Microsoft aiming to improve techno skills in Sri Lanka

Microsoft is looking at improving the level of skills on Microsoft technologies skill in the local market at present.

The global giant is planning on doing this through its professional services practice in the country, focussing very much around developing the skills in the local market for Microsoft partners and within Microsoft customers.

“About 18 months ago we had this conversation about what we want to do in Sri Lanka -- how to engage customers, what are the types of things we want to look at doing in Sri Lanka. And one of the things we realized and recognized is that the Sri Lankan IT industry today, we really need to drive to the level of skill up on Microsoft technologies skill that is out there in the market today,” says Milinda Kotelawele, Enterprise Services Director, Asia New Markets. The Microsoft Services Centre will focus on getting good technical skills and support and engineering best practices into the market which allows Microsoft to succeed with their customers.

This is similar to what the company does as an organization aroun the world. Microsoft has presence in over 70 countries with Sri Lanka being the 71st where Microsoft has a base. “Often the types of questions our enterprise customers and governments are asking us is help us understand, help us get work closer with you, help us get better return on our technology and ultimately that depends on having the expertise to do it. What we want to do is have some key scale in the local market that is provided by Microsoft services,” Kotelawele told The Sunday Times FT. (CD)