Microsoft to Open India's First Digital Experience Centre

"Managed by Microsoft's distributor Ingram Micro, the centre will help businesses, institutions, partners and individuals gain a first-hand experience of modern technologies on devices running Microsoft software, including Windows apps and Office 365.Microsoft," Manohar Hotchandani, Director, Business Development at Microsoft India announced in Vadodara on Wednesday.

The centre aims to bring to life these experiences for SMEs, entrepreneurs and educational institutions and help them leverage contemporary cloud technology to drive business growth as well as enhance skills and promote learning.

In addition to SMEs, Microsoft and VCCI will also help educational institutions to adopt technology that will prepare future generations for the mobile-first, cloud-first world.

As a part of this initiative, Microsoft's latest innovative cloud-computing based offering Edu-Cloud will help education institutions enhance digital learning and teaching by providing them with access to digital content and free access to Office 365 on Windows-powered tablets.

When introducing Edu-Cloud earlier in May, Bhaskar Pramanik, Microsoft India Chairman, said the service is expected to benefit 1 million teachers and 6 million students in over 1,500 institutes over the next 18 months.

"Today's students are digital natives. At Microsoft, we help them imagine the future and realise it. With the help of cloud computing, they create, deliver, and manage content from any device, anywhere, anytime, making learning easy and fun," he said at a press conference.

The company has also announced a tie-up with the Chaitanya group of educational institutions, which will adopt Edu-Cloud.