Microsoft is announcing a partnership with Liquid Cloud through its Africa Transformation Office (ATO) to provide cloud services to businesses across the continent. Liquid Cloud and the Microsoft ATO will collaborate to deliver resilient cloud in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to meet regulatory and data residency requirements, address low latency workloads, strengthen resilience, and enable business continuity.
The hybrid cloud environment extends Azure capabilities enabling customers to create cloud-native applications faster with Azure platform and data services such as App Service, Functions, Logic Apps, Azure SQL Managed Instance, PostgreSQL database, and Azure machine learning. As a result, customers will be able to innovate anywhere and use the Azure platform to bring new solutions to life that solves today’s challenges, while creating the future.
“We witnessed an accelerated adoption of cloud technologies in Africa, and businesses are now reaping the benefits of their investment. Our customers are increasingly moving to hybrid work culture, meaning the demand for cloud-based services will only grow. Our partnership will enable us to build comprehensive and edge-based cloud capabilities that meet customer regulatory requirements and ensure that they deliver value to their customers,” said David Behr, CEO of Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security.
On his part, Wael El kabbany, General Manager, Africa Regional Cluster, Microsoft said: “Critical infrastructure enablers are needed to provide access to the cloud to accelerate digital transformation and the adoption of digital technologies. Working with Liquid Cloud, access to the local cloud will be available to more organizations and highly regulated industries across the continent. In addition, the hybrid cloud provides in-country resources that address data residency, latency, and storage requirements,“
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Are you looking for a way to kick start your career? Looking to build some work experience in a thriving environment? The Microsoft 4Afrika Skills #Interns4Afrika Internship Africa initiative does just that.
The Interns4Afrika internship program offers talented young people a unique experience with a dynamic and agile technology organization on the African continent. Whether you’re aspiring for a future in sales, marketing or technology, this is your chance to kick-start your future. – Microsoft 4Afrika
Do you live in Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Rwanda, Nigeria, Algeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Zambia, Morocco and Cameroon? Get to be an IT Support Tech, Sales or Marketing intern.
Microsoft says, as a leader in platform and productivity for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, we believe in what people make possible. Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
“The Microsoft 4Afrika initiative has enabled us to link our growth with approaches that accelerate growth for the continent in three critical areas of development. World-class skills, Access and Innovation. Each of these focuses on different aspects that will help empower African youth, entrepreneurs, developers and business and civic leaders. To turn great ideas into a reality that can help their community, their country, the continent and beyond.”
“World-Class Skills is about Microsoft plans to develop a Self-sustaining, world-class education platform, both online and offline, to help Africans develop skills for entrepreneurship and improved employability and competitiveness. Microsoft in partnership with the host organization will offer you a unique opportunity to kick start your career. The internship program will provide you with a real-world work experience and new skills while working for a leading technology organization on the African continent”.
With this offer you will work for 6 months with a Microsoft partner organization on real projects. You’ll collaborate and learn from your colleagues. For more question about the Interns4Afrika program, check out the FAQ’s
A few things you need to note to avoid being disqualified.
Your application will be disqualified if you fail to reveal or disclose truthful information.
6 companies from Africa have qualified to receive funding in Microsoft’s second Affordable Access Initiative grant fund project.
“My dream is to enable local entrepreneurs have low-cost connectivity solutions. So that those entrepreneurs can solve their own last-mile problems versus waiting for the largess of some other company.” — Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO
The Microsoft Affordable Access Initiative Grant Fund is a Microsoft initiative that supports innovative businesses to grow and scale. The fund assists companies working to bring internet access and new technologies, services and models to underserved markets. That’s companies with initiatives ranging from last mile access technologies, off-grid renewable energy solutions and alternative payment mechanisms. With innovations in finance, payments, healthcare, education and agriculture.
“The social enterprises we support have inspired us with practical, high-impact and scalable approaches to help close the digital divide.
It’s a privilege to see these solutions take shape, and play a role in helping local entrepreneurs spur job creation and economic growth.
We’re inspired by our grantees’ passion. To bring internet, energy access and economic benefits to parts of the world that need it most.
It’s our privilege to support the work of innovators helping to improve their communities.“ – Paul Garnett, Microsoft Affordable Access Initiatives Director
Microsoft Corporation renewed its Affordable Access Initiative grant fund for a second year. Here are the beneficiaries from Africa.
Recipients of the 2017 grant fund from Africa come from 5 African countries. This year’s recipients include Kukua Weather Services (Uganda), Solaris Offgrid (Tanzania), Standard Microgrid (Zambia), SunCulture (Kenya), VisionNet and WrightGrid (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Read more about their initiatives by clicking here.
The companies will receive funding and software to help power and develop their businesses. Microsoft BizSpark, Microsoft’s development and test software that includes Azure, Windows, Visual Studio, Office and SQL Server. The grant recipients will also join a growing ecosystem of other grantees and funders to further increase their impact.
Visit, read and learn how you can apply and benefit from this grant fund when the next applications open.
