Microsoft is all about changing its image this year. After outdoing the competition in their Surface keynote last month, they are actively involving small businesses and enterprises towards their re-invented ecosystem. After 25 years in India, Microsoft seems to no longer come across as this daunting behemoth, but as a service that seems to be offering a different take from Apple and Google. And it's a good different.At their Mumbai event, Future Unleashed, Microsoft's largest customer conference in India which brings together over 3,000 customers, business leaders, IT industry professionals, start-ups and developers in Mumbai, with another 1,00,000 expected to attend the event virtually.
At the conference, companies from manufacturing, automotive, e-commerce, entertainment, BFSI and retail sectors are demonstrating the breadth and depth of new technology.In his keynote, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella pointed out that Microsoft's original aim to get a computer in every home was just a goal - the true mission was to empower everyone.
Today work isn't necessarily a place you go to. Work is getting things done wherever you are. Nadella also spoke on the new shift in personal computing with insights on personal growth through the Microsoft Band, or even thewhole new scope in creativity with Microsoft's HoloLens.Microsoft announced partnerships with three e-commerce pioneers in India - Justdial, Paytm and Snapdeal, a special cloud initiative for startups aligned to smart cities, andavailability of its flagship devices-Microsoft Lumia 950and 950 XL, and Microsoft Surface Pro 4 in December and January, respectively.
Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, said, "Cloud and mobile technologies are already galvanizing Indian industry. At Future Unleashed, we will share these stories through our customers, solution partners and ISVs. We will demonstrate that technology in the hands of brilliant people can create magic. That innovation is as much what you do with technology as the invention of the technology itself."To help empower modern Indian cities, Microsoft has launched a new initiative for local start-ups that are focused on delivering solutions for smart cities. Working with startup accelerators, these startups can now apply for individual access up to Rs 80 lakh worth of Azure computing to help India's smart cities explore solutions and run smart city digital pilots.
Cities can also apply for access to these services and solutions on Azure through a new portal which connects startups with cities and their needs. This initiative is anticipated to impact over 50 smartcities in the next year through a catalog of over 50 start-ups and ISV solutions.
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