Microsoft Philippines Supports the first Startup Weekend in Cebu to help Spur Technopreneurship in the Visayas

The first-ever Startup Weekend event in Cebu offers opportunities for local startups in the Visayas region to network with founders and jointly pursue the most promising ideas. As Microsoft Philippines aims to further support local developers and startup entrepreneurs, the IT leader has once again collaborated with other major companies to sponsor and co-organize another Startup Weekend event, this time in Cebu. Startup Weekend: Cebu (SWC) happens from May 11 to 13 at the University of the Philippines, Cebu.

Together with major event partner DOST-ICT Office and other sponsors like Globe, Kickstart, UP Cebu, and CebuinIT, Microsoft is supporting the 54-hour event that will allow IT professionals and participants to gather and share ideas, form teams, create business plans, build products and create startups.

 

Microsoft Philippines Creates Synergies to Aid Micro Financing and Community Projects

The National Confederation of Cooperatives (Natcco) recently forged a partnership with Microsoft Value Added Reseller Ng-Khai Development Corporation in an effort to provide its members access to reliable and certified technology.

Natcco is the biggest and strongest federation of cooperatives in the Philippines, in terms of geographical reach, membership, financial capacity and array of services.  Now with 1.9 million individual members and 500 member cooperatives, Nattco recognizes the need to use IT solutions to support its activities and programs that promote livelihood and other business solutions among member-cooperatives.  Nattco President Rey Gandionco shared the rationale behind the partnership.  “As we have continuously searched for IT solutions that will fuel the livelihood programs and other business solutions, we saw that Microsoft gave us a good deal, an opportunity to make our system and services reliable for every cooperative member,” said Gandionco.

 

Filipino Teachers make history in Microsoft Regional Education Forum

(L-R) Khristian Kikuchi, Dean, Malayan Colleges of Laguna; Noemi Bagayaua, Elementary Teacher, Cembo Elementary School together with the three Microsoft Philippines Regional Forum winners Shateen Seraña (3rd from left), Tuan Datu Hadji Abdulla Niño Memorial High School, Zamboanga; Edalyn Olis, Lala National High School, Lanao del Norte; Michelle Casio, Education Lead, Microsoft Philippines; and Estelito Mendoza, Baguio National High School during Microsoft Regional Education Forum in Auckland, New Zealand

Besting 60 teachers from all over Asia Pacific, three Filipinos emerged victorious in this year’s Partners in Learning Regional Education Forum conducted by Microsoft in Auckland, New Zealand. This is the first in the history of the Regional Forum that all the representatives of the country win.

Participated in by 14 countries, 63 teachers competed for one country winner each and six categories namely Extended Learning Beyond the Classroom; Collaboration; Knowledge Building & Critical Thinking; Innovation in Challenging Contexts; Cutting Edge Use of Microsoft Technology for Learning; and Educators’ Choice. This forum aims to drive collaboration among educators and school leaders in promoting innovative programs.

 

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Lionsgate Bring Exclusive Access to “The Hunger Games” Movie Content

Microsoft and Liongsgate, in partnership with leading design and developer agencies theNerdery and Ignition Interactive, will be bringing fans of Suzanne Collins’ widely popular novel series, The Hunger Games, a one-of-a-kind experience with the launch of the The Capital Tour, an immersive companion site to the movie that extends the film to the web and includes exclusive content from director Gary Ross and the movie itself.

Filipinos can now tap into the HTML5-powered Hunger Games companion site, showcasing a tour of the Capitol in Panem and offering fans exclusive content and experiences to prepare them for the movie’s premiere on March 23.

 

Microsoft brings its first ever Microsoft Innovation Universe to the IT community

You think you know everything about technology? Think again. This year, Microsoft Philippines is combining three big events – Server Summit, Who Dunn I.T. and Imagine Cup 2012 – in one major gathering. Dubbed Innovation Universe 2012, the three-day event is geared towards bringing the ultimate Microsoft experience to the Filipino community from March 21-23 at the Megatrade Hall, Bldg. B, SM Megamall.

“For years now, Microsoft Philippines has been providing software, services and solutions to transform the lives of Filipinos, helping them harness their talents and skills to realize their full potential. With Innovation Universe 2012, we are providing the venue for IT professionals and enthusiasts to see world-class innovations and be inspired to become world-class innovators,” said John Bessey, Managing Director, Microsoft Philippines.

 

Davaoeño wins brand new 2012 Mitsubishi Montero Sport in Microsoft’s Windows Holiday Raffle

John Bessey, Managing Director, Microsoft Philippines (second from left) as he awards the prize to Jalilah Ampuan Tiburon. Flanking them are (from left to right): George Parilla, Partner Territory Manager, Microsoft Southern Philippines; Ivan John Caballero, Senior Sales Manager, Columbia; and Alexis de Guzman, Business Development Executive, Acer Philippines

Microsoft Philippines, the local subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, recently awarded a brand new 2012 Mitsubishi Montero Sport to Jalilah Ampuan Tiburon of Davao City, after winning in the Microsoft Windows Holiday Raffle.

 

Microsoft announces availability of Windows 8 consumer preview

Microsoft Corp. recently announced the availability of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview — the next milestone of the Windows operating system. This latest preview is now available for download at http://preview.windows.com. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a more robust experience for testing the world’s most popular operating system and is available to the widest range of people yet following the initial release of the Windows 8 Developer Preview late last year. The Developer Preview received more than 3 million downloads.

“With Windows 8, we reimagined the different ways people interact with their PC and how to make everything feel like a natural extension of the device, whether using a Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft. “The Windows 8 Consumer Preview brings a no-compromises approach to using your PC.”

 

Dreaming of a better workplace? Upgrade your business!

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) now have the chance to avail of the latest software for free as Microsoft Philippines rolls out a promo from February 6 to March 31, 2012, open to all Philippine-registered SMEs whose operations run on 5-249 computers.

Interested participants must register at www.itworks.ph, complete all requested information and upload a one- to two-minute video stating their company name, nature of business and why their business needs an upgrade (I.e. Outdated software, manual operations, etc.). Contestants should then share their videos with as many people as possible.

 

Microsoft brings the cloud down to Earth for Enterprises

In an online webcast today, Microsoft Corp. headquarters, Satya Nadella, president of Microsoft Server and Tools Business, laid out how Microsoft’s private cloud solution will help businesses move faster, save money and better compete in 2012. He highlighted how companies, such as webcast participants Lufthansa Systems, T. Rowe Price and Unilever, can use Microsoft System Center 2012 to build and operate private clouds for the delivery of business applications across both private and public cloud platforms.

System Center 2012 is available today in a Release Candidate as a single, integrated private cloud management solution for the first time. “Today, we talk not just about what the cloud can do, but with Microsoft System Center 2012, we are providing customers with the technology that can help them best maximize the potential of cloud computing,” said Joel Garcia, Server and Tools Business Group Lead of Microsoft Philippines.

 

Wi-Tribe Forges Partnership with Microsoft Philippines

Photo above shows representatives from Microsoft Philippines, wi-tribe Philippines and Phil-Data Business Systems, Inc. with the signatories (from L-R): Rudolph Ng, President, Phil-Data Business Systems; Mon Pike, Head of Products, wi-tribe Philippines; Karrie Ilagan, Enterprise Partner Group – Director, Microsoft Philippines.

Wi-Tribe Philippines recently inked an Enterprise Agreement for IT infrastructure development with Microsoft Philippines, allowing the internet service provider – price and technology protection for the next three years. Also under the agreement, the Microsoft license package includes Windows, Office Enterprise as well as Common Access Licenses (CALs) to access MS-Exchange, SharePoint and other Enterprise applications. The Enterprise Desktop refers to the license for the package that includes Windows, Office Enterprise and Enterprise CALs.