Page 8 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

FEATURED SAMENA TRENDS

the Middle East and Africa and is work the way they want—and share ideas Microsoft for an artificial intelligence
empowering participants to build their freely—fosters ingenuity and spurs better programme designed to empower
technical acumen in the cloud. ideas for getting ahead in a fierce market. employees, engage customers, optimize
operations and streamline the delivery
Q. How is timely development of 5G in Additionally, using apps such as Microsoft of products and services.
this region central to Microsoft’s future Teams, employees can come together • Saudi Telecom Company (STC).
business plans, especially in the context instantly and easily to brainstorm new Saudi-based STC Solutions signed a
of “intelligent connectivity”? product and service ideas or resolve partnership agreement with Microsoft
customer issues. The ability to work to support its growth strategy,
A. Microsoft Azure is bringing the intelligent anytime, anywhere, on any device makes which focuses on digital services,
cloud and intelligent edge together and the workplace simpler and more productive cybersecurity and cloud computing
becoming the world’s computer. 5G is for employees. Windows 10 on company solutions, in an effort to align with Saudi
integral to that. The volume and velocity devices will make the cloud-based work Vision 2030.
of data moving from the edge to the cloud environment even safer. • Zain. Zain, the leading digital service
and back again will only increase with 5G, provider in Kuwait, has announced a
and compute power and storage is critical Q. How do you plan to promote ubiquitous partnership with Microsoft to accelerate
to handle all this. 5G will bring operators computing through edge technologies digital transformation among its SME
and hyperscale providers closer together, in collaboration with Telecom Operators customers through the provisioning of
and it will also unlock unprecedented of the SA-ME-NA region, especially with trusted cloud services.
opportunities for customers across every SAMENA Council’s Member Operators? • MBC Group (Media) The Dubai-
industry. For this reason, it’s a major based media company Middle East
priority for us to partner with telcos to A. With decades of Microsoft experience Broadcasting Center (MBC Group) has
unlock 5G and edge opportunities for our in hardware, software and cloud we have leveraged the capabilities of Microsoft
mutual customers. This is foundational both created turnkey solutions for the products to embrace the advantages
to the work we are doing with AT&T, for region’s telecom operators as well as of digital transformation and to build a
example. created custom solutions to help solve smarter workplace for its employees.
their most pressing challenges. We are MBC Group replaced tools from multiple
5G will bring operators already working with many of the region’s vendors with a single Microsoft Office
operators in various facets and look
365 ecosystem, consolidating internal
and hyperscale providers forward to growing these collaborations operations and building a simpler
closer together, and it will to accelerate the growth of the region. For user experience that allows flexibility,
also unlock unprecedented example: mobility, and security for its workforce.
• Etisalat. Following the launch of our
opportunities for custom- Middle East data centers, we have With decades of Microsoft
ers across every industry. entered into a strategic partnership with experience in hardware,
Etisalat to support its goal of providing
For this reason, it’s a major end-to-end digital solutions to its software and cloud we
priority for us to partner customers and breadth of expertise in have both created turnkey
managed services. By offering cloud-
with telcos to unlock 5G based solutions to the UAE government solutions for the region’s
and edge opportunities institutions, large enterprises, small- telecom operators as
for our mutual customers. medium businesses, and start-ups, well as created custom
Etisalat is enabling them to drive
digital transformation by migrating to solutions to help solve
Q. What immediate use-cases of the cloud faster. As one of the world’s their most pressing
Microsoft’s productivity and collaboration leading telecom groups in emerging
solutions do you foresee holding the markets, Etisalat continues to focus on challenges. We are already
greatest potential for telecom operators in digital innovation to ‘Drive the digital working with many of
MEA? future to empower societies,’ leading
A. From a productivity and collaboration to investments in superior and state- the region’s operators
perspective, Microsoft is enabling telecom of-the-art technology solutions on the in various facets and
operators to stay ahead of the competition network. look forward to growing
by helping them empower employees with • Du Telecom. UAE-based
tools like Microsoft 365, which provides a telecommunications service provider these collaborations to
telco’s workforce with tools to work more ‘du’, from Emirates Integrated accelerate the growth of
creatively, collaboratively and securely Telecommunications Company, has
from anywhere. Freeing employees to formed a strategic partnership with the region.

8 SEPTEMBER 2019