Microsoft and SME Corp join forces.

COOPERATIVE EFFORT: Ananth (left) and Hafsah talking about a joint effort to help SMEs adopt information and communications technology for their daily operations.

KUALA LUMPUR: Microsoft Malaysia and SME Corp Malaysia have joined forces to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) adopt information and communications technology for the day-to-day running of their businesses.

The objective of the partnership is to empower SMEs with the tools they need to succeed in both the domestic and international landscape.

Through this partnership, SMEs will be encouraged to adopt cloud-computing technologies by using the Microsoft Office 365 productivity suite.

"Microsoft is investing up to RM20.8mil for the first year (beginning this month) if Office 365 is adopted by 50,000 SMEs in the country," said Ananth Lazarus, managing director of Microsoft Malaysia.

"Microsoft will also reinvest RM41 a year for each Office 365 seat via SME Corp," he added.

According to Ananth, the suite will enable SMEs to more easily create, edit, store and share their ideas and work in the Cloud.

"Although SMEs can use open-source solutions for their businesses, most are already familiar with Microsoft products and value-added services.

"(With Office 365) there is no learning curve involved because users needn't learn to use new technology or new office-productivity tools," he said.

Furthermore, he added, by using familiar software, SMEs can bring their products and services quickly to market.

The Office 365 package offered to SMB Corp clients combines the power of Office web apps with enterprise-grade e-mail, shared documents, instant messaging, video and web conferencing (Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online) in a cloud service.

To use the suite, SMEs just need to pay RM19 for each user, per month.

Microsoft will also be working with SME Corp to conduct training programmes, as well as provide an SME helpdesk at SME Corp headquarters to assist those using Office 365.

SME Corp chief executive officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim said SMEs will benefit from using Office 365, and encouraged them to find out more about how SME Corp and Microsoft can help them transform their businesses.

"We are working together to reach out to SMEs to help them adopt and use cloud-computing solutions to help drive their creativity and productivity," she said.

Sources : The Star.

Author    : Subashini Selvaratnam.