Microsoft's Office 365 Honoured As 'Top Ten Most Preferred Brand"

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Microsoft Malaysia, through its Office 365 productivity suite, was honoured as one of the "Top Ten Most Preferred Brands" in the Office Software & Solutions category for its commitment to transform Malaysian small-and-medium entreprises (SMEs) with cloud computing technology and solutions. Small and midmarket solutions and partners group general manager Mohit Pande said the award, presented at the BrandLaureate-SMEs Chapter Awards 2011 Gala Dinner held recently, affirmed the company's commitment in raising SMEs' efficiency to meet the government's vision of 41 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) contribution by 2020. "SMEs play a very critical and strategic role in Malaysia’s economy. "We are confident that Office 365 will be a game-changer for SMEs to succeed in a diverse global, interconnected business landscape," he said in a statement Thursday. To date, SMEs account for 99.2 per cent of domestic businesses, 37.1 per cent of GDP, 56 per cent of total employment and 20 per cent of exports. He said Office 365, rolled out in July 2011, provides access to familiar Microsoft Office collaboration and productivity tools delivered through the cloud, providing SMEs with enterprise-grade productivity and collaborative tools such as Office Web Apps, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online and Microsoft Lync Online, at a minimal rate of US$6 (US$1=RM3.05) per user per month. Pande said the confidence can be seen from the collaboration with SME Corporation Malaysia and Telekom Malaysia Bhd within six months after the suite was launched. "Our partnership with two of Malaysia’s industry leaders underscores our commitment to support the growth and development of SMEs in Malaysia. "To date, the acceptance of Office 365 within the SME market through initiatives like this has been encouraging, with an accolade at The Brand Laureate–SMEs Chapter Awards 2011 serving as testament," he said. The annual Awards event, organised by the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation, recognises SMEs' role in the development of the nation and that of brand building. The Awards provide SMEs with a platform to position their brands effectively with the ultimate goal of becoming a global brand. -- BERNAMA