Microsoft Connects with SMEs at Night of Business Unusual

As part of its strategy to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, Microsoft Mobile Devices and Services (MMDS) in Nigeria connected with over 150 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) business owners at an event tagged, Night of Business Unusual.

At the event, Microsoft shared with the business owners its end to end business mobility solution as well as products and services that can enable them and their businesses do more and be more productive on the go.

Kabelo Makwane, managing director, Microsoft Nigeria in his welcome address shared with guest the new trends in technology which includes; social, cloud, mobility and big data, he also gave insights to Microsoft strategy for the future with emphasis on mobility and productivity.

He said, “We would be re-inventing productivity and business processes to achieve more on the go .Technology is moving at a fast space.  We live in a social world, where there are about 6.8 million devices that are out there.  We communicate with these devices whether smartphones, tablets, you name it.  It has become a part of our daily lives creating a platform for businesses to explore.”

He surmised that Microsoft’s global strategy was to create more opportunities while explaining that the company’s focus is to be the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world.

Ade Ajayi, business group director, Microsoft Office Division, Microsoft Nigeria in his presentation on Driving Productivity for SMEs, said Microsoft developed solutions that enable small and medium sized businesses to collaborate effectively.

“Every small business really wants to grow and Microsoft is investing in technologies to enable them do this.  We have a cloud environment that allows you respond to your customers regardless of where you are so you no longer have to be bound by physical environments.  It is Microsoft’s priority to make sure small and medium sized businesses are safe either online or offline.”

“The world is changing and you need to adapt to how you do business. We have solutions that allows you drive connection to your business. Office 365 enables SMEs get the competitive advantage by understanding your customers and making meaningful connections to build long-term relationships.  With SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business, you can easily share documents – from invoices to orders for new materials with customers and partners.’’

Speaking on Microsoft Lumia in Business, Mario Okonya, Business Sales Lead, Microsoft Mobile Device and Services explained that the world is changing into a world where people’s first interaction is with their mobile device as mobile as become the new normal.

He projected that 350 million people will do businesses with their mobile phones by year 2016, adding that leading businesses globally are

reimagining their businesses with Microsoft business mobility solutions.

‘’Regardless of which Lumia device you choose, you will still get same Windows experience across all the devices. ’’

Also speaking, Bidemi Ladipo, head enterprise marketing, Etisalat Nigeria spoke on how Etisalat and Lumia are mobilizing businesses and helping them achieve great feats through seamless online connectivity and Microsoft Office 365 offerings.

Speaking on ‘The Epix Tablet: Affordable Productivity’ was Amit Sagar, executive director, Midcom Group, Nigeria.  He said “the Epix tablet which was recently introduced brings affordable technology of Windows with all productivity tools to Nigeria”.

To thrill guests at the night of business unusual and give them a first-hand experiences with Lumia devices, raffle draws were held and several Lumia devices were given out to guests.

On the band stand were chocolate city’s duo of Nosa and Ruby who performed to the delight of the guests.