Did you know that global data traffic will triple by 2018 and 60% of computing will be in the cloud by 2025. With increased connectivity, comes more risks and SMEs need to be prepared to protect their data and their businesses while enjoying fast internet speeds.
With this, Liquid Telecom Kenya, part of leading pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom, is now providing free internet to Nairobi Garage’s newly opened Entrepreneurship Centre along Ngong Road; supporting up to 300 co-workers with free high-speed fibre internet connectivity of 150Mbps while making sure that the businesses connected have their data, devices and users protected.
The move forms part of Liquid Telecom Kenya’s drive to support businesses across Kenya with both internet and, now, software services too.
Adil Youssefi, Liquid Telecom Kenya’s CEO, unveiled the free connection at the launch of a joint Liquid Telecom and Microsoft event at the Entrepreneurship Centre outlining the two companies’ partnership, which provides international software, such as Microsoft Azure, on the cloud across Africa.
Azure is a secure solution that can listen, learn & predict; turning data into actionable insight that enhances businesses.
“Liquid Telecom will be offering Microsoft cloud services and applications that developers and IT professionals can use to build, deploy and manage applications across the continent,” said Adil.
“This means our internet infrastructure across Africa will now enable companies and entrepreneurs to operate with international software based on easy access to cloud products and services that we are now delivering through our partnership with Microsoft.”
The Liquid Telecom and Microsoft deal offers a cloud connectivity service level agreement that bundles together data and cloud services to ensure that businesses never run out of data bundles, ensuring their operations are seamless.
Liquid Telecom is also offering Microsoft Azure enterprise customers in Africa a Microsoft ExpressRoute service; a reliable, cost-effective, lower latency, faster and highly secured connection over the internet into European-based Azure clouds.
Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute offers an extension to on-premises networks into the Microsoft cloud over a private connection facilitated by a connectivity provider. With ExpressRoute, connections are established onto the Microsoft cloud services, such as Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Enterprise Mobility suite and Windows 10.
The Microsoft cloud services offer business of all sizes in Africa numerous benefits. Microsoft Azure enables businesses to develop, test, feedback and retry their applications during development, meaning they can explore new avenues and new technologies.
Microsoft Office 365, meanwhile, offers businesses the ability to work from anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. It also offers access to the latest versions of Office at no additional charge and without having to uninstall and reinstall Office on everyone’s machines, while Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides businesses with social selling, content collaboration, mobile sales, planning and management, and intelligence.
Together, these Microsoft platforms offer enterprise mobility, allowing employees to carry out business activities through their mobile devices, accessing business information effortlessly, which can trigger greater business opportunities and lead to greater returns on investments.
Windows 10, one of the most secure operating systems, provides further security and productivity benefits, including allowing businesses to keep their data, devices and users protected around the clock, giving small and mid-sized business the benefits of enterprise-grade security and control without complexity or unrealistic costs.
For coworkers at Nairobi Garage’s Entrepreneurship Centre, accessing the Liquid Telecom infrastructure and Microsoft cloud will now come as part of a membership costing from Sh2000 to Sh15000 a month for fully enabled working space.
“At Nairobi Garage, we believe in providing more than just workspace to our members. We want to provide our community with the very best tools to allow them to innovate and thrive.
The partnership with Liquid Telecom is another exciting development for our new hub space, Nairobi Garage Ngong Road, and we look forward to welcoming old and new members to our state-of-the-art premises,” said Hannah Clifford, director of Nairobi Garage.
Furthermore, Microsoft will be setting up data centers in Cape Town and Johannesburg by FY 2018 in a move to help African businesses to adapt & secure their businesses with the rapid digital transformation happening across the world.
