Tag: Microsoft

EPAM helps its customers engineer the future with Microsoft Enterprise Skilling Initiative

A long-standing Microsoft customer and partner, EPAM Systems (EPAM) helps its clients engineer the future using Microsoft cloud solutions. The company, repeatedly awarded for its strong learning culture, nurtures employee cloud competencies through participation in the Enterprise Skilling Initiative (ESI). Available in a variety of formats, the program has already provided over 2,500 engineers with more than 5,500 Microsoft Cloud certifications. Equipped with future-oriented skills, EPAM employees can feel more empowered in their roles and better serve the increasing digital needs of their clients.

EPAM, a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company, invests in its people and award-winning learning culture by offering mentoring programs and unlimited upskilling and development opportunities. “Our client works with us because we deliver results,” starts Dmitry Tikhomirov, Vice President, Head of Cloud Technology and Delivery, EMEA & APAC at EPAM. “And we are able to do that because we invest in our people — from technology and platforms to learning and education.”

A learning culture is deeply embedded in EPAM’s business strategy, providing an outlet for employees to grow and stay engaged. “We work to understand the business objectives of each department and map corporate learning solutions to those objectives,” reveals Irina Kureichyk, Director of Learning & Development at EPAM. “This way, we can offer our clients the most up-to-date, high-quality skills and services.” Seeing the demand for advanced digital and cloud technology expertise, EPAM decided to participate in Microsoft ESI, which provides hands-on interactive courses and certification in Microsoft Cloud technologies for Microsoft customers.

Cultivating an engaging learning environment

EPAM’s certification journey with ESI started in 2019 when the first 250 engineers signed up for training across Microsoft Cloud technologies (Azure, Security, Power Platform). Initially, on-site certification events and in-class experiences were planned, but the pandemic forced a rapid switch online. Yet, the transition occurred with no disruption. “We had a learning platform where we built a learning path, integrating courses from Microsoft,” explains Kureichyk.

By combining our strengths with Microsoft, we can help our clients achieve their digital transformation goals, increase their technological agility and deliver game-changing digital experiences to their customers.

Dmitry Tikhomirov: VP, Head of Cloud Technology and Delivery, EMEA & APAC.

All certification paths are role-based but open to anyone meeting the course requirements. “We offer all learning formats provided by Microsoft, from self-paced courses and virtual classes to expert advice provided by colleagues. That flexibility makes learning easier to accommodate for our employees and keeps them motivated,” continues Kureichyk. To distinguish and engage learners, EPAM also uses gamification and badges.

Certified to make an impact

Commitment to skilling brings resiliency to EPAM. “In spite of global challenges, we continued to make skilling initiatives our top priority.” recalls Kureichyk.

To date, over 2,500 engineers across 14 countries in Central and Eastern Europe have obtained more than 5,500 certificates, the biggest Microsoft certification initiative in the region. For EPAM, this achievement confirms the company’s outstanding cloud expertise. For its employees, certificates provide a chance to elevate or recalibrate their career. “We’ve seen people move from engineering or development roles into UX roles or change their career path from testing to software development,” says Kureichyk.  “This allows us to retain valuable talent.”

The drive for continuous learning is not purely employer-driven; EPAMers are hungry to build their skills to respond to the changing market demands. Apart from the Enterprise Skilling program, the company participates in Cloud Skills Challenge, Microsoft Training Days, and other joint learning initiatives. “The technology landscape is changing every three to four years, so we need to keep our skills current continuously,” comments Tikhomirov. “Through our combined efforts with Microsoft, we can help our clients on multiple fronts, from achieving digital transformation goals and increasing agility to delivering innovative solutions,” he says. “Equipped with cloud competencies, our engineers can continue to support our clients in navigating market shifts and disruption, providing them with strategic resiliency and the innovation to thrive.”

Version 1 awarded exclusive Global Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for delivery of National Highways app driving safety on England’s roads

IT service provider Version 1 has been awarded a prestigious accolade by Microsoft for its work with the UK’s National Highways to improve safety across the road network across England.

Dublin-founded Version 1 was named the global winner in the Modernising Applications 2023 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, beating off stiff competition from an international field.

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognise Microsoft partners which have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft-based applications, services, and devices during the past year. Awards were classified in various categories, with those honoured chosen from a set of more than 4,200 submitted nominations across 100 countries worldwide.

Version 1 was recognised for providing outstanding solutions and services in Modernising Applications for its innovative transformation of a critical application for National Highways’ Incident Liaison Officers (NILOs). The NILO team are responsible for coordinating information on major incidents – multi-vehicle collisions, severe weather, and freight spillages – over 4,500 miles of England’s strategic road network and are vital to the 254 billion passenger and freight vehicle miles travelled across England every year.

The solution has meant the NILO team has increased the speed at which major traffic incidents are reported by 150%, incident closure efficiency by 82% and incident creation by 50%. It replaces a legacy system and is a key enabler of National Highways £27.4 billion Digital Roads Strategy aimed at revolutionizing how the strategic road network is designed, built, operated and used.

The app significantly improves user productivity and incident handling through easier, faster logging, reporting, and information sharing. This has facilitated smoother coordination of emergency services, dissemination of media updates for the public, and enhanced incident management and road network operation.

Crucially, for road users, this means a safer, easier journey and improved journey times, bolstering England’s reputation for having the safest roads globally. It also helps National Highways deliver on its commitment to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on its roads by 50% by 2025.

The project was delivered using Version 1’s collection of quick-start delivery accelerators, known as Foundations, which uses prebuilt solutions which incorporate industry best practices and utilise best-of-breed open source and cloud-native technologies. Foundations enables a reduced time to market, reduced delivery risk, increased alignment to standards and improved security.

Tom O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer of Version 1, said: “We are delighted to have been named as the global winner in the Modernising Applications 2023 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The award cements our reputation as a trusted partner of choice to major organisations in the transformation of critical digital infrastructure and we are pleased to have been recognised by Microsoft.

“The National Highways project is a great example of the transformational projects that Version 1 can deliver which significantly improves efficiency and efficacy for our clients. We are particularly proud to have helped National Highways to make England’s roads safer and thank them for partnering with us.”

Nicole Dezen, Corporate Vice President of Global Partner Solutions at Microsoft, said: “Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2023 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards! The innovative new solutions and services that positively impact customers and enable digital transformation from this year’s winners demonstrate the best of what’s possible with the Microsoft Cloud.”

Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced annually prior to the company’s global partner conference, Microsoft Inspire, which will take place on July 18-19 this year.

Codec named Microsoft Country Partner of the Year for Ireland 2023

Codec, one of Ireland’s leading cloud solutions consultancy companies, today announced it has won the prestigious Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for 2023. The company was honoured among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

The achievement comes following a recent expansion programme launched by Codec. The expansion will create 65 new jobs in Ireland and saw the opening of a new office in London.

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognise Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft-based applications, services, and devices during the past year. Awards were classified in various categories, with honourees chosen from a set of more than 4,200 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. Codec was recognised for providing outstanding solutions and services in Ireland.

Commenting on the achievement, Ronan Stafford, CEO, Codec, said: “I am delighted to accept the Microsoft Ireland 2023 Country Partner of the Year award on behalf of our exceptional team at Codec. Their dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment have driven transformative digital projects for our clients in the Public Sector and Healthcare Sector. This recognition is a testament to their remarkable achievements and the positive impact they have made. Together, we will continue pushing boundaries and shaping a brighter future.”

Speaking about the award win, Martina Naughton, Global Partner Sales Director, Microsoft Ireland, added: “We are delighted to announce Codec as Microsoft Ireland’s Country Partner of the Year for 2023. Codec’s exceptional drive for innovation, their dedication to customer success, and collaborative approach truly set them apart. Their unwavering commitment to assuring delivery of Microsoft’s cloud solutions has been instrumental in enabling their customers to thrive and embrace digital transformation. We look forward to continuing our partnership, developing innovative solutions, now and into the future, as Codec continues to exemplify excellence in leveraging Microsoft technology.”

Established in 1985 and headquartered in Ireland, Codec is a high-growth, leading technology company with offices in Dublin, London, Belfast, and Malta. With a team of over 300 dedicated professionals, they are committed to delivering innovative solutions based on the Microsoft low-code platform. As a four-time recipient of the Microsoft Country Partner of the Year award, Codec specialises in providing business applications, artificial intelligence, and cloud infrastructure on the low-code Microsoft platform to organisations in the Public and Healthcare sectors. Beyond technology Codec actively supports sustainability and our chosen charities, Ruhama and Flourish.

Microsoft Ireland Hosts Inaugural Microsoft Dream Space Showcase

Over 300 students from 13 schools and seven clubs in rural Ireland gathered in Microsoft Ireland’s campus in Leopardstown, Dublin, for the inaugural Microsoft Dream Space Showcase to demonstrate the many ways in which their digital skills can help to solve some of today’s sustainability challenges.

The first-of-its-kind event saw 320 students from across Counties Longford, Tipperary and Kildare travel to One Microsoft Place to showcase their STEM-based projects. The innovative projects presented by the students addressed various challenges related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include wearable tech for improving young people’s wellbeing, inclusive and accessible voting systems, initiatives to clean the ocean and prevent illegal dumping, as well as measures to reduce water wastage and so much more.

The collaboration between Microsoft Dream Space, Microsoft Ireland’s STEM innovation and education programme, OurKidsCode and the Department of Rural and Community Development, as well as the participating schools and clubs, began back in September 2022, when the Microsoft Dream Space education team visited Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) in Counties Longford and Tipperary to conduct hands-on STEM education sessions as part of the do your :bit challenge.

This engagement led to schools participating in a further 10-week Dream Space programme, which empowered the students to explore the world of STEM and computer science through various curriculum subjects like geography, P.E., visual arts, and more. They also harnessed the power of the micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer, to foster computational thinking, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking.

The Showcase event provided students with an opportunity to present their STEM-based projects with a number of schools/students being recognised on the day for the outstanding technology solutions they developed. This included Drum National School in Templemore, Co. Tipperary for the project ‘Weaving Wellbeing’ which uses technology to weave wellbeing in the lives of young people and Lackamore National School, Newport, Co. Tipperary which was recognised for its project on collecting plastic rubbish in the ocean.

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Lead and Vice President for Microsoft Global Operations Service Center, said: “Today is a very exciting day for Microsoft Ireland as we hold the inaugural Microsoft Dream Space Showcase at One Microsoft Place. Last year, we announced our intention to invest a further €3m in the expansion of our immersive Microsoft Dream Space STEM experience to ensure that every student across the island of Ireland has the opportunity to develop the skills needed to succeed in a digital economy. Today’s showcase is an important step on the road towards making that ambition a reality as well as a step forward in helping to close the digital skills gap that often exists between rural and urban communities.

“It also marks the culmination of many months of hard work by primary school students and clubs from Counties Longford and Tipperary as they sought to create innovative solutions to today’s major sustainability challenges. I’d like to congratulate all the students who are showcasing their work at this inaugural event and hope they will continue to nurture an interest in technology and innovation as they further their education.”

Bella Ryan, 6th class student, Drom National School said: “I’m very excited to be here today as part of Microsoft’s Dream Space Showcase. Dream Space has really opened my eyes to the endless possibilities presented by technology and the ways in which it can be used to solve so many of today’s problems. It has been the best memory of my eight years at Drom National School. After months of working on our projects, it feels great to be able to show them off today and hear what people think about our solutions to today’s challenges.”

Amadean Moore Walsh, Principal of Drom National School, Templemore, Co. Tipperary said: “It is such an honour to be here at One Microsoft Place as we celebrate our students’ hard work and dedication to creating digital solutions for today’s sustainability challenges. We’re so grateful to Microsoft Ireland and the Dream Space team for not only sparking an interest in STEM among the students, who often have limited access to digital opportunities, and giving them an opportunity to showcase their efforts here today, but also for supporting us as teachers to develop the digital skills needed to continue to nurture this interest in the classroom.”

As evidence of the programme’s impact, in March, Longford County Council secured funding under the Public Service Innovation Fund 2023 to become the first county in Ireland with Computer Science as a Leaving Certificate option in all nine secondary schools. The grant recognised the contributions made by Microsoft Dream Space in Longford to date. Numerous locations in County Tipperary have also been nominated for the prestigious .IE Digital Town Awards 2023, further highlighting the project’s local success.

Tech Review – Boom UNO

The Boom UNO is solid, looks modern and is available in black or white for Professional video conferencing meetings. This comes with a  USB 2.0 cable that connects to your computer and fits directly on the bottom of the kit, The length of the cable can be expanded via the supplied extension cable ( In the box: UNO, USB 2.0 cable, USB extender, quick guide Cable length: USB cable: 152.4cm USB extension: 183cm) allowing for additional distance from your laptop. The kit is designed for areas in Huddle Room, Executive Office, Telehealth but can be used in any area required for conference calls as with Pc Mac laptop Desktop. It has a cylindrical shape with a wide-angle camera on the top and a speakerphone on the bottom. The device Dimensions are 181mm x 62mm x 62mm) Weight: is 465g while solid on a surface. The device is designed as a collaboration solution with HD video and omnidirectional speakerphone

 

 Package Contents

  •         Part number: BM03-0016 (black), BM03-0017 (white)
  •         UNO all-in-one
  •         USB 2.0 cable
  •         Extension cable
  •         Quick guide

UNBOXING

Features:

  •       Full HD 1080p @ 30fps
  •       Wide angle: 120° field of view
  •       Multi codec
  •       Full Duplex HD audio
  •       Omnidirectional microphone
  •       High-quality CMOS sensor
  •       Dynamic Noise Reduction (DNR)
  •       Echo cancellation
  •       Plug & Play
  •       USB 2.0
  •       3-year warranty

 

Setup & use:

The Boom UNO is easy to set up and use as required no additional software to be manually downloaded, Once this is plugged into the Laptop USB port the installation of the drivers and software is done in the background. You can then use it with any video conferencing platform such as Zoom, Teams, Webex, Meet, Bluejeans, GoToMeeting, Skype etc.  The device supports multiple resolutions up to 1080p at 30 frames per second and has a plug-and-play feature that makes it compatible with Windows, Mac OS X and Chrome OS.

 When in use the green light indicated use,  or the Red light when muted, The lens can be slightly adjusted manually up or down. Once connected to eg a team call the kit defaults on the system to the Audio/video settings. The process of connections worked seamlessly and efficiently.

Once connected which was simple and easy the basic in terms of volume up, down mute worked.

 

 

 

A niggle in terms of the connections was noted in Teams & Youtube, On turning up the volume on 2 separate modern Windows laptops, the volume was increased/decreased but not shown on your tube or Team calls, When the mute was pressed on a team call, the call muted & change to red but again the mute symbol within the team call did change to advise muted. ( Technically this worked as expected but not the indication we have become familiar with )

The Audio when increased/decreased via the Uno up/ down buttons, had an effect of a step down of the volume rather than a liner approach noticeable when going from a low volume to 0 volume quickly, typically the frequency of calls on other devices gradually fade away while with Uno this audio when from low to zero.

The Brand: Boom Collaboration is a company that specializes in video conferencing and collaboration tools founded in 2020 with their  Headquarters in Austin, Texas, they also offer a range of high-quality cameras for video conferencing. Their logo boasts “We are on a mission to make Meetings Better. Simply.” Their Specialties include Videoconferencing, Collaboration Hardware, Video conferencing cameras, Webcams, Hybrid work solutions, Work From Home Solutions, All-In-One devices, PTZ 4K cameras, Distance learning, Telehealth, Huddle rooms, Intelligent AI solutions, Audio Visual Installations, NDI compatible cameras,

Warranty:

Boom Collaboration have got this right in terms of a 3-year warranty and an optional 5-year Boom Care plan which is an indication of their confidence in their brand.

Conclusion

The Boom UNO is a compact all-in-one high-quality audio and video device for use in small meetings, home or setting that required a video conferencing option. The kit is compact and I would like to see an option of a USB C cable and an option to connect to a phone, Bluetooth or via the USB C cable to increase the flexibility/option of the kit. The extension cable is excellent allowing to extend of the distance of the cable as required,

The colours of the screen are great to see in terms of Green and Red, but on testing on a team’s call, the mute does as required on the call but does not change the software mute icon to show mute. Similarly, the volume up/down features works but again the software does not show the increase on eg YouTube or MS Teams.

The setup and use are easy requiring no technical skills in this area with the extension cable a bonus to facilitate the placing of the kit further away from the laptop.

The audio experience in terms of moving away from the mic a distance worked quite well for calls where users did not experience a major deterioration  of the call quality as I moved further away from the 360° omnidirectional microphone, This was superior to many tested before due to the dynamic noise reduction and echo cancellation features.

The camera has a View angle: of 120° with a Resolution: of 1920 x 1080. This gave a good quality picture while when tested with one person on the call or a team the autofocus of a team’s call did not appear to have much of an effect.  The camera can be manually slightly tilted up and down while not a PTZ camera nor does it zoom in out to focus on an area. The camera cannot be manually blocked out rather have to do this via the laptop etc The quality from the  CMOS  Image sensor ( (1/2.8)) gave a good quality picture at @30fps.   The kit works as required with a simple-to-use setup with clear features colour coded for effective calls and audio

BUY 

Video Review

AI Talent is on the rise – new skills required to meet the demands of digital transformation – Labour Market Pulse

IDA Ireland, in partnership with Microsoft and LinkedIn, has today published its latest Labour Market Pulse, which provides an overview of current insights and trends across the Irish labour market to help inform decision makers across business, academia and public policy.

This edition of the Labour Market Pulse highlights the rising importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills among today’s workforces and takes a closer look at the growth of AI in Ireland. AI, and the skills related to it, are central to empowering businesses to digitally transform their organisations.

The growth of AI is anticipated to positively impact jobs and skills across multiple sectors and many businesses are currently in the early stages of identifying their potential use of AI. Demand for AI skills continues to outpace supply and skills availability has been deemed the most important obstacle to the adoption of AI for companies. With the European Year of Skills set to begin in May, the World Economic Forum predicts that 97 million jobs involving AI will be created between 2022 and 2025 and overcoming current skills gaps will require targeted efforts.

The latest Labour Market Pulse also places a spotlight on gender diversity in AI teams. LinkedIn data shows that 1.36% of women and 2.55% of men in Ireland were considered AI talent in 2022. Despite this gap, progress is being made, with the number of women considered AI talent growing faster year-on-year. Between 2016-2022, there was a 40.5% increase in the number of women in AI compared to 34.7% in the number of men considered AI talent.

AI in Ireland

In 2022, LinkedIn members in Ireland working in the Education sector held the highest share of AI talent, at 6.36%, reflecting Ireland’s strong position as a hub for research and innovation. Globally, LinkedIn members employed in Technology, Information and Media possessed the largest share of AI talent.

Ireland is responding to the shortage of AI skills by focusing on employee reskilling and upskilling and introducing initiatives to build capacity in AI, including the appointment of an AI ambassador, the introduction of a National Masters in AI, and a digital strategy for schools.

There are more than 105 courses in AI and related areas available across Ireland, which, combined with the highly skilled workforce and culture of innovation, make Ireland well positioned to lead in the development and adoption of AI.

Employment

Meanwhile, the Pulse also looks at employment rates in Ireland and highlights a continued slowing in the hiring rate from post-pandemic highs. Hiring rates in January 2023 were 27.2% lower than January 2022.

Following rapid hiring during the reopening of the economy post-pandemic, the labour market stabilised in 2022. Continued economic headwinds see employees appear to choose stability over change, with longer tenures also reflected in the decreasing hiring rate.

Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment commented: “AI skills and talent are becoming increasingly vital for Ireland’s economic growth and competitiveness in the global market.  As AI continues to revolutionise industries across the board, those with the skills and expertise to develop and deploy cutting-edge AI solutions will be in high demand.  Ireland has the potential to be a leader in this field, but it will require a concerted effort to cultivate and attract top AI talent to the country.”

“I welcome this latest Labour Market Pulse on AI Talent, and the collaboration between IDA Ireland, Microsoft and LinkedIn, that underpins it.  It highlights the huge growth in demand for AI talent and the opportunities for both individuals and businesses who have identified and invested in the necessary skills.”

“I applaud the work of IDA Ireland in supporting and encouraging businesses to ensure that they have the digital and AI skills they need for the future.”

Commenting on the Labour Market Pulse, IDA Ireland Interim CEO Mary Buckley said: ‘’I welcome the data insights which shows that AI and digital skills are continuing to grow here in Ireland year on year. The increase in female enrolment in AI related education programmes is particularly welcome. Despite global uncertainty, it’s encouraging to see Ireland react to the need to develop AI skills with a focus on upskilling and reskilling all the way from the workforce to a digital strategy for schools.’’

Commenting on the Labour Market Pulse, James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Lead and Vice President of Microsoft Global Operations Service Center, said: “AI is a defining technology of our time, and we are optimistic about what AI can do for people, industry, and society. Already it is helping to solve some of society’s greatest challenges, be that making farming more sustainable, protecting vulnerable communities from climate change, or cleaning up the world’s oceans. As AI systems evolve, we expect that AI advances will change the nature of some jobs and work, and even create new jobs that didn’t exist before. These shifts are similar to the changes we’ve seen with other major technological advances such as the invention of the telephone or the automobile. And like those changes, we expect this shift will require new ways of thinking about skills and training to ensure that workers are prepared for the future and that there is enough talent available for critical jobs.

“With the Government’s Digital Ireland Framework seeking to have 75% of businesses using AI by 2030, it is welcome to see the strong growth in AI talent in the latest Labour Market Pulse and the new upskilling and reskilling opportunities that are coming on stream to help skill up Ireland for our AI age.”

Head of LinkedIn in Ireland Sharon McCooey added: “Despite the slowdown in hiring across the country, there are growth opportunities emerging in areas like AI and the green economy, as outlined in the previous Labour Market Pulse. While AI talent is very much in demand, there is a clear need to develop a pipeline of skilled professionals to take up these roles. Given the current tightness in the labour market, employers should focus on a skills-based approach to hiring. This is particularly relevant in the field of AI given that many of the third level courses available, such as AI for medical research, have only emerged in recent years.”

Full details on the latest insights from Labour Market Pulse can be found at the following link:

https://www.idaireland.com/latest-news/publications/labour-market-pulse-edition-8

Tech Review – Jabra Evolve2 buds

The Jabra Evolve2 buds are the ideal partner to have if you work from home or in the office and use more than one device and if you are into meetings which is more common than ever these days these earbuds is what you need and if you like your music too well then these solve all these problems in one go and the thing is they are portable and can be brought anywhere and it is a super simple set-up with the dongle to switch between two devices which for me is key and a multipoint connection is for me something that is a must and again for those who work in either closed or open office space environments.

The design of the earbuds is familiar with their current range and for me is fine they work well and fit perfectly with the right tips and again this is something I always point out when using earbuds to get the best out of them and these also come with the MyFit option to ensure you have them set up at optimum levels which will benefit you in the end so do not skip the process, you can if you life however you will not get the full performance they offer if not, it only takes a few minutes and is worth it, trust me.

The App

The app as always is excellent although this time around it has being tailored towards the use of teams we have covered the app multiple times here on site but we do take a look in more detail in the video review below.. As expected the app is full of features and allows you take control of what you want and need with a nice UI and it is simple to navigate.

The sound

OK well what more would you expect from Jabra then? They sound great from all aspects of use be it connected to PC or phone and the same applies for using teams on both, there was some lag latency noted at first but an updated chimed through during testing and seems to have fixed it, like any other pair of Jabra earbuds I have used the I was confident these would not disappoint and that they did not given they are geared for Teams and UC platforms. In short these Evolve2 buds are a one stop shop for those who want to still enjoy their music and spend much of their day on Teams calls with no issues at all noted and drop outs during my testing.

The only thing noted was the ANC is not up to par at this price-point however these are a more targeted pair of earbuds towards the office if you will rather than a whole music experience but they overall as mentioned still are a one stop shop for those who are in the environments and you have a nice widget you can use on your phone to swap between modes also giving you the stats at hand for reference.

Key features of the Evolve2 Buds: 

  • Certified for Microsoft Teams and leading UC platforms – for enhanced collaboration experience 
  • MultiSensor Voice technology – ensures professional call performance by using multiple mics and Jabra algorithms to block out noise 
  • Plug-and-play USB adapter for enhanced connectivity – 20 metre/65 feet range allows users the freedom to move around their work environment 
  • Advanced Multipoint connection – connect to two devices at one time 
  • Adjustable Active Noise Cancellation – filters out background noise allowing for increased focus 
  • HearThrough and single earbud use – allows the user to hear surrounding sounds through the earbuds whilst wearing them 
  • Increased battery life – with 33 hours of battery, including the case and wireless charging 
  • Ultra-discreet design – for ultimate comfort and a professional look  

BUY 

Video review

Ergo Achieves Microsoft Networking Services Specialisation to Further Advance Market-Leading Azure Capabilities

Ergo has become the only Irish IT services company to achieve the Networking Services in Microsoft Azure Specialisation, designed for Microsoft partners to demonstrate their deep knowledge, extensive experience and proven success in planning and deploying networks in Azure.

A rigorous and independent audit validated Ergo’s capability, not just for implementation but also for operating and optimising a customer’s network architecture, paying particular attention to performance, security and value. Strengths of Ergo’s public cloud and networking practices were praised in the audit, including its skilled and qualified staff in enterprise networking technologies, the accomplished standardisation of business processes and the strong focus on continual improvement.

The specialisation also recognises the breadth of Ergo’s competencies, a depth of knowledge around traditional networks that complements a range of virtual network solutions. For organisations pursuing hybrid strategies, where they need to connect on-premises infrastructure with cloud services, it’s a critical combination of skills to have at their disposal.

Des Curley, Head of Ergo’s Networking Practice, said, “Ergo has always recognised that the network is the backbone for every cloud strategy. This Microsoft Azure specialisation endorses our capability to provide customers with best-in-class combinations of physical and virtual networks, enabling complex hybrid environments to flourish with no impact on performance.”

Martina Naughton, Global Partner Sales Director of Microsoft Ireland, commented, “Ergo has been at the leading-edge of Microsoft technology for nearly 30 years in Ireland and I applaud their team’s work in adding another Azure specialisation to the six they have already achieved. I look forward to working closely with them on new projects in the years ahead.”

Kevin Greene, Public Cloud Practice Lead at Ergo, said, “This advanced Microsoft specialisation validates our leadership in the cloud connectivity market. All the networking skills we’ve fine-tuned over the years around on-premises environments have been successfully adapted, added to and enhanced for cloud.”

The new specialisation is the latest milestone in a journey that began when Ergo became a Microsoft Azure Expert MSP in 2021. The highest Azure status Microsoft sets for its elite global partners, it validates excellence in designing, building, operating and optimising cloud solutions. The networking specialisation highlights another strength in a growing portfolio of hybrid cloud propositions.

Alongside this latest advanced specialisation, Ergo have also achieved the following six specialisations across the Azure and Modern Work partner designations:

  • Windows Server and SQL Server Migration to Microsoft Azure
  • Threat Protection
  • Linux and Open-source Databases Migration to Microsoft Azure
  • Adoption and Change Management
  • Modernisation of Web Applications to Microsoft Azure
  • Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop

Microsoft brings its Dream Space experience to Northern Ireland

Microsoft has announced the opening of its dedicated innovation and education hub, Microsoft Dream Space, in a new state-of-the-art learning centre in W5, Belfast’s award-winning science and discovery centre.

The opening of Microsoft Dream Space at the LIFE at W5 facility is an important milestone for the company as it seeks to provide 1,000,000 students, as well as their teachers, across the island of Ireland with the opportunity to engage in an immersive learning experience and develop their digital skills. This follows Microsoft’s recent announcement that it intends to invest a further €3m in the expansion of Microsoft Dream Space over the next four years.

Microsoft first opened the doors of Dream Space at its campus in Dublin in 2018. Through physical and virtual education sessions, more than 130,000 young people from across the island of Ireland have enjoyed the opportunity to learn digital skills that are increasingly important in our digital economy and society.

The fully immersive Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) experience has been developed by Microsoft in partnership with educators to inspire, encourage and challenge students to think creatively in areas such as computer science, AI, Mixed Reality, and robotics.

Since rolling out the Microsoft Dream Space experience in Northern Ireland last year with the support of W5, Microsoft has engaged close to 5,000 young people through a mix of virtual and in-person experiences. This number is expected to increase rapidly with the opening of the dedicated innovation and education hub in Belfast, unlocking new opportunities for primary and post-primary students to engage in digital skills.

Commenting on the opening, Anne Sheehan, General Manager, Microsoft Ireland said: “At Microsoft, we’re passionate about helping young people to engage in STEM learning and shift their perceptions about the role technology can play in their future career choices. With digital technology reshaping how we live, work, and learn, it is important that young people develop digital skills at the earliest opportunity. That’s why, four years ago we invested in the Microsoft Dream Space experience and just recently announced our commitment to its continued growth and expansion over the next four years.

“We’ve had many students from Northern Ireland based schools both participate in our virtual Dream Space offering and attend our hub at our campus in Dublin, however, it was always an ambition of ours to have a physical Dream Space experience in Northern Ireland. It’s great to have reached this milestone. We look forward to our continued partnership with the team at Odyssey Trust and the impact we can have together.”

Nigel Cunningham, Microsoft Northern Ireland Regional Lead added: “At Microsoft, we want to ensure that the next generation has the skills to succeed in our digital economy and society. The official opening of our physical Dream Space experience in Belfast highlights our commitment to providing students across Northern Ireland with the opportunity to engage in STEM. By working in partnership with W5 and the wider education community, we can help foster a pipeline of skilled talent in Northern Ireland that is best positioned to fill the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow.”

In addition to the dedicated education and innovation hub at W5, the recent expansion of Microsoft Dream Space has resulted in the delivery of a suite of new offerings including Dream Space Academy for Primary; Dream Space Academy for Post-Primary; Dream Space Digital Academy, and the evolution of Dream Space Teacher and Dream Space TV.

To find out more about the Microsoft Dream Space experience and the resources available to schools and youth groups, visit: www.microsoft.com/dreamspace