Microsoft Gulf announced at the ongoing ICT show Gitex 2011 in Dubai that its new collaboration tool Office 365 will now be available for trials across the region.

With Office 365, Microsoft also offers the highest levels of reliability, performance, security and the best service guarantees (99.9 per cent uptime guarantee), a statement said.

Microsoft Office 365 brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online in an always-up-to-date cloud service, at a predictable monthly subscription.

Microsoft also announced LiveRoute, a privately held technology company, as the first SME (Small & Medium Enterprise) partner for Office 365 in the region.

“We are excited to be at Gitex to announce the launch of trials for Office 365 across the region. Microsoft’s cloud computing solutions, such as Office 365, are geared to support emerging economies in the region and accelerate the growth of local innovation industries,” said Samer Abu-Ltaif, regional general manager, Microsoft Gulf.

“We are also pleased to announce LiveRoute as our first SME partner in the region for Office 365. Given their track record and depth of experience in providing cloud-based services, they will be a great asset for our customers.”

Through its new competency based Microsoft Partner Programme, Microsoft is working across the region to deliver the focus and expertise that customers need, and especially those in the SME sector. SMEs typically have little or no IT support and very little time and financial resources to dedicate to technology.

Now they can easily improve the way they work with access to the collaboration tools and unified communications capabilities that Office 365 gives them. Office 365 helps reduce IT costs and enhance productivity through its integrated experience.

“The IT revolution that Gulf is been waiting for is here!” said Jawwad Rehman, managing director & partner, LiveRoute.

“Office365 availability locally is a big step in making the Cloud a reality for SME’s in this region.  Microsoft is a unique company with the extensive experience, and significant R&D investment over 3 decades in helping businesses automate across the globe.”

“With Office 365 Microsoft is playing yet again the catalyst role in the IT industry as it did in the past.  As an Office365 partner, we are excited about the response from the SME’s in the region.  We are excited as Office365 will provide the freedom and flexibility, affordability and cost Savings, while making ‘Cloud benefits real’ for SMEs,” he added.

Office 365 was introduced in beta last year and received an enthusiastic response. In a few months, more than 200,000 organizations worldwide signed up and began testing it.

With Office 365, people can come together from virtually anywhere and work together more easily, meeting face-to-face online, sharing work in real time, and accessing email and calendars on virtually any device. Smaller companies can create and maintain a custom website, manage data and stay in control of sensitive information — even with no IT expertise, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service