Under the Patronage of H.E Marwan Jumaa, the Minister of Information & Communications Technology

Microsoft signs MoU with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Society, Shabakat al Ordon, Int@j and Meydan to Support ICT Start Ups and Entrepreneurs

Amman, May 30, 2010 ? Under the Patronage of His Excellency Marwan Jumaa, Minister of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT), Microsoft has signed a MoU with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Society, Shabakat Al Ordon, int@j and Meydan to support the Microsoft Innovation Academy program in developing the technical, business and operational skills of ICT start-ups and entrepreneurs in order to accelerate their growth and success.

The Innovation Academy program, the second phase of the BizSpark program and an initiative launched by the Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC), is a learning path for startups & entrepreneurs designed to help participants in the initial phases of a start-up and enable them to move to the next step in developing their projects. The MoU signed between Microsoft and its partners will create a set of policy recommendations and define the business, operations and technical tracks of the program that will support the sustainability and the successful execution of the Innovation Academy.

Ms. Rula Ammuri, Country Manager of Microsoft Jordan stated, ?We are committed to providing start ups and entrepreneurs in the ICT sector with all the support they need to drive the growth of the local software economy. The MoU we are signing today will lead to combining the expertise of Microsoft with that of leading and respected business and training entities that will provide the program?s participants with a comprehensive set of skills that will enable their businesses to grow, achieve sustainability and become profitable.?

The program has three main pillars: Business - where the focus is on developing skills in software business planning, sales and marketing, and HR. Operations - focused on software development practices, services execution management, agile methodologies, and performance measurement. And finally Technology - which is focused on developing technical skills.

Microsoft will be providing participants with access to its technologies, technical support and various other offline and online resources to enable their development of the technical aspects. Microsoft?s partners in the program will provide participants with support in developing their skills in business, operations and investor relations.

Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, expressed his delight about the program by saying, ?I am so proud and happy with this partnership with one of the leading companies in the world. As the head of an international consortium for ICT and development in the UN, I would like to commend you all on this partnership and wish you all the success as a leading example that will achieve the goals we share?.

Mr. Azzam Shweihat, Chairman of Shabakat Al Ordon, stated, ?We became partners in the BizSpark program two months ago and we will work hand in hand with Microsoft and its esteemed partners to implement a number of programs for small businesses related to internet programs, software and mobile application. We will provide them with a comprehensive learning path in technology, management and operations and will offer access to all our resources and capabilities to ensure the success of the Microsoft Innovation Academy.?

Mr. Ayman Mazahreh, Chairman of Int@j, stated, ?We continuously work at int@j to support start-ups to ensure they have a real contribution to the ICT sector. We hope to see this program achieve its goals in accelerating the success of startups in the ICT sector, which will open a door to further innovative projects and ideas that will lead to positioning Jordan on the map of advanced countries in ICT.?

Mr. Maher Kaddoura, Founder and Chairman of Meydan, stated ?We are very excited to be involved in this program with Microsoft as we share the same belief in the talents and capabilities of the youth and entrepreneurs in Jordan and those around the region, and are happy to provide them with all the support and guidance they need to create new and successful businesses and contribute to the further development and advancement of ICT in the Arab world.?

The MIC aims at fostering innovation through a number of programs it offers, one of the programs is the BizSpark, an innovative program that provides Startups with key resources such as easy and fast access to current, full-featured Microsoft tools and technologies, technical support and marketing visibility from Microsoft, as well as support through a select group of network partners such as investors, advisors and government agencies.

TAG-Knowledge is the latest initiative by Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) to perform its CSR towards the Jordanian and Arab communities, and to be a hub for promoting intellect and knowledge, developing Arab youth and human resources, and qualifying the largest number of local professionals by providing them with competitive skills through exposure to knowledge and developments in the international community under the direct supervision of TAG-Org experts.

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Note to the editor:
Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq ?MSFT?) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.


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