Microsoft Innovation Center provides free cloud computing training sessions to local startups

The Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) recently offered startups in Jordan with free and informative training sessions, hands on lab sessions and a proof of concept on Cloud Computing technologies to help accelerate the success of local startups by saving them the high cost of running and maintaining their own IT infrastructure. The sessions and proof of concept come as part of the BizSpark Camp, an initiative launched by Microsoft dedicated to the success of software development startups. This year’s BizSpark Camp was sponsored by TechJordan and Jordan Azure User Group. 

Microsoft Technical Specialist, Daron Yöndem presented six training sessions at the Royal Scientific Society covering Cloud Computing technologies such as introductory level Windows Azure, SQL Azure, AppFabric, Service Bus, Access Control and Caching. 

Michel Diab, Acting Country Manager of Microsoft Jordan stated, "Jordanian startups are the lifeblood of the technology sector and are at the very edge of innovation, therefore Microsoft’s BizSpark initiative aims at supporting the local ecosystem by providing the startups with free training, tools and Microsoft software to help them grow their business and ultimately succeed in the marketplace.” 

Iman Naimi, Local Software Economy and MIC Lead, stated, “This year’s BizSpark Camp offered local startups and developers with the training and orientation on Microsoft tools and platforms that focus on Cloud Computing technologies to help local startups accelerate their business as well as drive innovation and strategy.” 

She added, “The BizSpark Camp provided local startups with tricks and tips on how cloud computing can eliminate the high costs in time and money associated with running their own IT infrastructure. With Windows Azure, startups only pay for what they use, scale up when they see fit and pull back when they are not using the tools, while Microsoft handles the maintenance in a secure environment.”    

The trainings sessions were followed by three hands on lab sessions, designed to provide the startups with hands on experience on cloud computing and Windows Azure, and a four-day proof of concept, where startups were given the opportunity to prototype the products they have designed in order to enable their developers to complete the application at their facilities. 

Yanal Sherqatli, a software architect at local startup in4ma and one of the proof of concept participants, stated, “Our participation in the BizSpark Camp was beneficial and valuable. We were able to obtain a much better understanding of the cloud and the kind of services Microsoft is offering in this area, and how these services can significantly help us in cutting the cost of the infrastructure and the delivery of the overall of our products. Deploying the beta versions of our products to Windows Azure was very smooth as did not require anything more than repackaging and uploading, and using the tools that we are familiar with like Visual Studio. We would like to thank the MIC for giving us this chance in such a fruitful and supportive environment.” 

Since its establishment, MIC aims at fostering local Jordanian innovation through a number of programs it offers including the BizSpark program, which 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.