Andhra gets big Microsoft push for growth, public services

Microsoft India today agreed to offer technologies to improve delivery of public services in Andhra Pradesh, while the state government requested the IT giant to consider setting up a Centre of Excellence in Visakhapatnam.
The government signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft over the technology offer.
The state government, in a press release issued earlier, claimed Microsoft has agreed to set up a Centre of Excellence in Visakhapatnam. However, an updated release said the state has requested Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to consider setting up a CoE in the coastal city.
According to the revised press release, the IT giant will support building of up to three proof-of-concept (POC) solutions to apply Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Advanced Visualisation tool in the fields of education, agriculture and eCitizen services.

This technology will help in achieving sustainable doubt-digit growth and better public services. "These POC solutions will be built and deployed to address specific problems within each of the fields to achieve better outcomes for the State. It would use the lab method for data gathering, analysis, predictive analysis and policy planning."
Microsoft will provide training to the government's executives on its technologies such as cloud and mobility. The firm will organise an exclusive workshop for the Government's key administrative officers for improving productivity by using Microsoft technologies, it said.

"Microsoft is committed to empowering every Indian and Indian business and government organisation to achieve more," said Anil Bhansali, MD, Microsoft India (R&D) Pvt Ltd.

"We are excited about leveraging the power of Microsoft cloud and mobile technologies for the success of Andhra Pradesh. We are deepening our partnership with the state to harness Microsoft's intelligent cloud and provide the government access to massive computing capability that can be used to transform people's lives and businesses, as well as to address some of the biggest societal challenges in the State and across the nation," Bansali said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hosted a breakfast meeting at his residence for Nadella, the Indian- origin CEO of the US-based software behemoth.
The meeting, that lasted over an hour, mainly centred on how Microsoft could help accelerate development process in AP through deployment of IT. Nadella showed interest in the ambitious Rs 2,500-crore e-pragathi project recently taken up by the State Government, the release added.