Microsoft hosts region’s first Datacenter Community meetup, to address cloud-skills gap

Microsoft yesterday brought together the world’s leading experts on Datacenter technologies to address GCC ICT professionals, in the region’s first Gulf Datacenter Community meetup, as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to bridge the regional cloud-skills gap. 

At the evening event, held at Microsoft’s Dubai offices, delegates got the opportunity to network with a community of seasoned specialists, learn about emerging Datacenter technologies and best practices, and get advice from experts such as Microsoft’s Necip Ozyucel, Senior Cloud & Enterprise Regional Business Group Lead, and James Toulman, Technical Director at Digital Energy. Ramez Dandan, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Gulf, also gave a talk on Datacenter transformation, and attendees gained the opportunity to quiz the experts during a productive Q&A session. 

The evening also hosted other topics, including the pervasive skills gaps in AI, security and cloud. In recent years, since the emergence of cloud computing as a cost-effective alternative to burdensome, legacy, on-site infrastructure, Microsoft has hosted and sponsored several industry events for IT professionals, data professionals and developers. The company has also been at the front line of promoting the importance of cloud skills and training new cloud professionals.

“Microsoft’s mission is to empower every individual and organization on the planet to achieve more,” said Necip Ozyucel, Cloud & Enterprise Business Group Lead Microsoft Gulf. “Digital transformation through the intelligent cloud represents lucrative opportunities for MEA, in terms of entrepreneurship, job creation, economic growth and enhancement of government services. But the ability to empower, engage, optimize and transform starts with community engagement. That’s why we held the first Gulf Datacenter Community event here in Dubai – to remind such communities that we are here to help. Microsoft Gulf currently works very closely with communities such as Data & AI, DevOps and Data Science. And now we want to extend that same collaboration to the Datacenter Community and help them to establish best practices and strategies for transformation.”

The Datacenter Community meetup event follows Microsoft’s announcement in March this year that it will deliver its trusted, secure and versatile cloud from new dedicated Datacenters in the UAE, as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to digital transformation in the Middle East and Africa region.

Microsoft’s UAE Datacenters will serve a notable surge in demand for cloud services observed in the GCC and wider MEA region in recent years. According to a Microsoft research, more than two in three (68%) large GCC enterprises plan to invest 5% or more of their annual revenue in digital transformation in 2018. More than half (51%) of those surveyed, identified cloud computing as a top priority, with several other technologies also singled out as imminent adoption targets: artificial intelligence (29%), business intelligence (41%), Internet of Things (37%), automated workflow (25%), predictive analytics (21%), and robotics and machine automation (14%).

The Gulf Datacenter Community plans to organise more such events in the coming months, with monthly weekday meetings and quarterly weekend meetings. Those interested in active participation and networking, sharing content as well as management for the region’s first Datacenter community, can join the Meetup group here for more information.