#Microsoft - techbuzzireland.com

2,500 Learners Take Their First StepIn2Tech on Microsoft’s Digital Skills Training Programme #StepIn2Tech

Today, Microsoft Ireland announced that over 2,500 people have registered for StepIn2Tech, the digital skills training programme that was launched just four months ago in partnership with Fastrack to IT (FIT).

Developed by Microsoft Ireland in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the StepIn2Tech programme aims to equip 10,000 people with the digital skills required to transfer to emerging and in-demand roles within the digital economy. It’s particularly focused on supporting those who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and those who have either recently left school or college.

Since its launch in March, the programme has helped workers who have lost their jobs in retail, hospitality, tourism and other sectors to reset their career aspirations and pursue new career opportunities in the digital economy.

The 10,000 digital skills training places being provided by Microsoft Ireland are additional to the 50,000 further education and training places being provided by Government through the new ‘Pathways to Work’ scheme, which was recently unveiled.

Speaking about his StepIn2Tech experience, graduate David Kelly said: “I was working in a coffee shop when the pandemic hit and then I suddenly found myself at home with no job. I started to look into my options and discovered StepIn2Tech. Over the past couple of months, I’ve completed each of the learning pathways within the programme which included coding, cloud and digital marketing.

“StepIn2Tech is a great programme made even easier by the fact that learners can do it from their own home. The best bit for me was the guided mentoring and support that I received along the way. As a result of the skills that I developed by participating in StepIn2Tech, I’ve been able to secure a place on a pre-tech apprenticeship with FIT, which will hopefully provide a stepping-stone into a career within the technology sector. I’m very excited to be on a new career pathway and am optimistic about what the future holds.”

James O’Connor, Vice President of Microsoft International Operations, said: “StepIn2Tech is one of a number of initiatives that Microsoft Ireland has developed as part of our Pathways for Life education and training programme, which empowers learners – irrespective of their age, background or experience – to participate fully in Ireland’s digital economy through the development of their digital skills. We launched StepIn2Tech as a direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic with the goal of supporting an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery. The programme helps people to acquire the digital skills that are needed to secure employment in the digital economy but also to thrive in their existing roles that, because as a result of the past 18 months, may have been digitized.

“The initiative has been received positively and we’ve been delighted to see so many complete the course to date and learn of the individual success stories behind each learner. Two weeks ago, the Government announced its own ambitious ‘Pathways to Work’ scheme which focuses on helping people displaced in the jobs market to acquire new skills to secure employment post-pandemic. StepIn2Tech will support this mission and I’d encourage anyone whether early or mid-career or out of work to avail of this training to accelerate your employment opportunities.”

Peter Davitt, CEO, Fastrack to IT, said: “We were delighted to join forces with Microsoft Ireland to launch StepIn2Tech earlier this year. As a result of the pandemic, digital skills have become essential skills for a wide range of roles across multiple sectors. Furthermore, due to the pace of digital transformation that has occurred over the last 18 months, the digital skills gap has widened and so it’s essential that people leverage programmes such as StepIn2Tech to upskill to play a meaningful role in our economy’s recovery.

“StepIn2Tech has already resulted in positive learner outcomes, whereby some have chosen to pursue additional education and training opportunities and others have progressed on to apprenticeships or returned to employment. I’d like to encourage anyone who is interested in either developing their digital skills or considering a new career to register for free today to StepIn2Tech.”

For more information on #StepIn2Tech or to register to participate in the programme, visit: https://fit.ie/stepin2tech/.

Microsoft Celebrates 3 Year Anniversary of DreamSpace with Virtual Event to Mark Girls in ICT Day #ICTDay

Microsoft Ireland today marked the three-year anniversary of its digital learning experience, DreamSpace, by hosting a special Girls in ICT Day virtual event. Over 600 students from 22 girls’ primary schools across the island of Ireland participated in the virtual event, which was hosted in partnership with W5, Belfast’s award-winning science and discovery centre.

Students from 5^th and 6^th class at St Patricks GNS Ringsend were some of those who tuned in to the virtual session where students had the opportunity to engage in STEM learning activities including designing and testing their own bridges and coding their own Arcade games. These activities, like all DreamSpace experiences, aim to help foster critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity skills. The celebratory DreamSpace event sought to inspire primary school girls about the opportunities unlocked by science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Over the past year Microsoft Ireland’s DreamSpace experience has adapted and evolved to meet the needs and requirements of students, teachers and parents as together everyone navigated the uncertainty of remote learning. Microsoft’s DreamSpace Digital Education Programme provided the education sector with a suite of new supports designed to meet all needs. The Virtual DreamSpace experience has continued successfully during the pandemic with the company hosting two schools a day on a guided DreamSpace experience from the safety of their classroom. Microsoft DreamSpace TV was another resource developed and introduced by the Microsoft Ireland education team over the past year and has enabled students, whilst at school or at home, to engage with a STEAM learning journey focused on computational thinking, creativity and problem-solving. And finally, DreamSpace Teacher has provided targeted supports to empower teachers to deliver their own DreamSpace experience in the classroom or by way of independent learning modules for students.

The positive impact of this extended DreamSpace programme has been proven through research undertaken by Maynooth University in partnership with Microsoft. The research looked at teachers and students who had engaged with a DreamSpace experience and found that 90% of teachers believe that DreamSpace has had a positive impact on students and led them to be more positively disposed to pursuing a career in STEM. This same research found that 87% of teachers were more confident in teaching technology in the classroom following the introduction of new materials like DreamSpace TV.

Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland, said: “When we opened the doors of DreamSpace three years ago we never could have imagined the impact it would have. Up until last year, hundreds of students would visit our campus in One Microsoft Place to engage with the digital experience and gain an understanding of how technology could shape their future. The demand for school visits was so high that as a company we were always exploring new ways to expand our reach and in 2019 we were delighted to partner with W5 to help bring the DreamSpace experience to students in Northern Ireland. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit and the world responded at speed to the need to embrace technology that we realised we had an opportunity to engage far more students than we could have thought possible.”

“Over the past year our education team have evolved the DreamSpace experience so every school – irrespective of their location – can take part. We couldn’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate the third anniversary of DreamSpace than with this special virtual event and it was great to see so many schools participating. I’d like to thank everyone who is part of our special DreamSpace family for making it the success that it is today. Every student that has visited or engaged in a session, every teacher who has provided feedback to help us improve the experience further, and all the parents who so enthusiastically engaged with us over the past year. Each year brings something new at DreamSpace and we’re looking forward to another exciting year ahead.”

Anne Smith, Principal at St Patricks GNS Ringsend said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to join the virtual event with the Microsoft and W5 team. The students all really enjoyed the session and they’re already asking about when we can sign up for another event or visit DreamSpace. It’s great to have events like this available to schools which help us bring technology into the classroom in a fun way for the students.”

Microsoft first opened DreamSpace following a €5m investment at its campus in Leopardstown in 2018. At that time, the company committed to engaging 100,000 primary and Transition Year students and their teachers over four years in the experience helping to shift their perception about the role technology will play in their future. In 2019, Microsoft expanded the reach of DreamSpace to schools in Northern Ireland through a partnership with W5, Belfast’s award-winning science and discovery centre. Since the launch of DreamSpace, over 60,000 students from primary and post-primary schools and over 3,000 teachers have engaged in the STEM experience that is designed to help develop critical, collaborative and problem-solving skills that will help students to participate fully in today’s digital world.

For more information about DreamSpace, log onto www.microsoft.com/dreamspace. For live updates from the Microsoft Education team follow them on Twitter @MS_eduIRL.

Microsoft Ireland announces 200 new jobs with the expansion of its Digital Sales team. #Microsoft #Jobs

Microsoft Ireland was joined today by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD to announce a further expansion of its Dublin-based EMEA Digital Sales team with the creation of 200 new jobs. The company also unveiled details of its new Microsoft Sales Academy, which will enable 25 recruits from a variety of backgrounds and with little or no digital skills to establish a career in digital sales. Today’s announcement builds on Microsoft Ireland’s November 2020 engineering investment announcement, which saw the creation of 200 new engineering roles and an investment of €27m in a new Engineering Hub at its growing campus in Leopardstown, Dublin.

Microsoft Ireland today announced the expansion of its Dublin-based EMEA Digital Sales team with the creation of 200 new jobs. Recruitment for the 200 new positions at Microsoft is underway with the intention to have all roles filled before May 2021. For more visit: careers.microsoft.com. Pictures taken outside Microsoft’s campus in Leopardstown, One Microsoft Place. Pic:Naoise Culhane –

Recruitment for the 200 new positions is underway with the intention to have all roles filled before May 2021. Microsoft Ireland is seeking applications to fill a broad array of digital sales positions including Sales Representatives, Technical Sales Specialists, Cloud Solution Architects, Account Executives and Sales Managers. The company is seeking candidates with fluency in languages including English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian, and Spanish to help meet the needs of customers across the EMEA region.

Speaking at today’s announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said: “I warmly welcome this latest job announcement by Microsoft as a strong vote of confidence in Ireland as a destination for investment, and in the talent of our workforce.

“In the coming months we will be focusing on delivering a recovery that is both inclusive and sustainable, central to this will be getting people back to work and protecting and creating employment fit for the future. Attracting highly sought-after digital jobs like those created by Microsoft today is an important step in that journey.”

Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland said: “We are delighted to be in a position to announce the further deepening of our footprint in Ireland. Following so soon after our Engineering investment, it highlights the importance of our Irish based operations to Microsoft globally. The growth of our EMEA Digital Sales team reflects the dynamism and growth mindset that is at the heart of our company. Our existing digital sales team has been working hard to provide organisations in Ireland and across Europe, the Middle East and Africa with digital technologies they need to transform their business model and achieve success.

“The creation of the Microsoft Sales Academy further supports those efforts by building and nurturing a diverse pipeline of talent both now and into the future, ensuring our team reflects the diversity of the customers we serve. By adding to the diversity of skills and backgrounds within our Dublin-based team, we can continue to innovate at speed as we reimagine Ireland’s future.”

Lisa Dillon, Vice-President, Microsoft EMEA Digital Sales said: “I am delighted that we are expanding our EMEA Digital Sales team so that we can best meet the evolving needs of our customers. In just four years, we will have established and grown the team to over 1,000 employees. This rapid growth is creating superb career development opportunities for the dynamic team which today represents more than 75 nationalities and fluency in over 35 different languages.

“The EMEA Digital Sales team leverage Microsoft technologies, including AI and machine learning, and enhance them with digital selling capabilities to transform our engagement with customers. This allows us to meet and exceed the needs of our customers and partners, engaging them at the right time in their digital journey to help drive their business success. I am looking forward to welcoming our new recruits and supporting them as they contribute to the continued growth and success of the team.”

The new Microsoft Sales Academy will provide recruits from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skillsets with the sales and technical skills to succeed in a digital sales environment. The Academy builds on Microsoft’s ongoing digital education and training programmes to help people to participate fully in the digital economy. With four intake waves planned per calendar year, the six-month sales training programme will provide recruits with the expertise to support the digital transformation journey of organisations globally. At the end of the programme, recruits will transition into a Digital Sales Representative role with the skills to support customers’ digital transformations. 25 of the new jobs announced today are for Sales Academy positions.

New recruits will join an existing team of more than 1,000 highly trained sellers leveraging cutting-edge technology platforms and analytics to better meet customer needs. First established in 2017 with an initial headcount of 500 employees, the EMEA Digital Sales team in Dublin has expanded rapidly as organisations globally embrace digital transformation. Upon conclusion of the current phase of recruitment Microsoft Ireland will employ more than 2,800 people in Ireland across its Leopardstown campus and within its Data Centre operations.

Microsoft Ireland offers an extensive array of benefits in addition to a competitive package for the right candidates. For those interested in a starting or furthering a career in digital sales, visit: careers.microsoft.com.

Microsoft Ireland launches virtual DreamSpace Digital Education Programme. #RTE #STEAM #DreamSpace

Microsoft Ireland today launched its virtual DreamSpace Digital Education Programme. Developed over the Summer by Microsoft’s education team, the programme will support schools and teachers to engage students in critical digital skills learning whilst current restrictions preclude students from visiting the DreamSpace hub located at Microsoft’s campus in Leopardstown, Dublin.

Amongst the new suite of supports is the option for schools to participate in a Virtual DreamSpace experience. Designed by the Microsoft education team, tailored experiences are available to primary and post-primary students who wish to get a glimpse into the world of technology. Engaging two schools per day in this digital experience, each session is two hours long and learning experiences include a virtual tour of Microsoft, exploration of AI, STEM activities focused on 21^st century skills and coding. The experiences are tailored to the participating school’s own resources.

Additionally, Microsoft has created DreamSpace TV to bring students, whilst at school or at home, on a STEAM learning journey focused on computational thinking, creativity and problem-solving. The lessons, which are aimed at 4^th to 6^th class students in primary schools, will go live every Tuesday over the next ten weeks. Subsequent episodes, which will support both primary and post-primary students, will follow in January 2021. The first DreamSpace TV episode will go live at 10am on Tuesday 29th of September and, as Microsoft has partnered with RTÉjr to extend the reach of the lessons to as many teachers and students as possible, the episodes will be available to view at www.aka.ms/DreamSpaceTV and www.rte.ie/learn.

Microsoft has also developed DreamSpace Teacher, which empowers teachers to deliver their own DreamSpace experience in the classroom or by way of independent learning modules for students. Each DreamSpace Teacher package contains a structured scheme of work, as well as classroom resources that include tutorial videos, worksheets, challenge activities and extension activities, enabling each student to work at their own pace.

Speaking today, Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland said: “We’re delighted to launch our virtual DreamSpace Digital Education Programme, a suite of supports for schools, teachers and of course students to enjoy over the coming academic year. Our DreamSpace experience is extremely popular and since launching in 2018 it has engaged over 40,000 students in tailored STEAM experiences, opening their minds to a new way of learning and the possibility that technology holds for them in their future careers.

“With schools back open, we can continue to connect with and engage schools, teachers and students across the country through a number of exciting and immersive STEAM education programmes. In its virtual form, our DreamSpace experience will once again bring STEAM education alive and DreamSpace TV will enable even more students to engage in and learn through STEAM experiences. It’s testament to the quality of the TV series created that we have teamed up with RTÉjr to extend the weekly lessons to their online audience.”

The new DreamSpace learning and teaching supports build on the success of DreamSpace HomeSpace, a dedicated online resource that was launched in March of this year as schools closed due to the pandemic. DreamSpace HomeSpace enabled young people to engage in STEAM from home via free webinars. Additionally, Microsoft provided free remote learning resources and support to teachers, parents and students to support learning at home and remote teaching.

The announcement today comes as Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) confirmed last week funding for a project by Maynooth University and Microsoft Ireland to understand the impact of the DreamSpace HomeSpace series that ran earlier this year. In addition to providing a repository of STEAM education resources that can be used to support the STEAM education of all Irish families, the project will also serve to explore the impact that home-schooling has had on families and understand how DreamSpace HomeSpace encourages students to learn STEAM subjects. The funding also ensures the continuance of STEAM education by way of DreamSpace TV.

For more information about the new DreamSpace education resources, log onto www.microsoft.com/dreamspace.

Microsoft Ireland swaps tech for tyres in 30,000km cycling challenge in aid of @LauraLynnHouse #MicrosoftLifeIreland

Hundreds of Microsoft Ireland employees are swapping tech for tyres this month as they take on the challenge of cycling 30,000kms over the 30 days of September in order to raise €30,000 for LauraLynn, Ireland’s only children’s hospice.

Microsoft’s seventh annual charity cycle will see the company’s employees, as well as their family members, hit the road and clock up as many kilometres as they can on solo or family bike rides, or indoors on a stationary bike, in order to raise €1 for every kilometre cycled. Over the course of the 30 days, Microsoft employees will collectively cycle the distance to Perth, Australia and back.

All funds raised from the charity cycle will go directly to LauraLynn as it provides much needed respite for children and families after months of strict cocooning due to COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, LauraLynn has continued to provide family supports such as play and music therapy, counselling and wellbeing checks, as well as crisis respite at its hospice in Leopardstown, close to Microsoft’s campus at One Microsoft Place.

To mark the launch of the thirty-day cycling challenge, Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director of Microsoft Ireland said: “Despite the challenges created by COVID-19, the team at LauraLynn has continued to provide vital care and supports to families across Ireland. But now, more than ever, they need our support. That’s why our employees are dusting off their cycling helmets and getting back in the saddle for the 7^th year to participate in a very special cycling challenge.

“Since 2014, Microsoft employees have raised a staggering €430,000 for LauraLynn by way of our annual cycle and we remain as committed as ever to achieving this year’s fundraising goal of €30,000.”

Emma Reid, a member of the Microsoft cycling team said: “This is my second year participating in the Microsoft cycle for LauraLynn and whilst COVID-19 is preventing us from cycling alongside our colleagues, we remain entirely united in our goal to raise much needed funds for the children’s hospice. Of course, I don’t intend on going it alone, my husband and two children and coming along for the ride as we collectively aim to complete 500 kilometres as a family over the course of the 30 days.”

Kerry McLaverty, CEO of LauraLynn Children’s Hospice said: “We are humbled by the continued support shown to LauraLynn by Microsoft Ireland. This is the seventh year of the Microsoft annual cycle for LauraLynn and we are hugely appreciative of their ongoing support.

“Whilst there is still much uncertainty about what the remainder of the year and indeed next year will look like, we have been very fortunate in how generous our supporters and the public have been in response to our appeals and virtual challenges. Microsoft has been hugely supportive of LauraLynn and so it is really special to have the opportunity to work together again on this fantastic challenge”.

To support LauraLynn, members of the public can pledge their support and donate by simply logging on to http://aka.ms/Cycle4LauraLynn.

The public can track the progress of the team as they undertake their 30,000km challenge using the hashtag #MicrosoftLifeIreland.

Microsoft device donation empowers Barnardos to continue providing vital support to vulnerable children and families

Microsoft today announced a donation of devices to Barnardos in order to empower the organisation to work remotely as it continues to provide vital support to vulnerable children and families.

The provision of eighty-four refurbished Microsoft Surface and other devices has ensured that the inspiring team at Barnardos can now support over 800 children and families across Ireland by providing much needed help, advice and support at a time when they need it most.

Suzanne Connolly, CEO of Barnardos said: “The support from Microsoft will mean the world of difference to our frontline teams across Ireland – over 80 Barnardos staff will receive devices that will enable them to continue providing vital and necessary support to some of Irelands’ most vulnerable children and families in the months to come.”

Cathriona Hallahan, MD of Microsoft Ireland said: “Microsoft’s mission is to help every person and every organisation to achieve more. We are all too aware of the additional challenges that many social services and charities are navigating due to the restrictions that were put in place, with many unable to maintain their regular work in the community. That’s why we’ve made a special donation of devices to Barnardos, who have been on the frontline making sure that vulnerable children and families have the supports they need. Through technology, the charity’s project workers are empowered to continue providing essential services to some of our nation’s most vulnerable from their own homes.

“The team at Microsoft Ireland is committed to doing all that we can to respond to the evolving needs of people, communities, families and organisations as we journey along the road to recovery.”

AVer Announces Certified Video Collaboration Solutions for Microsoft. #AVer #Microsoft

Today AVer Information Inc., an award-winning provider of video conferencing solutions, announced a collaboration focused on creating video conferencing technologies that work seamlessly with Microsoft software. AVer Video Collaboration Solutions for Microsoft will be a complete line of AVer USB video conferencing products developed and certified with Microsoft Teams in mind. These AVer products will feature HD cameras, professional-grade speakers, far-field microphones, and will easily connect to any Windows 10 PC via a single USB cable.

Ilya Bukshteyn, Partner Director, Microsoft Teams Devices at Microsoft Corp. said, “AVer is a new addition to the Microsoft Teams ecosystem of Certified device partners, helping our customers have the best possible audio and video experience in Teams meetings. Our collaboration with AVer expands the Teams meeting devices offerings for our medium and large meeting room solutions with a partner experienced in high quality cameras and other video hardware.”

Through this collaboration, AVer offers an elevated meeting room experience to Microsoft Teams users by providing professional, intuitive, and reliable meeting spaces that will work seamlessly with Microsoft software. AVer’s enterprise-grade video conferencing solutions boost professionalism with innovations such as SmartFrame, True WDR, IP based management, and streaming.

“This collaboration provides a fast, simple, cost-efficient way to meet virtually, eliminating complicated hardware installation for improved collaboration and productivity, solidifying AVer’s position at the forefront of the video conferencing peripheral device market. AVer solutions are easy to deploy, affordable, and easy to manage across an entire organization,” said Charles Montoya, VP of Sales & Marketing for AVer.

AVer, in collaboration with Microsoft, is breaking down audiovisual barriers by delivering vibrant HD video and brilliant audio to Microsoft Teams workspaces. The first AVer products to be certified for Microsoft Teams, the CAM540, and CAM520 PRO conference cameras, were tested extensively using Microsoft’s Teams criteria to validate audio and video quality and determine their compatibility with Microsoft’s Teams features.

AVer’s plug-and-play USB cameras offer an award-winning design, superior HD video, amazing audio, smooth PTZ movement, and a simplified user experience. AVer’s innovative technology brings Microsoft users high-quality, affordable, and seamless video collaboration solutions to any meeting space.

Learn more about the AVer Solutions for Microsoft at www.averusa.com/business/Microsoft

Microsoft-UCD Digital Policy Programme. #Microsoft #UCD

In collaboration with Microsoft in Ireland and in Brussels, UCD has established the Microsoft-UCD Digital Policy Programme at UCD with the goal of building digital policy capability amongst the public and private sector in Ireland and across the wider European Union.

In today’s rapidly-evolving digital world, it can be a challenge for legislators and policy makers to keep abreast of the pace of change and its potential impact. This programme is designed to support those in government with the skills and knowledge necessary to amend existing legislation and plan for new legislation that will protect society and provide a relevant framework in which organisations can operate.

The features of the programme will fill a short term need while also building a sustainable pipeline of skills for long-term impact. It will build on existing expertise and curriculum already offered at UCD, while also recruiting leading academics to develop and oversee its success.

Under the direction of Programme Director, Professor Kalpana Shankar, the programme aims to fulfil this demand for digital policy knowledge and skills in the policy ecosystem. The Digital Policy Programme, which will welcome its first intake of students in September, includes the establishment of new educational programmes, including a Certificate course and a Masters in Digital Policy as well as the opening of the UCD Centre for Digital Policy under the leadership of Professor Eugenia Siapera. Elizabeth Farries has been appointed Assistant Professor for the programme and there are plans to appoint a Microsoft Newman Fellow in Digital Policy in September.

The last few weeks and months have demonstrated in a very real way, the transformative impact of technology. Digital solutions have been at the heart of the healthcare and societal response that we have seen – not just in Ireland and Europe but across the globe. The technology led response, driven by innovation and the creative thinking of public servants, has been done at a pace not previously imagined. The reality is that the policy environment and legislation are not, by their nature, as responsive. In addition to the need to create a policy environment that caters for a digital future, it is likely that there will need to be amendments to policy to reflect the rapid change that has already happened. This Digital Policy Programme will help equip those in decision making positions with the skills and capabilities that they need to help inform this important work.

Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland said: “Microsoft is proud to have worked with industry partners, the public sector and leading academics to help inform the development of a programme that will build digital expertise into existing policy making frameworks. This much needed and timely programme will help to advance capabilities amongst Irish and EU policy makers on legislative and policy matters that arise in the context of digital technologies. Irish policy makers have the potential to take the lead in Europe on the evolution of laws and policies that remain relevant in a digital world while also fostering innovation and building trust. The Microsoft team here in Ireland and in Europe are delighted to partner with UCD in the development and delivery of this new academic programme.”

Professor Kalpana Shankar, Professor in UCD School of Information and Communication Studies said: “This MSc in Digital Policy is the first of its kind in Ireland. It is designed to offer graduates the opportunity to learn more about some of the core policy issues that are arising with the prevalence of digital and data technology in all dimensions of life. The course will build on the rich offerings in the School of Information and Communication Studies as well as the wider College of Social Sciences and Law through taught modules, independent projects, and interactions with policymakers and evaluators in the public and private sectors.”

For details on the Microsoft-UCD Digital Policy Programme log on here.

Most Popular Holiday Backgrounds On Zoom Revealed. #Zoom #Tech

With the effect of coronavirus meaning that holiday plans have had to be postponed, a lot of us are missing the ability to explore the world.

It’s perhaps unsurprising then that many people are using video calls as an opportunity to virtually travel, with holiday-style Zoom backgrounds seeing a huge 9,900% increase in searches according to Google Trends data.

Noticing the increase in demand, and anecdotally hearing of people using their destination imagery as video call backgrounds, luxury travel company Kuoni has released a select set of images and video to be used as Zoom backgrounds.

Kuoni has made 14 backgrounds available, 12 images and two dynamic videos, that reflect some of their most popular destinations. From Bangkok cityscapes to crystal-clear Caribbean waters, the collection offers a range of amazing travel landscapes.

James Nye from Kuoni comments: “Just a few days into lockdown we started to hear about people using our destination images as backgrounds to their video calls, to at least momentarily transport them to somewhere else in the world. Coupled with the increase in online searches for travel-inspired video call backgrounds, we wanted to release a collection that hopefully gives people a slice of their dream holiday whilst they’re at home. The collection includes some of our most popular destinations and we hope the range of landscapes means you can switch up the backgrounds depending on where you want your wanderlust to take you.”

Destination Zoom backgrounds have seen a spike in popularity

Kuoni also delved into the search data to discover which destinations and landscapes are currently seeing the largest surge in popularity for virtual backgrounds. With its beautiful beaches and sparkling waters, it may come as no surprise that the Caribbean is the most popular Zoom background right now – seeing a whopping 9,900% increase in searches. The data shows that long-haul destinations are the favourites, with just Sweden making it into the top five from Europe.

Most Popular Zoom Background Destinations

Caribbean +9,900%
=Australia +9,800%

=Maldives +9,800%
=Vietnam +9,700%

=New Zealand +9,700%

=Sweden +9,700%
Philippines +8,800%
=Canada +8,500%

=Brazil +8,500%
USA +8,100%
Ireland +7,200%
India +6,500%
Portugal +5,000%
Spain +4,900%

When looking at holiday types, such as dramatic mountain scenes or serene waterfalls, it’s safari backdrops that are currently the most popular followed by mountain views and cityscapes.

Most Popular Zoom Background Landscapes

Safari +9,900%
Mountain +9,800%
Cityscape +8,100%
Beach +7,800%
Waterfall +6,600%
Sea +6,400%
Rainforest +5,000%
Field +4,000%
Desert +3,200%
Lake +1,500%

To download all the backgrounds and for further information visit: https://www.kuoni.co.uk/travel-zoom-backgrounds

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