iGA, Microsoft hold workshop on best government practices in Cloud Computing held

Manama, July 2 (BNA) The Information and eGovernment Authority and Microsoft Technology Company organized a workshop on the latest innovations.

The conference was attended by chief information officers and managers representing various government agencies in Bahrain.

The workshop comes in line with the recent renewal of the strategic partnership between the Government of Bahrain – represented by the Information and eGovernment Authority – and Microsoft to support national efforts and accelerate the pace of digital transformation in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The CEO of the Information and eGovernment Authority, Muhammad Ali Al-Qaed, stressed the unlimited support provided by the wise leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain to employ and adopt modern and advanced technologies in the government sector, and the importance of benefiting from them in developing a strong information society.

He praised the national achievements in this regard, and praised the existing cooperation between Bahrain and leading institutions in the field of information and communications technology, including Microsoft, which played a pivotal role in achieving national goals and supporting the digital transformation process in the Kingdom.

He pointed out that the renewal of the strategic partnership with the company will contribute to facilitating the country’s transition to the digital age, and will enhance joint and tireless efforts to maintain the continuity of providing services with the same efficiency and quality while improving economic growth and the lives of citizens and residents in Bahrain.

Al Qaed added that Bahrain is a pioneer in digital transformation in the Middle East and North Africa region, and that the Kingdom has always been one of the first countries to adopt advanced technology and cloud computing services.

He added that this supported the government’s work, enhanced its quality and output, enabled the government to take advantage of the many advantages offered by technology, and provided a wide scope to support the Kingdom’s efforts in digital transformation and business development in various fields.

“This event is an important opportunity to showcase the new capabilities that will be achieved through this partnership,” he said.

The leader shared the details of the partnership between the Bahrain government and Microsoft, highlighting the results of this partnership and enhancing the benefits of the agreement.

“Through the easy and smooth use of technology, these will contribute to improving services through the use of information technology, as well as providing a package of training programmes,” he said.

“The workshops for employees of government agencies will also help in refining and developing national competencies working in the technology sector in the government.”

Sheikh Saif bin Hilal Al Hosani, General Manager of Microsoft Bahrain and Oman, said that Microsoft has always dedicated itself, in the context of its well-established relationship with the Government of Bahrain, to fulfilling its commitments in promoting the Kingdom’s use of advanced technologies. Stimulating the launch of innovative initiatives and projects.

“The step of renewing the partnership comes in line with these endeavours, as we recognize that advanced technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things offer unprecedented potential and open new avenues for economic growth and the provision of advanced services,” he said.

“We look forward to fulfilling our duty in this partnership to support the government to take advantage of these opportunities.”

During the workshop, the Information and eGovernment Authority reviewed the details of the contract supporting the existing partnership with Microsoft, where it clarified the procurement mechanism and best practices that ensure the full benefit of the benefits that the contract brings to government agencies.

In addition to highlighting the efforts and support of its team to ensure business continuity and make the most of the services provided, the authority also reviewed its experience in the End Point Manager (Intune) cloud computing service, which provides leading best practices in user management. Devices from computers and smartphones to make necessary updates and improvements to operating systems and applications.

This, in turn, contributes to raising the level of protection and security and saving time and effort for the parties.

Microsoft showcased its leading cloud services such as Azure, Azure Marketplace and Power Platform, which will support the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain in providing its citizens with services, modernizing infrastructure, and enhancing cloud computing security and compliance standards.

The company also made recommendations on best procedures and practices to improve the digital experience and reinvent the way services are provided to citizens and residents.

Building on Bahrain’s 23-year strategic partnership with Microsoft, the renewal of the agreement allows the authority to benefit from the company’s services, stimulate economic growth in Bahrain, and hone the skills of government employees in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

The agreement includes more than 80,000 licenses for employees of government agencies, in addition to providing technical support from the second and third levels throughout the day and many workshops.

The agreement also includes activating cloud computing services within the Microsoft 365 software package, in addition to creating a platform for each party that includes virtual applications and software that facilitate the flow of operations and raise the level of data security.