Google has laid off fewer than 100 employees in its cloud division, primarily in sales operations, as part of a broader strategy to reallocate resources toward AI and cloud growth. Despite reporting nearly $12 billion in cloud revenue last quarter, Google aims to optimize spending while ramping up its $75 billion capex investment in data centers and infrastructure.
Microsoft is testing a free, ad-supported version of Office, restricting features in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint while requiring OneDrive for saving files. Users see persistent banner ads, including muted videos. The company denies immediate launch plans but continues experimenting, signaling a potential shift in Office’s monetization strategy. With fewer features and mandatory cloud storage, Microsoft appears to be nudging users toward paid subscriptions.
