I’ve always wanted to improve my skills as a developer. I knew that the best people are at companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook. I’ve always wanted the kinds of challenges they represent. I always wanted to work with people who would wow me and teach me at the same time. When I heard that Microsoft had come to Kenya, I knew that “this is my chance”.
This is the story of George Maina, a Software Engineer at the Microsoft Africa Development Center (ADC-East) located in Nairobi, Kenya. He is one of the first hires of Microsoft and works on the Identity and Network Access team in Kenya.
Even though the ADC was an experiment the success of George’s team in the early days will go on to help Microsoft make investing more in the ADC an easy decision. The ADC has grown from 21 employees in three teams to over 400 in more than eight teams in three years. With Microsoft launching a 27 million dollar office facility to house the software engineers.
Geroge works for the Microsoft Graph onboarding team, which is the third team to be formed at the ADC. “Right now, we’re four people, we help teams within Microsoft to onboard onto Graph and to manage their Graph deployments. … My role is to develop tooling to make sure we can automatically link their API when they publish it to our repo.”
I think we were the very first team to join Identity here, and we all came on the same day. There were then three teams at Microsoft’s Africa Development Center (ADC) in Nairobi. Each team had around seven people, making a total of 21. One team came aboard just a week before my team. At that time, it was not really clear where ADC was going. But it turned out really well. We’ve gotten our footing and have developed specialized areas. Several teams are now owners of certain operations within Microsoft. ADC has grown to around 400 just here in Kenya alone. That’s a testament to how well ADC has performed.
I remember when you came to visit, Igor, you said that you’d evaluate the operation after a few years, that it was an experiment. I remember going home that night thinking, wow, what happens if this fails?
I’ve learned so much. The last two years have blown my mind. I love working here and really love Microsoft. Microsoft offers so many opportunities everywhere.
George Maina
Igor Sakhnov, Microsoft Corporate vice president of Identity and Network Access Engineering, talks with software engineer George Maina about his entrepreneurial journey and the beginnings of the Microsoft ADC. Click to read the full conversation.
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Microsoft is bringing The Garage program to Africa with sites to be located in Kenya and Nigeria. The company says The Garage Nigeria, in Lagos, is currently in advanced planning stages, as are other Garage locations in Africa. New information reaching us including the search for a Senior Program Manager to lead the program confirms it is close.
The Garage is an extracurricular Microsoft resource for employees to connect, experiment and be creative outside of their day job. But that is not all, it will also be a creative space for hacking and making for the local tech ecosystem and Microsoft customers. Running hackathons, engineering internships, and an experimental outlet for its local students and tech communities.
There are 12 garage sites across the globe with the Africa sites to increase this number to 14. Microsoft could yet still increase this number with possible sites in South Africa, Senegal and Egypt.
I expect each Microsoft Garage site in Africa to have three dedicated lab sections just like all the other global sites. The lab sections will consist of a collaboration hub for hackathons and workshops, a Makerspace and an Advanced Makerspace. The advanced Makerspace will have an electronic workbench, 3D Printers, laser cutter, PCB milling machine for creating prototypes. A Reality Room dedicated to working in the space of Augmented Reality (AR) Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality applications and dedicated space and equipment for doing work on Deep Learning.
Every person at Microsoft has the ability to come up with a good idea. The Garage is here to help.
Jeff Ramos, GM The Garage
The Microsoft Garage in Africa
“The Garage is a program designed to support our employees’ creative ambitions and innovative instincts,” says Jeff Ramos, general manager of The Garage. “Every person at Microsoft has the ability to come up with a good idea. The Garage is here to help our great people shape and develop those ideas. We need a place for people to feel confident to take creative liberties, and that place is The Garage.”
Ramos says Microsoft is going to learn how to do business better worldwide by learning in Africa. Noting that in Lagos, Microsoft sees a tremendous opportunity to learn as a company and as a culture.
For Gafar Lawal, principal group manager at Microsoft ADC Nigeria it will be essential to both tantalize and satisfy employees’ creative curiosities. Adding that the Garage will support employees as they continue to learn at every stage of their careers.
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Here is how to upgrade to Windows 11 as it becomes officially available today.
The first thing you need to know and understand is that Microsoft is changing the minimum hardware requirements. This is largely due to the fact that Microsft wants to enable specific features within the operating system (OS). As well as keep pace with the latest computing needs and that of the future. So for you to also get the best and full user experience in Windows 11 you will need the latest hardware.
The new OS will need your device to be running Windows 10, version 2004 or later, to get the free upgrade. In terms of hardware specifications, the minimum RAM size is now 4GB and at least 64GB of storage space. Your device must have a processor with at least 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores. But Microsoft notes it must be running on either an Intel 8th generation, AMD Zen 2, Qualcomm 7 or 8 series processors or higher. It should also support TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) and be compatible with DirectX 12. Click here to find out more about the Windows 11 specs, features and hardware requirements.
Upgrade to Windows 11 steps
Microsoft is using rolling out the upgrade in phases and expects all eligible Windows 10 devices to get the upgrade by mid-2022. Following the Windows Update route is ideal and best for everyone. However, if you are an advanced user or want to get the upgrade now you can use the Installation Assistant method.
Windows Update
Open Windows Update in settings – (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and
Select Check for updates
If your device is eligible and the upgrade is ready, the option to download and install will appear. If you are ready to install Windows 11, select Download and install. If not you can choose to do this at a later date or schedule it.
Installation Assistant
Click to go to the Microsoft Windows 11 software download page.
Click on the Download Now option under the Windows 11 Installation Assistant
Select Run. (You need to be an administrator to run this tool.)
Once the tool confirms the device hardware is compatible, you will be presented with the license terms. Select Accept and Install.
Once the tool is ready, click the Restart Now button to complete the installation on your computer.
It might take some time to install Windows 11, and your PC will restart a few times. Make sure you don’t turn off your PC.
Alternatively, you can choose to perform a clean install of Windows 11 by creating a new Installation Media. Or Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) and create a bootable installation media or virtual machine. To do this, click to go to the Microsoft Windows 11 software download page and select download under the other options.
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Agritech startups in Africa will be eligible to win up to 1.5 million dollars at the seventh edition of the Pitch AgriHack competition. Pitch AgriHack is a pitching contest aimed exclusively at African businesses bringing technological innovation to the agriculture sector. Organized by AGRF and Heifer International, the competition focuses on accelerating entrepreneurial growth and job creation in the agriculture sector by leveraging advanced technologies and youth participation in Africa’s food security agenda.
The open competition portion of Pitch AgriHack 2021 will support companies that are driving innovation in agriculture across three categories-Early-stage, Mature/Growth-stage, and Women-led, with prizes totalling US$45,000. A fourth invite-only category known as the AYuTe Africa Challenge, sponsored by Heifer International, will award up to $1.5 million in grants to scalable ventures that are already generating measurable impact for Africa’s smallholder farmers.
Six winners will be selected from the open-application categories and two winners from the invite-only AYuTe Africa Challenge category. The winners will be announced at the AGRF Summit which takes place September 7-10 in Nairobi. Top contestants will receive a one-day boot camp in preparation for their final pitches. Winners will get continued support to develop and grow their enterprises.
“As a continent with a thriving youth population, Africa’s agricultural sector must look to its youth for the innovation that will fuel the future growth of this strategically important sector,” said Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa Programs at Heifer International. “Integrating youth and technology in the agricultural sector will transform the continent, creating new jobs and income-generating opportunities for young Africans”.
In addition to its sponsorship of Pitch AgriHack 2021, Heifer International is partnering with Generation Africa to run this year’s competition. Both organizations have a shared vision of eradicating hunger and poverty through sustainable, community-led development that begins with agriculture.
“It’s a privilege to have an established and experienced non-profit organization like Heifer International on board,” said Head of Generation Africa, Dickson Naftali. “At Generation Africa, we believe that food systems can change if we collaboratively support young African agri-food entrepreneurs. Pitch AgriHack 2021 can give access to the tools and expertise they need to make their businesses successful.”
Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA and Special Envoy to the UN Food Systems Summit, said, “We are excited to welcome Heifer International as it partners with the AGRF and Generation Africa on Pitch AgriHack 2021. By working together, sharing knowledge, and supporting mutually beneficial projects, we can make a bigger impact and drive agricultural transformation in Africa. We want young people across Africa to hear our message – the future of food and farming depends on them.”
Business profiles of the finalists will also be published in a Deal Book for circulation at the AGRF and online, while individual profiles will be made public on the GenAfrica.org platform and reviewed for relevance to their investor community.
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Digital SA Nation (SAtion), is collaborating with Microsoft South Africa to create digitally skilled South Africans. By introducing a Digital Skills Hub that will promote digital literacy, skills transfer and upskilling, and close the digital divide. The partnership between the two organizations hopes to aid in the socio-economic transformation of South Africa.
For Microsoft, the partnership with Digital SA Nation will provide opportunities that enable citizens to effectively operate in the digital space. Letting the South African youth unlock their career with skills that will improve their chances of securing a job.
“The digital economy creates the ideal opportunity for job creation,” says Lillian Barnard, General Manager, Microsoft South Africa. It also spurs innovation, boosts economic growth and supports long-term competitiveness“, she adds.
The SAtion Digital Skills Hub will host three initiatives; the Global Skills Initiative, Mahala, and Microsoft Cloud Society. Each initiative will offer different opportunities for all South Africans to acquire digital skills. This includes the youth, unemployed, small, medium and micro enterprises, and government officials.
With the Mahala initiative, South Africans aged 8 to 24 can sign up for the full Microsoft Office 365 free of charge. Through this portal, you will be able to activate Microsoft licenses for the Microsoft Office 365 suite and 5TB OneDrive cloud-based storage.
If you are interested in cloud computing and looking to learn and grow, the Microsoft Cloud Society initiative helps you identify and engage with passionate and influential cloud computing focused experts from the industry. You also get free online training and free or subsidized vouchers to take certification exams.
Through the Global Skills Initiative unemployed or economically disadvantaged South Africans can acquire skills and certification for in-demand jobs. These include roles such as software engineer, data analyst, customer service specialist and more.
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Registration for Microsoft Build 2021 is opened and it will be a completely free digital-only event. It will be in the form of a 48 hour long virtual interactive experience available across all the time zones. Microsoft’s developer-focused event will start from 3 PM GMT, 6 PM EAT, 5 PM SAT, May 25th to 27th 2021.
Like last year, Microsoft notes registration for Build is free but to get access to the full interactive content you’ll need to register. However, sessions covered on the hero video such as the keynotes will not require you to be registered. Event attendees will be able to customize 48 hours of continuous content to get their digital event experience. The event will have both live segments such as the keynotes, live technical sessions and Q&A. As well as already recorded content sessions.
Whether you are a student or an experienced app developer, you will gain action-ready skills specific to what you do through immersive experiences, engaging with community, and one-on-one guidance from Microsoft engineers.
To enjoy a total conference experience Microsoft advises you to register as most sessions will require you to sign in. Registration will give you the ability to schedule your viewing events or sessions. And to access the connection zone, one-to-one consultations with an expert, and other community and networking sessions.
Featured speakers for Build include Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, Amanda Silver, CVP Products, Developer tools, Donovan Brown, and Scott Guthrie EVP, Cloud and AI Group. Others speakers are Scott Hanselman, Kayla Cinnamon, Rajesh Jha, Kevin Scott, Anna Hoffman, Dona Sarkar, Christina Warren and more.
Build 2021 will also host the finals of the 2021 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship. Where Team REWEBA from Kenya alongside three other teams across the globe will present and showcase their solutions for a chance to win the competition.
What to expect?
Keynotes: Headlines and announcements delivered by executives
Technical/Breakout Sessions: More in-depth coverage of keynote content
Ask the Experts: Sessions with experts in cloud, desktop, mobile, and web development for guidance specific to your project or interests.
Humans of IT: Discover the intersection between humanity and tech through inspirational stories about humans who use tech for good.
Table Topics: Gather the community for live discussion on camera, and in chat! Get inspired by community experts, learn best practices, and discover helpful resources with other attendees.
Local Connections: Opportunity to engage with attendees on a local level. Dedicated time for local leadership to deliver an experience to help attendees find developers and experts with similar interests within their region.
Student Activities: Content covers key topics to help you get started across a variety of Microsoft technologies, job roles, and interests.
Learn Live: Guided online with a subject matter expert to walk and talk through Microsoft Learn modules.
Partner Sessions: Connect with Microsoft Partners in either an Ask the Expert or Table Topics session
Product Roundtables: Two-way discussions between product teams and customers
Cloud Skills Challenge: Complete preset collections of online learning modules for a chance to win prizes.
One-on-One Consultations: One-on-One Consultations will provide Microsoft Build attendees a unique opportunity to connect with a Microsoft professional to discuss specific questions and solutions. Sessions are 45 minutes long and provide the only one-on-one setting at the conference.
Like previous Microsoft Build events stay tuned and we will bring you the keynote livestream and announcements from the event.
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