KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah's development plan to turn Kuwait into an economic and financial hub by 2025 needs more than simple tools, requiring technology which offers solutions, according to a local Microsoft executive.

Speaking at the Kuwaiti launch of the Microsoft Lync communications system held on Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Downtown, Alaa Hamieh, Microsoft's Enterprise and Partner Group Manager for Kuwait, told the Kuwait Times that the company is working closely with public and private sector bodies to help realize HH the Amir's vision.

We have adopted His Highness the Amir's plan and we have a strategy to go along with his vision," Hamieh told the Kuwait Times. " We are also partnering with private and public sector bodies here to deliver and be part of this country's development program.

For a country to be a financial hub and accommodate massive levels of traffic and demand, said Hamieh, "you must have the right solution" to overcome any related problems. The Lync program, he asserted, provides it. "We are here to help His Highness the Amir deliver and accomplish his plans and objectives for the country. The project is already in place and ready on the ground, and we, as Microsoft, will provide the right solution.

The Microsoft Lync is seen as the next generation of communication technology, providing a single multimedia communication platform that can connect people virtually anytime and anywhere via PC, phone or browser.

This new platform integrates instant messaging presence, audio, video, web-conferencing and voice to bring people together in the way in which they communicate best, explained Hamieh. Apart from offering software solutions, Microsoft Kuwaiti takes pride in the cordial relationships it has formed in many sectors, particularly education, the senior executive continued. "We are overwhelmed by the level of support we're getting from the government; because of their support we are now who we are today in this country. We have a huge office, a big team, but we also have a big commitment to the country.

Hamieh emphasized the innovative nature of the Microsoft Lync, which will allow all parties to communicate efficiently and effectively. "This is the rebranded version of our OCS," he said. "We're launching [it] with our partners, Polycom and Jabra. What we deliver is a solution, not a product, a unified communications solution.

The Microsoft official said that as everyone knows, technology is evolving steadily at a rapid pace almost every year. Some technology, he said, has been created in response to the recent global crisis, including the Microsoft Lync. "Nowadays [after the global financial crisis] companies prefer technologies that aren't just solution providers but also help to cut expenses," he explained. The technology used by Lync, he said, will enable users to save greatly on time too. "For example, if you're a business
traveler, even by just going to Dubai you automatically need at least six hours of your time; these are all wasted hours without achieving anything. But with the entry of Lync, you'll be able to use precious time productively.

Hamieh conceded that while a number of companies have introduced similar innovative communications systems, the Microsoft Lync brand offers not just a guaranteed name but a reassurance of quality and performance. "What we offer is a solution, but we also provide quality, performance and experience," he asserted.

When Microsoft sells products, said Hamieh, it is not simply selling the product but a commitment of product assurance by the company. "You are entitled to an upgrade and new edition, new version of our technology; this is part of our commitment," he said. "If you bought Windows XP and Windows Seven came out, you'd definitely get the latest version. But you have the choice either to stay with XP or go with the new Windows Seven version for example.

Hamieh revealed that the value of communications industry sector is growing annually, hitting $8 billion in 2010. "They're expecting this sector to grow by 16.4 percent in 2014," he revealed, adding, "Company savings will be tremendous and Microsoft will definitely always be there as a global leader in the industry.

The ultimate goal for Microsoft, said Hamieh, is to have IT become a household utility like water or electricity. "It should reach all people at a faster and more rapid pace, just like electricity," he said.

Several senior Microsoft executives and representatives of their partner firms, as well as dozens of valued clients attended Monday's event. Jabra and Polycon are providers of quality speakerphone, five touch-screen, multiuse headsets and the best audio equipment.

Charles James, the Director of Polycom Microsoft Alliance EMEA, said that the Microsoft Lync solution would make communication faster and easier, and make organizations much more organized and efficient. "Because of our solution you don't need to be physically present with the people you wanted to communicate with. So it saves time, but also travel expenses," he explained.

According to James, the return on investment for purchasers of Lync is an amazing 337 percent in just one year. "Through our commitment with Microsoft to deliver flexible standards-based solutions, Polycom is transforming business communications with the most comprehensive and intuitive communications experience that will deliver high-definition video, voice and content-sharing capabilities to conference rooms, classrooms and meeting spaces across the enterprise," he added.

Another partner, Joel Hamon, President of EMEA & CALA at Jabra, added, "We are committed to delivering the most extensive portfolio of audio endpoints for Lync to both the market and to our customers. These new, innovative additions demonstrate Jabra's continued investment in developing a portfolio that addresses how businesses are extending communications through desk, mobile, and soft phone applications. With each generation of new products, we seek to deliver on our goals to increase end-user productivity, improve their experience, and reduce the costs for enterprises through improved design, functionality, and durability at cost effective prices.

Several other global partners, such as British Telecom (BT), Dell, Dimension Data, HP and Verizon Business are offering services to help customers evaluate, deploy and manage their Lync infrastructure. For more information about Lync please see: http://www.microsoft.com/lync.

Those interested in buying the new system can download a free trial version of Lync at: http://www.lync.com

Source : Kuwait Times