By Mark Davison – A veritable who’s who of the local channel was feted at a gala black-tie dinner at the Inanda Club’s famed Polo Lounge last night when Microsoft South Africa held its annual Partner Network awards – and there was one stand-out company.
Solutions house, Intervate scooped six awards on the night, including the prestigious Managing Director’s Award. The company also took home trophies for Application Development Partner of the Year, Collaboration and Content Partner of the Year, Industry Partner of the Year in both the Commercial and Public Sector categories, and Services Partner of the Year.
Acctech Systems came closest to Intervate in the trophy stakes with four: two international awards in The Worldwide Partner Conference Country Award and The President’s Club for Microsoft Dynamics; as well as Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner of the Year and Microsoft Dynamics ERP Partner of the Year.
Westcon was named Microsoft’s Volume Licensing Distributor of the Year while Prima Interactive took the honours as its Consumer Distributor of the Year.
Zoaib Hoosen, MD of Microsoft SA, says that 2014 has been an extraordinary year for the local subsidiary, and that much of its success was down to the support of its partners.
“We’re already at the end of the first quarter of our new financial year and I’m proud to say that we hit budget,” Hoosen says. “FY 14 has been a very significant year for Microsoft and we’ve accomplished a number of notable
achievements.
“For me, personally, the highlight was Microsoft SA winning the Share Fighter Award which is decided on a global level and recognises the country in the world which had the most gains from a market share point of view,” he told partners.
“This is an external view of our market and it is a wonderful way to be recognised. It was a great achievement for us and we couldn’t have done it without your support.”
Hoosen highlighted a number of other notable achievements by the local operation including its involvement with the Jobs Foundation in creating more jobs for the youth of South Africa, and with ISVs in developing new applications for the likes of the Johannesburg Roads Agency.
“Again, none of this could be achieved without your support,” he says. “We’re on an exciting journey and we’re only just commencing.”
As a case in point, Hoosen touched on the executive changes at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, as well as the announcement yesterday around Windows 10.
“What’s really important [regarding Windows 10] is the Windows Insider Campaign,” he says. “With this, we are starting a roadmap journey and I would encourage you all to take it up, collaborate and build the best Windows platform ever.”
In closing, Hoosen again urged unity within the Microsoft Partner Network.
“We live in phenomenal times and we’re lucky to be involved in the most vibrant industry on this planet,” he says. “I truly believe that, together, success is ours for the taking.
“We’re a cloud first company,” he adds. “We’re a mobile first company. And, with you, we want to be a partner first company.”