Microsoft Teams Essential is a solution that brings the Teams collaboration platform into an affordable package. It provides an affordable entry point for remote collaboration that small businesses can take advantage of. At $4 USD per month, a user gets 30 hours of group video calls, group chat, file sharing, and calendaring.
This solution will enable teams to seamlessly meet, chat, call, and collaborate irrespective of the device or location. The new offering maximises value while minimising costs for businesses by centralising onto a single platform their collaboration tools at less the cost of a full Microsoft Teams suite.
According to David Behr, CEO of Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security, “Teams Essentials is an entry-level focused version of the Microsoft Office Suite that extends the Teams platform to medium and small businesses, typically twenty-five users and below. Liquid is proud to partner with Microsoft to deliver this affordable solution that supports the collaborative nature of small businesses, promoting enterprise in Africa”.
To enable seamless collaboration Microsoft Teams Essentials gives users access to its Microsoft online tools, i.e., Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Users will also be able to connect to Teams Essentials using a 3rd party email provider.
Liquid says Teams Essentials is another offering it is proud to launch across the African continent. Part of its strategic repositioning as an intelligent technology provider serving its customers’ rapidly evolving communication requirements across Africa.
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As part of their commitment to fostering innovation and building digital skills even in the remotest part of the country, Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa, today heralded in a new digital dawn in the Eastern Cape with the opening of the first Innovation and Digital Skills Centre (IDSC) in Mthatha.
Through this initiative, communities close to the Digital Skills Centre will be exposed to local learning and business opportunities. The IDSC will serve as a technology hub where learners and entrepreneurs can equip themselves with the latest and most relevant digital skills. The IDSC is equipped with state-of-the-art classroom learning facilities with high-speed connectivity, helping positively impact the education system in the city.
As part of the learnerships, the courses on offer will include:
Microsoft Office Fundamentals: In this training course, learners will learn basic Word, Excel, and Outlook skills.
Introduction to Design Thinking: This course will introduce learners to the Design Thinking process and illustrate best practices for each step along the way.
Introduction to C#: This is part of a three-part course where learners will be taken through the fundamentals, object-oriented programming concepts and instruction on data structures and algorithms
According to Deon Geyser, Chief Executive Officer Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa, “As we stand at the cusp of the 4IR, digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, Big Data, Robotics, 3D technologies and many more have become the means and solutions to many of the world’s problems. We believe that empowering the youth with the necessary technological skills will prepare them to thrive in today’s digital age and become part of the digital revolution. The opening of the centre is a realisation of our commitment to future-ready local communities, upskilling the youth and accelerating digital adoption among entrepreneurs based in the Eastern Cape.”
Empowering South African youth and communities has always been at the core of Liquid SA. The organisation has implemented leadership programmes for 93 students in the Eastern Cape covering ICT while also awarding 20 bursaries to students through the Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu Universities for the 2020 Academic year.
Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Ms Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams says, “A key aspect of economic development and growth is the ability to enhance competitiveness through skills and competencies that are on par with international markets. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies pro-actively developed the National Digital and Future Skills strategy to keep pace with the advancement of technology.”
Commenting on the opening of the centre, Honourable Premier: Eastern Cape Provincial Government, Mr L. O. Mabuyane said, “It is indeed heartening to see social partners, across the spectrum, including business, heed the call by government, to join in the pact towards a better life for all – of our people. The mastery of the set of skills that, in particular, an evolving curriculum and a refocused education outcomes agenda – towards a workforce that will be ready for the 4th Industrial Revolution, will place all of us and the future of generations to come on the right footing towards exponential growth and development in our province. Through innovation and digital technologies, we have the potential to tap into the full potential of the Eastern Cape and her peoples”.
To date, 140 underprivileged students benefitted from bursaries to leading tertiary institutions; 811 learnerships and internships have been implemented in various courses for learners, including those with disabilities. 50 unemployed youth were trained on Introduction to Programming, 630 mainstream schools and 20 learners with disabilities benefitted from ICT equipment and expos, while 389 learners went through The Virtual Mathematician maths and science schools in the Eastern Cape.
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Liquid Telecom is announcing the culmination of all its business from being a telecommunications and digital services provider to a full one-stop-shop technology group. The company is rebranding its name from Liquid Telecom to Liquid Intelligent Technologies to mark this change.
Over the last two decades, Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading pan-African digital infrastructure provider with an extensive network spanning over 73,000 KM. This rebrand to Liquid Intelligent Technologies highlights the organisation’s expansion of its Cloud business, Cyber Security services, and other technologies added to its existing telecoms and connectivity capability.
This furthers the Group’s aim of accelerating growth by providing tailor-made digital solutions to businesses in the public and private sectors across the continent. This strategic rebrand reflects Liquid’s new digital-first product offerings, enabling employees and customers to interact with each other digitally irrespective of the time or location.
By aggressively expanding into new countries, including Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liquid Intelligent Technologies is bringing its award-winning high-performance network connectivity closer to more people and accelerating the development of the digital workplace.
Liquid Intelligent Technologies will expand its Managed Services offerings to drive and ensure successful adoption of tools to re-imagine their customers’ businesses and how they work and connect. Whether they are focused on enabling collaboration or utilising the most advanced cloud applications.
As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Liquid is redefining Network, Cloud and Cyber Security offerings through strategic partnerships with leading global players, bringing innovative business applications, intelligent cloud services and world-class security to the African continent.
With the future of network security-driven from the cloud, Liquid Intelligent Technologies’ recently launched its Cyber Security business unit, which uniquely delivers security at its core, protecting your business’s data throughout its lifecycle.
According to Nic Rudnick, Group Chief Executive Officer, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, “Our ongoing investment in our networks and data centres across Africa has uniquely positioned us to utilise our infrastructure to accelerate the availability of new intelligent technologies including the high computing power of the Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security to our customers. We are now excited to be executing our vision of bringing new technological opportunities to the market with a highly differentiated product set supported by our existing infrastructure and digital innovation.”
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The Eastern, Southern and Central Africa communications solutions provider notes the appointment is effective from 1st January 2021.
Deon Geyser will be responsible for overseeing the strategic repositioning of the company as Liquid Intelligent Technologies. Providing an integrated technology capability that enables customers to transform their business through new intelligent technologies.
I am truly honoured to be chosen to lead the business into the next stage of its strategic development. Geyser shares commenting on his new appointment.
“Liquid has a ground-breaking view on transforming business through technology. Supported by a strong and talented team, a solid customer base and an exciting customer value proposition. I look forward to continuing building out its growth and to unlock value for shareholders and broader stakeholders alike.”
Group Chief Operating Officer Mr. Ahmad Mokhles notes, we are delighted to welcome Deon to Liquid Telecom South Africa.
“He is a proven leader. His strong knowledge of both the local market and the continent, extensive management experience in both the public and private sector and the track records in digital transformation makes him ideally placed to continue Liquid’s next chapter of growth and sustainability. As well as to achieve its successful repositioning.”
Deon Geyser holds a master’s degree in engineering management. As well as bachelor’s degrees in Electronic Engineering and IT from the University of Johannesburg. Prior to joining Liquid Intelligent Technologies, he has held senior management positions at Siemens and Millicom International Cellular (Tigo). His most recent position being that of Head of Southern Africa and Vodafone Africa for Nokia since 2014.
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Liquid Telecom hosted an Azure Accelerator conference in Mauritius in partnership with Microsoft. The event saw attendees learning how to benefit from Microsoft’s Azure and cloud services.
This year Microsoft announced Africa cloud datacenters for customers and organizations in the region. Microsoft cloud partner Liquid Telecom, together with Microsoft invited organizations to the event to learn and explore what the African Azure Cloud meant for African businesses.
Event speakers expounded on digital transformation, cloud trends, cyber security, their impact in the cloud and more. The Azure Accelerator Conference in Mauritius also showcased how some local businesses are already using the services. Participants were able to meet and network with Liquid Telecom and Microsoft experts.
