Second Middle East and Africa Global Energy Forum to be held in April 2009

Over 20 leading industry companies in the energy sector will come together for the second year to demonstrate Microsoft's information technology solutions for the Oil and Gas industry. The forum provides an opportunity for operating companies to explore how technology can help address their business needs through peer discussions, best practices and exchange learning.

Ali Faramawy, Vice-President, Microsoft International, said:

"The worldwide economic downturn along with the resulting industry trends in the energy sector such as mergers and acquisitions, cost escalation and the drive for productivity enhancements remain key focus areas for Microsoft. We also recognize the critical influence of the region on the global energy sector and through the Global Energy Forum we aim to provide an unparalleled view of how Microsoft and our partners can help the entire Oil and Gas value chain leverage technology to cope with the fast changing business environment."

Keynote speakers at this year's event include David Hobbs, Head of Research from Cambridge Energy Research (CERA) and Jeremy Rifkin, Noted Author and Founder and President of the Foundation on Economic Trends. Breakout sessions will feature Microsoft customer and partner speakers from global and regional IOCs and NOCs, sharing their experiences on how Microsoft's offerings have addressed core priorities ranging from high performance energy services and digital oilfield initiatives to people-ready solutions.

Omar Boulos, Accenture's Middle East Managing Executive, said, "For more than a decade, Accenture and Microsoft have been teaming to deliver business and technology solutions on the Microsoft platform quickly and at scale. This alliance has never been more relevant that in today's turbulent and challenging economic environment when the energy environment is seeking new ways to reduce the overall operating cost and maximize business insight from the daily operations. Microsoft's market leading enterprise-ready technologies, platforms and services, along with Accenture's industry and technical knowledge, business acumen and implementation experience, help the energy industry in achieving high performance."

"In times of economic uncertainty, volatile crude prices and varying supply/demand trends, Oil and Gas companies strive to empower insightful decision making and develop sustainable business strategies," added Omar Saleh, Oil and Gas Sales Manager for Microsoft Middle East and Africa. "The proper utilization of technology enables companies to drive optimization across the entire value chain, capitalizing as well as fundamentally changing the way people work. As Oil and Gas companies decide their future tactics and strategies, Microsoft, together with our partners will showcase how technology can drive performance and help companies maintain a competitive lead."