The program's mission is to foster a learning, supportive environment that enables partners and sales professionals to establish new sales standards. Those standards include instituting lasting visions and solutions to customers and helping them realize their full potential.
Microsoft Arabia's General Manager, Dr. Khalid Al-Dhaher, commended the program as an initiative that aims to introduce an advanced concept of how to best support the IT sector in the Kingdom. "That is done by building self-sufficient solution sales consultants within our partner organizations, enhancing their technical sales skills and supporting a consistent sales methodology", said Al-Dhaher. He noted that Microsoft Sales Academy classes will be free of charge at this stage as part of the company's support of its partners and their sales employees.
Moreover, Microsoft also held workshops for IT executives. Focusing on "Building a Successful Business Plan", the workshops were meant to satisfy the Saudi market's growing need for communication & IT services.
A huge audience turned up for the event in the three cities. Representing a general tone of satisfaction with the contents of the program, Bandar Al-Rajhi, CompuSoft Manager, commented that it was unique because "it offered more than the usual product training. It focused on enhancing sales skills to enable the concerned teams to provide better services and solutions. This is an unprecedented initiative by a leading IT company in support of its partners in KSA".
Participants in the Academy must attend specialized courses and pass exams before moving to advanced levels. A successful candidate starts as a Microsoft Arabia Certified Sales Professional, then an Expert, and finally as a Consultant.
According to IDC, an international research organization specializing in market intelligence for the IT & telecommunications industries, the Saudi IT market is growing rapidly in all directions and thus demonstrating that it is the largest in the region. IT spending reached SR 6.71 billions (US$ 1.79 billions) in 2003. Stronger growth was achieved in 2004 with the market expanding by 14.8% to reach SR 7.68 billions (US$ 2.05 billions). The report noted that while Saudi Arabia's PC market expanded by 17.6% year on year, the growth of the IT services market reached a value of SR 2.25 billions (US$ 609.60 billions) in 2003.
Browse
related articles
Microsoft Sales Academy redefines sales standards
- Saudi Arabia: Thursday, September 08 - 2005 at 07:59
- PRESS RELEASE
Microsoft has recently launched its new Sales Academy Program in Saudi Arabia targeting IT sales professionals across the Kingdom.
Related stories
Also consider reading:
Digg
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Browse
related articles
Log in to request more information from Microsoft Middle East
Notes and media contacts
About Microsoft CorporationFounded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft opened its Dubai-based Middle East office in 1991. Microsoft today has five subsidiaries in the Middle East region: Microsoft South Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in the UAE, Oman, Yemen and Pakistan, Microsoft North Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, Microsoft Arabia covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Microsoft East Med covering , Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus and Malta and Microsoft Egypt. Microsoft Corporation's address on the World Wide Web is: www.microsoft.com Microsoft Middle East's Web site is: www.microsoft.com/middleeast
About Microsoft Arabia
Microsoft Arabia was established in the Kingdom in 1998 with headquarters in Riyadh and branch offices in Jeddah and Al-Khobar. It is the leading software provider in the Saudi market providing sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both Arabic and English. Our regional managers and management teams drive our long-term business direction and future growth. Microsoft Arabia complements its products and services with educational programs and technical seminars designed to transfer the latest technological information and updates to the Kingdom for the benefit of enterprise customers, small and medium business owners, developers, systems engineers and other IT professionals. Microsoft Arabia is also genuinely committed to promoting other sectors of the community using IT. The company has been involved in many programs and projects that support disability organizations, a hospital for the treatment and rehabilitation of narcotics addicts, an organization that cares for gifted persons, and others. Education has also been a major focus for the Company's activities all over Saudi Arabia. These activities covered the Ministry of Education and various universities. Our support and commitment to government initiatives is covering several horizontal and vertical sectors. We deal with several e-Government initiatives by envisioning and supporting technologies. We have delivered certain projects that build towards this direction. We also engaged in delivering several portal solutions in several government and private agencies.
For further information contact:
Media contact:
Mohammed Saqqa/Bashar Kharbat
ASDA'A Public Relations
Tel: 014640051
Fax: 02 6575277
Microsoft Contact:
Mustafa Younes
Marketing Manager
Microsoft Arabia
Tel: : (+966-1) 218 8000
Fax: (+966-1) 218 8001
Posted by Anne-Birte Stensgaard, Senior News EditorThursday, September 08 - 2005 at 07:59 UAE local time (GMT+4)
Replication or redistribution in whole or in part is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AME Info FZ LLC / Emap Limited.
Disclaimer:
Articles in this section are primarily provided directly by the companies appearing or PR agencies which are solely responsible for the content. The companies concerned may use the above content on their respective web sites provided they link back to http://www.ameinfo.com
Any opinions, advice, statements, offers or other information expressed in this section of the AMEinfo.com Web site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of AME Info FZ LLC / Emap Limited. AME Info FZ LLC / Emap Limited is not responsible or liable for the content, accuracy or reliability of any material, advice, opinion or statement in this section of the AMEinfo.com Web site.
For details about submitting your stories, please read the guide - all content published is subject to our terms and conditions
It looks like you are using a Mac - check out our 
Web Feeds