Meet Abou Conde, Ghana’s first Microsoft Most Valuable Professional

Microsoft recognizes technology experts who passionately share their knowledge with their community by honouring them with the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award. One such outstanding community leader is Abou Conde.

Abou Conde, Ghana’s first MVP

Abou Conde

Abou becomes the first recipient of the prestigious Microsoft MVP award in Ghana. He has been awarded Microsoft MVP in the Azure category for 2020-2021. This makes him the first Azure MVP in West Africa. He joins four other MVP award winners in the Azure category in Africa. Three are located in South Africa and one in Egypt.

Microsoft MVP Africa outlook

There are currently thirty-two Microsoft MVP recipients in Africa. 17 are located in South Africa, 3 each in Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria. Senegal, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana each have 1 MVP. The majority of MVPs in Africa are awarded in the developer technologies, Office Apps & Services and Data Platform categories. Africa is yet to get an MVP in the Office Development, Artificial Intelligence and Windows & Devices for IT categories.

Abou notes that growing up there were no communities, expertise and mentorship to look up to. People usually had to find answers from communities and people online. He felt inspired to change this and help the local community in Ghana.

Our co-founder and editor, Christopher Bennett spoke with Abou Conde about winning the MVP award and the Microsoft User Group Ghana community. Watch the conversation below.

https://youtu.be/aJ-y8kgXnf8?t=17
MVP talk starts at 11:00

Abou Conde currently works at Global Information Technology Solutions (GITS). Specializing in both on-premise and cloud enterprise architecture. He is also an ambassador for the aOS community.

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Microsoft for Startups hosts Nigeria Tech Innovators in Lagos

Microsoft for Startups hosts Nigeria Tech Innovators in Lagos

Microsoft leaders meet with Nigeria tech innovators at a founders dinner in Lagos.

Microsoft for Startups

Microsoft for Startups team meets with innovators and leaders of technology organizations from across Nigeria that are “disrupting the way Nigerians experience payments, healthcare, transportation and education“.

The special drinks and dinner meetup brought together over forty innovators, founders and leaders in the Nigerian Tech ecosystem. The event was hosted by the Microsoft for Startups team and organized by TechCircle Nigeria.

Microsoft leaders at the event include, Microsoft Startup Advocacy lead and Cloud Developer Advocate, Simona Cotin, Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana Country Manager, Akin Banuso and Gafar Lawal Microsoft Africa Development Center Managing Director.

Simona Cotin shared Microsoft’s desire to deepen its relationship with the emerging tech scene in Africa. As well as work with communities in the area.

The team visited Nigerian startups OPay Nigeria, Paystack, PiggyVest and Flutterwave earlier in the day. Learning about the developer ecosystem. Simona and other Microsoft advocates also spoke at Concatenate developer conference in Lagos, where Microsoft was a platinum sponsor.

Check out photo’s from the event courtesy TechCircle Nigeria.

Microsoft for Startups program

In February 2018 Microsoft announced Microsoft for Startups. A new program and platform for startups to grow, build and connect. Giving qualified startups access to technology, market and a community.

Microsoft is celebrating seven years of its 4Afrika initiative in Africa. Noting it has supported over three hundred startups providing them with business development support, access to markets and potential customers.

What do you think about Microsoft’s move into the African Tech scene. Share your thoughts with us.

Post Image: ? TechCircle

Dynabook introduces Tecra A40 and Tecra X50 Laptops

Dynabook introduces Tecra A40 and Tecra X50 Laptops

Dynabook Europe GmbH announces new Windows 10 laptops at GITEX Technology Week 2019 for the Middle East Africa market. These are the Tecra A40-E and the Tecra X50-F business laptops.

Dynabook

Toshiba’s computer business was rebranded as Dynabook in April this year. After Sharp Corporation obtained 80.1% of Toshiba’s computer business in October 2018. Therefore as of 1st April 2019, Toshiba PC’s will be known globally as Dynabook. The name also comes from Toshiba’s first generation PCs and world’s first notebook computer.

The Tecra A40 and Tecra X50 business laptops will be part of new devices to be Dynabook branded in the Middle East.

President of Dynabook Europe GmbH, Damian Jaume, says the launch of these devices demonstrates the company’s commitment to innovate within the Middle East business PC market. He made this remark speaking to the media at GITEX 2019.

The Tecra A40-E has been developed with all businesses in mind, no matter what their size or industry.
The launch of this device demonstrates our commitment to innovate within the Middle East business PC market and broaden our range of user-centric devices, following on from our company rebrand.
We are looking forward to sharing this for the first time with our Middle East clients at GITEX 2019. The biggest and most important technology event in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia
.

Typically, 15” devices have been desk-based products and therefore those using them have been bound to the office. The launch of the X50-F supports our mission to empower workers to work whenever and wherever with ultra-mobile devices, without sacrificing on portability or performance.”

Damian Jaume, President Dynabook Europe GmbH

Dynabook Tecra

A40-E

Dynabook Tecra A40-E
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Display14.0” Toshiba Full HD TFT non-reflective High Brightness and IPS Technology display
ProcessorUp to 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor
RAM8 MB DDR4
Storage Up to 1 TB
Network
Others1.47kg, up to 13.5 hours of battery life, Quick Charge 4 hours’ battery life from 30 minutes charging.

X50-F

Dynabook Tecra X50-F
Operating System Windows 10 Pro
Display15.6” Non-reflective Full HD Display up to 470 NIT brightness or Full HD with optional in-Cell Touch technology
Onyx Blue with Hair line
ProcessorUp to 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor
RAM8 MB DDR4 RAM
Storage Up to 1 TB PCIe SSD with optional Intel Optane Technology
NetworkWiFi 6 (802.11ax), Optional 4G LTE
OthersIntel UHD Graphics 620

We are yet to get pricing and availability dates on these devices. We will update this post when we get a response.

Any Toshiba PC lovers out there? What do you think about the brand name and the new devices announced. Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Abu Dhabi Digital Authority to use Microsoft solutions in accelerating Smart Citizen Experience

Abu Dhabi Digital Authority to use Microsoft solutions in accelerating Smart Citizen Experience

Abu Dhabi Digital Authority

Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, ADDA will use Microsoft solutions in enabling the enhancement of e-services across the emirate’s public agencies. Abu Dhabi Digital Authority announced they will use Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power BI and artificial intelligence tools to build an intelligent customer-service platform for citizens.

Microsoft D365 enables government institutions to unify data and open up doors to new capabilities. That will enhance scalability and cost-effectiveness, flexibility and allow the government to innovate freely. Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE explains.

Our partnership with Microsoft will allow us to build an intelligent customer-service platform. That will fulfil the ambitions of our leaders to streamline and optimise citizens and residents requests across Abu Dhabi government entities.

Through the intelligent solutions and CRM of Dynamics 365, we shall create a seamless omni-channel experience for citizens, lubricate workflow and case management and provide stakeholders and field workers with unparalleled and unprecedented decision-making capabilities through intuitive and in-depth business intelligence.”

Excellency Saeed Al Mulla, Government Service Executive Director ADDA.

“We are a long-time partner of the Abu Dhabi government in its ambitions to elevate its e-services to peerless standards. Abu Dhabi’s leaders’ vision of a secure, confident society with a competitive, sustainable and globally open economy, is one we share.” – Sayed Hashish

Surface Hub 2S is now available to UAE market

Surface Hub 2S is now available to UAE market

Surface Hub 2S in now available to businesses and organizations in the United Arab Emirates market. Microsoft made this announcement at GITEX Technology Week 2019 taking place in Dubai. Where the company and its partner organizations are showcasing solutions and services.

Surface Hub 2S

Microsoft MEA Surface Business Group Director, Mirna Arif notes the device was designed with the region’s teams in mind.

With the latest addition to our Surface family, we have built a bridge between the digital and physical workspaces, in deference to how the nature of work continues to evolve. The modern workplace demands more from employees, and cross-skilled teams collaborating continuously has become the new norm.” – Mirna Arif

Mirna Arif adds that digital transformation has essentially become the empowerment of teams. “So we have designed Office 365 to put collaboration front and centre. Letting people work together in real time from any device.”

Surface Hub 2S will start selling at AED 34,870 and is available now from Microsoft Surface Hub partners.