
#ToolsAndWeapons
. Host of Tools And Weapons podcast. Husband. Dad. Proud native of Appleton, Wisconsin.
.
@Bayer
CEO Bill Anderson, a scientist at heart, discusses
#AI
for agricultural innovation. Feeding the growing population, supporting farmers, and driving employee-led innovation up next on
#ToolsAndWeapons
.
@TexasExes
,
@UTAustin
Our acquisition will bring Call of Duty to more gamers and more platforms than ever before. That's good for competition and good for consumers. Thank you
@Nintendo
. Any day
@Sony
wants to sit down and talk, we'll be happy to hammer out a 10-year deal for PlayStation as well.
Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to
@Nintendo
following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King. Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play.
@ATVI_AB
The European Commission has required Microsoft to license popular Activision Blizzard games automatically to competing cloud gaming services. This will apply globally and will empower millions of consumers worldwide to play these games on any device they choose.
We’re grateful for the CMA’s thorough review and decision today. We have now crossed the final regulatory hurdle to close this acquisition, which we believe will benefit players and the gaming industry worldwide.
We continue to believe that our deal to acquire Activision Blizzard will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers.
We want the record to be clear and address any misunderstandings. I’m delighted to repost below this statement and affirm Microsoft’s strong commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo’s customers if our acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved by regulators.
We appreciate the Ninth Circuit's swift response denying the FTC's motion to further delay the Activision deal. This brings us another step closer to the finish line in this marathon of global regulatory reviews.
Yesterday the Court ruled our acquisition of Activision Blizzard should proceed, and we oppose any further delay. Our statement on the FTC's decision to appeal:
From Day One of this acquisition, we’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal’s approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on…
We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and
@PlayStation
have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.
The
@FTC
blocking our acquisition of
@ATVI_AB
would make the gaming industry less competitive and gamers worse off. This deal is good for competition, consumers, and thousands of game developers.
@Xbox
Today Microsoft announced an ambitious goal and a detailed plan to become carbon negative by 2030, remove our historical carbon emissions by 2050, and launch a $1B climate innovation fund.
Today’s action by the FTC to file suit in our Activision case in federal court should accelerate the decision-making process. This benefits everyone. We always prefer constructive and amicable paths with governments but have confidence in our case and look forward to presenting…
With today’s agreements with NVIDIA and Nintendo, we will bring Call of Duty to 150 million new devices. That will serve consumers AND advance competition.
We have signed a 10 year agreement with NVIDIA that will allow GeForce NOW players to stream Xbox PC games as well as Activision Blizzard PC titles, including COD, following the acquisition. We´re committed to bringing more games to more people – however they choose to play.
We are encouraged by this positive development in the CMA’s review process. We presented solutions that we believe fully address the CMA’s remaining concerns related to cloud game streaming, and we will continue to work toward earning approval to close prior to the October 18…
Together with
@Activision
, we are announcing the extension of our merger agreement to 10/18 to provide ample time to work through the final regulatory issues. We will honor all commitments agreed upon with the EC and other regulators and continue to work with the CMA on the…
We believe in the future of Nigeria. That's why we’re embarking on a series of investments in Nigeria to put tech to work, create jobs, and foster the technology ecosystem across the country.
Microsoft has partnered with the Government of Nigeria to accelerate the nation’s efforts in becoming a more digital economy!
The partnership is anchored on three pillars:
✅Increased connectivity
✅Upskilling and job creation
✅Digital transformation
With today’s approval from New Zealand, we’re cleared to move forward with our acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 41 countries. We will continue to work to resolve outstanding concerns and bring this deal to a close.
We appreciate the CMA’s additional detailed and objective analysis. Its provisional update underscores a growing consensus by those with access to the most current data that this deal will create more competition in the console market, not less.
While the work to protect public health needs to speed up, the economy can’t afford to slow down. That's one reason we will pay the hourly workers who support our campuses their regular wages as we manage through COVID-19.
The tragic, unlawful, and unjustified invasion of Ukraine includes cyberattacks and internet-based disinformation campaigns. We're working to protect computer networks and provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, our customers, and employees.
We have been committed since Day One to addressing competition concerns, including by offering earlier this week proposed concessions to the FTC. While we believe in giving peace a chance, we have complete confidence in our case and welcome the opportunity to present it in court.
Now is not the time to cut our nation off from the world’s talent or create uncertainty and anxiety. Immigrants play a vital role at our company and support our country’s critical infrastructure. They are contributing to this country at a time when we need them most.
Today we submitted a restructured proposal to the CMA for approval of our Activision Blizzard acquisition under UK law. This new proposal also honors our prior commercial and regulatory commitments. Read more here:
As we did in 2016, we offer our congratulations to the President- & Vice-President-Elect
@JoeBiden
and
@KamalaHarris
. As we move forward as a nation, we look forward to helping build bridges to close the gaps that divide us.
@Microsoft
’s thoughts here:
Immigrants are vital to our company & the nation’s economy. Today, they’re helping us respond to COVID-19 in healthcare, research, IT, infrastructure, food supply, & more. As we focus on recovery for all Americans, we must not lose sight of the critical importance of immigrants.
As we welcome the employees of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft, we remain committed to our labor principles and innovative approach to union partnerships.
I was excited to join Prime Minister
@kmitsotakis
today in Athens to announce that Microsoft will build datacenters in Greece — the largest investment we’ve made in the 28 years we’ve operated here. This reflects our optimism in Greece’s future and economic recovery.
We are delivering on our commitments to bring PC games from Xbox to cloud gaming providers, starting with
@NVIDIAGFN
last week and
@Boosteroid_main
June 1. We look forward to bringing Activision Blizzard games to these millions of players around the world once the deal closes.
Boosteroid members - we’ve got you. Starting June 1 you’ll be able to play Deathloop, Gears 5, Grounded and Pentiment. Another step toward making PC games from Xbox globally available through cloud gaming services. More on the blog:
@Boosteroid_main
Trans people are an important part of Microsoft’s workforce. We oppose any move that treats them as less than equal. We value our trans employees and will continue supporting them in our anti-discrimination policies and trans-health benefits. It’s time to pass the
#EqualityAct
.
It’s time for the US Senate to pass the bipartisan Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. It’s good for our nation’s economy and creates a fairer immigration system.
#S386
#HR1044
Microsoft and Ubitus
@ubituskk
, a leading cloud gaming provider, have signed a 10-year partnership to stream Xbox PC Games as well as Activision Blizzard titles after the acquisition closes. Our commitment is to give more players, more choice.
Thank you. We are firmly committed to working with organized labor representing our workers on labor neutrality agreements upon completion of this deal.
The
@FTC
’s attempt to block the
@Microsoft
/Activision merger is hindering the opportunity for over 10,000 workers in the tech and video game, a clear path to unionization.
@LinaKhanFTC
should support labor-friendly, good-for-worker deals.
#1u
This is another important step in expanding access to Call of Duty based on the acquisition of Activision. It reaches another 4 million gamers via cloud streaming in the UK, US, EU, and Ukraine.
Players deserve more choice than they have now when it comes their favorite games. Today we've signed a 10-year deal with
@Boosteroid_main
enabling players to stream Xbox PC games, including Activision Blizzard PC titles like CoD following after close
At Microsoft we believe a healthy business community depends on our Constitution, the rule of law, and the peaceful transition of power. Our democratic principles must come first. We thank our elected officials & public servants who work tirelessly to protect our democracy.
Last week 38 signatories filed nine "friend of the court" briefs in support of our acquisition of Activision Blizzard, representing businesses, labor unions, former regulators, and game developers.
.
@Microsoft
is proud the U.S. is rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and will continue our work with policymakers and partners to drive innovation and create jobs as we transition to a net zero carbon economy.
We remain committed to investing in a healthy cloud ecosystem across Europe. We continue to listen, learn, and implement our European Cloud Principles to promote competition, empower developers, and meet Europe's economic, security, and cultural needs.
We've detected
#cyberattacks
targeting vaccine makers & COVID-19 researchers. This is unacceptable.
@Microsoft
is calling on the world’s leaders to affirm that international law protects healthcare facilities – and to take action to enforce those rules.
It’s always nice to run into a familiar face when you’re far from home. Thank you
@JustinTrudeau
for your strong leadership on innovation, privacy and cybersecurity.
#ParisPeaceForum
This agreement is a victory not just for gamers and for regulators who want to ensure broad access to Call of Duty. It's a victory for Ukraine and the many talented software developers who work there. Including at
@Boosteroid_main
! Thank you
@FedorovMykhailo
for your leadership.
Meaningful support for Ukraine-made business:
@Microsoft
announces partnership with cloud gaming provider
@Boosteroid_main
. Win-win story for both. Great product always will find its way to succeed.
Today the U.S. House passed legislation to ensure people from all countries are treated the same in the green card process. This promotes a fair high-skilled immigration system that’s good for business and our economy.
#HR1044
I’m thrilled to announce that we will expand our AI and cloud infrastructure in Spain by $2.1B USD in the next two years. Our investment is beyond just building data centers, it’s a testament to our 37-year commitment to Spain, its security, and development and digital…
La inversión de
@Microsoft
en España se va a cuadruplicar y llegará hasta los 1.950 M€.
Quiero agradecer a su presidente,
@BradSmi
, su confianza en la economía española y en nuestra hoja de ruta para una transformación digital inclusiva y segura.
Además, hemos analizado las…
Reforms are critical to address the decades long green card backlog & ensure the immigration process is fair for those who contribute so significantly to our country’s economy.
#HR392
Congress has an opportunity to eliminate per-country limits on employment-based green cards, which are neither fair nor good for our country. We encourage passage of
#HR392
,
#S281
.
America’s economic success depends on attracting the best & brightest. Thank you
@SenMikeLee
and all the sponsors and supporters of S. 386 for your dedication to fairness in high-skilled immigration.
America’s success depends on attracting the best & brightest to contribute to our economy. Legislation introduced today provides a fix to ensure that people from all countries are treated the same in the green card process, promoting a fairer system for high-skilled immigration.
Today, we're announcing an initiative to reskill 25 million people with the digital skills needed to succeed in the new economy. More in my blog post:
#DigitalSkills
Another day, another deal. Yesterday it was
@Boosteroid_main
and today it's
@UbitusKK
. With each step, it's even clearer that Microsoft's acquisition of
@Activision
will bring Call of Duty to more players on more platforms. With more choices for everyone.
Microsoft and Ubitus
@ubituskk
, a leading cloud gaming provider, have signed a 10-year partnership to stream Xbox PC Games as well as Activision Blizzard titles after the acquisition closes. Our commitment is to give more players, more choice.
The latest nation state attack is not espionage as usual, even in the digital age. Instead, it’s an act of recklessness that has created a serious and eye-opening vulnerability for the US and the world. Governments and industry must do more.
In 1978,
@Microsoft
made Tokyo its first international office. Today, alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, we announced a $2.9 billion investment over 2 years to boost our cloud computing and
#AI
infrastructure, a commitment to innovation and growth with Japan.…
We need laws that ensure that all people can vote legally and securely. There are key aspects of Georgia’s election law that fall short of this mark. We will use our voice and work with others to oppose laws that undermine these rights.
Today we launched an AI-powered copilot that goes beyond search to spark critical thinking and creative expression. I’m proud of our work with
@OpenAI
to build responsibility into every layer of the experience.
.
@POTUS
is setting a new course on immigration—welcoming immigrants who contribute to our COVID-19 response and economic growth, restoring DACA, addressing visa bans and green card backlogs, and seeking a humanitarian path on immigration. We welcome and support these first steps.
Our support for Ukraine is steadfast. We’ve increased our humanitarian aid, continue to detect and defend against cyber threats, provide disaster response, and connect millions through free Skype service. Details here:
So far in 2020, we’ve committed to becoming carbon negative, zero waste, and preserving biodiversity. Today, we’re announcing that we’ll be water positive by 2030. You can read more in my blog post:
Microsoft is committing $500 million to kick-start new solutions to advance the construction of new affordable housing. While this is an important step it’s just the beginning. It will take all of us to work together to solve this crisis
#affordablehousing
A warm congratulations to President Claude Cummings on his new leadership position at
@CWAUnion
. I look forward to learning from you while we partner on advancing rights and protections for American workers.
As businesses mobilize, our global supply chain team is hard at work securing much-needed supplies for healthcare workers. On Fri, the first 5 pallets of PPE arrived, including:
- 15,000 protection goggles
- Infrared thermometers
- Medical caps
- Protective suits
Thanks to a partnership between the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, monuments in Ancient Olympia, like the Pelopion, have been digitally restored to their original form more than 2,000 years ago:
The people who work for us are critical to Microsoft’s success. That’s why we are extending paid parental leave to the individuals who work at suppliers that support our business.
#paidparentalleave
:
Microsoft is growing in Atlanta. We’re adding more office space, a datacenter region, and a future campus. We can’t wait to become a bigger part – while doing our part – of this vibrant community.
You can’t find the answer without asking the right questions. I’m excited to announce, “The Prompt,” a new series with our Chief Questions Officer,
@Trevornoah
. This episode asks a question that is important to everyone –how do you get resources to people who need them when it…
It’s clear that we all need to do more to help protect democracies from cyberthreats. That’s why we are expanding our Defending Democracy Program with a new initiative called Microsoft
#AccountGuard
.
Ancient Egyptians were well aware that you can’t manage something unless you can measure it, including water in the Nile River. I just returned from Cairo where I learned what lessons the Nilometer can teach us on Earth Day.
#COP27
The environment can't wait for us to do more. That's why we are taking new steps to put sustainability at the core of every part of our business and increasing our internal carbon fee to $15.
Governments around the world are moving forward with laws to promote competition in app markets. As we move ahead with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, we’re announcing new Open App Store principles to adapt to emerging regulations.
Spain’s First VP
@NadiaCalvino
gets things done. She’s leading Spain’s digital transformation, and she’s determined to realize the benefits of
#AI
while ensuring it’s used safely and ethically. Learn why policymakers are watching, on
#ToolsAndWeapons
.
Microsoft is committing $500 million to kick-start new solutions to advance the construction of new affordable housing. While this is an important step, it’s just the beginning. We all need to work together to solve this crisis.
#affordablehousing
AI may be the most consequential technology advance of our lifetime. Today we announced a 5-point blueprint for Governing AI. It addresses current and emerging issues, brings the public and private sector together, and ensures this tool serves all society.
We remain committed to tracking and reporting Russian cyberattacks targeting Ukraine and its allies. Today, we’re sharing more on activity we’ve observed so that governments and our customers can protect themselves.
Microsoft will be zero waste for our direct footprint by 2030. This includes eliminating single-use plastics in packaging by 2025 and launching innovative reuse centers at major datacenters. Details here:
The attacks from the past year demonstrate that cybersecurity is not just about what any single company can do alone, but what we can do together. Today 34 companies signed a
#TechAccord
pledging to protect and defend customers everywhere.
Today’s
#SCOTUS
decision is a victory for the country. Nearly 700,000 law-abiding DACA registrants are helping restart the economy & fight COVID-19 – including 30,000+ in healthcare. This decision creates an opportunity for the WH & Congress to find a lasting bipartisan approach.
Today we announced a bold plan to become carbon negative by 2030. Reaching this goal starts by understanding – and getting real – on carbon math. Here’s a quick explainer. WATCH:
As we realize the promise of
#AI
, it’s important that we also address the challenges it presents. We hope our new book can contribute to this conversation.
#FutureComputed
The joint backing of an additional 30 venture capital firms and investors sends a clear message of support in our efforts to resolve the FTC’s concerns with Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision.
@Activision
As we near the finish line, today's extension with
@activision
enables us to focus on addressing comprehensively and properly the UK's statutory requirements while sustaining fully our obligations across the EU.