22 Microsoft launches new tools to help sales teams close deals faster Microsoft has launched its new AI Accelerator for Sales to help customers transform their sales organisation with Copilot and agents. The programme will include two new agents – Sales Agent and Sales Chat – designed to help teams close deals faster. Sales Agent can turn contacts into qualified leads enabling sales representatives to close deals while the agent ensures no lead is left behind. It works autonomously to research leads, set up meetings and reach out to customers. Meanwhile, Sales Chat aims to speed up the sales cycle to enable teams to spend more time selling by providing “actionable takeaways” to simple, natural language prompts like ‘what should I know going into tomorrow’s meeting with this customer?’. Huntress, a cybersecurity platform provider, has released a new study suggesting that attackers are turning to data theft and extortion as improved defences reduce ransomware profits. The Huntress 2025 Cyber Threat Report found that: 18 actions on average were taken by cybercriminals before launching ransomware, with data exfiltration occurring first in 71% of cases 17 hours was the average time to ransom, with some groups deploying ransomware in as little as six hours 29% of phishing attacks impersonated e-signature requests, while 8% embedded malicious QR codes, showing that attackers are evolving beyond traditional email scams 38% of attacks targeted healthcare and education, making them the most affected industries Read the full report at: bit.ly/41zQslx Cybercriminals shift to data theft as ransomware tactics evolve MARKETWATCH Crestron and Microsoft to enhance workplace technology Crestron is to expand its digital workplace platform to include devices powered by Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP). MDEP is open to device manufacturers and software developers that follow Microsoft’s trust, security and management standards. “By joining MDEP, we’re taking the next step in delivering purposebuilt solutions that combine Crestron’s expertise in workplace technology with Microsoft’s enterprise-grade security and management capabilities,” said Brad Hintze, executive vice president of global marketing at Crestron. “This will enable us to create more specialised, secure and manageable devices that address the specific needs of modern workplaces, while maintaining the seamless integration our customers expect.”
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