Microsoft may introduce Surface device to SL
Imran Vilcassim
Sri Lanka could eventually become one of the markets in which Microsoft introduces its Surface devices, according to Imran Vilcassim, the company’s newly appointed Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. However, he was also quick to point out there was no time frame identified thus far for the introduction of this product locally.
Speaking to the Business Times, Mr. Vilcassim also noted that, in the meantime, his company was fully focused on working with partners such as Dell, HP and Asus, which all offered Windows platform devices, and which had strong portfolios of these products available here.
Elaborating further on devices, Mr. Vilcassim also signalled that mobile phones was a big part of the Microsoft’s strategy for Sri Lanka, especially with the company’s Nokia acquisition going forward. He also noted that, in the last eight months alone, Windows phone sales had risen to double-digit market share domestically, with some of this driven by even more applications (apps) becoming available.
The other area being focused on by Mr. Vilcassim is the cloud. According to him, there is a lot of potential, especially in terms of small and medium scale businesses. He added that a lot of 50 to 100 employee companies had adopted Microsoft’s online services following a minimum of training, already having incorporated this into day-to-day business functionality.
He further opined that Microsoft’s online services was a business that was very successful, since its launch about 18 months ago. “That is a business that is rapidly growing. A lot of large conglomerates have come on board with us. Considering the increasing importance of cloud, this area will likely dominate a larger part of our business in the country,” said Mr. Vilcassim.
Meanwhile, Mr. Vilcassim also previewed the content of a Microsoft cyber security conference scheduled for next week, indicating that it would introduce, to Sri Lanka, Microsoft’s new Digital Crimes Unit, along with its plans for the local market. He added that this initiative by Microsoft was meant to target the concept of cyber crime, which is universally understood to be a barrier to increasing IT adoption or growth.
Commenting on recent media speculation that Windows 8 development could soon be halted, with Windows 9 to be launched instead, Mr. Vilcassim stated that his company is fully focused and committed to its Windows 8 platform. In keeping with this, it even recently released a Windows 8.1 update. He also noted that the biggest benefit of the Windows 8 platform was its apps. He said even corporate clients keep finding apps in the store that they can use for their day-to-day work.
Talking more about Window’s app store, Mr. Vilcassim also revealed that, “globally, we have made a lot of progress. While there are a lot of apps, there are only a few commonly used by a lot of consumers. Most of those are now available on Windows… On a more local scale, we have been very successful working with our community and partners. Today, anyone who comes to Sri Lanka can learn more about the country via downloading a single app for your phone compared to checking out multiple websites”.