Tecnotree announces the launch of a digital multi-experience platform, Tecnotree Moments, in collaboration with MTN Nigeria. Tecnotree Moments is a gateway of digital services and lifestyle bundling products. It will launch with e-sports content such as PUBG Mobile Daily, FIFA Daily, Rocket League Daily, Fortnite Monthly, and Fantasy Football. Moments will also contain the complete Nigerian JSSCE, SSSCE, and IGCSE syllabus in the form of interactive and immersive content and live classes.
The multi-experience partner ecosystem offering aims to create lifestyle bundles of content, applications, and connectivity. Through a pre-integrated digital partner ecosystem for global, local and glocal high-demand and hyper-growth sectors. The platform will attract leading partners across different sectors such as education, entertainment, gaming, sports, health, and wellness to enter Nigeria and use direct customer billing to convert ecosystem partners into instant revenue generators.
It will offer Africa’s top-played games, with fresh games being updated regularly. With dynamic ecosystem partners, the platform is uniquely positioned to cater for the convergence in education and gaming content around the globe that fosters social and emotional learning, imperative for personalized and adaptive experiences.
The MTN-Moments partnership will look at providing Massive Online Open Curriculum (MOOC) for career development and progression. Facilitating the acquisition of soft and technical skills. The platform will be launched first in Nigeria, with plans to launch these services to other MTN OpCos in Africa.
‘MTN is constantly seeking partnerships to build platforms that provide a superior service to our customers. We have always been deliberate about giving our customers the very best in digital content. This partnership with Tecnotree is a reinforcement of that commitment. The platform will provide enormous quality content that cuts across education and entertainment for our customers.’ said Aisha Mumuni, MTN’s Acting Chief Digital Officer.
Padma Ravichander, CEO of Tecnotree Corporation said, ‘Our Vision is to empower digitally connected communities, narrow the digital divide and create digital inclusion for various diasporas of the Nigerian population. We are very excited to partner with MTN Nigeria to launch our Tecnotree Moments platform that will support the Nigerian community with true digital services and products through our global partners. MTN’s commitment to making Africa a truly digital economy is a powerful purpose and Tecnotree is proud to be its digital partner in the cause.’
[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi, sign up so you can get the latest in breaking news, reviews, opinions, events, opportunities and community updates right in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]
Certiport is announcing the winners of the 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) World Online Championship. The 19th edition of the competition took place virtually from November 9-11, due to the pandemic. It however attracted more than 200,000 contestants from 108 countries. Six people emerged first place winners with a $7,000 cash prize across six categories. Second and third place winners also won $3,500 and $1,500 cash prizes respectively.
The competition is open to students from the ages of 13 to 22 across the globe. They compete with peers to prove their superior skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This year, regional competitions were held worldwide and 160 finalists from 33 countries qualified to compete in the final round of the competition.
Four students from Africa emerged top ten winners this year. Paras Girish Khetiya from Kenya came tenth place in the Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019) category. Mahmoud Elkhoshet, Egypt, sixth place in the Microsoft Word (Office 2016) category. Ankain Lesly Chuo, Cameroon, tenth place in the Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019) category. Vanessa Obiedo, Nigeria, tenth place in the Microsoft Excel (Office 2016) category.
Next year, Certiport will host the 2022 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, CA, from July 24-27, 2022. To learn more about the event, search the event hashtag #MOSWC on Facebook and Twitter.
The 2021 Microsoft Office Specialist World Champions are:
Microsoft Word® (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)
First place: Ondrej Cach, Czech Republic
Second place: Man Weng Tong, Macau
Third place: Qiao Yan Yang – Malaysia
Microsoft Word® (Office 2016)
First place: Huy Nguyen Quoc, Vietnam
Second place: Leyao Huang, China
Third place: Peng Yu Lin, Taiwan
Microsoft PowerPoint® (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)
First place: Andrew Chuang Saladin, USA
Second place: Ma. Jessa Gomez, Philippines
Third place: Ka Hin Hung, Hong Kong
Microsoft PowerPoint® (Office 2016)
First place: Masaharu Komiyama, Japan
Second place: Carson Mulvey, USA
Third place: Siddh Vora, India
Microsoft Excel® (Microsoft 365 Apps and Office 2019)
First place: Ami Nakazono, Japan
Second place: Joaquin Saul Rivera Rivera, Peru
Third place: Viktoria Zhelyazkova Kabaivanova, Bulgaria
Microsoft Excel® (Office 2016)
First place: Songyao Luo, China
Second place: Phat Nguyen Duc, Vietnam
Third place: Ka Kiu Chan, Hong Kong
“In 2020, we missed the opportunity to showcase the incredible talents and accomplishments of these MOS Champions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we couldn’t let the global pandemic stand in the way in 2021,” said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE.
“It is inspiring to see students from 33 countries come together virtually to ‘speak Microsoft’. The winners receive extra praise, but every single student who entered has earned a valuable workforce credential that will help them find success in college and in their career. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of IT skills for tomorrow’s professionals and it’s incredible to see so many young people get introduced to IT certifications through the MOS World Championship.”
“The Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship is one of my favorite events because these students are thrilled to compete and they inspire all of us with their competitive spirit and crowning achievement,” said Leigh Creswell – Director, Public Sector Skills, Microsoft. “These young people who worked to earn valuable industry-recognized certifications represent a bright future for our industry and a solid foundation for the future skilled global workforce.“
Certiport is the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners.
[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi, sign up so you can get the latest in breaking news, reviews, opinions, events, opportunities and community updates right in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]
Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
Microsoft is partnering with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Egypt, to launch a Digital Transformation (DX) technologies scholarship to build the capacities of 1,000 graduates. The scholarship aims to refine the skills of graduates and qualify them to contribute to the tech renaissance in Egypt.
It will provide knowledge and know-how in advanced DX technologies through intensive digital training, virtual classes and practical exercises. Trainees will receive certificates at the end of the training. The training tracks include DevOps, data science, cloud infrastructure management, cloud app development and database management.
Microsoft believes in the importance of building youth skills, says Mirna Arif, Country General Manager, Microsoft Egypt.
“ … and enhancing their digital capabilities in the competitive labour market to accelerate digital transformation in Egypt towards a knowledge-based digital economy. Technology is an integral part of the workplace today, and businesses need employees who can increasingly work with new technologies.”
The MCIT says the scholarship is within its Egypt Vision 2030 framework and strategy of forging a digital society. And part of the agreement between the Egyptian government and Microsoft to digitally transform entities in the administrative apparatus of the state.
[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi, sign up so you can get the latest in breaking news, reviews, opinions, events, opportunities and community updates right in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]
Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
Microsoft signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Texas A&M University, Qatar, to empower its engineering students with future-ready skills. The partnership with the Qatar Foundation partner university will provide students with the tools and experiences necessary to drive innovation and succeed in the workforce. As part of the agreement, the university will leverage Microsoft tools and platforms to achieve their common goal.
Texas A&M will pilot activities such as the Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Community and Microsoft Azure for Students in the 2021-2022 academic year. Microsoft Learn provides self-paced, digital learning resources to build skills and a foundational understanding of technology. Microsoft Learn will complement classroom learning and study materials. Students will get to join the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Community which will help students learn and lead. By giving them access to free tools, events and activities and unlocking exclusive benefits through learning. Through Microsoft Azure for Students, students will gain hands-on experience with Microsoft technologies to start building apps, explore artificial intelligence (AI) and big data.
The faculty and teaching staff at Texas A&M University, Qatar, will also have access to Azure Development Tools for teaching. This will give them access to tools commonly used in STEM programs. It will also give them the opportunity to participate in the Microsoft Learn for Educators Institution Program, which gives eligible educators access to additional teaching and learning benefits.
“Texas A&M is proud to partner with Microsoft as we work together to educate engineering leaders in Qatar. We are grateful to share this vision with Microsoft and we look forward to the future successes of this partnership. Especially of our graduates says Dr. César Octavio Malavé, Dean Texas A&M.
Our partnership with Texas A&M at Qatar comes in line with our commitment to provide higher education institutions in Qatar with the resources and tools needed to build the next-generation workforce that will accelerate the country’s transition into a knowledge-based economy and innovation hub.
Lana Khalaf, country manager of Microsoft Qatar
[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi, sign up so you can get the latest in breaking news, reviews, opinions, events, opportunities and community updates right in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]
Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
Four hundred thousand people in South Africa have participated in the Microsoft Global Skills initiative. A Digital skills initiative that seeks to help participants gain in-demand skills to become employable. This shows an increase from the three hundred thousand shared in March this year.
Lillian Barnard, Managing Director, Microsoft South Africa details this at the launch event of the Nedbank DigiSkills online platform. Another strategic partnership with a private sector organization to extend the reach of digital skills to more South Africans.
Extending access to these learning paths, skills and tools come at a critical time for South Africa, says Lillian Barnard. Noting a declining economy and unemployment remain a mounting and widespread challenge in the country.
Even though the skills program has exceeded its initial goal of reaching 25 million learners, only over a million of those come from Africa. With South Africa having the most participants. Microsoft mentioned partnering with other organizations and governments as one of the many ways to change this. And offering additional funding and services where necessary.
These partnerships have been fundamental to scale programmes that help more people gain the critical future skills needed in the digital economy. We are committed to collaborating with partners such as Nedbank and Afrika Tikkun to provide the training, tools and platforms to boost employability and economic growth.
Lillian Barnard
Lillian believes digital skills are the most effective way to drive economic recovery in South Africa. Noting it is a priority for Microsoft to create opportunities that will enable and empower unemployed South Africans. Microsoft has provided $150000 in grants to the youth development NPO to extend the reach of the Microsoft Skills Initiative programme in South Africa.
[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi, sign up so you can get the latest in breaking news, reviews, opinions, events, opportunities and community updates right in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]
Nedbank is introducing the Nedbank DigiSkills online platform. A low bandwidth digital skills training program in partnership with Microsoft and Afrika Tikkun. To help South Africans acquire the in-demand skills needed in a more digital post-COVID-19 economy. It plans to upskill and create sustainable income opportunities for one thousand South Africans by the end of 2021. With plans to scale this number to five thousand in the longer term.
The platform offers five free online courses and learning tracks that lead to roles in software development, data analysis, IT administration, customer service specialist and project management. Participants will undergo an evaluation process after the completion of a learning path. Those who qualify proceed to complete a Microsoft Certification exam.
South Africans over the age of 18, who can read and write English are eligible to participate in the Nedbank DigiSkills training.
Participating in the skills program is easy and here are the steps. First, visit the platform https://www.digiskills.careers and sign up. Enter your mobile number to start the registration process. You will receive an SMS to verify and confirm your mobile number. Then enter your details to complete your profile. Finally, you’ll then have access to the course library. Choose a course and start learning.
Nedbank says exam writing is available at its facilities in major cities across South Africa.
Microsoft South Africa’s partnership with Nedbank is part of Microsoft’s global skills initiative to help people most affected by the pandemic gain in-demand skills to be employable. By offering free online courses across Microsoft, LinkedIn, and GitHub learning platforms. So far over 30 million people across the globe have participated in the program and over a million across Africa. Microsoft is partnering with organizations and governments in Africa to bring this to more people. Offering additional funding and services to make this possible where this is necessary.
[jetpack_subscription_form subscribe_placeholder=”Enter your email address” show_subscribers_total=”false” button_on_newline=”false” submit_button_text=”Hi, sign up so you can get the latest in breaking news, reviews, opinions, events, opportunities and community updates right in your inbox. ” custom_font_size=”16px” custom_border_radius=”0″ custom_border_weight=”1″ custom_padding=”15″ custom_spacing=”10″ submit_button_classes=”” email_field_classes=”” show_only_email_and_button=”true”]
Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
