As this year comes to an end, let us quickly run through a list of important news and releases that kept Microsoft India busy in 2011.
27th January : Microsoft Kick Starts DreamSpark Yatra 2011
Microsoft kick started the Microsoft DreamSpark Yatra 2011 journey with support from Microsoft Student Partners. DreamSpark Yatras are technical events aimed to share information with students on the latest trends and technology in order to create a local ecosystem of technology enthusiasts. The motive of DreamSpark Yatra is to travel to 100 cities in next 100 days and reach out to the maximum number of students all across India. Microsoft India has the largest technology student champion ecosystem on the planet – the Microsoft Student Partners – and the 730 partners in India played an active role in organizing the DreamSpark Yatra in multiple cities.
2st March : Microsoft Tech.Ed 2011 goes Live in India
As every year, the annual technology consortium from Microsoft, the Microsoft Tech.Ed India was held in Bengaluru on March 23, 2011. This three-day event is not just a networking platform for thousands of developers, IT professionals and software architects but also helps them in solving real world IT problems. Microsoft Tech.Ed India 2011 offered some deep product exploration time, hands-on learning experience and numerous opportunities to connect with the industry bigwigs. Many new platform tools and products, including IE9, were also launched at this event.
24th March : Microsoft announces the launch of Internet Explorer 9 in India
Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. launched the next version of its Internet Explorer browser, called as Internet Explorer 9 or simply IE9 on March 24, 2011 at the annual Microsoft Tech.Ed India 2011 conference. Internet Explorer was available to consumers for download instantly and has been well appreciated by many since its launch. Internet Explorer 9 enables a richer, more immersive web experience on a browser which is faster, cleaner and more secure.
29th June : Microsoft launches Office 365 in India
On 29th June 2011, Microsoft announced the commercial launch of Microsoft Office 365 in India for real-time users. Office 365 is an online office suite that allows users to access Microsoft’s popular e-mail, collaboration, conferencing and productivity capabilities online. With prices starting at $2 per user per month, Office 365 can be afforded by one and all. Users can also avail services of Microsoft Office, the world’s most popular productivity offering, on subscription basis off the cloud.
26th July : Microsoft Opens New R&D Facility in Bangalore
Microsoft Corporation India Pvt Ltd announced the new state-of-the-art Research & Development facility in India’s IT capital, Bengaluru. Spanning an area of 1,54,000 sq. ft., this building will house the Bangalore Microsoft India Development Center (MSIDC) team that contributes to Microsoft Corp’s adCenter technologies, as well as the researchers from Microsoft Research India. Microsoft’s first R&D center was set up in Hyderabad in 1998, while Microsoft Research India was established in Bangalore in 2005.
12th October : Microsoft launches Windows Phone in India
After much ado, Microsoft finally launched Windows Phone in India on 12th October 2011 during a press meet in New Delhi. Windows Phone is the new mobile operating system from Microsoft after Windows Mobile 6.5. Windows Phone has a great range of impressive features with a whole new dynamic user interface at its front. The new OS sports a smooth transitional user interface called ‘Metro’, a visually appealing modern design language based on a set of principles which are modern, clean, alive in motion, and authentically digital. Microsoft also revealed a few Windows Phone devices at the launch event, namely the Samsung Omnia W and Acer Allegro which are now available in stores.
3rd November : Microsoft launches the ‘I Unlock Joy’ initiative for students and developers
Microsoft launched the I Unlock Joy program, a unique Application development and Submission program where technology professionals and students get to receive Windows Phones for free. Students need to develop 4 Windows Phone Apps and submit them to the Windows Phone marketplace before 26th January 2011 in order to receive a Windows Phone Mango device for free while Developers need to submit 3 Apps and there is a special reservation for women where the first 100 women who submit an app, get a windows phone Mango device for free.
8th December : Microsoft Opens New Global Delivery Centre in Bangalore
Microsoft today announced the expansion of its global consulting and enterprise services operations by inaugurating a new state-of-the-art Global Delivery Centre, situated in the heart of Bangalore’s business district. This division along with the existing one in Hyderabad, will support Microsoft Services in powering business-critical and mission-critical applications for some of the world’s largest corporations in over 65 countries. Microsoft’s Global Delivery Centre is responsible for work on Microsoft products and technologies including Office 365, Windows 7 deployment, Azure and Data Center Services (DCS), among others.
Phew! That was a long year with many interesting news pieces. Will 2012 be better?
