DOHA: Local businesses will get the "feel" of how a world class cloud-based collaboration solutions could work wonders to their advantage on productivity and financial savings when the Microsoft Office 365 will be open to them on a trial period before the year ends.
Kirk Koenigsbauer, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Office Division Product Management Group, who made the presentation of how the Office 365 works before local IT experts and company representatives in a gathering yesterday at the W Hotel, said Microsoft's latest all-in-one cloud service would be available in Qatar on a trial period before the formal commercial launch in the first half next year.
Saying the new cloud computing solutions will benefit both large corporations and small businesses, Koenigsbauer said Office 365 will become a reality in Qatar following the global trend on the cloud hype.
"Cloud means different things to different people and that is why Office 365 offers collaboration to everyone. We can make small businesses look like big businesses," he said.
Microsoft Office 365 brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online in an always-up-to-date cloud service, at a predictable monthly subscription.
Koenigsbauer said collaboration is critical to business growth given the need for instant access to relevant information, exchange of ideas and the right people to take the right action at the right time. "Businesses today are looking for technologies that help them make an even bigger impact and with Office 365, we believe we have the solution to enhance collaboration and productivity for businesses of all sizes in Qatar."
Naim Yazbeck, Country Manager, Microsoft Qatar, said Office 365 is geared to support emerging economies like Qatar and accelerate the growth of local innovation industries in the country. The new solutions will also help the Small and Medium Enterprises in Qatar typically have little or no IT support and very little time and financial resources to dedicate to technology.
Office 365 was introduced in beta last year and received an enthusiastic response. In a few months, more than 200,000 organisations worldwide signed up and began testing it. With Office 365, people can stay on the "same page" using instant messaging and virtual meetings with people who are just down the hall or on the other side of the world.
© The Peninsula 2011
