Microsoft has partnered Johannesburg-based accelerator Sw7 to launch a new programme designed to create, grow and scale technology businesses.
The Sw7 Microsoft Partner Acceleration Programme, which is free, will kick off with a series of workshops, running over six months supported by continuous digital engagement.
It launches next week, with the first workshop to be held at the Microsoft offices in Bryanston on the March 12, and registration is open now. The programme will initially be based in Johannesburg but will look to include other regions digitally, based on demand.
Throughout the programme, participating businesses will be able to access the tools and content, and consume them in a way and at a pace that suits them. They may join at any time when they have the time and capacity to focus on their cloud business. Startups are assessed on what they have achieved so far and what their definitions of success are, and provided with the tools, processes and content to help them move towards their goals.
“Microsoft partners are building on our technology, collaborating with partners across borders to build repeatable solutions, and creating new revenue opportunities that didn’t exist in the past. As part of our digital transformation, Microsoft is moving beyond transactional re-selling via partners, to a true partnership philosophy where we’re working together to develop and sell each other’s technology and solutions,” said Rochelle Mountany, independent software vendor (ISV) partner lead at Microsoft.
Sw7 co-founder Odette Jones said the Microsoft partnership was an exciting step forward for Sw7.
“South African technology markets are B2B-led, the skills pool the Microsoft partner base offers is unparalleled, this combined with the Azure stack and the access to market provided by Microsoft means they offer huge value to the ecosystem of growing and scaling technology businesses,” she said.
