* Being a partner led company is in our DNA, it is what has driven our success – Brian Kealey, Country Manager for Sri Lanka & Maldives…

Microsoft Sri Lanka hosted the whose who of the IT industry to a grand event held at Waters Edge, Battaramulla, where they recognized the achievements of their best performing partners of 2015. The Partner Awards, which is an annual event, is a platform that brings together and recognizes the contribution, dedication and commitment from Microsoft Sri Lanka’s partners.

Microsoft has changed the IT landscape for local enterprise both large and small as well as individual users since it’s beginnings in the country back in 2004.   It is therefore significant that this year’s partner awards was held just a day after the software company launched their signature Office 2016 in Sri Lanka and around the world combining it with the official local launch of their best yet operating system Windows 10, which had its world debut in July this year.   In a Cloud First Mobile First world, Microsoft has made it its mission to provide more people centric technology, in order to ‘empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.’

Michelle Simmons, Microsoft’s General Manager New Markets - South East Asia, addressing local partners said that it was this mission that drives company strategy.  “Microsoft’s strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for a mobile-first, cloud-first world and with our new offerings we have come closer to our ultimate goal.  We will continue to build our intelligent cloud platform to increase productivity and business processes and we are excited to see the business growth you our partners have already achieved with our cloud services.  We will continue to create more personal computing experiences that help every individual to do and achieve more and we are sure you are as eager to take these new innovations to market.”

This year, seventeen industry stalwarts won awards for their engagement with Microsoft Sri Lanka in different categories.  Best Office 365 partner in Enterprise was H-One whilst ZILLIONe Technologies won best Office 365 Partner in the SMB sector.  ZILLIONe also won Best Large Account Reseller of the year bagging the highest number of awards for the night.  MS Technologies walked away with two awards for Best Partner in Public Sector and Best Managed Partner of the year.  Tech One Global won two awards for Best Distributor and Best “Attached at Source” COEM Distributor for the year.   The Best “Attached at Source” Named Partner was EWIS Colombo Limited and Best “Attached at Source” COEM & FPP Partner was Barclays Computers; E-W Information Systems won Best Partner in Education.  Softlogic Trading was Best Reseller of the Year; IronOne Technologies, Best ISV Solution Partner; Enhanzer won Best Startup Solution/App of the Year and Jinasena Infotech was named Best Dynamics Partner. Maxcom Technologies won the award for Best Partner in the Maldives.

The giving away of two special recognition awards concluded the awards ceremony.  Millennium Information Technologies (Pvt) Ltd., who was the Country Partner award winner at Microsoft’s Global Partner Conference, held earlier this year won the Best Azure Solution Partner while N-ABLE (PVT) LTD was awarded for being the Best Enterprise Mobility Suite solution partner of the year.

Brian Kealey, Country Manager for Microsoft Sri Lanka & Maldives congratulated the winners, thanking all partners for their contribution and reemphasizing the important role they played in the company’s success.  He said, “Before I get to what has changed in the market, with Microsoft and our ecosystem, I’d like to tell you what hasn't.  We still go to market with our partners.  Being a partner led company is in our DNA, it is what has driven our success, and it is why we will win together in the future.  In this changing world of companies racing to go direct to customers, this ecosystem continues to define what it means to partner, because we believe in the power of our partnership and the unparalleled innovation we both deliver to light up our solutions for customers.”

About Microsoft Sri Lanka: Established its formal presence in 2004 as a fully owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation - the world leader in software, services and solutions - has become a formidable brand in Sri Lanka with a wide and impactful reach across the country.