Microsoft used its latest mixed reality capture technology to create an on stage human sized hologram. Well this isn’t new. What is new this time around is that the hologram from the demo below was speaking Japanese. A language Microsoft CVP, Azure Marketing doesn’t speak.
Using mixed reality and Azure AI services Microsoft was able to translate her speech into Japanese, training the hologram to speak and sound like her. This Microsoft says is “The magic of AI neural TTS and holograms”.
Watch Microsoft Demo AI technology and holographic experience on stage at Microsoft Inspire
Julia shares that to do this Microsoft used;
Mixed reality technology to create and render hologram
Azure speech-to-text capability in English transcription to get her speech
Azure translate to get her English speech into Japanese and then applied
Neural text-to-speech technology to make the Japanese sound like her.
What do you think about this ai technology? Getting ideas on other areas this can be used? Microsoft says the tech is here. Share your thoughts.
Meet the 2018 Africa Microsoft Partner Network Partner of the Year Awards winners
Dimension Data, South Africa [Modern Workplace Transformation Partner of the Year Award winner]
Each year Microsoft celebrates partner achievements at its flagship Inspire partner event. Microsoft Inspire event brings Microsoft partners from across the globe together to network, learn and collaborate. Microsoft shares its vision and strategies with them as well. Partners get the opportunity to interact with Microsoft and industry experts at the event.
Partners can send in their nominations to be selected for their exceptional accomplishments over the period. This year over 2600 nominations we submitted and we share the Africa finalist and winners in the various categories with you.
Global Modern Workplace Transformation Award
Dimension Data from South Africa, won the global Modern Workplace Transformation Partner of the Year Award. In acknowledging their efforts Microsoft says Dimension Data successfully positioned their customer for the digital future by completely transforming their workplace with the full power of Microsoft 365. By deploying an integrated Microsoft Productivity portfolio as well as Collaboration and Security solutions. Thus improving overall employee productivity, engagement and satisfaction.
2018 Microsoft Partner Network Country Partner of the Year
Côte d’Ivoire Partner of the Year
Winner: INOVA
INOVA specialized in software development, system integration, networking infrastructure, and Training.
Egypt Partner of the Year
Winner: HITS Technologies HITS Technologies is a Microsoft Gold Partner specialized in developing HCM software products, to manage, serve and secure organizations over Cloud using Microsoft latest technologies of IoT.
Kenya Partner of the Year
Winner: Cloud Productivity Solutions Limited
Cloud Productivity Solutions Limited is a technology firm that specializes in helping companies save money through innovation.
Mauritius Partner of the Year
Winner: MC3
MC3 Mauritius initiated massive transformation in its business from a traditional distributor to a Value-Added Reseller. Driving a strong partner reach and onboarding of over 50 new Cloud resellers within 3 quarters of FY18.
Morocco Partner of the Year
Winner: CASANET
CASANET is the fastest growing CSP Microsoft partner in Morocco. Consistent with their values, they launched the first and unique cloud computing marketplace in Morocco (www.mycloud.ma), which is the only one stop shop for SMB IT needs
Namibia Partner of the Year
Winner: Salt Essential IT
Salt Essential Information Technology is a Namibian based company with 20 years of experience in hosting solutions offering their clients affordable infrastructure through the Microsoft SPLAR platform
Nigeria Partner of the Year
Winner: Ha-Shem Network Services Ltd.
Ha-shem Network Services Ltd. is a traditional LSP within the Nigerian Partner eco-system.
Senegal Partner of the Year
Winner: FTF
FTF is Gold Partner on Cloud Platform and Cloud Productivity driving most of the Cloud productivity consumption in West and Central Africa.
South Africa Partner of the Year
Winner: Britehouse a Division of Dimension Data
Britehouse (a Dimension Data company) is a long-standing Microsoft Partner with experience across all of the Microsoft Solution areas.
To learn more about these partners and what they do find out here.
Meet the Africa partner of the year Award winners from 2017 Microsoft Partner Network Partner of the Year Awards.
Microsoft has celebrated partner achievements at the just ended 2017 Microsoft Inspire conference. The event brings together partners from across the globe to network, collaborate and learn from each other. There was opportunity for partners to interact with Microsoft personnel and other industry experts at the partner event.
Here is a highlight from the first day of the event
Among the several nominations Microsoft selected finalist and I’ll be sharing the winning partners from Africa.
Speaking about the winners Microsoft said;
“These partners and their award nominations are truly exceptional. Their accomplishments should be viewed as examples of excellence for every Microsoft partner.”
2017 Africa Partner of the year
Angola
Partner of the Year Menshen
Menshen is a local high skilled IT company in Angola. They moved the Angolan Airline (TAAG) with 1300 users to O365. It looked an uphill task. But in collaboration with the Fastrack team, Menshen managed to move all users to Office 365.
Egypt
Partner of the Year HITS Technologies
HITS is an early adopter to Microsoft’s Cloud and have more than 300 customers in around 50 countries. HITS SAAS on Azure helped ABK (Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait) Egypt to avoid costly start-up investments. Some key benefits for ABK include, Efficient Management for employees Personnel & Payroll, along with day-to-day tasks. Also ABK have totally switched their environment into paperless via HITS self-services and electronic workflow.
Kenya
Partner of the Year Dimension Data
Dimension Data Kenya continue to demonstrate their ability to support customers in digital transformation in collaboration with the Microsoft team. This year we positively impacted a number of customers in the financial services sector with a number of solutions. Built on SharePoint Online in particular that resulted in several strong, positive customer testimonials from a number of leading retail banks in Kenya.
Africa Partner of the year 2017
Morocco
Partner of the Year Netopia Solutions
Netopia is an ISV in Morocco with a deep focus on transforming digitally, Government services in North and Central Africa. Their eGov suite called CIVIS includes biometric passport solutions, prison management and healthcare assistance modules being rapidly adopted. Recognized this year with the Microsoft eGov Innovation Grant. Microsoft Azure platform is the next generation platform helping Netopia scale their solutions across new markets. Netopia were successful in transforming their business model and now going to offer their solutions as managed IP.
Nigeria
Partner of the Year Reliance Infosystems Limited
Reliance Infosystems is a partner passionate about the Microsoft cloud. Our leading partner driving the digitalization of the SMB Customer Segment for Nigeria. Reliance Infosystems was a typical SI partner but they are a Gold Cloud Competent ISV and newly onboarded CSP partner. They earned 2 Gold Cloud competencies (Productivity and SMMCS) and won over 44 new cloud subscriptions. “Sajenwa” their Payroll/ERP solution built on Microsoft Azure opened new territories for Microsoft in the SMB space.
Rwanda
Partner of the Year Dimension Data
Dimension Data provided strategic support to the customer showing them the business value add of moving to the cloud. The deep technical support provided enabled Microsoft to have a much easier conversation with stakeholders on why the cloud and why now. Dimension Data then had a seamless working relationship with Fast track that allowed the customer to experience value. This has enabled Microsoft to have a great cloud story in Rwanda. Dimension Data has led the cloud story in Rwanda.
Africa Partner of the year 2017
South Africa
Partner of the Year BUI
BUI has won Cloud and Infrastructure Partner of the year awards for 4 years in a row. A leader in helping customers realize their business potential through digital transformation. They are the go to partner of choice for Microsoft’s cloud services and technology. BUI have been involved in deploying some of the largest projects in the country for Microsoft technologies. It has aggressively displaced competitive products across all verticals, with numerous competitive wins.
Tanzania
Partner of the Year Techno Brain T Ltd
Microsoft has relied heavily on the C-Level relationships that Techno Brain has built In Tanzania to build pipeline and close deals. This C- level relationships is what Microsoft tapped into when Exim bank wanted to move to the cloud.This was the fastest, The Cloud EA opportunity, that closed in East Africa this fiscal which benefited from C- level sales initiative.
So there’s a recap of the partner country winners and some of their achievements. Visit the #MSInspire page for more information about the event and awards.
