Microsoft Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to continue to be part of Malaysia’s transformation into a Developed Nation by 2020 through sustainable technology in key area of education, businesses and the people in general. Microsoft Malaysia celebrates its 20th year in Malaysia as it prepares for the “biggest launch year” in the company’s history. Microsoft Malaysia Managing Director Ananth Lazarus spoke to reporters in an exclusive media briefing recently.
Driving Businesses
Microsoft has the largest local partner ecosystem in Malaysia today, numbering over 5,000 partners, powering proudly ‘Made in Malaysia’ IP solutions. The ecosystem involves nearly 116,00 people and IT organisations employ over 100,000 more IT professionals who work with Microsoft software and products/services based on it.
According to a 2011 IDC report entitled “Microsoft Economic Impact 2011”, companies in the Microsoft ecosystem in Malaysia alone were projected to generate RM11.1 billion in revenues for themselves. Companies would drive RM3.6 billion worth of investment, mostly in the country. The same report also reveals that for every RM1 Microsoft earned in Malaysia, companies in the local ecosystem were projected to make RM10.14.
Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud computing platform has enabled companies to leverage on cloud computing technologies to transform local business. One such company is YEYLOL Technology, which launched its YEYLOL Smart Digital Home System recently, an all-in-one device powered by Windows Azure.
Microsoft has also continuously helped startups succeed through incubator programs like BizSpark, a global program that gives software startups access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, including investors, and providing marketing visibility.
Powering Education
Education forms a huge part of Microsoft’s efforts to transform Malaysia. Microsoft is focused on creating opportunities as well as improving the quality of education by leveraging on technology. Microsoft introduced the Partners-in-Learning initative in Malaysia, and has so far invested over RM15.5 million, reaching over 210,000 teachers and 3.5 million students.
Partners-in-Learning is a 10-year, US$500 million global initiative aimed at supporting the education system’s use of technology to help students receive excellent education and gain the necessary skills for work and life.
Another initiative endeavoured by Microsoft Malaysia is “Shape the Future”, which has connected more than one million students with relevant and affordable education technologies.
Changing Lives
Transforming Malaysia is also about transforming lives in general, apart from the areas of business and education. Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential (UP) program helps people improve their job skills and enhance their workforce opportunities by providing relevant and necessary technology-related skills through the 30 Community Technology Skills Program (CTSP), nationwide. Additionally, since 2004, Microsoft has given cash and software grants amounting to more than RM13.5 million to various deserving organisations in Malaysia like Yayasan Salam, YWCA and NCWO.
[quote]“With everything that is going on, it is an exciting time for Microsoft and 2012 will be the biggest launch year in the company’s history!” enthused Ananth. Microsoft has announced the most extensive refresh of its products this year, from the back-end to front-facing clients. It has already announced the launch of System Center 2012 and SQL Server 2012 earlier as well as the launch of Windows Server 2012 today. Further highly anticipated launches include Visual Studio 2012, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 as well as the new Office. [/quote]
Happy 20th Birthday, Microsoft Malaysia. The journey continues.
[spoiler title=”Read full press release”]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Microsoft: Committed To Transforming Malaysia Together
Touting “biggest launch year” in company history, Microsoft reiterates 20-year commitment to partnering Malaysia in transforming education, businesses and lives
KUALA LUMPUR, 27 September 2012 – Malaysia will continue to be a priority for Microsoft, reiterated Microsoft Malaysia Managing Director Ananth Lazarus, who spoke to reporters during a briefing session for the local media.
Microsoft Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate Malaysia’s transformation into a Developed Nation by 2020 through sustainable technology. Ananth explained, “Since Microsoft established its presence in this country 20 years ago, our technology has helped transform the way people work, learn, play and communicate in Malaysia. Microsoft and our partners work closely with government leaders, organizations and citizens to help them fully harness the power of the innovation with flexible solutions, programs and partnerships to meet local needs.”
According to a 2011 IDC report titled “Microsoft Economic Impact 2011”, companies in the Microsoft ecosystem in Malaysia were projected to generate RM11.1 billion in revenues for themselves, with most of these revenues remaining in local communities where they are used to fuel further innovation and growth. In generating these revenues, companies in the local ecosystem would have driven RM3.6 billion of investment, most of it in the country.
Microsoft has the largest local partner ecosystem in Malaysia today with over 5,000 partners to create ‘Made in Malaysia’ IP solutions. Companies in the Microsoft ecosystem employ nearly 116,000 people; IT-using organizations employ another 108,000 IT professionals who work with Microsoft software or the products and services based on it. Together, these employees account for 46% of IT-related employment in 2011 and 49% of IT-related taxes in the country.
Microsoft’s contribution to the Malaysian IT economy has been very apparent to Malaysian businesses like YEYLOL Technology, which recently launched its YEYLOL Smart Digital Home System, an all-in-one device powered by Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud computing platform.
“Thanks to Microsoft Azure, we have been able to successfully leverage a cloud platform to deliver a wealth of value-added content to our YEYLOL Smart Digital Home System customers. Microsoft’s support and wide breadth of technologies have certainly helped transform many local businesses including ours,” said Tan Jian Sing, Director of YEYLOL Technology Sdn Bhd.
Businesses have also benefitted from Microsoft’s incubator programs such as BizSpark, a global program that helps software startups succeed by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools, connecting them with key industry players, including investors, and providing marketing visibility to help entrepreneurs starting a business.
Reza Ismail, founder of DappleWorks, a local startup developing cloud applications for Small Businesses delivered via Software as a Service model, explains, “In working with Microsoft Malaysia, not only have we benefitted from the BizSpark program, we also received a scholarship from Microsoft to attend DemoAsia 2012 in Singapore in February this year where we had a chance to pitch our product to an audience of peers and potential investors. To that, we have since received several enquiries from interested investors and are in advanced negotiations with one of them. Within two weeks of launch, we had signed up 50 customers with about 100 trial users, which is extremely encouraging.”
Another BizSpark beneficiary, Gnowledge which runs a public Internet portal that enables everyone to create, publish, share and take tests, exercises and assignments targeted at educators, students and parents of school-going children, concurs. “As a startup with limited resources and little or no immediate revenue, our enrollment in BizSpark gives us access to free development resources such as Microsoft software and Azure services that we otherwise would have had to pay for. Building Gnowledge from the ground up using Microsoft technologies also enabled and empowered us to take advantage of the full Microsoft suite of products, technologies, services and resources, thus saving us valuable time and human resources and allowing us to focus on building the best product possible,” said Choong Chong Yew, its Chief Technology Officer.
Clearly, endorsements like these are a source of pride for Microsoft Malaysia. “We’re definitely pleased to demonstrate real impact in the countries we operate in. As a matter of fact, according to the same 2011 IDC report, for every RM1 Microsoft earned in Malaysia, companies in the local ecosystem were projected to make RM10.14,” said Ananth.
Transforming education, impacting lives
Microsoft’s impact in the country goes beyond just business and the economy. Ananth shared about how Microsoft believes that technology and education have the power to economically expand the impact of education, and accelerate the growth potential of every student, educator and school.
“Microsoft is focused on creating opportunities for youth through technology, training and experiences that empower them to imagine and realize their full potential and make a real impact for a better tomorrow,” Ananth said.
The emphasis on transforming education has been focused on leveraging technology to improve the quality of education as well as expanding the access of quality education to all. To that end, over RM15.5 million has been invested for Partners-in-Learning in Malaysia, reaching over 210,000 teachers and 3.5 million students. Partners-in-Learning is a 10-year, US$500 million global initiative aimed at supporting schools and educators’ use of technology to help every student receive an excellent education and gain the skills they need in work and life. Through another initiative, called “Shape the Future”, Microsoft Malaysia has connected more than one million students with relevant and affordable education technologies.
“Microsoft Malaysia’s commitment to transforming education is predicated on the country’s aspirations to become a fully-developed nation which requires an innovative and well-prepared workforce. Students need to be equipped with 21st century skills such as collaboration, communications, creative thinking, problem solving, digital literacy and citizenship while schools require a highly equipped teaching force with the ability to personalize instruction and address the individual needs of every student,” explained Ananth.
Microsoft’s efforts in transforming education have been certainly recognized. Referring to an initiative between Microsoft Malaysia and Universiti Malaya to further improve its education ecosystem and increase its students’ competitiveness and capabilities, Datuk Prof. Dr. Rohana Yusof, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student Affairs & Alumni said, “Microsoft Malaysia’s continuous support to provide quality education and eagerness to invest in the country’s education strategy is not only vital to create an excellent education platform for the future generation but also essential for Malaysia to achieve a developed status by the year 2020.”
Beyond the area of education, Microsoft also continues to enhance and transform lives through technology training and experiences that empower Malaysians to imagine and realize their full potential and make a real impact for a better tomorrow. For example, Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential (UP) program is dedicated to improving individuals’ job skills and workforce opportunities by focusing on providing technology-related skills through the 30 Community Technology Skills Program (CTSP) centers nationwide. Additionally, since 2004, Microsoft has given cash and software grants amounting to more than RM13.5 million to various deserving organizations in Malaysia like Yayasan Salam, YWCA and NCWO.
Biggest launch year in Microsoft history, 20 years of transforming Malaysia together
“With everything that is going on, it is an exciting time for Microsoft and 2012 will be the biggest launch year in the company’s history!” enthused Ananth. Microsoft has announced the most extensive refresh of its products this year, from the back-end to front-facing clients. It has already announced the launch of System Center 2012 and SQL Server 2012 earlier as well as the launch of Windows Server 2012 today. Further highly anticipated launches include Visual Studio 2012, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 as well as the new Office.
However, all this innovation isn’t just for innovation’s sake.
“For over 20 years, Microsoft has been a trusted innovation and technology partner to the Government, our customers and business partners. We have introduced state-of-the-art innovation, technology and services that transform education by expanding quality and accessibility using technology; drive business transformation through new technologies like cloud computing and workforce development; and ultimately improve the way we all live. Looking ahead, Microsoft Malaysia remains committed to our role in achieving the collective vision of a better, brighter Malaysia by the year 2020,” concluded Ananth.
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