THE NEWS WRAP: Nadella signals “tough choices” ahead for Microsoft

Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella has said the company faces tough choices ahead regarding parts of the business that aren’t working, in a company-wide email obtained by GeekWire.

“Every great company has an enduring mission. Our mission is to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more,” he says.

“Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our business is designed to enabled Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.

“We will need to innovate in new areas, execute our plans, make some tough choices in areas where things are not working and solve hard problems in ways that drive customer value.”

Postmates raises $US80 million

San Francisco-based on-demand delivery startup Postmates has raised $US80 million ($A103 million) in a round of funding, led by Tiger Global Management, that values the company at more than $400 million, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Postmates currently charges between $5 and $20 per delivery and relies on a network of couriers to deliver items in a city. In August it plans to launch a $1 delivery service that will deliver food and other goods to high density areas at peak times.

Taylor Swift’s 1989 will appear on Apple Music

Taylor Swift has confirmed her popular album 1989 will appear on Apple’s streaming service, Apple music, when it launches next week, 9to5mac reports.

Swift had said she would withhold the album from the service unless Apple paid artists for streams during the service’s three-month trial period.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 75.71 to 17,890.36. The Australian dollar is currently trading at US77 cents.

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