Microsoft's new offices in Pretoria and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are part of the company's changing local strategy.
Speaking to ITWeb this morning, Microsoft SA MD Mteto Nyati explained that, despite the global recession, Microsoft as a group still believes SA is a growth market. “The company is happy to seize the opportunities the South African offices can produce,” he adds.
Microsoft SA yesterday opened an office in Pretoria, following hot on the heels of the newly-opened office in KZN. Nyati says these expansions of the company's local presence will address key market conditions.
Firstly, he says business is increasing and it needs the new offices simply to up its service delivery. However, he adds the market has changed substantially over the last year, with the global economic downturn playing a large role in the company's strategic change.
Nyati explains that local companies are looking at their IT and questioning whether it needs to be changed or optimised. Many are considering systems that will save money, rather than drain cash from coffers.
“It is becoming easier for small businesses to gain access to technologies that would not have been available to them before. We are looking at encouraging the take-up of our hosted Exchange and hosted SharePoint services.”
Thirdly, the company notes government is facing increased pressure to up service delivery platforms and it has opened its Pretoria office to simply be closer to government.
“President Jacob Zuma faces more pressure now, particularly since there is a dramatic skills shortage in the IT space.” Microsoft SA has been in discussions with all the departments to see where it can help by providing experienced skills on the platforms it provides.
A recent IDC report shows Microsoft holds the largest share of skills in SA, reaching 46% of the technology skills in the country. “Government is also looking at migrating to technologies that can be better managed by the skills we have available,” adds Nyati.
The company's strategy shift has the full support of its international parent, he adds. “These changes have good business cases to back them up, and if we can demonstrate growth, our requests are always seen in a positive light,” he notes.
Microsoft is working with non-government organisation Development House to train 40 destitute people in a basic digital literacy training course. More than half of these people are employed in Durban's burgeoning local call centre companies, BizWorks and Ignition.
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