Microsoft to focus on UAE’s sustainable future

Dubai - Flagship showcase will be company’s partnership with Schneider Electric and AVEVA to provide an Azure-based, next-generation smart city platform for management of resource consumption, traffic, public safety and more.

Dubai is beaming with optimism and it was evident at Microsoft pavilion on first day of Gitex Global as the global brand was busy mapping out its vision for a more sustainable future.

Exhibiting under the theme “Creating a Bolder Digital Future Together,” the company met with customers and partners, while reaffirming its steadfast commitment to the UAE, its government, and its people. Microsoft this year put a spotlight on the next generation smart city solutions, which will enable the country to reach its sustainable development goals.

“Gitex is the home of innovation in the region,” said Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. “This is where everyone comes together to be inspired and hear about the next big technological breakthroughs. At Microsoft, we constantly strive to find solutions to th e most pressing challenges of our time, and few things are more pressing today than solving the issue of climate change. This year, Microsoft is challenging everyone to imagine a more sustainable future, by experiencing how smart cities can become part of the climate solution.”

In partnership with Schneider Electric and Aveva, Microsoft’s flagship Gitex showcase this year will be a smart city solution to bring Dubai’s sustainability vision to life. The platform unites IoT, advanced analytics and AI to create a smart city console that can provide real-time insights into the vital aspects of city resources and services, such as water and electricity consumption, traffic management, and public safety. Based on these insights, the solution will enable decision makers to forecast energy needs and make strategic decisions that will play a major part in Dubai’s attainment of targets set out in its Clean Energy Strategy 2050.

In addition to sustainable cities, Microsoft will continue looking towards what the future of work, introducing Gitex delegates to a range of products and solutions that allow employees to work, learn, and play under new flexible relationships with employers, all fuelled by the intelligent cloud and its attendant technologies. From the new Windows 11 to Surface 4 laptops, the company will show how a balance can be struck between in-person and digital collaboration. Also on display will be the latest Microsoft Teams features and Viva Connections, which is Microsoft’s suite of solutions designed to promote employee wellbeing. Gitex has been a major fixture in the regional technology industry’s calendar for 40 years, and this edition has all the latest breakthroughs, from AI, 5G, and cloud to big data, blockchain, and quantum computing. Microsoft will participate at Gitex Global 2021 as a Silver Sponsor and can be found at Hall 7.

“The pandemic has taught us many valuable lessons, and the global challenges in its wake. Everyone was impacted, as the pandemic did not discriminate on who or what it might have been affected by the global health scare. This has prompted us to become more resilient and focus on the future challenges of this magnitude. We’ve asked ourselves what can be the next big challenge? And clearly, climate change continues to be a growing concern,” said Hashish.

“We have become more aware of our surroundings, and to be more conscious about our actions. At Microsoft, this has been a larger goal to aim for, as we have been carbon neutral throughout our datacenters since 2012. Naturally, we have built upon these practices for more ambitious aspirations regarding sustainability and how we would like to be carbon negative by 2030.”

The global brand will continue to invest in, waste management, requiring organisations to have a zero-waste footprint. “We are providing solutions that will help the UAE carbon neutral, or more ambitiously, carbon negative and this solution is being showcased at Gitex,” said Hashish. 
— sandhya@khaleejtimes.com