IN April 2020, Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella said, “We’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.
From remote teamwork and learning to sales and customer service, to critical cloud infrastructure and security – we are working alongside customers every day to help them adapt and stay open for business in a world of remote everything.”
Fast forward to today, after almost two years, this statement still stands and is reaffirmed among businesses and communities worldwide, and this does not only stop at Microsoft.
While the growth of technology had been progressive even before the pandemic, a survey by McKinsey & Company found that responses to the pandemic have accelerated the adoption of digital technologies by several years – consumers have moved dramatically towards online channels.
On the local front, we have seen how transformation has taken place across most, if not all facets of our lives.
More importantly, we have experienced first-hand how accessible and crucial digital technologies are.
The new normal has changed the way we work and collaborate, but with the right technology solutions, businesses regardless of its size can build resilience and long-term business continuity.
At Microsoft, we strive to support the digital transformation journeys of all organisations, from small local businesses to multinational companies.
In fact, we have curated a wide range of solutions that cater to the specific needs of the organisations including the scale of its operations, nature of business, and foreseeable growth in the near future.
While adoption of digital technologies is not absolute for business sustainability, it is undeniable that these solutions help to uphold productivity despite changing work environments and creates opportunities for even the smallest of businesses to thrive in this new era.
As a starting point for our smaller local players to hop onto their digital transformation journeys, Microsoft developed an all-in-one offering, tailor-made for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) with Microsoft 365 (M365).
In addition to Office applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel, users are also privy to Cloud storage capabilities like OneDrive and SharePoint, enabling data storage on a secure and private online server without having to invest in building a physical infrastructure.
The workforce within the SME can also communicate and work collaboratively via Teams.
Realising that the main priority for SMEs is to have access to an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution, we have designed this integrated portfolio for a level-playing field to empower SMEs to tap into the vast opportunities that the digital realm has in store.
In addition, we also work with partners from diverse industries to extend further customised solutions to a wider range of users. Together, they form the 2,000 members Microsoft Partner Network in Malaysia.
Indeed, more can be done to raise awareness on the many platforms and offerings available for SMEs to leverage digital technologies.
To share more insights on this, Microsoft in partnership with Star Media Group is hosting the Microsoft Malaysia SME Forum: Leveraging Modern Technology to Drive Business Growth on March 30 and 31, featuring a line-up of speakers from SME Corp Malaysia, Leaderonomics Digital, MyEG, Lalamove, Infront Consulting Group, Softline Malaysia and Microsoft Malaysia.
For more information or to sign up for free, visit bit.ly/starmicrosoft-forum
Datin Lim Bee Wah is the general manager of small, medium and corporate group at Microsoft Malaysia.
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