;Lahore: The General Manager of Microsoft – North Africa, East Mediterranean and Pakistan (NEPA) region – Mrs Leila Serhan, has held meetings with the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform – Mr. Ahsan Iqbal and the State Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication – Ms. Anusha Rahman, to discuss progressive reforms and explore the potential for enrichments in the ongoing IT projects, to accelerate progress in the country.
While discussing various projects of mutual interest, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal explored opportunities for more collaborative endeavors with Microsoft and appreciated its continued interest in strengthening the IT infrastructure in Pakistan. Ms. Anusha Rahman highlighted the upcoming incubation projects of MOIT and invited Microsoft to extend its valuable technological support. Mrs. Serhan also took the opportunity to meet the Chairman of Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) – Dr. Ismail Shah, besides holding talks with the Chairman of Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) – Dr. Umar Saif and other senior officials in Islamabad, where she lauded their role in the e-Governance initiative taken by the Punjab government.
Microsoft’s regional GM visited Pakistan to celebrate the recent achievements of the team in Pakistan, besides having insightful discussions with major partners, stakeholders and government officials. As reflected by the yearly results – the new Microsoft “Windows 10” Solution is receiving an overwhelming response from the customers in Pakistan. This globally leading IT enterprise is committed to build capacity through its latest technologies and powerful innovations, whereby it has launched the strategy of “Cloud First, Mobile First” in Pakistan, to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities for individuals, businesses, and developers to embrace Cloud Computing.
Mrs. Serhan stated that; “The new generation of young and talented developers has encouraged us to work more actively with the local market. I think, in a span of two to three years, this market will evolve and grow dramatically. Our objective is to foster innovation and technological education locally to empower everyone and encourage the local Independent Software Vendors market.”
Microsoft’s initiatives are aimed at elevating Pakistan to the next level of technological competence, by empowering the citizens and promoting education, to achieve high productivity, through instant access to cutting-edge solutions and advanced information systems. These solutions are helping businesses to manage their operations more effectively, while improving the lives of all customer segments. Microsoft Pakistan has a number of programs running in the country, including social initiatives like; grants and software donations, training and infrastructure development of educational sector, while it is also facilitating startup companies to nurture the culture of entrepreneurship in the country.