Cloud Data Centers
The latest Cloud Data Centers coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
NSW Rugby League Swaps Legacy PABX for Teams-Native Contact Centre by AnywhereNow
The New South Wales Rugby League has migrated from a legacy PABX system to AnywhereNow’s Tendfor, a contact centre and attendant console platform built natively for Microsoft Teams. The move streamlines operations, reduces costs, and provides advanced analytics while letting agents manage calls entirely within the familiar Teams interface.
AWS and Azure Face EU Gatekeeper Scrutiny Under DMA Beyond Quantitative Thresholds
The European Commission has opened three Digital Markets Act investigations into cloud computing, targeting Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure for potential gatekeeper designation. The probes will scrutinise data egress fees, proprietary lock-in, and bundling practices that critics say stifle competition. If designated, the two giants would face strict interoperability, portability, and anti-self-preferencing rules, reshaping Europe’s €90 billion cloud market.
Checkout.com to Process Microsoft Payments Across EMEA in Landmark Deal
Microsoft has partnered with Checkout.com to manage card payments for Xbox, Microsoft 365, and Azure across the EMEA region, aiming to enhance payment efficiency and compliance. The deal signals a strategic move to optimize subscription billing and customer experience in a key market.
IR Prognosis 13.3 Bridges Cloud Contact Center Visibility Gap with NICE CXone Monitoring
IR’s Prognosis 13.3 now provides end-to-end observability for NICE CXone contact centers, correlating cloud telephony with Microsoft Teams and Windows endpoint data. The update gives Windows IT admins a single dashboard for troubleshooting voice quality, agent experience, and network issues across hybrid environments.
UMB Begins Yearlong Migration to Microsoft Teams Calling, Replacing Legacy Telecom
The University of Maryland, Baltimore announced a yearlong migration of its telecommunications to Microsoft Teams Calling, beginning June 17, 2026. The phased rollout will replace legacy PBX systems with a cloud-based voice solution integrated into Microsoft 365, aiming to cut costs, improve mobility, and streamline IT support across the campus.
Microsoft Picks Checkout.com to Power Payments for Xbox, M365, and Azure in EMEA
Microsoft has selected Checkout.com as its primary payment partner for Xbox, Microsoft 365, Azure, and other products across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The deal aims to improve transaction success rates, cut processing costs, and provide broader local payment method support. Checkout.com's unified API and local acquiring network will streamline payments for Microsoft's vast EMEA customer base.
Azure Monitor Log Alerts Get Dynamic Thresholds for Anomaly Detection in June 2026
Microsoft announced Dynamic Thresholds for Azure Monitor Log Search Alerts, arriving June 2026. The feature applies automated anomaly detection to KQL-based alerts, learning normal query result patterns and adapting thresholds over time. This eliminates manual tuning, reduces false alarms, and improves detection of real issues in logs.
National Gas Deploys Automated Single-Session Azure Virtual Desktop for Secure Post-Divestiture Operations
National Gas, after its 2023 divestiture from National Grid, built a greenfield Azure environment with Capgemini, deploying automated single-session Azure Virtual Desktop for developers, data scientists, and vendors. The solution uses Entra ID, Intune, and zero-touch provisioning to deliver secure, high-performance VDI without legacy VPNs, setting a new benchmark for post-divestiture IT transformations.
Perigus Energy Deploys Cegal’s Cetegra GIS on Azure to Unify European Onshore Renewables
Perigus Energy has chosen Cegal’s Cetegra GIS platform deployed on Microsoft Azure to manage its multi-country European onshore renewables portfolio, covering wind, solar, and battery storage. The cloud-native solution aims to unify data governance, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate the energy transition through advanced spatial analytics and AI capabilities.
Teams Goes Down: 226 Users Report Outage Within Minutes on June 17
Microsoft Teams suffered a significant service disruption on June 17, 2026, with Downdetector recording 226 user reports at 9:08 a.m. ET. The outage, caused by a misconfiguration in backend messaging, affected users globally and prompted IT administrators to reconsider dependency on single-vendor solutions and reinforce outage response plans. Microsoft rolled back the change and restored service within two hours, but the incident underscores the need for business continuity planning in cloud-dependent enterprises.
EPC Group Launches Microsoft Cloud Orchestrator Practice to Simplify Azure Analytics and Governance
EPC Group announced a new Microsoft Cloud Orchestrator Practice on June 17, 2026, from Houston, Texas. The practice packages Microsoft strategy, Azure data platforms, and analytics to help enterprises improve governance and accountability. This move addresses the growing need for managed services that tame cloud complexity and drive business value.
How to Restore Windows 11’s Hidden File History for Free, Versioned Local Backup
Windows 11 still includes File History, a free local backup tool that saves versioned copies of personal files to an external drive or network location. Microsoft has buried it in the classic Control Panel while pushing OneDrive, but it remains one of the most reliable and privacy-respecting ways to protect against data loss. This guide explains how to enable and customize File History, why it beats cloud sync for versioning, and how to overcome common setup hurdles.
DreamHost 2026: The Linux-First Hosting Path from Shared to OpenStack Cloud
DreamHost’s 2026 hosting lineup traces a clear Linux-first path from $2.59 shared plans to OpenStack-powered cloud instances. The review highlights flexible scaling, strong developer tools, and deep API integration that benefits Windows-based developers deploying Linux workloads. Uptime and performance numbers back up the promise of worry-free growth.