The Mobile World Congress opened in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday, February 26, offering an opportunity for technology companies to sign strategic partnerships to support their growth in various regions of the world.

Orange Middle East and Africa and Microsoft signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support digital transformation initiatives in 17 African and Middle Eastern countries. The memorandum was announced, Wednesday, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

"This collaboration with Microsoft is a significant step in our commitment to support the digital transformation of African businesses. By combining our network and Microsoft’s solutions, we can provide SMEs with the tools and guidance they need to thrive in the digital economy," said Jérôme Hénique (pictured, left), CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa.

Under that agreement, Microsoft will leverage the Orange network to offer Microsoft solutions such as Microsoft 365, Copilot, Azure, and Dynamics 365 to approximately 15,000 SMEs in 2024 and ultimately to 1 million. The two companies will collaborate on training, marketing, and sales support programs, and establish a steering committee to track progress using performance indicators.

Microsoft, like Orange, continues to invest in the continent. Besides announcing the construction of a new data center in South Africa earlier this month, Microsoft has partnered with several African countries to drive digital transformation. This includes Kenya, where the company will integrate its cloud solutions into public administration e-services, and Nigeria, where it aims to enhance the digital skills of civil servants across various ministries in collaboration with a local partner.

Adoni Conrad Quenum